Japan Single layer SACD : "Who's Next" "Aja" "The Velvet Underground & Nico" 6/23

I prefer 1977 myself.

Post # 848 making me glad I didn't get it, but...making me want the Cisco vinyl more than I have...

 

Hey, there is plenty of voodoo involved in playing cds. Disc treatment, cleaners, demagnetization, anti static, buffing machines and compound, and a machine that will trim the edges of the cd.

 

I love the ritual, it is a lot of fun and brings back memories of the old days.

 

I thought post 848 was very complimentary to the SACD?

 

I thought we were already back to discussing the sound ? Oh, that is right you want to have the last word!

Nothing new.....

 

Glad I'm NOT an audiophile-makes me enjoy my SACD (and much of my cd collection) that much more

 

Check out this "Aja" review, compared with the MOFI CD here:

http://www.sa-cd.net/showthread/53586/55980/y#55980

 

If you pay $55. for a new and in print SACD you ARE an audiophile. That or your floating in the big river in Eygpt.

 

What's so funny about what I said exactly? I mean I'm much happier being a music lover and not an audiophile as many are on this forum

Why I'm not an audiophile:

1.Don't fell the need to purchase/hunt multiple copies and formats of the same title cause each one has one little detail over each other.

2.Don't feel the need to purchase "classic" titles (just) for sound quality (Pink Floyd,Who's Next etc).Look at the wish lists for AF,SACD -always the same titles Beatles,Floyd etc and it's never going to happen.

3.And the ultimate stupid audiophile statement "I need to purchase this title or this type of music so I can hear the system"

 

Wouldn't you know it ? ONE review for the Fillmore East disc, and it's a guy on Amazon UK whining about the price, AND HE ALREADY OWNS THE MERCURY ISSUE !?!?!?!?
ever have an unexpressed thought ?

 

I had just posted THIS on another thread is why it made me laugh :

Amen. I had a dweeb whining about the appearance of the disc I sold him...over a 12 hour period he PM'd me 3 times but in all that time he never LISTENED to it !?!?!? Wierd.

Referring to :
" What's so funny about what I said exactly? I mean I'm much happier being a music lover and not an audiophile as many are on this forum "

 

If you buy SACD's, you are an audiophile.

 

Well,I will pay more for an album that (I like) and feel is worth it but I also like it for the collectability.But I won't purchase titles (just for sound quality).I guess that's why I love mini sleeve SHM titles the way I do.

 

For CD Japan customers - you don't have to cancel your order for the disc that's coming out later, you can just move it off the existing order into a separate one. That way the CDs on hand will ship when available. I don't know if this helps or not re being in the que for the later one, but...

 

I haven't checked it out yet, but the MoFi Aja is very mediocre (unlike the MoFi Gaucho which is downright terrible, mastered from an LP cutting tape played back at the wrong speed!) , so I'd be surprised if the SACD doesn't sound better.

EDIT: just read this guy's review. It seems to me the sound he is describing is the effect of *compression* applied to the SACD, especially the observation that drums sound "a bit less forceful and energetic" than on the MoFi disc. Yikes!

This review to me screams "stay away" from the SACD, but I am eager to hear other peoples' impressions.

 

Well.....

My SACD of Aja just showed up. I am glad I took a long weekend off, I didn't expect it to show up today or even during my long weekend.

I am going to put it in and give a nice listen, comparing to the original Japan for US cd.

I am not much with words (as you can tell, some took me the wrong way above), but will give my honest opinion without insulting anyone.

 

CDJapan has only one Aja in stock...... I ordered one 1 hour ago and they had still 8 in stock. It seems Aja and Who's Next are the best selling SHM-SACDs

 

It seems like SACDs are becoming better investments than stocks these days!

 

It's only an investment if the value goes up. Only time will tell.

 

My SACDs and Japanese Stones mini-LP-sleeved SHM-CD box have all shipped from Japan ... should have 'em in three or four days.

 

It appears that my SHM-SACD's have arrived, but I'm too busy to listen to them. maybe this weekend. I should mention that while I was originally quite impressed with the CISCO LP, listening to it recently, I actually thought that it sounded a little "hard" in spots and that the MCA CD sounded a bit more natural. It might have been something that I ate.

 

I am still listening and this is a tough one.

They sound very different with both being impressive. I did not expect this SACD to sound this good.

One thing that is bugging me about it ( but going away with further listening) is the snare drum, hi-hat and cymbals seem to stand out just a bit, where as on the Japan for US everything seems balanced.

The SACD has a much wider soundstage and a lot more detail, its not just the forwardness of what I mention above. You can really hear the echo of the snare drum when it is hit. The highs are not bad, just more forward than the Japan for US disc.

The bass could give an impression of a little tubness, but it does sound nice.

What is odd is the original cd seems to have great sound thougout the whole cd, where the SACD I found Black Cow, Aja (very impresssive drums) and Home at Last seem to sound really good and stand out for some reason above the other songs.

I cannot say which I prefer, it is close and the SACD sounds very nice and a lot more impressive than I thought it would be. I don't find it loud at all and found myself turning it up more and more. I just wish some of the highs were tamed a little bit, but just on what I mention about the drums.

In the end I am glad I bought it, it is a nice suprised that it sounds really good.

I felt like I was surrounded more by the SACD than on the original cd.

I am not really good at putting a review down, so I hope any opinion I gave made sense and helped.


Also..... I started my listening by skipping through the original cd to just kind of make sure what I remember about it. I have heard it so many times that it was not really necessary, but I wanted to just get a quick reference.

 

There are three or four already.

 

Another note about the SACD is I am quite impressed with the packaging and cannot find any flaws.

I am not a big fan of mini lp or digipaks, but this is quite a nice package. I would still have preferred a jewel case though.

Most new cds I buy today in the US are flawed, scratched or have some sort of damage once in a while. It seems Japan takes pride in the quality of the product.