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

Thanks...posted the question in the wrong thread.,glad you answered it in the correct one.

 

Welcome to the spectacularly over the top, obsessive compulsive CD insanity club. A warm welcome!

 

Today I`ve received S/T and LOG from cdjapan..Didn`t have much time for much listening, just few songs from S/T...ripped with EAC, playback without decoding and is mind blowing!!!
It`s clearly shows how more advance is sound transfering now then it was when first release on CD came out in 80`.

 

Do you have either the SHM-SACD or Platinum versions which are identical source for mastering?

 

No I don`t but I`m aware that the source is the same.

 

Both 2013 Pt/non-Pt SHM-CDs of DS & LOG stemmed from different DSD masters than respective 2010/2011 SHM-SACDs (DSD transfers in 2010/2011 were made using Japan analogue master tapes; in 2013 Uni Japan used UK analogue master tapes for DSD transfers).

 

That’s correct, I misspoke but meant the SHM Platinum and UHQCD MQA of both titles are the same mastering.

 

How about U.K S/T ? Did anyone tried it?

 

^^^^^ IMO, when available (as with Dire Straits & U.K. releases) you might be better off with Pt/non-Pt SHM-CD versions of the albums (the ones produced using HR Cutting process from DSD masters). One can simply employ minimal-phase upsampling of those SHM-CDs during playback to 88/176/352/705 kHz to get the sound similar to MQA-CD versions of the same material (if so inclined)...

 

Give me some time to comment.

 

Platinum and no platinum shm`s are out of print. There are two releases currently available in cdjapan catalog:
UICY-25546 SHM -CD (says it`s jewelcase reissue but of which release is unknown)
and
UICY-40196 MQA-CD
Do these share the same mastering in your opinion?

 

It's my understanding the MQA's are the same mastering.

 

I believe both SHM-CD & MQA-CD you mention share the same 2014 DSD master. SHM-CD is done using HR Cutting process (a DSD-2-PCM 24/176 -> SRC+dither to 16/44) & MQA-CD is produced using MQA algorithms (a DSD-2-PCM 24/352 -> SRC to 24/88 -> 24/44 MQA encoding with dither -> 16/44 truncation, which drops all high-band 22...44 kHz content from MQA encoding step on the floor).

 

Proof?

 

Wrong assumption is on my side. It is the same 2014 mastering.

 

Found some photos of obie`s rear side (SHMCD) and indeed 2014 date has been mentioned. Unfortunatly I`m not the best in japanese and that is all I can read but I guess your assumptions are true.

 

I'm working on the review now. Will post it soon.

 

Great, thanks!!

 

Review

U.K. S/T 2014 Japan Platinum Mini LP SHM-CD vs. 2009 Japan Mini LP SHM-CD 30th Anniversary Edition



In 2009 the Japanese independent label Belle Antique licensed all 3 U.K. albums for the 3CD Promo Box release:







In credit notes it states:
Remastered by Eddie Jobson

This remaster is unique and only applies to this version.

2014 release is a flat transfer from the original UK master tape for the Universal SHM-SACD / Platinum SHM / non-Pt SHM-CD Project.

From the very beginning I listened to the 2009 remaster full album. The sound was balanced with good dynamics and bass. The trebles were good on 5 of the 8 tracks. Noticeable brightness appeared only on tracks No. 4 "30 Years", No. 6 "Time to Kill" and No. 8 "Mental Medication". Because of this fact, without any comparison, I put this disc on the border of the categories "Very good" and "Good".

Then I compared it (A/B, track by track) with the Platinum 2014 release.

The flat transfer of 2014 surpassed the 2009 remaster, above all in terms of sound clarity across the entire spectrum.
The 2009 dynamics, as I said, was good, but the 2014 dynamics was even better. The bass was much the same, but cleaner, and important thing, on those bright tracks #4, 6 and 8, the brightness of the vocals was significantly less noticeable.

I believe the better dynamics played a major role here, that the overall sound was smoother and the image was more precise. Although Platinum reflective coating added something to the sound, but we cannot say that (in this comparison with different mastering) – I think that this is secondary here.

