Two others turned up on Amazon UK this past week. I got a reply from a seller confirming it was an UK pressing with the # MCLD 19145. I figured at the price it was worth the gamble.
Came across a CRC copy of Aja today: MCAD-37214 DIDY 000055 5 1AMCD 37214-2 SRC+01 M251 Anything special about this one?
So, after all this, is it still not thought that this really is the hoffman disc? I have an identical copy...
The whole debate is overshadoed by the fact that Steve himself has said that 1. A copy of a certain disc sent to him is not his mastering. 2. A copy of another certain disc sent to him is his mastering. But the two discs were found identical.
When news broke here about the U.K. MCLD disc being the "one", I went after a copy hard on eBay and lost. Then I realized that there was no difference between this pressing and my original Japanese pressings based on the data presented here, so I've decided to stick with what I have.
Exactly as why I say if you want to be certain send your CD to Steve Keith as I just can't 100% rely on a computer program, but we all can with Steve.
I've taken to listening to tell which one I have (other than ignoring anything obviously recently made).. The best one sounds just like the vinyl, with excellent 'punch' and bass. The other sounds just 'flat'. Not bad, just flat. Like for my records.. if I'm not enjoying the listening experience, it's not the best version.
So I am to continue buying discs that all look identical by EAC and send them to Steve to determine whether or not they have his mastering? No thank you. When someone finds a disc that Steve confirms has his mastering and is obviously different by EAC, let me know. As far as I am concerned, either all early pressings have his mastering or none of them do. At this point in time, there is nothing for me to gain by sending Aja discs to Steve. The early pressings I have all sound great. I do not need verfication of that. I'm sorry to be brusque, but the early pressings I have sound great to me, and I also know that all early pressings under consideration are identical by EAC. I refuse to believe that there some of these discs possess a magical difference. Finally, given that Steve mastered Aja in 1984 on what he has stated as fragile digital tape, it makes no sense that his mastering would show up on later German and U.K. pressings and not on the original Japanese pressings. Again, either they all have Steve mastering or none of them do.
See, I interpret this important information differently than Dave. Dave's interpretation is trust Steve's ears. I understand that. However, hearing is subjective. Rating discs is subjective. However, EAC provides data. I see no argument with the data. The scientist in me says, focus on the data, not Steve's interpretations of two discs. (Disclaimer: None of this is intended as an attack of Dave or Steve. Dave and Steve are certainly entitled to their opinions. )
(Please let us not make the fault again that identical EAC peak levels mean "identical data". You have to compare actual .wav samples.)
And I thought that all had been done and that no differences had been found. The only differences I read about were what people had heard.
I just read all twenty-two pages and my head is about to explode. I found a 'Manufactured in Japan for MCA' cd. The catalog number is MCAD-37214 and while the DIDX 55 appears on the inserts, it does not appear on the disc. The inner ring of the disc reads: MCAD-37214-T6E52. The disc times out at 40:00. Do I have anything special here?
Sonic flaws on other versions From an old usenet post: I also have this defect on the Citizen and Remastered CD's, but it's not there on the Hoffman edit. Also (one post below): I can't hear this defect (at 0:30) on the remastered CD nor on Hoffman's edit.
Again, I do think this issue is Steve's. Why? Because there is no evidence of 3 Aja masterings, pre-1991, only 2, Steve's and Nichols's. Ergo, since the USA MCA (made in JPN.) is the first USA pressing, and because it does sound better (at least to me) from a later, though still pre-1991 USA made Aja CD, it just has to be Steve's. Logically, there is simply no other conclusion. I do realize that there are 2 JPN. pressed MCA CD's of Who's Nexr, one Steve's and the other not (I have them both), I don't believe that a JPN. MCA CD of Aja has ever surfaced that doesn't sound better in all the ways that matter than the USA made one.
Excellent post, and I have tried to convey the same thing at one point or another. Others probably have as well. The problem is that there have been so many lengthy discussions of Aja that it is hard to keep it straight, though. Anyway, I absolutely agree with you. Based on what I have heard and read, the Japanese CBS/Sony and JVC pressings with catalog number MCAD-37214, the Japanese CBS/Sony pressing with catalog number 32XD-112, and the U.K. release with the MCLD catalog number all have the same mastering, and it seems that this is Steve's mastering.
I just found this at a new record store three doors from my apt. steely dan mcld 19145 Aja. I bought it because I suspect it may be THE one. Sounds wonderful on my extremely modest stereo. Does anyone know after all these years if it's indeed the S. Hoffmann master?
Mal posted his "Steve Hoffman verified CD" EAC log, earlier in this thread: 90.7 --- 91.7 --- 90.8 --- 88.9 --- 96.3 --- 86.1 --- 97.5