Ultimate HQCD (UHQCD) - new CD format, King Crimson on UHQCD and more

No offence to the op, but thank god I’m a lo-fi iTunes guy. I care more about the music than the sound system.

Mankind will never be satisfied reaching for the best, and before you know it, something better comes along....

 

P.S. Stick to new releases to be on a safe side.

 

Whatever float your boat. At least you're not in Snake-oil Syndrome group.

 

We're not really talking about back then (when vinyl was the primary format, then CD later), we'e talking about today.

If I randomly picked out twenty artists I listen to regularly and then see if they have a SHM-CD or HQCD format for their releases, I would take a hard guess that perhaps one or two of them might have one. And that's probably stretching it.

So, with that in mind, I'm not convinced that UHQCD is the next big thing and that all bands will move towards it. But we'll see what happens.

 

The Crimson 80's box set:
David Singleton's Diary for Monday, 7th March 2016 »

It will be called On and Off the Road.

Speculation is purely my own, but my accuracy rate is not bad.

Expect it to include Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair in RD, DVD-A and Blu Ray audio formats. For video, it will include The Noise and Three of a Perfect Pair - Live in Japan. Requests have been made for it to feature the "Fridays" TV show appearance. Not holding my breath, but would do cartwheels if this could happen.

For the live audio portions, expect it to have Absent Lovers from Montreal. After that, it would probably offer every Collectors Club from the 80's from the Discipline Mole's Club appearance through everything in between. They've put out a few studio CC editions. Double dipping usually irks me, but if they get this right without excessive loudness on the RB's then fine by me. It will likely include any videos from the period, thinking especially "Sleepless", along with the 12" of the same track, which features some killer Bruford drumming.

 

I said: UHQ wouldn't overperform DVD-A, but come near identical to SACD.
It's misleading, sorry, let me clarify:

1. "UHQ wouldn't overperform DVD-A" - this is only my opinion, as I was not able to compare them.
2. "... but come near identical to SACD." - I compared them with the same mastering: UHQ wouldn't overperform SACD either, but come near identical to SACD in my system. I will do more tests and blind test and I will report here.

3. You said: ".. both of these [DVD-A and SACD] would be better than this new technology [UHQ].
And I agree: Yes, they are.

 

Watch out, certain opinions and statements will get you banned!

 

“The best KC album ever”. -- Critics said about KC Live in Toronto Nov. 2015



Damn, it's exactly what I thought.

(From David Singleton's diary):
"First up, I suspect that many people now know what I have been doing for the first two months of this year – mixing “Live in Toronto” with Mark Vreeken (KC’s live sound engineer). It seems, given the general flow of the reviews, that we succeeded in hitting the sweet spot – although when I sent the first draft around, one of the band members told me “you’ve made the ugliest album ever” (I paraphrase slightly). A very slight remix, and some production mastering, and we now apparently have “the best KC album ever”. The gap between the two is scarily small – particularly when my self-imposed brief was to make a stompingly, powerful album that reflected the live show that we have all been enjoying. Take one band, sprinkle liberally with distortion, adjust compression until ears bleed, back off slightly for good taste – on second thoughts, put back to the level you just had it. One man’s “clear and yet absolutely thumping” is another man’s “cymbal distortion is unfortunate” (get with the program!)."

Now, he is talking about another release:
"And yes, it all has to be done again in a couple of months time for the all-singing, dancing, videoing album this autumn (which will also include the pieces not on this CD). There will be some tasters on the DGM Live Youtube channel as we complete them."

Radical Action Mini LP (3HQCD+Blu-ray), coming on Aug. 31 ($50)

I was so impressed with Live in Toronto, that I immediately ordered it. I want to see this 3-drummer incarnation. I love the cover in Rene Magritte style:


"Live work release from King Crimson. Consists of two [?] CDs and a Blu-ray. The CDs include live tracks taken from their world tour in 2015 produced by David Singleton under a supervision by Robert Fripp. Japanese edition features HQCD format with K2HD mastering (or more spec, subject to change). The Blu-ray mainly features their concert in Takamatsu (partially features one in Tokyo, subject to change). Spec: Stereo / Surround, 48kHz 24bit (subject to change). Pressed in Japan. Cardboard sleeve packaging."

Victor, why didn't it come in UHQCD format!?!


(Too early to talk about the box, though).

 

Curious to hear this new format.

I can't wait to hear the Crimson Toronto show.
A friend did security for the shows, he said the sound/performances were excellent.

 

Sorry for a wrong response. Despite that I did a lot of comparison tests for last 3 years, buying unnecessary CDs just for a test sake to let people know and despite that my tests based on a pretty good system, it's still a test result of one only man.
Will be more and more releases, and more reports from different people that you can make your decision.

For now I can say: it is not Audiophile Breakthrough of the Century, but improved red book CD with about 20% better sound quality toward Clarity of the sound.
I wish all my favorite reg. CDs with good sound would be UHQCDs that I could enjoy them more.

 

I said a lot of good words about this release, but something I have to add:
This Live double album in a beautiful Mini LP Gate-fold cover with the best to date red book CD sound came just in 6 mouths after concert date.
It is twice faster than usually industry production do.

 

To date, it remains the only one to include myself in a booklet photo.