Then I looked into the DR (2014 has 2 bonus tracks):

U.K. S/T 2009 SHM-CD DR 11 11 11 13 14 12 11 13
U.K. S/T 2014 Pt SHM DR 12 13 12 13 14 12 14 14 12 11

Conclusion

U.K. S/T
2009 Japan Mini LP SHM-CD 30th Anniversary Edition – Very Good/Good
2014 Japan Platinum Mini LP SHM-CD – Best/Very Good


P.S.
So, what should you buy an SHM-CD or MQA-UHQCD then?
I have to leave now, but we will talk…

 

As nice as the SHM Pt/non Pt sound, I would imagine the SHM-SACD sounds even better. Same 2014 DSD mastering. I only have SHM SACD’s for the U.K. series (IIRC there are three or four U.K. titles in all) and they are all definitive imho. A little off topic I know, but in case anyone has an opportunity to purchase, go for it - news you can use!

 

5 more kraut rock band CAN UHQCDS announced for the end of September, this time the FUTURE DAYS CD is included strange that it was not included in the first batch but we will have it soon.

 

That's is why I have both SHM-SACD and Pt SHM-CD versions of my favorites:


This is my own creation: Japan "Hybrid" SHM-SACD with Platinum Red Book "layer" (each "layer" is placed on a separate disc, packed in Mini LP and housed in its own hand made white cardboard box with OBI).

How much is the market value of OOP Platinum SHM-CD now? From $85. (By the way, they all are out of print).
Uni was so confident that Platinum sounds better that it even offered two versions of the Red Book - buy, compare and choose. But collecting ... has anyone wondered?
How many times have I said in the Pt thread: People don't tight 7-8 bucks, in a few years it will be inapproachable. Some people were listening, but only some...
It was the same with the SHM-SACD. 5 years ago I went to dedicated Van der Graaf Generator thread (full of VdGG fans) and I said literally the following:
Van der Graaf Generator SHM-SACD and Platinum SHM-CD release will never be reissued again, at least not in this lifetime. Did someone pay attention?

The same is now with MQA UHQCDs...

Does History teach us something?
Buy SHM-CD version when available instead of MQA UHQCD...
Why? HR Cutting? Let's assume that HR Cutting directly from DSD master adds some sonic benefits, which actually no one able to verify - there is no two versions (with the same mastering) with and without HR Cutting available.
Yes, there is no an HR Cutting logo on the MQA UHQCDs. It's possible that they went old fashioned way. (By the way, mastering engineer Barry Diament criticized HR Cutting in the production line).
But there is no HR Cutting logo on the available 2016 jewel case SHM-CDs either:





You can talk about MQA UHQCD as you like. But I tested them... and I did it in a very fine and revealing system.
I tested Platinum SHM discs against SHM-SACD version with the same mastering, and they were so close - the second closest Red Book CD.
At that time, I could not even imagine, even in my wildest dream, that would be another kind of CD, which in its Red Book state would fit between SHM-SACD and Platinum SHM disc.

Just like in the Platinum thread, where there were more tests alongside mine, here in this thread we have another test, and it's not for a single title:

Swintonlion Test

MQA UHQCD vs. Platinum SHM-CD

“Compared the Red Book MQA UHQCD and Platinum SHM-CDs with the same mastering and found the MQA UHQCDs sound slightly better, IMO.
Regards different mastering then that’s when it gets selective.”

[4 titles were compared:] “Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street, Dire Straits S/T, Genesis Foxtrot - not too impressed with this on either CD.
This was a direct A/B test, in isolation and from memory you probably harder to tell.”
swintonlion, Oct 12, 2018 #1132, #1134

Not so much words are here, just the conclusion, just the fact:
Undecoded MQA UHQCD surpassed Platinum SHM disc with the same mastering.

No theory, no charts, no graphs, no numbers needed - just a good system:

System

Player: Naim cdx 2.2
Pre-amplifier: Naim nac 282
Amplifier: Naim nap 250
Speakers: Russell k 100
Speaker Cables: Witch Hat Phantom
Interconnects: Witchat

This system relieved the truth that (in testikoff words) "MQA-CD [MQA UHQCD] produced using MQA algorithms (a DSD-2-PCM 24/352 -> SRC to 24/88 -> 24/44 MQA encoding with dither -> 16/44 truncation, which drops all high-band 22...44 kHz content from MQA encoding step on the floor) sounds better than "SHM-CD is done using HR Cutting process (a DSD-2-PCM 24/176 -> SRC+dither to 16/44)"

Is not it the answer what to buy SHM-CD or MQA UHQCD?
Is not it the answer what file to rip?

 

Thank you, swintonlion, for your interest in UHQCDs, for spending your time and some money for conducting this important test, helping to get to the bottom of this matter.

 

That is true.

 

It is a life as it is.