Pink Floyd Discovery Box is here... (part2)

...and furthermore

But that's just it, they're not supposed to be mini LPs. No one ever claimed they were supposed to be mini LPs. Calling the packaging 'weak' because they're not mini LPs makes no sense. Just say "I don't like cardboard sleeves unless they look exactly like tiny little LPs", and be done with it.

I took your "collectible" comment to mean "something that will increase in value", but it looks like you meant otherwise. In any event thanks again for the well wishes on my weekend.

 

Fair enough.

 

I am outraged that this did not descend into a flamewar. This rational discussion and consideration for other points of view is intolerable.

This lack of aggression will not stand, man.

 

Then let me handle that!

The Mini LP comments were appreciated as I had asked about how the packaging compared to the OBTW set as IM interested in Mini-LPs. Please ignore the answers if they don't pertain to you.(bonjo)

Have a nice Sunday afternoon.

 

I've got most of the Japanese PF mini-LPs, too, and the packaging is absolutely gorgeous. Getting the CDs out of the sleeves has never been the stressful, teeth-clenching pain in the a** that it is to some others, but that's just me. I have no problem with the new packaging, either. I'll admit, though, I'm a sucker for those sleeves that "look exactly like tiny, little LPs."

 

Bellbrass, could you please fill out your profile if you want to make comments on sound quality.

 

I'm easy like Sunday morning.

 

Ummagumma sounds great also!

 

I believe that it depends on the title. Some were $9.99, some $11.99 and, of course, the double discs were $19.99 (except "DSOTM" which I personally think should have been priced the same).

 

They were priced the same here. My comment was in response to the cute, young, blonde, helpful, female employee that he mentioned.

 

Check your local used stores as well. Our local CD Warehouse has had several titles for $7.99.

 

Monday Morning 01:30 here in wet Wales

 

This rings true. I've not heard the Discovery box, but the OBtW box is exquisite in terms of packaging. In another, maddening, thread that spent more time b*tching about Amazon's pricing policy than the box itself, I challenged those who thought that the (Dutch made) OBtW replicas were inferior to the Japanese ones to describe how they were inferior. The silence was deafening. (The claimants having been brainwashed by Mr. Obi, presumably.) The OBtW box is a pleasure to own, but I would have picked up the Discovery box had the Guthrie remasters been housed within replica sleeves. But from what I can gather, the improvement over the various OBtW masterings is minimal, and I don't need another set of digi-paks, thank you very much. Maybe I'll pick up Animals, but I'm really quite happy with my original vinyl and the original EMI mastering from the ObtW box. (Plus, the truly weak spots of the ObtW box [DSotM and The Final Cut] are Guthrie masterings. Once bitten, etc.)

 

I really don't understand how anyone could be happy owning a box set that has such a dog's breakfast of masters, compiled for no other reason than EMI couldn't be arsed to put all the right ones in the same box.

The Discoveries are, far and away, a sonic improvement in just about every comparison you'd care to make.

 

Apart from packaging. And apart from the possibility that someone actually might prefer the Sax masters from the 90s. And the fact that Guthrie arsed up the 2003 redbook DSotM, and The Final Cut, brickwalling both to kingdom come. I'll wait till the euphoria dies down before going the Guthrie route.

 

Ah well, that would take some of the sting out of the price!

 

I'd pick up one or two of the better titles to help you decide. I was doubtful about the 2011 remasters but some ARE a distinct improvement over the earlier masterings, others less so or not quite as good in some areas.

From the ones that I have heard ("The Wall", "Meddle", "Obscured by Clouds", "Dark Side of the Moon" two disc set, "Ummagumma"), some are extremely good.

 

Maybe they weren't brainwashed, maybe they just did not feel like arguing with you. I don't either, but I'd like to clarify a few points that may help some when deciding whether it is worth getting OBTW instead of or in addition to the Discovery.
I have OBTW. I am happy that I do. The sleeves are pretty good, but for me, they do NOT equal the Japanese for the following reasons:

1. The sleeves are tighter than the Japanese ones. The Japanese actually have a radius around the edges, the OBTW is just creased cardboard. This makes the slit much tighter at the ends. You can get away with it with a thin cardboard (like on the Discovery sleeves), but with thick cardboard (which in itself is a good thing), inserting the disk is difficult.

2. Some of the OBTW gatefolds (namely the ones with both sides open - Wall, DSTOM - do not line up straight:



Japanese sleeves ALWAYS close straight (this sleeve is a Japanese sleeve with similar weight cardboard):



3. The spines on the OBTW gatefolds collapse unevenly. I think this is contributing to the misalignment seen above:



Japanese spines are even:



This may not matter to some (many) people, but it does matter to many collectors. If you don't mind the differences, great, you can save a lot of dough, but there is no need to call people brainwashed just because they enjoy top quality craftsmanship.

 

Hi Everyone,

I have been lurking at theis forum for a while, and so far had nothing to add. But looking at those pictures of the OBTW box I now feel the need to say something. Those look nothing like the packaging of the CD's in my OBTW box, in mine all the sleeves line up perfect, and the spines are 100%.
Are you shure that the box you bought is an original?

 

That seems like a counterfeit to me.
My authentic copies of any Japanese or else mini-lps are all like they should be without errors.

 

I bought it at overstock.com for $180.

It has NONE of the signs of a counterfeit box listed for example here:

http://www.elisanet.fi/soininen/PINK_FLOYD_Oh_by_the_Way_COUNTERFEIT.html

It has no printing errors, typos, smudges, smells, missing inserts etc. If it is a fake, then it is better than any other I have heard about. But it is certainly possible.

Well, that's just it. It is not Japanese.

 

I did find it strange that for Atom Heart Mother and Obscured By Clouds, they used the black Harvest label. AFAIK, original labels were green/yellow and the reissues (mid-80's I think) were black. Ummagumma and Meddle do have the original colours.
Also, some of the OBTW sets had inserts missing (in my case, the Animals lyric inner), labels switched (Ummagumma) or lyrics duplicated (The Wall).
Other than that, I do think the reproduction of the sleeves is fantastic.
And I have no real quibbles about the sound quality (even considering the different masterings), so I think I'll stick with it.

 

It's easy to win an argument when you just make stuff up to support your side.

 

I have mini-lp:s from US, EU and Japan but never (luckily) have caught any bad copies to my collection.

 

I've never owned the OBtW box, so I couldn't compare. I will say, tho, that all my Japanese PF mini-LP sleeves are absolute perfection.