The best SHM-SACDs (part2)

available on ebay for $65.50 shipped. I just grabbed one.

 

Do you know if this uses the same mastering as the 2004 Hybrid SACD?

 

Not the same. See this other thread, with reviews of the SHM SACD disc:

Elton John- Self Titled SHM-SACD Reviews
http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=254868

 

Thank you for the post and link!!

 

Having recently acquired the Cream SACD, it can safely be counted as having outstanding sound quality. White Room has never sounded better to my ears.

 

Hello there !

I finally ordered Master of reality shm-sacd, was pretty broke 2 last month. Waiting for the queen albums too !!

ANyone got the oliver nelson's album " blues and the abstract truth "
I bought the APO sacd last year, just wanted to know how this one sounded !!

Happy Listenings

Eric

 

The Analogue Productions SACD would be difficult to beat.

And let us know about the Queen SACDs... Have you got the standard CD remasters to compare?

 

Bahhhhh...first batch of queen's shm-sacd is reported to 14/12/2011... well ^^

 

I have not made any "Best-of" SHM-SACD list.

But Bill Evans Trio "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" would shure be on that list.
It's a wonderful transfer.

 

My updated list (SHM-SACDs I own)...

Outstanding (far superior to the original CD IMO)
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
Cream - Wheels of Fire
Bill Evans - Explorations
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Jimmy Smith - The Cat
Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die
Wishbone Ash - Argus
The Who - Who's Next

Good
Anne-Sophie Mutter - Carmen-Fantasie
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Bill Evans - Moon Beams
Bill Evans - Explorations
Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief
Free - Fire and Water
Getz/Gilberto - ST
Astrud Gilberto - ST
Elton John - ST
Elton John - GYBR
Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests
Art Pepper - Meets the Rhythm Section
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Sonny Rollins - Way Out West
Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

Average (I prefer the originals)
Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
Blind Faith - Blind Faith
Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Blvd
Eric Clapton - Layla
Dire Straits - ST
Kiss - Destroyer
John Mayall - Bluesbreakers
Rainbow - Rising (btw average/avoid)
Rolling Stones - It's only Rock'n Roll (better than CBS/Virgin, but a lousy recording)
Steely Dan - Aja
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley
10cc - Original Soundtrack
T.Rex - Electric Warrior (MC-SACD is much better)
Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself

Avoid (original CD/LP or remaster is much (!) better)
Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East
Asia - ST
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Moody Blues (sold)
Police (sold)
Rainbow - LLRR
Velvet Underground (sold)

 

lots of money

 

You have Bill Evans Explorations in both the Outstanding and good lists.

 

Got the keith jarrett : Death and the Flower
Woww Fantastic DSD sounding, Highly Recommended, analog sounding, no compression at all, cd is totally buried

Got Mc Coy Tyner : Night of Ballads And blues
Fantastic DSD sounding, Highly Recommended Too, analog sounding ! did nt compared with the Apo one thought

 

I picked up the Gentle Giant - Octopus based on reviews. First real exposure for me with GG, very progressive to say the least, but great sound NTL...anxious to hear this one on the headphones.

 

I would add RS' Exile on Main St. to my "Good" list. I compared the SHM-SACD against the CBS and Virgin CD. The new transfer is better.... more detailed, warm presentation and deeper bass, no digital "harshness" I hear on the Virgin. I will hear the SHM-SACD against the US LP tonight.....

EOMS still sounds murky.... one of the "worst" Stones recordings.

My updated list:

Outstanding (far superior to the original CD IMO)
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
Cream - Wheels of Fire
Bill Evans - Explorations
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Jimmy Smith - The Cat
Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die
Wishbone Ash - Argus
The Who - Who's Next

Good
Anne-Sophie Mutter - Carmen-Fantasie
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Bill Evans - Moon Beams
Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief
Free - Fire and Water
Getz/Gilberto - ST
Astrud Gilberto - ST
Elton John - ST
Elton John - GYBR
Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests
Art Pepper - Meets the Rhythm Section
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (best Stones transfer)
Rolling Stones - Black and Blue (best Stones transfer)
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Sonny Rollins - Way Out West
Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

Average (I prefer the originals)
Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
Blind Faith - Blind Faith
Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Blvd
Eric Clapton - Layla
Dire Straits - ST
Kiss - Destroyer
John Mayall - Bluesbreakers
Rainbow - Rising (btw average/avoid)
Rolling Stones - It's only Rock'n Roll (better than CBS/Virgin, but a lousy recording)
Steely Dan - Aja
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley
10cc - Original Soundtrack
T.Rex - Electric Warrior (MC-SACD is much better)
Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself

Avoid (original CDs/LPs or remaster are much (!) better)
Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East
Asia - ST
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Moody Blues (sold)
Police (sold)
Rainbow - LLRR
Velvet Underground (sold)

 

Claus, thanks for the info on the Stones. I have this on the way from Japan, together with "Black and Blue". I take it you don't like "black and Blue" all that much, since I haven't seen any comments by you.

