The best SHM-SACDs

Here are mine SHM-SACDs:
- The Who
- Black Sabbath
- Dire Straits
- VU & Nico
- 10cc
- Ella & Louis
- Getz/Gilberto
- Aja
- Miles Davis "Relaxin"
- Wishbone Ash

All is great to my ears!
But a couple of guys on this forum think my opinion has no value, because it is impossible that all of mine SHM-SACDs could be great sounding.
what gives??

 

Indeed. Whole thing is absurd.

 

I agree and I am very satisfied with my discs as well:

Who's next,
Aja,
Clapton Ocean Boulevard,
Paranoid,
ABB Fillmore (I really cannot see how this is not satisfying to some ears; perhaps my comparison base is not so wide),
Layla,
Let it Bleed [I listened to it this morning and was thrilled; I do not have the 2002 SACD],
Asia,
Getz/Gilberto,
Art Pepper,
Sarah Vaughan,
Bartok/Solti [this one is amazing; but mostly due to the then superb legendary Decca engineering],
Beethoven 9/Ozawa.

This morning two packages arrived with Mayall/Beano, Cream/Wheels of Fire, Gaucho and R. strauss/Karajan.

Long Live the SHM-SACDs!!

 

It's all opinion, obviously. The Dire Straits SACD sounds great to me.

I also just noticed that one person here loves the Gaucho SHM-SACD, stating that it beats the original SACD, while another person here says the SHM-SACD is "horrible". We'll never have a consensus here.

The original Gaucho SACD sounds very good to me. As much as I love the album, I'm not sure I want to fork over $60 to get another SACD.

 

I will post later

 

I have both Gaucho sacd's now.

I think they both have their pros and cons.

The original sacd seemed a bit more louder, and sometimes more bass. But I liked that one.

The shm-sacd sounds really as a flat transfer ... Sounding less digital, more analog.

I like them both.

 

Very Good - Cream Wheels of Fire
Dire Straits
Wishbone Ash
Who's Next

Good - Paranoid
Blind Faith

 

Of the 9 that I have

Excellent
The Who - Who's Next
Cream - Wheels of Fire

Very Good
Dire Straits
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
The Blues Breakers feat. John Mayall and Eric Clapton
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink

Good
Blind Faith
Velvet Undergound and Nico
*Fairly average recordings to begin with is probably what's holding these back from a higher rating.

Poor
Steeley Dan - Aja
Definitely the joker the pack, IMHO. I don't think it's the mastering. Probably the Japanese source tape is to blame. Some nice moments where the hi-res shines through, but overall presentation doesn't hold a candle to the MFSL....IMHO I know there are plenty that love this disc though. Each to their own I say. Just my 20 cents worth

 

Boy I sure don't want to sink $60 more into this album (I've got probably 10-15 copies, mostly different vinyl pressings already), but it is one of me top 10 albums ever!

Are there bootlegs of this anywhere, or am I safe to grab one on eBay?
.

 

Which album? I have not heard of any bootlegs of SHM-SACDs.

 

Wheels of Fire is good, but not excellent IMO. The DCC is almost on the same level.

 

Are you referring to Aja ? Who's Next ? Or something else ?

If Aja, I'd suggest you stick with Steve's mastering. The SHM-SACD is quite good, but a close second at best to my ears/room/system. I haven't heard the Cisco or any of the other prized vinyl pressings, however.

If Who's Next, I think you owe it to yourself to get the SHM-SACD. It's simply awesome. Almost everyone here agrees—a very rare thing indeed.

Best,

Robert

 

But before the SHM-SACD, all I read was that the CD was excellent and outstanding, the best there is.

 

Nearly everyone of the customers agree on the superior sound, except for the professional, the guy in england who transfered the master tape to DSD, he wanted more compression and EQ. Isn't that real funny?

 

Yes, I remember that. All I can say is I'm glad we got the transfer we did. Sounds great to my ears/room/system.

Best,

Robert

 

I just did another listen at Free. I have no other versions of the album to compare with.

But in track 5 I hear some kind of distortion in the background from time to time. Or is it just me?

The other shm-sacd's are at least good.

 

Regarding SHM-CD (not the SACD). What would the effect be in copying an SHM recording onto a regular CD media?

 

I think you are way off topic.

 

Very good (IMO)
- Who's Next
- The Velvet Underground & Nico (The best I've heard it sound... and before anyone asks, I haven't heard an original verve LP).
- Dire Straits
- Paranoid

Meh
- The Police - Synchronicity (I found this too bright)

 

Just listened to the SHM-SACD of "Who's Next" and while I found "Baba O" to be slightly muddy and slightly lifeless, everything after that song, sounded pretty damn good on this SACD. "Bargain", "My Wife" and "Gettin' In Tune" really cook on this disc, although I still can't understand what The Ox is singing in the first half of "My Wife"? Somewhere in the middle of the song, after the horns come in, it's almost like his vocals are pushed up and are much clearer. I've never really noticed that with "My Wife" before this SACD, but I guess that could be the way it's always sounded? It's always bugged me that his vocals were buried so much in the mix. Funny thing is, this SACD could be one of the very first Japanese pressings of a title, where they DIDN'T include the lyrics.

Chris C

 

Maybe, and I apologize if "off topic". I was just wondering how much of the allure of SHM-CDs is related to the media they are recorded on and how much is related to the mastering/recording?

 

I find this to be the case on every copy of Who's Next that I've heard... It kind of has that "Layla" sound to it doesn't it?

 

So, you are saying the DCC is not excellent either?

 

Sometimes, I have the feeling that non-Hoffman mastred CDs/SACDs must perform better to get the most positive word, like "outstanding", "crazy good", "outdone himself", etc, than Hoffman mastered discs.

In the end, I think Mr Hoffman wants us to be equal honest in our reviews to his masterings, than to discs mastered by Sax, Grundman or Peter Mew. Or anybody else.
I review Steve Hoffman's mastering work equal to anybody else, not better, not worse.

Right now I'm listening to the Steve Hoffman mastered SACD of Donovan's "Storyteller". I think I will vote it as excellent/outstanding sounding. It's that good!

 

The DCC is good, but I think the SHM-SACD is slightly better... better separation of the instruments. The DCC is still the best CD