Best sounding Peter Gabriel So CD

1986 Geffen GEFMD 24088, made in Canada by MCA Records:

Track Peak
-- - 100.0
01 - 100.0
02 - 97.7
03 - 97.7
04 - 97.7
05 - 97.7
06 - 88.4
07 - 97.7
08 - 97.7
09 - 97.7

 

Both of these TO discs were made Toshiba-EMI, not surprising, because they were also Virgin's Japan distributor.

I have the US Geffen original release and it was made by Victor-JVC Japan, but the US Sony DADC was also the other first pressing, as this was a popular album, and friends had both versions when the CD was first released. I may be incorrect, but I think there is Diao Kosan Japan pressing of the US release seen on the forum, but I may be incorrect.

 

Hi. When this CD was first released in the U.S., there were at least 4 different manufacturing plants that pressed the CD: the two that you mention above (JVC Japan and US DADC), the one that you allude to (Daio Kosan Japan) and Sanyo Japan. If there were any other very 1st U.S. CD pressing manufactured by another plant, I have not seen it among approximately 300 or so I have personally seen.

 

I don't think I have ever seen the Sanyo So disc! Interesting.

 

I think I have seen about 300 or so very 1st pressing of So with the "smooth-sided" CD case and about 4 or 5 were Daio Kosan Japan and only 2 were Sanyo Japan! Not easy to find. They sound great.

 

I just found a Sanyo version today at a used shop. I may post some pics in the "any luck in the used bins today" thread... It came in a smooth sided case and the artwork said made in the usa. disc has made in japan in the bottom middle and on left has sanyo.

 

That's very interesting. Can you post a picture of your CD?

I have two different UK "Charisma" CDs. One is a domestic "Nimbus" CD with a blue text on disc and the second is manufactured by Sonopress in West Germany and have a black text on disc. I prefer Sonopress disc over Nimbus one. When I check them both in EAC, they have different mastering though.

 

What EAC levels do you get for the Sonopress? (I presume your Nimbus matches the numbers posted earlier in the thread?)

 

Hi Black Elk,

requested EAC leves for Sonopress

Code:

EAC extraction logfile from 27. April 2014, 17:09 for CD
Peter Gabriel / So (SONOPRESS)
Used drive  : hp  DVD A  DS8A5LH  Adapter: 1  ID: 0
Read mode  : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
  44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
  Use compression offset : 7
Other options  :
  Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
  Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
  Installed external ASPI interface
Track  1
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\Red Rain.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 3ECA82AA
  Copy OK
Track  2
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\Sledgehammer.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC B728D6DC
  Copy OK
Track  3
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\Don't Give Up.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC B364DBA9
  Copy OK
Track  4
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\That Voice Again.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 78B75180
  Copy OK
Track  5
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\In Your Eyes.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 800C2724
  Copy OK
Track  6
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\Mercy Street.wav
  Peak level 68.6 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 9B4BD1C8
  Copy OK
Track  7
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\Big Time.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC DF4239C8
  Copy OK
Track  8
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\We Do What We're Told milgram's 37.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC FFE23808
  Copy OK
Track  9
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\SONOPRESS\This Is the Picture excellent birds.wav
  Peak level 75.8 %
  Track quality 99.9 %
  Copy CRC 8D554EC0
  Copy OK
No errors occured
End of status report

I prefer Sonopress disc simply because it's quieter and has more dynamic range than Nimbus.

