Where is the magic in a SHM disk?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by thesisinbold, Dec 21, 2011.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    I just got "Sign o' the Times" on SHM. I like it a lot. It's a lot more "there" than the regular set I have.

    My question is this, if I transfer it to my iPod/itunes via apple lossless will it retain the sound? From what I understand, it's not that these disks were remastered, but that there's an extra layer of something on the disk.

    Sorry if this is the dumbest questions ever asked.
     
  2. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Try it and let us know what you think!
     
  3. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    Yes, I really could have done that before I posted.
     
  4. carrolls

    carrolls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    There won't be any difference in sound quality between the copy and the SHM.
     
  5. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    Thank you.
     
    IanM007 likes this.
  6. gmku

    gmku Active Member

    Location:
    Asheville, NC, USA
    What is SHM? If you're going to use an acronym, please expand on first reference.
     
  7. withnail

    withnail Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western WA, USA
    Super High Material.
     
  8. I thought it meant Steve Hoffman Mastered. :angel:
     
  9. tomd

    tomd Senior Member

    Location:
    Brighton,Colorado
    Super HARD Material
     
  10. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA
    I paid $35 shipped from amazon.uk for it. Not too bad. Since Prince is HIGHLY unlikely to have his back catalog remastered, I figured this was the way to go. I'll probably get a few more.
     
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    From my experience, the SHM process adds nothing to the sound. Nothing! If you are hearing some improvement in an SHM CD, you are hearing different mastering. Period.

    This topic has been hotly debated about many times on this forum, and threads have been closed as a result of arguing.
     
    Use_Your_Koala and Kubricker like this.
  12. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    Nope. Super High Material. Google it.

    Harry
     
  13. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    Maybe, maybe not

    These SHM-CD releases may or may not be new masterings. I believe many are not. The whole gig is the material that is used and it's manufacturing process. My personal opinion is unless there is a new and better mastering involved they are not at all worth the money.
     
    Hawklord likes this.
  14. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    The SHM material corrects errors on the disc that provides for a more "smoother" listening presentation. There is no difference at all in masterings or levels, unless they are done on purpose. You can hear the difference, but it can be heard more easily on a PC than a home stereo. That is what I have found. I do not like them, because SHM sounds too "perfect" and error free. It sounds unnatural. The SHM material is made from the same stuff as LCD TVs, so the laser penetrates and reads the disc better.
     
  15. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    I have purchased these in the past and read about the technology behind them. Nowhere have I read that SHM provides error correction. Can you provide a link to this information. I am willing to stand corrected but that is very much news to me.
     
    jeffreybh likes this.
  16. thesisinbold

    thesisinbold Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Camarillo, Ca, USA


    Well, it's certainly a bit louder. For me that's great. Sometimes I need to BUMP "adore"
     
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Bingo! Different mastering.
     
  18. tomd

    tomd Senior Member

    Location:
    Brighton,Colorado
    My bad it is super high material according to cd japan
     
  19. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    (C)

    Then you may get "the best of two worlds" CD adding some scratches to a SHM disc. :idea: :D
     
    Dr. Mudd likes this.
  20. mschrist

    mschrist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    I thought that, too! For real!
     
  21. montejay

    montejay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    It's been a few years since I experienced any Super High Material :shh:
     
  22. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Well, it does not have the errors to begin with when reading the SHM CD. It is not so much "correcting" as it is never having them or fewer of them to begin with. The laser "reads" the SHM material better which results in better playback. I can tell the difference in sound, and it is unnatural. Normal CDs do not have better playback. There is your difference. You have to be able to hear the difference in the material being read by the laser. I can.
     
  23. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    So there is data that shows what, all other forms of optical discs except those made from SHM suffer from audible degradation due to errors in reading data? I wonder how that got by the world. It seems something so obvious would be universally accepted and recognized but that is hardly the case. I am not saying it is not a quality material but I think the occurrence were this clarity would produce a perceptable improvement of sound over any other optical disc is at the least nominal and likely imperceptible. Wasn't that the story with gold CDs, greater reflectivity to more accurately read the data. Heck I love MFSL, DCC, AF releases but it is certainly the mastering and not the clarity of the material. I am sorry I just can't buy it (and I no longer do).
     
  24. bigfix

    bigfix New Member

    I know this to be true.
    I have the SHM SACD of Dire Straits S/T and it sounds excellent.
    I highly recommend it and do many others on this forum.

    However...
    Based on that I also got SHM CD of Eagles - One of These Nights.
    I also have the awful 2CD 2003 Eagles - The Complete Greatest Hits.
    I've compared songs from both versions and they are the same, compressed with toppy EQ.
    So it seems to me the SHM CD used the same remastering that was done for the normal 2CD set.
    I compared some wave forms and they looked identical.

    I picked up an old used Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975 (the blue cover) and to me the same songs sound BETTER on it than they do on the SHM version.
    So there you go!
     
  25. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I don't know what got by the world. They invented it and put it out for sale. Buy it or don't. I just told you how it works. Some people claim there is a difference between pressings of the same mastering. I can't hear that, so.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine