Sony Mastersound: The good, the bad and the ugly

After spending most of yesterday listening to all of these that I own I thought that I'd offer (MHO) on the low-down.

The Good:
Janis Joplin: Pearl
Eddie Money: S/T
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
James Taylor: S/T
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Couldn't Stand The Weather
Roger Waters: Amused To Death

The Bad:
Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic (moderately acceptable)
Boston: S/T (acceptable but still too bright)
Boston: Don't Look Back (not as good as Boston)
Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority (ok, I guess but a bit bright)
ELO: Face The Music (not too bad) Discovery (Not as good)
Billy Joel: 52nd Street (good, but still a little bright)
REO Speedwagon: Hi Infidelity (could've been better)
Santana: S/T (good but......)
Simon and Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water (too bright)
Frank Sinatra: The Voice (trust me, get Steve's versions)
Toto: IV (I sure hope the MFSL is better)
Weather Report: Heavy Weather (too bright)

The Ugly: (ear bleeders row 5 please)
Meatloaf: Bat Out Of Hell
Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run

 

I agree the Mastersound CD of of Boston's first album is too damn bright.

Try tracking down the Mo-Fi LP. That one sounds a lot more correct.

 

John,

No vinyl in my collection. (a gasp from the forum followed by an uneasy silence).

 

Just listened to it and you're right, but the guitar solo on Hitch A ride still absolutely rocks...


Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
So the mastersound is better than the standard release?

 

The Good:

Boston - Don't Look Back (sounds only a little bright, dynamics are awesome, has a smoothness that makes it very listeneable.)

The Bad:

Pink Floyd - WYWH (way too overboosted for my tastes, the current remaster is much more balanced and smooth to my ears, don't waste the money)

The Ugly:

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (yes it is bright but I think the recording quality itself is pretty bad, there is some horrible midrange noise/distortion between 200 - 500 Hz)

 

GammaSpace and Pigmode,

Steve himself has already stated that Sony got WYWH right (or as close to without him being at the helm).

The remasters are allright if you don't like a flat transfer and prefer compression such as the "Echos" compilation.

Boston is just too bright and could've been done a lot better. I dunno maybe my system is just too revealing in the top end.

But it is the best version on cd......so far.

 

I have a Mastersound of McLaughlin/DiMeola/DeLucia - Friday Night In San Francisco, which is slightly better than the regular release, and Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue, which sounds quite good, but I don't have any other CD of the album to compare it with.

Some of the Mastersounds had been selling for $8-10 shortly before Sony phased them out.

 

Hey Dave,

The master tape of WYWH sounded like that? Just sounds to me like the SBM version is overdone, whether it be over eq'd or the volume levels boosted, it just doesn't sound right to me. The doozie is that the MasterSound and current remasters were both remastered by Doug "The Man" Sax himself, yet they sound different from one another.

Were the original master tapes used to remaster both issues? Steve may have heard the original master tapes, and therefore may know that the MasterSound CD version sounds closer to those tapes. But, in my opinion, the current CD remasters (not Echoes) are slightly superior to anything else out there.

See post on "Pink Floyd" to read my comparison on MFSL, MasterSound and the current remasters.

 

Hey GammaSpace,

So then you're talking about the Japan mini-LP cd that both Sckott and Gary have said sounds exactly the same as the American release and sounds digitized?

Steve already gave the nod on this one and I'd tend to agree with him.

If you're talking about yet another remastered version I guess I'll have to get it and give it a listen.

 

Gavin "Gary Larson" Lurssen did a number of the MasterSounds. From:

http://www.gavinlurssen.com/mastering.htm

Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
James Taylor: JT
DiMeola, McLaughlin & DeLucia: Friday Night In San Francisco Stevie Ray Vaughan: Couldn't Stand The Weather, winner of Best Gold Disc, Absolute Sound, 1994
Loggins and Messina: Sittin' In
Toto: IV
Chicago: CTA
Luther Vandross: Never Too Much
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees
Earth Wind & Fire: All N All

 

Yes, some of Sony's Mastersound sound really good, but Sony have remastered the most of them again. Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Toto etc.

AND the Mastersound Gold CDs are a good place in your collection... for watchin' not hearin'. Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde sound better on the SACD remix, Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Trouble Water... better on the latest Anesini remasters... the same goes for SRV, Pink Floyd, Meat Loaf on and on...

 

Hi Dave,

Yes, the Japanese Mini-LP releases of Pink Floyd are exactly the same sound quality wise as the current U.S. remasters. In fact the Japanese "Dark Side Of The Moon" CD does have the 1992 remaster date on it and production credits as the U.S. Columbia/Harvest remaster.

I guess ultimately it boils down to personal preference. I would like to know if anyone else has done a comparison of WYWH between the Sony MasterSound and the current Columbia/Harvest remasters.

Clause, have you done a direct comparison? Any others have an opinion on this? Steve H., would you be willing weigh-in on this matter for the record? I guess I would like to know if the original master tapes were used in remastering the Columbia/Harvest remasters?

Thanks to all. I appreciate your kindess and understanding.

 

Hey Patrick,

When I owned the MasterSound Gold WYWH, the credits stated Doug Sax did the remastering. I did not see Gavin Lurssen's name anywhere in the booklet or on the inserts. Anyone have a copy to verify?

Thanks again.

 

Seems to be a general consensus that the MasterSounds are a bit, or a lot, brighter than they need to be. I would agree with this. I guess they were good at the time, better than what had come before. While initially sounding lively and revealing, they do tend to wear on the ears pretty quickly.

I had the Joel 52nd Street gold disc, but found it too harsh.

The Kind of Blue was good, and was the first reissue to correct the speed anomaly - but the gold CD was bettered by the more recent aluminium remaster, I think.

Wish You Were Here - I still like this one, but haven't compared it to the standard current reissue.

Heavy Weather - also a bit bright, but better than the standard reissue that came before it. Is the currently available 20-bit version (from 1997) any different from the MasterSound?

Firday Night in San Francisco - I found this one to be too bright. SBM and all that guitar plucking just drove me crazy.

Blow By Blow - I thought this one was good. I have now replaced it with the Mofi version, which is nicer.

Time Out - pretty good, and not much different from the standard aluminium 20-bit that followed it, as I recall. I think the Japanese DSD-mastered CD, or SACD, woulf be the next logical upgrade for this record.

 

GammaSpace,

I'm look'in at it right now.

Mastered by Doug Sax and James Guthrie at the Mastering Labs, Los Angeles. Assisted by Gavin Lurssen.

 

Mine states the same thing.

 

I don't remember him saying that, but I could be wrong. I do remember him complaining about a 10 dB boost at 10 kHz on the MasterSounds, IIRC. Not sure if that means *all* MasterSounds.

I should check the archives.

 

Patrick M.,

I seem to recall both Steve and his friend Tom Port (Better Records) giving WYWH the nod.

 

Well, I know my buddy David would disagree with you there. I still have yet to do a good A/B of them, but he has said the Mastersound is easier on the ears and less processed sounding.

Say, GammaSpace, I see you are in Madison. What brings you to this fair city?

 

Hey Luke,

I have lived here in the Mad City since 1977 transplanted from the Windy City. Yeah now you know roughly how old I am, no one really uses the term "Mad City" any more.

I currently work here and attend a school of higher education...Gosh only two years left!

Anyway, I became interesting in sound quality in music in 1978 when my best friends older brother sat us down in a dark room with a black light and played the entire Rush "2112" album. There were other things involved, but I plead the 5th...Wow, what an experience.

How about yourself Luke? It appears you spend time between Racine and Madison? I seem to remember in the old forum you were listed as Racine only. Either way, welcome to this beautiful city. Hope you get a chance to experience a summer here. Check out the lakes and of course check out the Union terrace.

 

Dave,

I wasn't very impressed with the Eddie Money. To me it sounds marginally better than the standard cd. No extra clarity, just a different EQ. I couldn't really argue with anyone who would prefer the regular CD, as neither one sounds very good.

Try and find a CD-R of the MFSL vinyl Boston. I compared a CD-R needledrop to the Mastersound CD and the CD-R came out on top. Much smoother, richer sound! I did have a slight preference to the gold CD on one cut - Smokin'. Without the treble boost, Delp's voice doesn't cut through the mix as well.

The MFSL Toto does sound very good - BUT, I have a Japan Toto best of that sounds even better, for the Toto IV cuts (even with a treble cut, as the Japan CD is brighter). I have a Japan Toto IV on order - when it comes in, I will do a comparison with the MFSL.

I have compared the Mastersound WYWH to the "Shine On" version and to the recent remaster. My vote goes to the Mastersound.

Boy, Dave, you must really hate the Mastersound Born To Run! I don't think it sounds THAT bad. I haven't done any comparisons with it, but it sure sounds better than my memories of my vinyl copy - much more clarity. In any case, it impressed me more then the Eddie Money.

 

I have but 3 Mastersounds . . .

I have 3 of the Mastersounds. You all will think I'm funny, but . . . I was a latecomer into collecting audiophile cd's as (IMO) the regular ones were pricey enough, within $2 of MoFi vinyl when IT was commonly available. So, $30 for a gold disk seemed like a ripoff and still does. I like Rumours as much as the next guy, but $26-$30 for an SACD of it? I thought $13-$15 for the old Nautilus pressing was fair. Call me old school. None of my DCC cd's cost me over $23 though, thank heaven.

On to the cd's. They are:

Sly Stone - Stand! This disk sounds pretty nice to me, midrange not too recessed as most cd's are. The title tune is clearly from an inferior souce to the rest of the album, as was stated clearly on the jacket. Good source and pretty wet/tubey sounding.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - better midrange and not as flat front-to-back as the Old Friends box set, to me. El Condor Pasa off this disk sounds jaw-on-the-floor amazing on my JVC P.E.M. cd player, Stromberg amp, Omni Cable and Magnepan I combo.

Blonde On Blonde - clearly re-eq'ued, much more transistorised sounding than SH's Highway 61, but the material (for me) is so much better that I end up listening to it twice as often as the DCC disk. Yes, I wish DCC had done B.O.B. but I was satisfied with the disk overall. I thought the recent Essential Bob Dylan 20 or 24-bit (I forget which) 2wofer sounded nicer still than the Mastersound disk (less obvious eq), I even repurchased Biograph when they redid it at the higher bitrate and was pleased with the results. My fave Dylan track is that mono & hissy "Mighty Quinn", so what do I know.

- - - - -

As for other recent Sony remasters, I've never heard a cd incarnation of either Brubeck-Time Out or Davis-Kind Of Blue that came close to the excitement of my mono lp's of each (and isn't the SACD of the latter all noise above 10khz!). The surfaces are excellent, on the Brubeck lp the drums are out of this world! {Brubeck-red label "6 Eye" and the Davis grey label}

 

Whoops! Forgot one (ELO)

Forgot that I have a cd-r off the Face The Music and it is so congested that the regular cd's beat it for fidelity (in spots). A really awful, flat sounding tape was obviously the source and the recent ELO remasters by Lynne himself on Universal chop the old ones to bits.

This disk really drove home the point that Steve H. has made time-and-again that half the battle is getting the proper tape in the first place.

 

Dob,

Yeah I really don't like Spingsteens Born To Run. The sonics aren't as good as they should be but the thing that really gets me is the fact that of all the super hits he had why put this lousy album (IMO), when there are so many that are better by Bruce onto an audiophile format. (grumble, grumble)

 

Well I'm sure you're aware that Born To Run is widely considered to be a classic album. For that reason alone it's easy to see why Columbia chose to put it out on gold CD.

Some of the tracks sound quite good (Tenth Avenue Freeze-out, Meeting Across The River), but the dense "wall of sound" tracks (Born To Run) need all the help they can get. I would rather see Columbia try to improve the sound of Born To Run than squeeze slightly better sound out of, say, Darkness On The Edge Of Town (a superior recording, and IMHO a better album), which might be the obvious "audiophile" choice. Of course, doing both is even better...