Sonically, I think it is maybe the Stones' best sounding recordings. Musically, opinions greatly differ. Me personally, I like it a lot, but it is a different style and I can see why some people might not like it that much.

 

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Well, my interest ends with Tattoo You, the last really good Stones album. BAB has a few good tracks and a few fillers... I agree it's sounds phenomenal to Exile or IORR. The SHM-SACD is a winner and the best beside Sticky Fingers. Someone told me Exile on Canadian Kinney LP is the best pressing. Unfortunately I never heard this one (I only have the US LP).

 

I actually like the Exile On Main St. SACD better than their Sticky Fingers one. I'm primarily a headphones listener, though.

 

Hello all,

Ok i think i ll put a list too about my shm-sacd : but i m not comparing them with cd counterparts. Only a personal 'chart' which could help for some members to get some other titles maybe

Outstanding
Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby
BIll Evans - Sunday at the village Vanguard
Bill Evans - How my heart Sings
Bill Evans - MoonBeams
Bill Evans/Steig - What's new
Bill Evans - You must Believe in Spring
Bill Evans - Explorations
Mc Coy Tyner : Nights Of Ballads and Blues
Oscar Peterson - My favorite Instrument
ELla fitzgerald/Armstrong - Ella ANd Louis
John Coltrane - My favorite Things
John COltrane - Ballads
Wynton kelly - Kelly Blue
Marvin gaye - What's going on
Gentle Giant - Octopus
The Pentangle - ST
Camel - Snow Goose
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
The Who - Who's Next
Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
Caravan - In the Land of grey and pink
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones - Tattoo you
Rolling Stones - Beggar's banquet
Traffic - John Barleycorn must Die
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique ( sir colins davis )
Chopin - Polonaise ( pollini )
Mozart - Requiem ( Karl Bohm ) interpretation : Outstanding, sound : Average
Johannes Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem ( Karajan )



Good
Oscar Peterson - Girl talk
Oscar Peterson trio - We get requests
Miles Davis Quintet - Relaxin'
Bill Evans - Interplay
Bill Evans - Alone
BIll Evans - Live At Montreux
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Oliver Nelson - The blues and the Abstract Truth
Keith Jarrett - Death And the FLower
Astrud Gilberto - ST
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Antonio Carlos Jobim - The composer of desafinado Plays
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief
Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
Rolling Stones - It s only Rock and roll
Franz Liszt - Piano works ( claudio arrau )
Beethoven - Symphonie n°9 ( Seiji Ozawa )


Average
The Allman Brothers Band - Live Fillmore
CCR - Bayou Country
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
Sarah Vaughan - ST
Wes Montgomery - The incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery

Avoid
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Queen - A night at the Opera

 

Hi!

To what CDs have you compared these two? The originals? EMI or Parlophone? The '94 remasters? The 2010 remasters? Are they identical sound-wise to these last ones?

 

We need more feedback on the Queen stuff. Claus?

 

I borrowed Sheer Heart Attack for listening... oh my goodness! It was easy for ranking.

AVOID

The Bob Ludwig 2011 remaster is shrill and compressed. Hard to listen from beginning to end. The same experience with the SHM-SACD. The original CD is much better... not perfect, but at least listenable with good dynamics. There are only very subtle differences between the CD and SHM-SACD. Not worth to talk about it. So I think... the good remasters (Queen I and Queen II) are not worth the high price for the SHM-SACDs.

After this one I have no need to hear more Queen SHM-SACDs.

 

Claus, thanks for the confirmation of what we all anticipated already.

I hope many people read this and give Universal and/or Queen a clear signal that people who are willing to spend more than $50 for an SACD to begin with (= audiophiles etc.) are not willing to accept such bad mastering. A shame really, since SHM-SACD's from the original master tapes without that unnecessary compression and bad EQ applied would have been very welcomed by Queen fans (like how they seem to be doing the Rolling Stones SHM-SACD's).

 

Thanks Claus and Zappaien for the reviews. It is really a shame, and I believe a rip-off to sell SACDs like this for, never mind $29.00, but $60.00.:thumbsdn::thumbsdn: The SHM-SACDs are supposed to be definitive and not a cheap copy of a bad mastering job.

I thought Universal stopped with this cheating of the consumers after they copied the Allman Brothers previous masters etc.

Shame on Universal for this.