Comments on: Hold on to those old CDs! The best sounding version of a song may not be the new “Remaster” http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/ Secrets of Home Theater and Hi Fi Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:10:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: goldmine http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1361 goldmine Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:01:42 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1361 Greg I agree with your comments After listening to a remastered compact disc of Led Zeppelin I thought that doesn’t sound right and when I played my original copy The original copy sounded so much better The first you notice is the volume of the songs it’s louder Secondly the noticeable absence of certain highs and lows in songs The compact disc had a muted feel about it, it never really varied in tone Just to get an overall comparison, I even played my old vinyl record and even that sounded better!!! When quashing all the frequencies together for the latest iPod or whatever else people listen to it on, something has to give I suppose my biggest gripe is the prices they are charging people for the remastered versions and sitting over in the cheap bin is the original copy which is more faithful to the original recording at a cheaper price Well that’s my 2 cents Doug Greg
I agree with your comments
After listening to a remastered compact disc of Led Zeppelin
I thought that doesn’t sound right and when I played my original copy
The original copy sounded so much better
The first you notice is the volume of the songs it’s louder
Secondly the noticeable absence of certain highs and lows in songs
The compact disc had a muted feel about it, it never really varied in tone
Just to get an overall comparison, I even played my old vinyl record and even that sounded better!!!
When quashing all the frequencies together for the latest iPod or whatever else people listen to it on, something has to give
I suppose my biggest gripe is the prices they are charging people for the remastered versions and sitting over in the cheap bin is the original copy which is more faithful to the original recording at a cheaper price
Well that’s my 2 cents
Doug

]]> By: jimmy james http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1347 jimmy james Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:33:23 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1347 1. Not all remasters really are remasters. In some instances they are just reissues. Deceptive advertising by our friends the record companys. 2. Headphones are the best way to compare or evaluate media, source players, interconnects, power cords etc. A high quality pair of headphones and headphone amp make this task easy. 3. One of the most recent remaster/reissue "let downs" is the new Led Zeppelin box set. Comparing the new box to the turn of the century box reveals a bright, in your face kind of sound from the discs in the new box. Jimmy Page and George Marino had it right all along. 4. Comparing disc versions can be great fun and in my experience, 9 out of 10 times (roughly speaking) the remaster sounds better. Check out the new anniversary editions of the CCR catalog on Concord/Fantasy. No contest even compared to the K2 versions. 1. Not all remasters really are remasters. In some instances they are just reissues. Deceptive advertising by our friends the record companys.

2. Headphones are the best way to compare or evaluate media, source players, interconnects, power cords etc. A high quality pair of headphones and headphone amp make this task easy.

3. One of the most recent remaster/reissue “let downs” is the new Led Zeppelin box set. Comparing the new box to the turn of the century box reveals a bright, in your face kind of sound from the discs in the new box. Jimmy Page and George Marino had it right all along.

4. Comparing disc versions can be great fun and in my experience, 9 out of 10 times (roughly speaking) the remaster sounds better. Check out the new anniversary editions of the CCR catalog on Concord/Fantasy. No contest even compared to the K2 versions.

]]> By: Paul http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1344 Paul Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:52:33 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1344 Oh well. I would have liked the greatest hits version on SACD. I have GYBR on SACD (it was the only one of the SACD titles also available on DVD-A, if I recall correctly). As for whether SACD sounds better than CD because of the format (rather than other factors like mastering), I will refrain from starting a format debate. In any event, my interest in SACD and DVD-A is for the discrete MCH mixes they can provide, which is why the greatest hits package was alluring when I thought it was on SACD. Thanks for clearing that up (my disappointment lies with the record company, not with you). Oh well. I would have liked the greatest hits version on SACD. I have GYBR on SACD (it was the only one of the SACD titles also available on DVD-A, if I recall correctly). As for whether SACD sounds better than CD because of the format (rather than other factors like mastering), I will refrain from starting a format debate. In any event, my interest in SACD and DVD-A is for the discrete MCH mixes they can provide, which is why the greatest hits package was alluring when I thought it was on SACD. Thanks for clearing that up (my disappointment lies with the record company, not with you).

