SHM material warning

I wonder if this could be a problem limited to SHM-SACDs.

SHM-CDs have been sold for a longer time, in larger quantities, and if they broke that easily, more users would already have had this unfortunate experience.

It could also be that Tullman's copy had a manufacturing defect.

I've never broken a CD in my life, unless I wanted to (some CD-Rs to throw away), and I've dropped quite a few.

 

Good call. CD Japan is legit. I bet they'll take care of you.

 

Good point. This may not be specific to SHM, though Tullman's picture is striking. I've seen CDs and SACDs crack, but not in half.

 

The problem here is that it might at minimum just be certain batches or some of the discs that have this issue but who's to know if you have one that might be okay for a few years then start to crack. To me this puts great doubt in my mind about any of these that I might have in my collection.

 

I can't believe the legs this thread has.

 

Me either, usually my threads drop like a rock.

 

Sad when that happens, eh?

 

Not really sad. I do this for fun. I have many more important things to worry about.

 

How lucky are you!!

 

I have only had problems with CDRs breaking in the past. Never CDs nor SACDs. Sorry for the broken disc. Hope you get a replacement.

 

Why is there such a fuss over one broken disc? If this were a common problem I'm sure we would have heard about it on this forum. I can't believe people are considering not buying anymore because of one broken disc. This is the strangest thread I have seen on this seemingly intelligent forum. Sorry for venting, I'll just have to stay off of this one.

 

Never broke a regular CD unless I wanted to do so. Did have it happen with a few CDR's and 1 factory DVD that the spindle had a death grip on.

I think it's due to the alleged superiority of the SHM material and the high original cost associated with each disc. $50-$60 for a disc that is supposed to be made of better material is not something most would think could be broken during normal handling. It could easily be a one or two off, but if not probably good that the word gets out.

 

Let's keep out the personal attacks so this thread can stay open. Posts have been deleted.

Thanks

 

Wait until they hear that I have a bronzing SHM SACD that does not play now.

 

That's scary... I don't think anyone could even intentionally break a 'normal' CD or SA-CD that clean in half on purpose.

Sorry for your grief Tullman.

 

Woah, that's not good. Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to never buy SHM SACDs if their quality is that poor. You should have to apply a ton of pressure to snap a CD.

 

Just for kicks, I was playing the SHM-SACD of the Blues Breakers album tonight, and against better judgment I decided to flex the disc in my hand with a fair amount of pressure. I squeezed the disc so it would flex and bend in multiple places. The disc actually bent quite a bit back and forth. I have to believe I probably put more pressure and force on bending the disc than the OP did in cleaning his disc. Anyway, I did this carefully (for obvious reasons)... and I have to report....

The disc did not break, did not chip, did not crack - it even played beautifully.

I really believe that one disc cracking in half is a fluke in the scheme of things. I would not stop buying SHM-SACD or SHM-CD because we have a report of one cracking in half.

Then again, I don't really know how the OP was holding the disc when it broke, or exactly how much flexing and pressure he put on the disc. I wonder if it isn't possible that the rubbing motion, in trying the clean the disc, might have built up some type of static electric charge that caused the cracking of the disc?

I still question why cleaning an SHM-SACD is necessary. I have a lot of these discs so far, and everyone I look at looks pristine and clean. Unless I handled the disc "incorrectly" I would never find a reason to need to wipe these clean.

 

I don't understand why people on this thread are questioning the OP's intent on cleaning the disc. Discs get dirty, sometimes even when handled properly. They need cleaned, and glass cleaner is the best stuff for the job.

 

Not unless he was Uri Geller.....

 

I understand that discs get dirty, depending on how they are handled. But these SHM-SACDs are pristine out of the case, and I would think anyone spending nearly $60.00 per disc would be extra careful to ensure the disc stays "factory fresh" when removing, playing and replacing the disc in its package.

I only speak from my personal experience, but I have thousands of discs (as I mentioned earlier in this thread), and I rarely, if ever, find the need to wipe a disc to get it clean. I guess I must be "special".. in that I never seem to get CDs dirty..... even those I have had since 1983 or so.

 

+1

 

I treat them like mini-LPs: I'll put the SHM-SACD into the inner plastic sleeve, then insert that into the outer white sleeve, then just place that between the foldouts of the package and not try inserting it back into its original slot, which seems just like asking for trouble. And I very, very gently initially remove it from that slot when first opening the package.

These things cost an arm-and-a-leg and I'd be devastated if one them broke like Tullman's did, especially if it happened to one of the one's I'm most fond of.

 

Maybe because they cost sixty dollars apiece and have to be ordered from a country located across the Pacfic Ocean; and the cherry on top, IIRC these are all rather limited edition titles.

 

Apparently, his wife got her hands on that disc.

 

Because this is relatively new format, imported from Japan, and an expensive one at that. There is concern that is could become a widespread problem and people are having second thoughts about dropping $60 on them. It's perfectly understandable to me.

I'm sure some people are also looking at this and remembering those old Crest SACDs that cracked. Some of those discs crumbled to the point of being unplayable. Here's hoping we're not facing that sort of situation with SHM-SACDs.