 

The Japanese are the unrivaled masters in this field. This is considered a sport in Japan. They are taught to children from a very early age. They hold competitions of all levels. To tell you more, one Japanese Mini LP dealer, which I know for many years told me that this "sport" they called Audiophile Tricks.
Rumor has it that they have applied to the International Olympic Committee to include this "sport" in 2022 Olympics program. And they're sure that their application will go though.

 

Classical UHQCD (current releases)

Wilhelm Furtwangler Legendary Performances/Memorial Edition (UHQCD Reissue series) by King Records, Japan

June 22, 2016
Beethoven: Symphony No.9 (1951, with Vienna PhO)
Beethoven: Symphony No.3, 5, 6 (1952, with Roma SO)
Beethoven: Symphony No.7, 8 (1954, with VPhO)
Beethoven: Symphony No.6 / Mozart Piano Concerto No.20 (1954, with Berlin PhO)
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 / Stravinsky: (Symphonic Suite "Kiss of Fairy") Divertimento (1954, with BPhO)
Debussy: Deux Nocturnes, Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole, Honegger: Movement Symphonic No. 3 (1952, with VPhO /BPhO)


Hans Knappertsbusch Historic Live Performances/Memorial Edition (UHQCD Reissue series) by King Records, Japan

Nov. 25, 2015
Brahms: Symphony No.3/Pfitzner: Scherzo for Orhestra (1950, with BPhO/ Munich PhO)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (1963, with Koln SO)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3/Wagner: Tristan and Isolde (1962/1959 with VPhO/)
Roses from the South ~ Knappertsbusch / Pops Concert (with Bavarian State Orchestra)


Wilhelm Furtwangler
"[Wilhelm Furtwangler UHQCD Reissue Series] Reissue using the original analog master tapes."

Translation:
"Beethoven: Symphony No.9 [UHQCD] / Wilhelm Furtwangler (conductor)
[Furtwangler's birth 130 years planning] Furtwangler transcendence Live! !! Memory all 8 title sale! CD re-reprint from analog master tape for the first time in 20 years! Seven Seas of Furtwangler treasured sound source is revived with the latest technology Tech fan long-awaited attention board that has been produced as a UHQCD of. Prior to that, "the ninth of Bayreuth", January 7, 1951, the ninth of the Vienna Philharmonic. Sing the first time and that did his grace of the strings of the Vienna Philharmonic, which is shown in the third movement, and dramatic carry of the fourth movement, there is a feature specific good to force the low strings."


Hans Knappertsbusch
"Reissue with UHQCD format. Features remastering, using the master tape which was obtained from Affetto in 1995."

Translation:
"Brams: Symphony No. 3 (1950 Edition) [UHQCD] / Hans Knappertsbusch (conductor)
[Consummate skill of transcendence! Knappertsbusch of Heritage] "monster" conductor of valuable live sound source = coveted great performance board of, UHQCD revival (by an entirely new manufacturing method Memory-Tech Co., Ltd. has developed high-quality sound CD) in !! 1995 at the time of the year Kuna after his death 30 years, get the sound source from Italy Afetto (label at the time), King in a hiss, distortion, sound jump, sound quality correction of the noise and the like, which was released by performing a careful mastering. Romance flooded with undulating such changes and the huge scale of the tempo was radiation. Now revival remains in "Phantom of the name board" treatment has been Kuna best symphony name board was out of print is for the first time in 20 years! [Performance] Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1), Munich Philharmonic Orchestra (2)"


What's good about new Classical UHQ releases by Japanese label King Records for all of us?
1. They are twice cheaper then Limited Numbered series (less than $20).
2. It is not a reprint of the previous releases on UHQCDs. It seems like new Flat Transfer from Original Master tape. Otherwise, I don't know how to explain this:
"Reissue using the original analog master tapes."
"CD re-reprint from analog master tape for the first time in 20 years!"(translation).

 

If I may ask, what will these go for in US $?

 

Yes, and will the Blu Ray video be playable on US equipment for the upcoming Crimson?

 

all of your posts attacking this new type of cd are based on the assumption that the method of encoding the "1's" and "0's" on a cd was perfect to begin with, and thus can not be improved upon. do you know this to be true? or do you not care if it is true or not?

 

I'm not attacking this new type of CD, I'm happy the quality of standard pressing plants is being challenged.

What I am "attacking" is the idea that this pressing method makes the same 1s and 0s that are pressed into standard redbooks sound any better being pressed into this new mixture. This new process isn't a different encoding at all, it is simply a different mixture of plastic being pressed with the exact same 1s and 0s that standard redbooks get. I wish them a lot of success and hope every disc pressed in the future is pressed at this quality, but to state that this new plastic affects the **sound** in any way is just silly.

 

the point is, that if the manufacturing process has improved it's not necessarily "the exact same 1s and 0s that standard redbooks get".
maybe better pressing equals a better, more accurate, copy of the master. how do know that standard redbooks are accurate copies of masters to begin with?

 

the fact that they may have finally achieved what they should have achieved in the first place doesn't make it "snake oil" imo.
it means that the cd's we've been buying for 30 years were not as good as they could have/should have been.

 

So much misinformation here...

 

Really? you should "inform" everyone then. That's the whole point of a thread like this.

 

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Wilhelm Furtwangler UHQCD

CDJapan : Searches »


Hans Knappertsbusch UHQCD

CDJapan : Searches »

 

Yes, it does. I will confirm, when it comes.

 

If you are talking about Classical titles, translation from Japanese is awful, but it is the best I can do.
It is kind of charade, since translator is mixing the words in sentence. Sorry about that.