With the next batch coming out this week I pulled out my NM Geffen promo of Peepshow to get pumped. This album sounds great already, so an improved version would be mind-blowing. Really looking forward to this one!
Yeah, so far my original US Geffin of Peepshow, like yours, sounds very good, so I'm not planning on buying that one yet. My 1st Geffin of Hyena and 1st PVC of Kaleidoscope are pretty good too. The only one that kind of tempts me is the 2-LP Rapture, although my US Geffen of that one sounds pretty decent too, but with 2-LPs I'm guessing there is a good chance of a greater leap in sound quality. That is why I am anxiously awaiting someone's direct comparison.
Replacement Peepshow arrived. First two tracks sounded great, then crackling started and flipping it over the play Last Beat and it’s crackling like a second hand copy from the 80s. I think I’ll just give up on this one and be glad I have a decent copy of Through The Looking Glass. It sucks though as this is my preferred album of the two.
Yes in 2014 on the remaster Rapture cd, they had added a vocal echo thingy at the end of Not Forgotten.
Ordered juju new from amazon. Nasty crackling and distortion throughout both sides of the record mostly from the right channel. Vinyl looks perfect. Borderline unlistenable. Had a sticker that said made in germany on the shrink. Sending it back for a refund.
I'd try again if I was you. Picked up a copy yesterday and it's very nearly fine. Heard no more than a dozen light clicks throughout the entire thing when I was listening under headphones, no crackle at all. Don't own the original vinyl to compare with, only my old CD, but this sounds quite different, in a good way. The crickets at the start of Scarecrow, which were barely audible before, come through loud and clear. Glad I got it now. Think I'll treat myself to Hyaena next for Christmas even though I already own a near mint original. Yeah, took me a couple of listens to figure out what was different about it. It's the same on the Spellbound compilation too. It does give the ending more of an eerie dissonance but I'm not sure I prefer it.
Yup, sounds a little like my experience, although for me the right-channel crackling only really occurred in the intros to "Spellbound" and "Night Shift," so not nearly as bad as what you're describing, but still bad places to have surface noise. As I mentioned upstream, I went through five copies of Juju before giving up, and they all had this same surface noise. I'm personally convinced that quiet copies of the new Juju just don't exist.
Based on my experience (see posts above), that is very strange - you apparently have some elusive perfect copy. Also, as someone who also has an extremely nice first PVC pressing, I personally wouldn't agree that the new one is "way" better. I quite the new one, and they do sound noticeably different, but I don't think the PVC sounds bad or anything.
Yes, I also noticed a significant improvement over the 1st PVC. Sorry Hero to hear about your getting such a bad pressing...
Sure am sorry to hear about your experience with the album mate, very bad show there! I personally don't think any of the originals sound 'bad', but on my system I did indeed notice a noticeably greater soundstage and more depth. Of course, my system greatly lends itself to those qualities. Many times where many others have praised new remasters, my system really shows it up where the imaging is boxy, compressed, artificial sounding, or limited. In this case, the opposite was true.
Anyone know when the last batch of these reissues are due in the US? My local store hasn't mentioned anything as of yet but Amazon shows a 12-21 date...
That is so weird! I wonder if it's system-dependent. Or maybe personal taste? For whatever reason, the first PVC pressing does not sound bad in any way, shape, or form on my system.
Don't get me wrong, the new Juju does indeed sound great, and it certainly sounds different from the PVC (mostly, it's brighter, more open), but I guess I just don't think it sounds significantly better. That PVC has a very pleasing, full, organic sound, and has plenty of detail on my system. They just sound different (and quite audibly so), but I suppose I like both for different reasons.
Yeah, I'd say that's about right. The PVC is in no way 'bad' at all, and if that was all I had (like all the other originals that I also like) I would be perfectly happy. I think that fact that I am using 2 fully dipole, very tall line arrays with multiple drivers really can affect how the image sounds. Show up deficiencies on some recordings and perhaps show up subtle differences in others. Since that is the way I designed the system, specifically and strongly to favour image and soundstage, I think that is likely why I may notice subtle differences in just that one specific area. Tonally, I KNOW that many of you here with far more expensive and/or delicate cartridges and turntables will completely blow mine away! Here is what it looks like if you wanna take a look: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rNBTMV4WJsbr7owt5
Echoes Myron already answered your question, but to elaborate, PVC is the label that first licensed Juju (and some of their other earlier albums) in the US before Geffen. There were two versions of Juju: the first, which came with a bonus "Israel" 7" single, and a second pressing that didn't. Don't know if there is any difference in sound quality between the two pressings (not sure why there would be, though), but the PVC Juju tends to get mixed reviews around here. I personally think it's fine, and a bit better than the later US Geffen pressing.
Wow, you indeed have a much fancier and more impressive system than my modest setup, and I'm sure it sounds incredible! However, ever since I got the Thorens TD-160 Super as my main turntable, albums that previously didn't necessarily wow me sonically have sounded a little better, and more engaging and immersive, generally. Also, these days, because we have a 21-month-old son, I do most of my serious/focused listening with headphones when he's asleep, so that also influences how I hear things.
