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Does Steely Dan sound bright to you?

This is going to sound like a somewhat random question but I’m wondering how many of you find Steely Dan’s recordings to sound a bit bright. I’m particularly thinking of Gaucho, and Aja but some other recent recordings, too, such as Fagen’s Nightfly.

My typical media include streaming (CD and HD quality) and CD’s. I have not played my old vinyl because I’m presently without a turntable.

At first I thought it was my system and it was driving me a little bit mental; eventually, I decided it wasn't my stuff, it was their stuff. Because most other recordings on the same system with no other changes don’t typically have the brightness of Steely Dan.

Whether or not you’re a fan (I am) Steely Dan has often been a go-to for testing out equipment, so I imagine there will be experiences people have had about this.

P.S. Any other recordings which, for you are unnaturally bright?


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kevlev42
2 posts
 
All CDs sound bright to me now when I swap from vinyl. Harsh and less involved.only play CDs in the car now days.i think once you've had a good vinyl player, nothing else compares!
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
Condos found a new home ;-)
benjaminc
1 posts
 
This thread piqued my curiosity, as I have always considered Gaucho and Aja to be well recorded old school rock albums!

I'm listening on headphones (Tidal Connect -> Allo Digione Signature -> Simaudio 300D DAC -> SPL Phonitor 2 -> Audeze LCD-3 and Sennheiser HD800S), so I don't know how it translates to speakers.

On Babylon Sisters, both headphone sets sound very well balanced. And usually the HD800S is pretty unforgiving of bright recordings, so your findings are quite surprising to me!

I don't have any answers, but I just wanted to share my experience!
sdl4
210 posts
 
I have to say that Steely Dan has always sounded somewhat "digital" and a bit "processed" to me on either CD or Qobuz streaming. (This may be somewhat different on vinyl, of course.) Although the tracks on the CD of "A Decade of Steely Dan" sound very clear and detailed to me, they do not sound as full and natural as do some other well-recorded CDs from the same time period, such as Rickie Lee Jone's first CD. I often used Rickie's CD to evaluate audio gear in the 1980s and 90s, but Steely Dan was never a demo choice for me. YMMV.
akgwhiz
184 posts
 
Big fan back when but had been a while to sit critically.  Added TT a few years ago to revisit many of that era vinyl that I'd been toting since the CD took over.  Compared last night after this thread.  So to me, I sort of agree with OP but it's not a brightness thing.  I'd submit that much of the "processed" and over-engineered sound noted here by many, to my ear, falls on the snare drum (and hi-hat).  It seems compressed with the snare having little to no lower timbre.  Sounds like a drum track machine (I know it's not).  Not a natural, acoustic sound IMHO.  I think it was an 80s thing.  For example, 2 Against Nature seems more natural to me, fuller range in all instruments in fact.   

Otherwise the SQ of SD is overall well done.  But yeah, many tracks do seem to be an exercise in producing sonic ear candy!  I guess my blues listening has changed my preferences some.  
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