Edit:

here are Nimbus peak levels:

Code:

EAC extraction logfile from 27. April 2014, 16:38 for CD
PETER GABRIEL / So ( PGCD 5 ) (NIMBUS)
Used drive  : hp  DVD A  DS8A5LH  Adapter: 1  ID: 0
Read mode  : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
  44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
  Use compression offset : 7
Other options  :  
  Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
  Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
  Installed external ASPI interface
Track  1
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\Red Rain.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC B6A24DF4
  Copy OK
Track  2
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\Sledgehammer.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 6BF07AC0
  Copy OK
Track  3
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\Don't Give Up.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 40DB8A6D
  Copy OK
Track  4
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\That Voice Again.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC C859C796
  Copy OK
Track  5
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\In Your Eyes.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC E0918869
  Copy OK
Track  6
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\Mercy Street.wav
  Peak level 90.4 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC F93F157D
  Copy OK
Track  7
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\Big Time.wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC E48403BF
  Copy OK
Track  8
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37).wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 87CE94CF
  Copy OK
Track  9
  Filename C:\users\i386\My Documents\Audio\Nimbus-so\This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds).wav
  Peak level 100.0 %
  Track quality 100.0 %
  Copy CRC 5A8FD6B5
  Copy OK
No errors occured
End of status report

I think these two masterings  are the same, while the Nimbus disc sounds just louder.

 

OK, so your Nimbus matches the reported values for the Nimbus, 32VD, etc., and your Sonopress matches the EMI Swindon and EMI Uden pressings.

Yes, same audio, just scaled.

The quieter one could sound better if the DAC/analog stage of your player does not have enough headroom to cope with successive 100% peaks, which can generate a signal about 1.3 times larger, and which some designers fail to account for.

 

Matrix: Manufactured by Sanyo Japan 240882- A67170 can't seem to post a picture right now as no option is available.... only image from a url?

Update: just saw the forum update! Bummer! No more loading attachments.

 

I thought that only applied to Off Topic, etc.??

 

No apparently it is everything:

"Effective immediately: due to bandwidth and storage issues, attachment uploading capabilities are now discontinued forum-wide. Our new policy regarding attachments and hotlinked images here and elsewhere in the forum will be posted and enacted on May 1st. Thank you."

 

I just posted a picture to another thread and was following this one to see if I should pick up a Japan for US version of So that I saw last weekend. It was $5 and I already have the SACD and US versions. I am still not convinced it is worth it at this point. I might pick it up when they have their buy 2 get one sale.

To upload a pic, I went here, http://tinypic.com/ then uploaded my picture, then it gave me a link to a jpg img. I selected the image icon here and copied the link to the image.

 

Thanks for the tip!



peak levels with EAC

98.0 % / 99.2 % / 96.7 % / 96.5 % / 98.6 % / 87.8 % / 98.3 % / 97.7 % /97.6 %

Haven't done a/b with my Geffen early pressing but this JP sounded nice and the lower bass vocal at the end of In Your Eyes stood out on first listen.

 

I've never seen So manufactured by Sanyo. This must be really rare pressing. Thanks for the picture.

 

I have the Nimbus CD. I listened to it some hours ago and Big Time sounded harsh and kinda compressed (the vocals). Didn't like it. Does it have pre-emphasis?

It can be my old speakers but then, other music sounds good and natural with them.

 

I picked up another copy of this yesterday, it's an Austrian DADC disc, picture label (like others in the Virgin stable at the time). Very close to the UK copy I'd picked up before mastered by Nimbus. Not done a close compare yet though.

 

Does it have a barcode on the back artwork?

 

I found a Daio Kosan Japan for US on the bay for two bucks BC: 0-7599-24088-2, the Sanyo may match it
My US DADC DIDX 557 is different, but it's a MCA Distribute, not Warner

 

It does, same as my JP US Victor and US DADC back covers. bar code 0 7599-24088-2

 

Thanks! Sadly no easy way to distinguish this one. Also the disc face looks the same. Only the matrix code is different…

 

the disc face does say Sanyo on the far left. See picture above.

 

Thanks for pointing that out! I missed it before.

 

Ya-huh = totally agree.

I've had a few copies of this album and still have about three. The DADC Austrian picture label is nice. The SACD is very good too. The regular flavour Nimbus is hard to fault. You need to decide if the SACD is worth the asking price some people ask for it. Make me an offer though, I might be tempted. Then again, the DADC would be my pick of great sound, low cost and likely availability.

You should pay less than £5 for the DADC or the Nimbus, the SACD would be about £40 upwards.