I found the Sony SACD and the HD Tracks download to sound somewhat compressed. Only the original Oh Mercy CD had no peak limiting and the most dynamics. Can anyone do a DR reading for the new MFSL release?
I don't think there's been any 5.1 mixes since the initial 2003 SACD ones, which seemed to randomly pick albums to do in multi, and skipped the rest. Kind of a bummer, I think the two Lanois albums would be absolutely stunning in surround.
The "Oh Mercy" included in the Complete Album Collection box set is the same redbook master from the 2003 SACD box. In other words, that title was not re-mastered for that box set.
It's never been remixed to my knowledge. Mastering credit on the new MFSL SACD says "Mastere by Rob LoVerde, assisted by Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab in Sebastopol, CA on the GAIN HD SYSTEM"
Thanks for straightening out the US cd remix and resmastering info. The Blu-Spec CD2 that I have is noted on discogs as being remastered, and sounds that way to me, though I no longer have an original US cd to compare. It is my favorite cd version, I just listened to it again and both it and the new SACD sound excellent to me.
Something is definitely going on with MD shipping. When I ordered last Friday it showed in stock and shipping that same day. I received a shipping notification on Monday the 7th showing it shipped Saturday the 5th and provided a tracking number. Since that time USPS Informed Delivery shows the label created date of the 5th but that they have not received the package. I contacted them once on Wednesday and once today and they replied basically that it was normal and that USPS would "catch up". I have bought many MFSL SACD from Music Direct and never experienced this hiccup in shipping. My thought is that maybe they pulled the trigger too fast expecting to have their inventory but not having received it. I saw just above a post where someone has received it. Was it from Music Direct?
I compared the 2003 Sony SACD to the new MFSL SACD tonight. First, I loaded a queue up in Roon that had every song on the album twice, one for each release. So, like track 1 (Sony), track 1 (MFSL). I played through the whole album. Here are my notes. As you see, the MoFi wins in my book. Will be interesting to compare to my original US pressing vinyl, which is also very very good. Both the Sony and MFSL are excellent sounding. 1) The Sony is slightly louder. I have a pretty sensitive and precise preamp, and pretty efficient speakers. I had to bump up the volume on the MoFi by 2% to roughly volume match 2) I found the MFSL to be warmer sounding. 3) MFSL brings out more detail of instruments 4) MFSL digs more out of the mix. There are small details you don’t hear on the Sony if you listen carefully 5) MFSL percussion is less digital sounding, more real sounding Looks like another new digital go to for this fantastic record. I’m in for the vinyl too.
How do you find wowhd? Are they reliable? There prices look almost too good to be true for UK shipped MoFi
Bought 4 times from them. They are reliable. Prices are great, but the delivery can take 2 or 3 weeks. Most competitive prices for MOFI in UK/Europe I have found. If other forumites have other interesting suppliers, let us know !
All of you folks mentioning MD shipping 'hiccups' are quite right to do so. I experienced the same thing with them this month, and emailed them with my concerns. Someone actually got back to me and apologized for the back-up, explaining that they were swamped with holiday orders and what-not. That's all well and good, but creating shipping labels and then letting stuff sit for a couple of days (which they seem to do) isn't my idea of efficiency. USPS tracking says mine should arrive by Monday.
Thanks for your thoughts, it always helps. That method is becoming my go to way to a/b things that are worth a good going over where flipping back and forth for a minute at a time doesn’t seem as effective.
Yes, I received mine from Music Direct late Thursday. I had the same experience of a tracking number assigned, but the package not moving to USPS for days. I inquired on Tuesday and it coincidentally was just when the package moved to USPS because all of a sudden there was tracking movement. They did not tell me about a delay or anything it was instead "Look, I can see the disc is on the way, don't know why you can't." It's not a big deal to me to be honest, and it's the first time I've encountered this long a shipping delay from this source. Worth the wait.
Scan History Jan 05 11:40 AM Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item CHICAGO,IL 60660 That is the entirety of USPS tracking information since Jan 5th and that is the end of my shipping rant
Rob and Shawn knocked another one out of the park, my peeps. Oh Mercy - this is blowing my mind! All the meaning, emotion and intensity is here in spades. And its quite a lot - a 10 on The Revelance Scale. I’m only listening to the CD layer....its a big sweet analog sound.
Its going to be pretty hard to beat the 2003 Sony SACD but I'll still buy the MFSL SACD as its one of his best albums and I like the MFSL packaging. I don't know what digital sounding percussion sounds like. Suddenly time slows down and drums sound digital when you buy a $20,000 SACD player.
I”m on my third listen....lots of dancing - almost exotic - dynamics over a super deep rich extended bass. Very open and crankable! Bob’s vocal punching out so present, vital, strong. It has the same urgent/compelling quality for me as one of my favorite albums, Remain In Light. It just doesn’t let go of the listener at all. Transported.
After I cancelled my order I had a local store order it for me and I picked it up yesterday. Listening today. It's been awhile since I've listened to the Sony SACD or the original vinyl but I didn't hear a huge upgrade on first listen. I might spin the vinyl later to compare.
I’m playing my original Columbia vinyl pressing from 1989 tonight. It’s NM condition other than a few pops on What Good Am I. I am happy to say, the new MFSL is VERY close to the original vinyl. Again, the Sony and original CD are great sounding too, but I think if you listen intently on good equipment, you have to give the nod to the original vinyl or MFSL SACD. It’s close, but really what I’m trying to say is that the MFSL is very faithful to a nice original LP
God I love this album... My comments are going to be similar to those I've posted on various other threads about the Dylan MFSL releases. I listen to lossy files ripped from the redbook layer, on my Bowers & Wilkins bluetooth headphones (I have two pairs with very different sonic signatures, but both are warm and make "loudness wars" albums not sound as bad as they otherwise would). I continue to alternate periodically between Dylan releases remastered by Sony from 2003 onward and the MFSL releases. Though there's variation, the Sonys generally sound harsh, treble-rich, and thin. The MFSLs sound warmer, deeper, less sharp, a bit duller, but with no ear fatigue; they sound great when you turn up the volume whereas the Sonys don't. The Sonys do have a nice "edge" to them that sometimes really works for the vocals, which are such a huge part of Dylan's art (i.e. the vocal delivery, not just the lyrics). The 2003 Oh Mercy is one of the nicer sounding Sony releases, especially with somewhat warm headphones to cut down on the ear fatigue and harshness. The vocals and the Lanois production benefit from the amount of detail. That said, I agree with the earlier comments about how analog the MFSL sounds, and my main impression is that this may be the single most natural sounding Dylan MFSL I've heard. I've mentioned elsewhere that sometimes the MFSL masters sound a bit "EQ'd" to me, but Oh Mercy sounds flawless and unforced. This is the most I've ever listened to this album consecutively, on repeat.
