It's a CD manufacturing process that reduces the jitter inherent in pressing CDs. Not every 1 & 0 pressed onto a standard CD will be read correctly by your player's laser. Error correction built into every CD player is supposed to handle it, but that process introduces measurable jitter. On CD systems with very low noise floors, the process provides mild audible benefits. If you are simply ripping CDs for playback from a hard drive, the process provides no benefits.
Not exactly -- the Blu-Spec CDs that are sold to consumers are still manufactured the same way as standard CDs. The difference is in the way the original master CD that all the copies are made from is manufactured. Sony claims using a blue laser to create the master CD results in sharper pits and a reduction in jitter from 20 ns (already inaudible) to around 10 ns (even more inaudible). I have seen no claims that there is any associated improvement in the process of duplicating that master CD into the copies that people actually buy and play. But to be fair, the standard CD provided for comparison with the Blu-Spec CD was also manufactured by Sony in Japan, whose facilities, processes, and materials are surely among the best in the world. If they had given the same master to a lowest-bidder CD pressing plant in China or Mexico that normally churns out budget discs for K-Tel and Ronco, maybe then there would've been a measurable difference.
OP, Lonson and sign have this nailed - buy the blu-specs not for any extra sound benefit vs redbook cd (I consider it a marketing gimmick) but to get cd issues that are hard to find otherwise. Two of my favorite jazz cds are blu-spec from the CTI Collection, Johnny Hammond Higher Ground and Joe Farrell Penny Arcade. Probably cost me $10 each on Amazon or cd japan, cant recall exactly. There are some CTI threads if jazz is of interest
You're correct -- as with SHM, it's a marketing gimmick. That said, however, as the new marketing ploy has apparently engendered new remasterings of most of the recordings in question, there is something to be gained from many of these releases, just on that basis (assuming that there was anything lacking in the already extant mastering) -- I was only too happy, for example, to get the Blu Spec or SHM (I lose track of which company uses which) editions of the Byrds' albums, as they not only were remastered but included the mono mixes where those existed; and the Gene Clark/Gosdin Brothers album (a version of which I supervised in its first US CD issue, in mono, no less) was loaded up with the remastered original album, the remix version from the early 1970s (subtitled "Early L.A. Sessions") and a lot of other extras that made it well worth the purchase. And the Cream Wheels of Fire SHM edition is a wonder to hear.
I'm sure some of the Blu-Spec and SHMs are mastered very nicely. That would be the only reason I would consider buying them. I'm also sure some of them are mastered compressed as hell, just like "normal" remasters. Awhile back I wanted to get the Scorpions' In Trance on CD and the only in print version was a Blu-Spec. I found out that it was very compressed so I skipped it and bought an older Japanese edition used that was much more dynamic.
ELO-Blu's use the 2001+ Remasters. Nothing to gain. Now if they would of used the old Japan/world mastering's I'd of been all over them. Much easier to grab than sourcing all the 1990 CSCS series
I agree completely with you, c-eling, I purchased long time ago one unit of a Japanese XANADU CD (1990 black backsleeve CSCS 3034) that had an extraordinary warm sound, nothing to do with the "metalic" EPIC 486620-2 UK 1999 release, quite detailed, but too much "cold" for me. That old Japanese pressings had to be the way to go. I was quite dissapointed the super beautiful japanese ELO mini-LP boxes uses the latest compresed remasters, and, in the case of the IDLE RACE box (that one with "message from the country" as third CD), they clearly worked with the muddy super filtered material on the EMI / PREMIER "Back to the story" compilation (the start of "Girl at the window" song is a disgrace!!! All the guitar treble really cut... there are 2 spanish bootlegs which sound is really excellent compared to that. Greetings
It's all in the mastering Not sure what the point of these are, if you're going to use a bricked mastering (Secret Messages 2019 BSCD2) using this 'audiophile manufacturing process' it kind of defeats the whole concept.
The ultimate question is what pressing tech is Sony DADC using for their regular CDs today? I bet most of their lines are a lot more precise that the old equipment from the 80s. i.e. better than the CD spec and overkill, and probably the same as DVD or Blu-ray on some lines. It is just easier to use the current tech as the lines get replaced. CD pits are fairly large compared to DVD and Blu-ray, and are fairly easy to make consistently with today's tech.
This is just a guess. Given that over 70% of music sold in Japan is still on physical media and that Blu Spec CD is only produced in Japan, I would think the technology involved in CD pressing is quite up-to-date.
There were 2CD sample sets containing 1 Blu-spec CD and 1 non-Blu-spec of the same title. Might be worth tracking down to satisfy your curiosity. These were priced very reasonably.
Probably would be interesting to compare the sampler discs, but I would guess and agree with Soundboy that current discs are probably made on the same equipment.
Well, to be fair, I've not been here very long, but I was searching for the extended version of the ABWH album & came across a copy of this for sale on eBay: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe In the end, I decided to go for the Gonzo Digipak release, but it piqued my interest. Sellers often call blu-rays "DVDs" (which, in a way, that are, but you get what I mean). I've never seen that confusion on a CD before. Is it a CD or is it a blu-ray? Make your minds up!
Did anybody buy THE YOUNGBLOODS 'Elephant Mountain' on Blu Spec CD2 (Japanese). If so, how does it sound?
Yes I also snapped up the Japanese SHM Gene Clark/Gosdin Bros simply for all of the assembled versions (mono, stereo, Early LA Sessions remix)
I don't like the Blu-specs I own. They're Japanese remasters and are too analytical with tipped-up highs. I've come across other similar remasters from Japan, very detailed. I must say that the quality of the Blu-spec pressings are outstanding, a black background, fast attack and dynamic. But like SHM CDs, these releases depend on the quality of the master.
Even though the supposed benefits of Blu-spec/2, SHM-CD and the myriad of other variations is questionable, if Japan wish to experiment with this tech in relation to the humble CD, I'm happy for them to continue to go their hardest. They're still in CD's corner and interested in the format, so that's a great thing for CD buyers.
Hi guy's, well I have not ever heard of this either. But looking on F/Bay I can by SACD discs cheaper & obviously better S/Q than ''Blue CD'' Cheers
