Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon - Best sounding CD (updated)

Revisiting this thread. So I updated to a newer version of dBpoweramp Reference (17.1) that has a CD de-emphasis DSP. I ripped this disc again and did more listening. I have to wonder if not all CD de-emphasis filters are created equal. Because when I initially ripped this disc with foobar2000 I swear it sounded flat as a 3-day old opened Pepsi. But I really do like the way this disc sounds with proper de-emphasis. Nice and buttery smooth as some have described. My disc is a UK Harvest CDP 7 46001 2 CP35-3017 31A9 (without the "TO") in the matrix code. Compared to the MFSL I can see how people say the MFSL sounds goosed. I really like the 2011 a lot still and am surprised that the 2011 doesn't get more praise.

 

You have to force dB to add the proper EQ. It won't detect and add it automatically due to the flag being SUBQ.

 

Right. With both softwares (foobar2000 and dBpoweramp CD Ripper) I had to force the DSP on which adds the proper EQ. I'm just saying I think the EQ is different between both programs as the results sounded different. Who knows, maybe I've just been drinking too much again. Anyway, that Harvest UK edition is a nice-sounding disc once it is de-emphasized properly. I can see why other members here like it.

 

Interesting. Just doing some comparisons between the two last week (dB/Foobar) and couldn't detect any difference's between the parameters. Think Spoon just used what foobar has, based on SOX.

 

Any differences from program to program should be very, very, very minor. The differences you describe are more likely to do with either some sort of misconfiguration or simply having a different impression at different times.

 

I don't know if this has been asked before: Does anybody have the track peak levels of the 2003 DSOTM SACD layer?

 

Track Peak Levels: 34.4 / 92.4 / 92.0 / 93.0 / 92.7 / 100 / 84.3 / 100 / 100 / 100

Pink Floyd Archives-U.S. CD Discography

 

I think this is the CD layer, isn't it?

 

All theses Dark Side threads give me a headache. All I want is a great sounding version without ANY pre-emphasis! From the poll I would assume that most would point me towards the 2011. Correct? I already own four of the above options and the only versions that I know don't have pre-emphasis are the Sax and the SACD and the redbook layer sucks!

 

I know I'm going to get disagreement here. But the 2011 remasters imo are just fine, affordable and easy to get. The versions they released in 2016 that are marked "Pink Floyd Records" are digitally identical, just in different packaging. If you want something cheap used, look for the older EMI/Capitol versions which I think were remastered in 1992/1993 by Doug Sax. That one won the blind testing poll. Both of these imo sound good, are affordable and do not have pre-emphasis.

 

Thank you very much for your response.

 

Ripped the original Japan for US with PE.
Sounds wrong.

Played the cd with the Oppo 105.

superb!

 

Now if I could only get a cue sheet to work for this. Doesn’t the Oppo recognize PE flags in a cue sheet?

 

What blind testing poll do you refer to? Thanks

 

Source A
1988 - Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
MFSL UDCD 517, mastered by Krieg Wunderlich
29.3 / 34.1 / 39.2 / 40.3 / 41.5 / 56.3 / 49.2 / 57.8 / 52.9 / 60.0

Source B
2003 - SACD red-book layer
(30th Anniversary Edition) EMI 7243 582136 2 1, mastered by James Guthrie
34.4 / 92.4 / 92.0 / 93.0 / 92.7 / 100.0 / 84.3 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0

Source C
1984 - first EMI European mastering
Harvest CDP 7 46001 2, silverface
87.8 / 94.7 / 100 / 97.2 / 100 / 99.1 / 100 / 96.1 / 100

Source D
1983 - Sony Japanese mastering
Harvest CDP 7 46001 2, blackface (non-TO)
39.9 / 43.3 / 70.1 / 55.2 / 72.3 / 44.5 / 53.9 / 54.6 / 61.2

Source E
1993 - US Capitol
Capitol CDP 0777 7 46001 2 5, mastered by Doug Sax
67.9 / 69.1 / 76.9 / 75.0 / 96.8 / 69.6 / 89.3 / 75.7 / 82.5

Source F
2011 - Discovery Edition
EMI 50999 028955 2 9, mastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante
40.6 / 92.8 / 99.5 / 96.6 / 98.4 / 100 / 90.6 / 100 / 99.7 / 100

Dark Side Of The Moon on CD: a blind listening test

 

Buy any CD other than the SACD or black triangle (I think that's the one with pre emphasis). I have yet to hear a version that isn't great (I didn't vote because I haven't heard all the versions so can't comment)..... remember this is a thread to find the "best" not just "great" sounding. Sometimes we get too hung up on the "best" which can ultimately be personal choice and system dependent.

 

Scobb thanks for your attempt to help but you have hit upon the source of my headache. If I am reading the threads correctly many of the early CDs including the Japan Harvest blackface and even some of the Capitols also have pre-emphasis.

 

As others have stated, the quick, easy, and economical answer to finding a wonderful sounding Redbook version of DSOTM is the 2011 remaster (or the digitally identical 2016 reissue). Mastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante.

I enjoy it more than that first Japanese master or the 1992 Sax, both of which are still terrific.

 

Rather than looking for the best one, I was looking for the one that I liked the most.
Now I have a good set of different sound mastering and production mastering of DSOTM,
I intend to keep them all because I like them all.

 

I've heard different versions but, and I stress I'm not a huge audiophile, but my 2011 remaster from the Discovery set sounds great to me. Loud when it should be loud and soft and quiet when needs me. Sure, there may be "holy grail" that sounds a little better but this version works wonderfully for these ears.

 

I wonder which version they used on the set of Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012)...



The big hologram scene was filmed to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon

In the totally beautiful scene where David hangs around in the nifty hologram room Ridley Scott challenges us with the taunt “don’t you want one of these in your car?” Having a giant floating hologram with star maps in your car is kind of cool, but I guess I’d be worried about having to carpool with one of the Engineers as a trade-off.

Anyway, Scott gives us an awesome tidbit in this scene. Because the initial filming did not include a real hologram, Michael Fassbender was reacting to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon to get in the mood. There you go, internet: start making mash-up videos with Prometheus and Dark Side of the Moon. (Note: At this point in commentary, Ridley Scott is referring to Michael Fassbender as “David,” exclusively.)

 

One issue you will find with fb2k is that the deemphasis plugin doesn’t work properly, in my experience. It’s almost as if it applies deemphasis twice. When I used a deemphasis tool to convert the raw WAV, and then played that back, it sounded like what you described, buttery smooth and warm.

it’s my favorite digital version, when deemphasis is properly applied. For the record, I feel exactly the same way about Wish You Were Here 35DP-4.

 

Lots of good sounding options for this album, but I still think that Doug Sax nailed it in 1992. And I’ve compared pretty much every redbook version there is.

 

I agree. The mastering in the Shine On box is the best to me.

 

Yeah I think the Shine On box is the best sounding Floyd there is. Shame it wasn’t the full catalog. The mastering of Wish You Were Here in that set is different than both the MasterSound Gold and the stand-alone release from ‘97(?). It’s more relaxed than both of those, and I think it sounds really nice. I think The Wall is also different than the later stand-alone release. Maybe Animals too? I can’t exactly remember which ones were tweaked after Shine On and which ones weren’t...