Best Sounding (No DVD-A) Donald Fagen, "Nightfly?"

I'd like to hear forum members' opinion on what version of, "Nightfly," has the best sound quality. I DO NOT have a DVD Audio player.

 

I don't have the Japanese version CD, but that seems to command quite a buck on eBay. Did you have anything against the original CD?

 

In the great Steely Dan biography "Reelin in the Years"

(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_4/104-1778958-1099933?v=glance&s=books)

there's a great story about sound quality issues with "The Nightfly". Roger Nichols discovered that 2nd or 3rd generation copies were used for mass production. Even with that said, the standard CD of "The Nightfly" sounds pretty good to my ears (not as good as the DVD-A though).

 

That was only for the super-early Europe-only CD, as released in 1984. By the time it came out here (a couple of months later), all copies were correct, even the Europe pressed ones. I have never seen or heard one of the mistake ones--VERY few were pressed. There is only one later mastering on CD, the one we all have. I think that I recall that Stevie Wonder discovered the mistake, but I may be confusing my stories here>

 

I've also heard the Stevie Wonder story, so that means we must have it right, Larry.

I know the thread says "no DVD-A," but just for comparison's sake I have the original corrected CD and the DVD-A, and even in two channel (and only 48khz/24bit) the DVD-A sounds wonderful, much better than the CD, which itself sounds good.

 

The MFSL LP sounded pretty good as well (to me)

 

No, Scott, I actually don't have the original CD, just the original LP.

 

I've opted for a SACD player instead of DVD-A. Maybe someday, if the DVD-A catalog keeps growing and/or too many favorite releases go the DVD-A route.

 

I have the West German and Japanese target CDs plus the current US release, and they all sound great to my ears. However, the DVD-Audio disc is on a different level. I always say that the DVD-Audio version of The Nightfly is easily one of the best-sounding discs I have, regardless of format.

 

Thanx, Keith. I knew the guy with, "The Nightfly," avatar would chime in sooner or later.

 

Steve, no problem.

 

I'm a huge fan of "The Nightfly" and I regard it as the best Steely Dan album they never made!

I have "The Nightfly" in these formats...

Original West German Target CD (Great sound with only ONE major grip...At the tale end of the song "Green Flower Street" after the final big ending, there is some sort of digital buzz) What is it????

The Standard U.S. pressing CD (Great sound with NO buzz at the end of "Green Flower Street")

The U.S. Promo vinyl album using QUIEX II Limited Edition Pressing. (As vinyl goes, it can't get much better!)

The CD VIDEO (which featured the fun video of "New Frontier" and was very rare till the DVD-A came along)

The DVD-A (No question that THIS is the best, bar none!) Do yourself a favor and get that DVD-A player NOW, just for this one alone....and a Multi-channel SACD player too, if you don't already have one for the unbeliveable SACD Multi of "Dark Side Of The Moon"!!! I just bought the MARANTZ DV8400 (Universal format player) a few months ago and it plays damn near every format and is honestly a fabulous piece of equipment (for those of us that can't afford $2,000 plus machines!)

Chris C

 

If you've got a good SACD rig, the Pioneer 563A DVD player (about 180.00 at BB when it's not on sale) is a very good DVD-A player. (Not so good on SACD, IMO.) It'll give you a very good sense of why this disc is rated so highly.

 

I have that Target CD as well and have always wondered about that buzz. Glad to know it's not just me and that I'm not alone in being puzzled by it.

 

I love my Mofi LP... a very low pressing (mint condition +++) I paid $30 a long time ago.

 

I have the standard CD, and four vinyl copies (U.S. standard, U.S. promo "Quiex II" pressing, German pressing, MoFi promo). IMO all the vinyl editions are excellent (especially the German and MoFi) while the CD is merely very good.

I love this album, and that Pioneer unit looks tempting ... I already have a Sony 775 for SACD. I just don't know if I can justify to my wife the introduction of yet another piece of hardware into the house ...

 

ANOTHER VERSION

I have a Japanese vinyl LP mastered by Robert Ludwig at Masterdisk, it sounds superb (and very quiet pressing).
JG

 

I hear that! It's a tough sell, especially if you've already got a DVD player (as I did), but in my case I'm lucky that my wife loves this album too. The first time she heard the mch mix of "The Goodbye Look" all she could say was "wow." Nice moment at the casa.

And that's the other wonderful thing about the DVD-A of The Nightfly: it's one of the best mch mixes of a classic album that I've heard. Interesting, provocative, tasty, piquant, and thoroughly in the spirit of the original recording.

Also, the liner notes by Fagen are short but revealing. The closing note about how he started feeling as he completed the recording is very poignant indeed. I know JUST what he's talking about. And it's bracing to see this fine artist so in command of his craft and so emotionally vulnerable at the same time. Lovely, lovely stuff.

P.S. You'll see a Toshiba 4900 DVD player with multichannel DVD-A capability on sale at BB for about 90 bucks. Take a pass. I tried it out and it sounded harsh and thin compared to the Pioneer.

 

Is there a way to distinguish the correct CD version from the flawed early one? First I had the vinyl album - that German pressing had some severe distortions during the "synth blues harp" solo in I.G.Y. - and I bought the CD later, but also some 15 or 20 years ago. My target CD has no "digital buzz" after "Green Flower Street" and wears the numbers "7599 23696-2 2893 021 02" on its inner ring...
Thanks
Thomas

 

I have the Warner 9 23696-2 Red Target made in japan, is this the one you speak of commanding a high price?

I haven't listened to it in years, bought it new when I thought DDD had to be the one. I'd be willing to give it up to a member who might enjoy this for something I might like more.

Can't speak to the differences or mastering defects as, like I said, I haven't listened to it in years. I just looked at it and the disc is mint as are the inserts but the case is scuffed up, which is to be expected I would guess.

 

This is the SACD player I have. And Jeff, the justification part is exactly my situation!

 

That Sony is a superb CD and SACD multi-channel player and DVD player. That Pioneer 563A is said to convert SACD into PCM and is not well thought of by many as an SACD player. Apparently it is a decent DVD-A player.

Richard.

 

On other forums I've seen information that supposedly comes from Pioneer tech itself that says DSD is NOT converted to PCM on the 563a--but that seems to be true, as far as I can tell, only when the 563a is running flat out, i.e., with no bass management or distance compensation for the speakers. It does seem as if the master D/A chip the Pioneer uses is capable of direct DSD to analog conversion with no intervening PCM steps.

Tangent: The Sony 775 that I have does not playback DVDS. It's CD/SACD only.

 

There's so much B.S. on the internet, I can't really trust anyone's word for anything...unless I ask at a knowledgable forum like this one and get a straight answer.

 

Does anyone know why the DVD-A has a different version of "Green FLower Street"? On my LP and the original CD pressing, the opening piano riff is four measures long. On the DVD-A, 8 measures. Annoying, since it just drags out the beginning.