Audio Fidelity "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits" Gold CD SOUND QUALITY:

Listening to the AF disc now and it sounds stellar!

 

Let me start by saying that if you have any interest in Dylan at all then buy the Audio Fidelity version of "Best of Bob Dylan" right now! It is simply beautiful. Don't think about anything beyond the beauty of music that transcends any other version I've ever heard. You will love it. Period. But it made me wonder what it might be like if AF remastered Stephen Stills first album or stuff by Jim Croce or even Gordon Lightfoot. I get the fact that Dylan has way more cultural significance but all I'm talking about is the sound of acoustic guitar playing through my speakers. I would like to see that happen.

 

Got my copy in the mail today, put it on straight away. The first thing that struck me was the realism in the vocals, but truly all around, this is one fantastic sounding CD. I have never heard Dylan sounding so good. More please!

Tom

 

My second copy (first copy lost in shipment) arrived late yesterday. I agree that most of the tunes on there sound excellent. I'm not yet ready to say _Like A Rolling Stone_ sounds better here than on the DCC Highway 61, though.

 

x2!

This review sums it up perfectly.

I thought the Mono singles comp couldn't be bettered, but jeez this is beautiful remastering. Sublimely beautiful in every way...couldn't stop with just one play! I never thought this material could sound so damned good!

Now I know Steve Hoffman can tell the difference between real instruments and noisy offenses to the ears, but how the hell does he get it on a CD?

Ratty old tapes from half a century ago just aren't sposed to sound quite this good!

 

I agree with everyone that this is a good job by Steve. I would be interested in his decision making process regarding Dylan's harmonica sound. You want the sound to be piercing because that's how he plays, yet you don't want it to pierce your eardrums. It seems that Steve took it right to the limit without it being piercing. I find myself flinching then relaxing...ahhh

 

You're right.

 

Just my 2 cents worth, but it's hardly likely that Bob Johnston actually recorded the harmonica with an obscene push on the lower highs at 2.5k. No matter how gutsy a harmonica's played, it still doesn't do to your ears what a dentist drill does to your head.

No need to point fingers, but any shabby engineer knows you can hide a multitude of sins with a parametric push centered at that frequency. Why bother getting the drums, reeds and darker percussion like shakers just right if you can drown them out entirely? Just "brighten it up", call it digital remastering and you're done! Screw 'em if they whine that the harmonica hurts and the fingerbells sound like tinitus is setting in!

I was reading some slander about our "cult leader" on the internetz the other day and some clown made the "revelation" that he uses subtractive equalization...like it's something crazy or wrong or bad...sheesh!!!

 

Quite satisfied with the sound. This would make a nice Xmas gift.

 

No question about it: my fav work by Steve, bar none.

 

My favorite Dylan song and one of the biggest reasons I wanted this set - thanks for the thumbs up!

 

What can i say that hasn't ready been said? This ones a winner, I say!

More please!!!

 

Mine arrived yesterday, finally. We also brought home a german shepherd puppy yesterday as well. This disc is the first music she heard in the house!

 

What's her number? Where was your shipping notice?

 

I figured one limited edition should start her new life hearing another great limited edition!

 

Did anyone hear several static noise around 0:54-0:56 left channel on Track 2 of this new AF gold CD?

 

Did anyone hear several static noise around 0:54-0:56 left channel on Track 2 of this new AF gold CD?

 

The answer to that is probably in the shipping thread

 

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind.

 

So did anyone hear the click? Not a hard question....

 

I didn't - but I just turned 60, so....

(and certainly nothing that sounded like static)

 

Yes. However, that's just the mix. It is also on the 1999 GH CD. And arguably far more noticeable on the Freewheelin' SACD.

It seems likely due to the fact that Bob's vocal mic is being moved from the left to the center at that point.

Also, it's really faint.

 

Nice -I was thinking along these lines too .

 

I had some problems with the harmonica treble cutting through rather harshly, but given the rest of the reviews I can only assume it is not the disc but my lack of decent equipment. The Polk speakers are not great but they usually do well on the higher frequencies, but for some reason I still got a bit of ear bleed from some of the harmonica passages.

Otherwise I concur with everyone else as to the ability to hear so clearly each nuance in every song, beautifully done. And now I need to reevaluate how I plan to listen to high fidelity recordings if I don't have good enough equipment to reproduce it cleanly.