Hurray! More Blue Note SACDs on the way! *

You're talking about 4 completely different companies and product lines.

 

Just give it some thought. The question is valid.

 

OK, I performed the comparison between the HDAD and the SACD of SOMETHIN' ELSE. First of all, it must be remembered that anything that I say is strictly my opinion. It is based on my personal observations on my modest system. Secondly; there are obviously differences in playback capability due to the fact that I am comparing two different types of audio playback technology on one universal disc player. What I mean is that my player may inherently favor one format over another. But considering all that....


I have had the HDAD of SOMETHIN' ELSE for a couple of years, and I have always been extremely happy with it. To me it has always sounded smooth and open and organic. Well all that changed for me today. On a head-to-head comparison of the 24/192 layer of the HDAD to the DSD layer of the new Analouge Productions SACD hybrid, I have to say that the new SACD sounds so much smoother than the HDAD that there really is no comparison. There are a lot of similarities between the two different versions. The staging and imaging is similar, and the openness and spaciousness is similar, but the similarities stop there. The HDAD seems harsh and brittle compared to the AP SACD. The feeling of organicness [sic.] that I once treasured on the HDAD has fallin' way to a feeling of roughness and hardness. The SACD has such a lovely, natural feel to it that I will quickly try to get rid of the HDAD. I must say, if anyone is on the fence about getting this new SACD of SOMETHIN' ELSE because you already have the HDAD, do not hesitate. Go out and get a copy of this beautiful title on SACD as mastered by Steve Hoffman and toss out that brittle HDAD version. This disc gets two thumbs up.

 

Some time ago, I compared the HDAD and AP SACD of "Blue Train". With this title too, the HDAD sounds a lot brighter. I had already noticed that when comparing it to the MFSL CD.

 

Thank you for the review, Rocky!

 

HDAD is Classic Records, mastred by veteran Bernie Grundman? An audiophile mastering?

 

Are these Analogue Productions SACD's available anywhere else right now other than Acoustic Sounds and the other full-retail-price sources?

- Caddy for Daddy / Hank Mobley
- Page One / Joe Henderson
- Soul Samba / Ike Quebec
- Along Came John / John Patton

I have been getting them all via CD Pacific, and the first 3 titles above used to show "on order," but now are no longer listed in their system. They also list Here 'Tis / Lou Donaldson and Somethin' Else / Cannonball Adderley/Miles Davis as "on order", but Along Came John / John Patton isn't in their system either.

 

I think CD Pacific has serious problems getting those discs.

I had put the 4 discs on my wishlist, and now they show as "no stock"/discontinued and can no longer be found with their search function.

http://www.cdpacific.com/CDitem.asp?ID=1753192
http://www.cdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=1753193
http://www.cdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=1753194
http://www.cdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=2039174

I just ordered "Page one" from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Page-One-Joe-Henderson/dp/B002GSXKSI/

 

This review does not surprise me in the least. I had purchased this HDAD title based on good reviews on this forum a couple years back and liked it fine. I had the RVG before that and it's always been one of my favorite jazz titles. However, one night about 6 months ago I had a chance to give it a solid listen and found myself really finding it to cold and brittle sounding. I really couldn't finish the album after only just the first a few tracks. I was quite certain that the original recording had to sound better than what I was hearing.

I know Steve's version is going to make me smile when it finally arrives

 

Thanks, Claude. I have 3 out of the 4 in my Wishlist as well. I've written both AP and CDP to try to find out what's going on. Hopefully it's just a supply issue and will eventually get straightened out, and not some big problem between AP and CDP. Thanks also for the alternative option on Page One.

 

I guess the HDAD / SACD comparison of "Somethin' Else" did not surprise anyone. But how about the SACD vs MFSL? I would expect that the MFSL will be a tough one to beat in terms of tonality. Im my book it rates similar to Bookends and Crime Of The Century and gets played a lot more than either of the other 2.

Goran

 

Remember, the tonality issue is maybe the most important for Mr Hoffman when he does mastering.

I will order some of these, looks very promising to me.

 

I popped over to the Acoustic Sounds web site.

They have announced dates for the remaining 12 titles in the first batch (1/31 - 3/31). While I'm certainly not counting chickens yet, that has to be considered a positive development.

 

I hope that's true; I would like to finish this series up, and fill my damn $50 box, before July when I get married.

At that point, any extra funds will go toward supporting the family's short and long term goals, not buying music. (I already own way more than a lifetime's worth of music and movies*, so shed no tears for me, my friends. )

Craig.

* If I live to be 100, for example, even if I play every item of recorded music/movies in my collection, sequentially, without even a minute of interruption between them, 24 hours a day, for the rest of my days, I'd still not get a chance to hear every note of music and every frame of movies in my collection one more time. (Yes, that means there's a lot of stuff in my collection that I've never heard or watched, and probably will never end up hearing. It's time to stop collecting.)

 

he tells himself......

 

I contacted both Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions and CD Pacific about the lack of Blue Note SACD titles available through CDP.

Analog Productions says they would be happy to sell to CD Pacific, but CDP hasn't placed any orders for the products. CD Pacific says they've ordered the products, but the "discontinued" status means the products are "no longer available from the studio and are out of print."

I'm suggesting to both of them to contact each other and get it sorted out so I can give them my money.

 

Internet stores usually don't look beyond what they are told by their distributors. A while ago I asked CD Pacific about the Analogue Productions Blue Notes they don't seem to be able to supply, and I got more or less the same reply from them: their distributor couldn't get the discs, ergo: they are no longer available, period.

 

Being the impatient type, I just exchanged emails w/Acoustic Sounds and was promised my latest 2 subscription SACDs by the weekend.

 

The weekend begins in a couple of hours at The Rock's House.

 

Two Lou Donaldson titles are in: Here 'Tis (great one w/ Grant Green & Baby Face Willette) & Blues Walk.

 

That's good news

It's seems like these SACDs from Analogue Productions are starting flow with a little more regularity so far this year.

Sam Cooke, Humble Pie, Hot Spot and now these two.

2010 is off to a good start.

 

Awesome!

 

I wish they would do an SACD version of Herbie Hancock's 'Maiden Voyage.'

 

It's listed for the second 25:
http://www.analogueproductions.com/reissues/details.cfm?title_id=55869

It could take a while for it to be released though. I'm not expecting it until very late this year, or even early next year.

 

Thks for the link.