]]> By: Greg Mahoney http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1341 Greg Mahoney Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:08:35 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1341 Paul, my apologies, you are correct there is no hybrid SACD version of Elton John's "Greatest Hits 1970-2002". Both "Greatest Hits 1970-2002" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" come in fold over cardboard disc cases. I confused the two sets of discs. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a hybrid SACD three disc set (two hybrid SACD/CDs and one DVD) and yes; the SACD versions of the songs on those discs are superior sounding to the CD versions. However, I do stand by my listening analysis that the best sounding CD version of "Nikita" is on "Greatest Hits Volume III" Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Greg Paul, my apologies, you are correct there is no hybrid SACD version of Elton John’s “Greatest Hits 1970-2002″. Both “Greatest Hits 1970-2002″ and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” come in fold over cardboard disc cases. I confused the two sets of discs. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is a hybrid SACD three disc set (two hybrid SACD/CDs and one DVD) and yes; the SACD versions of the songs on those discs are superior sounding to the CD versions.

However, I do stand by my listening analysis that the best sounding CD version of “Nikita” is on “Greatest Hits Volume III”

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Greg

]]> By: Paul http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1320 Paul Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:19:32 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1320 I concur with your general observations (the newest remaster is not always the best). But I am extremely curious about this statement: “Greatest Hits 1970-2002” as that version is the latest and a dual layer SACD Hybrid disc I thought I knew all the SACD releases of Elton John (and checking on SA-CD.net gave me the list of the releases I was aware of) but I've never encountered this title--where did you get it and where can I find a copy on SACD (if it is MCH--I'm not all that interested in 2 channel recordings in SACD). I concur with your general observations (the newest remaster is not always the best). But I am extremely curious about this statement:

“Greatest Hits 1970-2002” as that version is the latest and a dual layer SACD Hybrid disc

I thought I knew all the SACD releases of Elton John (and checking on SA-CD.net gave me the list of the releases I was aware of) but I’ve never encountered this title–where did you get it and where can I find a copy on SACD (if it is MCH–I’m not all that interested in 2 channel recordings in SACD).

]]> By: Chris Heinonen http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/2009/03/24/hold-on-to-those-old-cds-the-best-sounding-version-of-a-song-may-not-be-the-new-%e2%80%9cremaster%e2%80%9d/#comment-1296 Chris Heinonen Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:54:01 +0000 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/blog/?p=2728#comment-1296 Another issue that can affect remastered albums is the trend over the past few years to boost the volume level of the CD, causing a loss of dynamics and can also lead to clipped audio in segments. Vinyl remasters are less affected by this due to inherent limitations in how loud you can make the levels on a record, but it makes me hesitant to purchase a remastered album now. They might be using far superior AD converters than when the album was first transferred to CD, but those gains might all be lost by mastering it at too high of a level. Unfortunately, they is really no way to know this either. The website linked in my name is an article at Wikipedia talking about this problem, and providing some more example as well. Perhaps the best recent example is Metallica's Death Magnetic album, which was mastered at too high of a level on the CD and had clipped peaks, but amazingly enough if you played through the tracks in Guitar Hero, the sources used for the game did not have their levels raised, and sounded better than the ones on the album. Another issue that can affect remastered albums is the trend over the past few years to boost the volume level of the CD, causing a loss of dynamics and can also lead to clipped audio in segments. Vinyl remasters are less affected by this due to inherent limitations in how loud you can make the levels on a record, but it makes me hesitant to purchase a remastered album now. They might be using far superior AD converters than when the album was first transferred to CD, but those gains might all be lost by mastering it at too high of a level. Unfortunately, they is really no way to know this either.

The website linked in my name is an article at Wikipedia talking about this problem, and providing some more example as well. Perhaps the best recent example is Metallica’s Death Magnetic album, which was mastered at too high of a level on the CD and had clipped peaks, but amazingly enough if you played through the tracks in Guitar Hero, the sources used for the game did not have their levels raised, and sounded better than the ones on the album.

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