Same album, 2 different masterings - which CDs show biggest difference?*

So if you were to show someone the difference that mastering makes on a recording what two cd would you use? I am guessing the original Jethro Tull Aqualung which I have always heard as being one of the worst sounding cds must be a contender when you compare it with the DCC.

Do any of you keep a bad sounding cd around just to demonstrate this difference? Just wondering.

I don't think I remember there being thead like this but I am sure there must be one somewhere.

 

Al Green - DCC Greatest Hits
Al Green - current remasters (mastered by Bob Norberg)

Huge difference. This would demonstrate both: difference between masterings, and how the latest-and-greatest "remastered" version on store shelves does not necessarily mean better.

 

Supertramp-Crime Of The Century MFSL Ultradisc CD (The King of all differences, IMHO)

vs.

The same title, any mastering out there on LP or CD.

 

I'd say there are many examples of audiophile label cds (particularly those that Steve mastered) that are so obviously better than the standard issues that the differences would be apparent to most listeners.

More interesting, I think, are examples where albums have been issued on cd more than once by the same label with neither of them being touted as "audiophile" beyond the standard "remastered" claim. The two most glaringly horrible remastering campaigns I'm familiar with are:

1. The second Right Stuff label cds (mastered by Bob Norberg) compared with the first cds issued on the Right Stuff label. To be fair, I only have heard one of the second batch, but it was so horrible that I immediately traded it back in to the store.

2. The remasters of the first three O.M.D. albums are horrible, too. If I'm not mistaken (I'm not home to check the credits), these were done by Simon Heyworth, whose work is sometimes good. These cds are pretty bad, though, with so much compression that there's audible pumping (I think that's the correct term).

 

R.E.M. - Murmur MFSL

vs.

original IRS issue

Can't think of a bigger difference in my personal collection anyway. (Haven't heard the recent DE.)

 

2002 Bob Ludwig remaster of Beggars Banquet vs. any version on CD or LP before it.

 

do any of you keep one of the poor sounding ones around for demostration?

 

In my experience, there have been quite a few. However, 2 come to mind immediately:

- ANY of the 60's Kinks' CD's on the PRT label (good) vs. the same title remastered
CD from the Sanctuary label (or whatever the hell those horrible late 90's CD's were)

- the one that REALLY comes to mind first, ...... the MFSL 2-fer of Ten Years After's "Shhh" & "Cricklewood Green" vs. the original U.S. Chrysalis CD's of these 2 titles.
Anyone, & I mean anyone, would be able to hear the extrordinary superiority of the MFSL in this case. Huge difference.

 

Original Atlantic issue of "Fragile" by Yes compared to just about any other CD issue. I'm not blaming Barry for this, but the tape he was given to work with truly had no high end. I don't think it had anything above 5K.

J. D.

 

Yeah, that was a flat master wasn't it from what I remember?

 

This is not the best example since some forum members prefer the original London cd.

 

Perhaps not for you. I agree that the 2002 versions are miles ahead of the London CDs.

 

I didn't say I prefer it, but many people do. There must be better examples to suit the request of the OP.

 

The '98 remasters are on Sanctuary/Universal these days, and were originally Castle Essential.

I more or less agree with you for the '60s albums, or at least the ones where the PRT and the '98 mastering feature the same mixes. The '98 Kinda and Kontroversy are particularly obnoxious. But only for the '60s albums. The '98 Lola and Percy sound a little over-tweaked, but still better than the PRTs — Lola especially, since the PRT just lops off the intro to "Top of the Pops."

 

I'd say any original 80's Motown cd (Marvin, Stevie) with their 1999-2000's counterparts. Those last-ten-years' issued discs are flat out horrible.

The 1986 Sam Cooke 'Man and His Music' compared to the
2003 'Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964' SACD is a bit of a shock.
Sorry, Mr. Ludwig!

 

Hendrix - Ultimate Experience 1st version vs. 2nd (HDCD) version

 

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Original U.S. CD vs. Japan Mastersound SRCS 9118-9

I no longer own the U.S. disc but it sounded like some serious noise reduction was used on it.

 

The only time I've "demonstrated" anything on my stereo was to demonstrate the stereo itself to someone who wanted to hear what my system (i.e., a "good" system) sounds like.

If I mention anything near the topic of mastering to a friend, they will inevitably say one of two things: "Hey, I gotta get a GOOD stereo first before I can handle what you're telling me!" or "I trust you when you say there is a difference. But my ears aren't as good as yours!"

Either response is basically a polite, self-deprecating way of saying, "I don't give a ****".

The Bob Norberg mastered Al Green albums that I mentioned in my post are UNIVERSALLY HATED on this forum -- maybe more hated than anything else I've ever seen discussed on these boards. I have those CDs because I found them cheap and was curious to hear, how bad can they be. I've kept them not for demo purposes but because I don't think I'd get anything selling them off.

 

Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (and for that matter, his other 70's albums as well)

 

Please state which you prefer

 

In general the "brick walled" recent remasters vs. audiophile masters are big:

White Stripes - Icky Thump (Vlado CD vs SH vinyl) - this is almost like hearing two different mixes....dynamic thump vs. distorted wall of noise

Bad Company s/t - Audio Fidelity vs. remaster
etc.

 

The original 2 CD of the Who's Tommy versus the Mobile Fidelity. Huge night-and-day difference in the smoothness and treble. I'm pretty sure they must have used an LP-eq'd master for the original.

Kansas Point Of Know Return original issue was a super ear bleeder as well, particularly the title track. But I'm not sure there was ever a really smooth version to compare it to.

A more subtle example would be the original Scorpions' Love At First Sting versus the remaster, which features a general unlistenable unpleasantness.

 

Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon
Original CD versus Gastwirt HDCD remaster

The first one is extremely dull while the second one is thin and very bright. I do prefer the original CD but the truth must be somehwere in the middle.

 

I'm curious about this topic as well. I'm sure I don't have the best ear for this yet so I'd like recommendations from the group as well. Having a clear example would be best way to explain to people why mastering matters. Being able to do an A/B comparison would be very helpful, especially if the audible difference is as distinct as possible.

However, in order to make it a little easier, how about we limit this to simply one song and not worry about an entire album? This way we can include things such as the Totally/Awesome/Forever '80s compilations, Buddy Holly/Bill Haley FTOMT discs and other similar discs that get a lot of praise around here. This way it isn't necessary to own two different copies of one album. While that's probably par for the course around here, it's more restrictive that it needs to be.

So what I'd like to see here is:
- list one song and two different issues of it where the difference in mastering can most clearly be heard
- the two issues should preferably have have the same mix and edit to minimize the variables, as well as both be from CD

 

I like your idea, but the problem is that there is another very important variable among different CD releases, & that is the source tape that was used. While I agree with others that "it's all in the mastering", the source used to master the particular CD in question is also a very important consideration.

Having said that, I think that anything from the Creedence catalog could be a good contender for what you are requesting. I believe that the latest Fantasy remasters are allegedly from the master tapes. Listen to any song from one of them & then listen to the same track from one of the Analogue Productions hybrid SACD's.
Prepare to be blown away.