Have you seen this thread? Miles Davis / Columbia Sound Quality and General Discussion: 'Round About Midnight (1957) I realize it doesn't answer your question, but I thought you might find the discussion interesting. I own all of the Miles SACDs except for Round Midnight, due to the fact that two members whose ears I trust prefer the mono box version over the MFSL SACD.
Sorry for the late response, just rolled back into town in the wee morning hours from a spring break visit to my parents. Back to work mañana... I have often wondered why "The Buzzard Song" on Porgy and Bess opens with such a brassy blast. Miles had, on several occasions, mentioned the need for both tension and release in musical composition, and the concept is a hallmark of Miles Davis and Gil Evans writing/arranging. When viewed through that prism, those hectic opening bars set up immediate tension that is released a few seconds later when the opening blast fades and Miles's somber trumpet line comes in over those cool orchestral chords. That melancholy and coolness continues with the next number, "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." Playing through my stereo LP right now, and I forgot how great this album is. It tends to get overshadowed by some of the more popular titles in Miles's catalogue. The 2019 MFSL is the least strident of all the digital versions. Perhaps we will never know whether this is due to intentional taming by mastering engineer Shawn R. Britton, just a fortunate side effect of their mastering choices, or a consequence of their decision to use the Mark Wilder remix instead of the original stereo mix. Remember, there was a similar question with the opening notes of "Country Son" on Miles In The Sky, where on the original mix the opening volume was actually goosed, while on the Mark Wilder remix the opening notes played at the same volume as the rest of the song. A number of people who had only ever heard the remix wondered why the opening volume was so loud on the MFSL; it was because they were hearing the original mix for the first time. In other words, it was an artistic choice made either on the part of Miles or, probably more likely, Teo. Back to Porgy and Bess. First LP pressings, both mono and stereo, definitely have brassy openings, but it isn't overly strident. The sound of the opening is more like the MFSL, where it gets your attention but doesn't attempt to blow out your eardrum. It's much worse on the relatively treble-heavy 35DP 61. And yet it's still bad on the mono box set CD, which is the original mono mix. So what do you all think about the cause of the overly strident opening? Artistic decision? Equipment related? EQ related? Analogue vs. digital? Original (vacuum tube) mix vs. remix? I would say it was an artistic decision, made much worse by digital mastering decisions.
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I'm new to posting on this thread, but have finished reading/skimming the entire thing (and its precursor), making notes on each release for future reference. Thanks to all who compiled so much information and so many impressions. I started doing this because I found the same thing useful when sussing out which Bob Dylan MFSL SACDs were considered best and why. (Especially with the mono vs stereo options.) I figured I'd need to do the same for Miles Davis if I were to order anything. I only have copies of Kind of Blue (1997 Sony CD) and Round about Midnight (some sort of Downbeat magazine poll winner release, if I recall correctly? Not in front of me right now...) And I've only ever heard one or two others, probably public library copies. So I figured the field was open, but I wanted to make sure of getting the recommended versions to avoid repurchases or regrets later. Well, turns out I needn't have bothered – it seems like every MFSL Miles Davis disc is recommended as the best digital version out there! With caveats, of course, and some prefer others (in some cases, part of large box sets I'm not up for paying for). But by and large, there are no titles that aren't recommended heartily at least by many, if not most or all. That's quite stunning! Not sure when – or what – my first order will be, but the appetite has been whetted, that's for sure. I look forward to comparing my impressions to yours when I do get some discs in. It's a nice education in music (and technology) I don't know too much about. PS. Following the endless wait for Kind of Blue years after the fact was hilarious – in retrospect, of course! Condolences and congrats to those who lived through it in real time...
There are going to be outlier views on nearly any opinion, so it is important to provide complete info. How many of the Dylan DSD layers have you heard? Are those you trust listening on a system comparable to yours? Or to the member you are quoting?
You give an excellent answer in your second paragraph, and as Lonson posted, that first passage acts as a kind of overture-- certainly undermining expectations that this will be a kinder, gentler version of Gershwin's composition. For all that, it's still problematic sonically (and therefore aesthetically), a little over-the-top and distracting.
Got a hold of a new sealed copy of Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight MoFi SACD ... of course I paid for it but it was MINT package. Somehow I didn't realize this was an older release I had never purchased. So far I have all the MoFi SACDs that they released so far. Will listen later this evening.
Oh well. My old 35DP61 CD does sound better. I think MoFi's mastering is fine but using the remix was a poor choice.
I have the japanese SACD of Kind of Blue (hybrid, SICP 10083) and On the Corner (hybrid, SICP 10091). Are the Mobile Fidelity SACDs better? An improvement? Thanks in advance!
There are two Japanese SACD releases of Kind of Blue if I recall. One had a three channel mix along with the standard 2 channel mix. I am given to understand that the MoFi is from the same sources of at least one of the two releases. Around here the MoFi is very popular though I think it sounds very similar to the Japanese version I have with 2 and 3 channels. Personally, and this is not the majority position, I think the HDTracks version is great. Some of the various noises at the beginning are not present in that version.
The Sony SACD and MFSL SACD use the same stereo remix. The HDTracks version is another different remix than the one's above.
Another fan of the HDTracks version here--and the mono CD from the box set. Those (2014, iirc) new mix downs are great. As is the RSD mono vinyl, which is cut AAA from the (2014?) mix down to tape from the three track reel.
On my system the Mobile Fidelity SACDs are my pick. A tad more "body" to the sound, a tad smoother tonal quality.
Now that a little time has passed since it’s release, how do folks feel about mfsl Porgy in general, and specifically relative to the earlier Japanese sacd release?
I haven't compared to the JSACD, but I have and love the recent mono reissues, both from the CD box and the RSD vinyl. I'm listening now to the MOFI SACD, and I think Cory nails it in his description. The tonality is to die for. It is mastered quietly, but turning it up yields rewards.
I have most of the mofi miles releases. They all sound very good. But if I could only have one version it would those in the mono box. I find them to be the best sounding.
They did some solid work putting that box together. It was a masterstroke that they used those safety reels for the first time. An overall excellent value. I just wish there was a second volume for all the rest of the mono mixes through Nefertiti.
I have purchased this on SACD at least twice (Sony CBS Japan and MoFi); and on HD Tracks. And in the past a few different on CD. It may well be that the Japanese release you are referencing is even better; but so far I am satisfied with the HD Tracks version and am unlikely to track any more down. The first SACD does have a novelty; a transfer from the original three track using the front three channels.
