Leon Russell Audio Fidelity SACDs vs DCC versions

I’m surprised there hasn’t been more talk here comparing these releases (or if there is I haven’t found it).

I have the DCC gold of S/T and The Right Stuff reissue of Shelter People.

How do the recent Audio Fidelity reissues compare to Steve’s work?

 

Anybody? We’ve got the same albums mastered once by Steve Hoffman and once by Kevin Gray. I can’t believe how little talk and comparison I’ve read about these releases!

 

Audio Fidelity to release Leon Russell And The Shelter People
(closed?)

 

I have the Best of compilation and two of the AF CDs. Not at home right now, so I'm not sure how many of the tracks are common to both, but I can check later today if that helps.

 

The 5 DCC silver discs I have sound so good that I did not feel the need to replace them when AF reissued a couple of those titles. Leon Live, alone, did not sound as good as the other titles but I think that has to do with the original mix. (I've heard The Right Stuff live discs and they are certainly no better.)

 

I’ve read through that thread but only a couple people gave very brief and nondescript impressions.

 

Thanks! Looks like that compilation has 3 or 4 tracks from each album (S/T and Shelter People).

The gold DCC for S/T has different mastering than the silver release. I could upload a sample if you’re interested in doing a comparison with that too.

 

OK, I compared two tracks from each SACD to their counterparts on the DCC Best of. While the DCC is no slouch, I prefer the sound on the AF SACD for all four tracks. The sound is clearer, cleaner and more neutral. By comparison, the DCC is louder and more forward-sounding. The DCC also sounds a bit more EQed.

That's OK, these days I don't enjoy comparing masterings nearly as much as I used to.

 

Fair enough. Thanks for taking the time to compare those!

 

Which DCC was a flat transfer?

Do the tracks from the Best Of Leon DCC share the same mastering as the silver versions of S/T and Shelter People?

 

No problem, here's a visual of one track, Delta Lady, in case that helps. This one is from the DCC Best of:




The one below is the AF, CD layer:

 

Wow that’s very interesting. The visual from the DCC looks like the kind of waveform that gets a lot of people here all worked up, yet I never read anything but praise for the Leon DCCs.

 

I imagine the praise for the other Leon DCC CDs, since Steve said above that they were not mastered the same as the Best Of DCC CD.

 

Good point. I guess that means I should take your comparisons with a grain of salt

 

People praise releases with some mastering compression or limiting all the time on this forum, other people dismiss them.

 

What program are you using to create those visuals? I’d like to do the same for the DCC gold of Delta Lady.

 

Audacity ® | Free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing.

Then print screen, edit in paint and host on your preferred image hosting service. Postimage.org — free image hosting / image upload is good.

 

Stay tuned!

 

Alright that was easier than I expected. Here is Delta Lady from the DCC Gold disc:

 

Thanks for that!

 

Does the AF disc uses the mixes for Shoot Out On The Plantation and Hurtsome Body that are on the DCC gold or silver?

 

Well I went ahead and bought the AF Shelter People, and I do think it is an improvement over the standard DCC. The differences aren’t huge, but the AF is a little smoother and more natural sounding. The difference isn’t as big as the difference between the DCC silver and gold, but it’s still a noticeable improvement.

 

Well I also got a copy of the AF Leon S/T. For those who are curious, the mixes used for Shootout On The Plantation and Hurtsome Body are the same mixes used on the DCC gold opposed to the alternate mixes on the DCC silver. A Song For You still has the same glitch at the end present on all versions.

The AF is not as warm as the DCC gold, but warmer than the DCC silver. I think it strikes a really nice balance. I haven’t decided which I like more yet, but the inclusion of Old Masters and the bonus material on the DCC gold give it some advantage.