I think you might be right in thinking the box set is of better quilty than the stand alone cd's. And your idea of sending me a few burned copies could end this debate. How do you plan on ripping your cd's? For the best results I use...EAC set to secure ripping, cue sheet image rip, then burn the .wav using the cue sheet, burning the .wav at no higher a speed then 16x. Gives me bit for bit copies. I'll email you my address.
there is another thread where i brought up the the FACT that the difference could also be in the disc itself(the manufacturing process does effect the sound of discs new and old. the thread is THE SONG DOES REMAIN THE SAME
Chadaudio816,-I might be able to explain the differences that you hear. It seems that you had already owned the American remasters for some time prior to purchasing and playing the japanese remasters. Perhaps through repeating handlings or just exposure to your place your American CDs may need to be treated with something like the Mapleshade Ionoclast antistatic gun.
The differences you cite are exactly the same thing I notice with my CDs prior to the treatment (which wears off after 5-10 plays) as compared with post-treatment. Blacker backgrounds, more low-level detail, seemingly more sensitive and louder output. The more resolving your system is the greater the gains, IMO. This may be the source of the differences you are hearing. But then again it may not. But my gut tells me it's a good possibility.
Chadaudio816-I've just listened to Physical Graffiti again and to my ears these discs are identical.
Perhaps one explanation is that the Grey box-set and the Japanese discs are of better quality than the stand alone American discs.It's all I can really think of,it would be interesting if other Audiogoners have any of these discs and can make comparisons.
How about you mail me your address and I burn a selection of my box-set for you to compare with your Japanese copies? Might help tie it up.
For the record my system is Ayre AX-7,Ayre CX-7 and Proac 2.5's.
Wildoats no,the box set I'm talking about (although I believe they are the same remastering)is the later one with the complete studio recordings-a 10 CD set. There is a link above for it.
Chadaudio816-I really don't know what to say,I guess perhaps another opinion on it might help. I have the mini-LP of WYWH by Floyd and my findings are the same as the Zep I have-different packaging but the same sonics.
In all honesty I do hear a big difference between the american remasters and the jap versions of the same cd. My american copy does state remastered by page and marino, and so does the jap mini lp. Let me give you a quick run down of my system. CD Player-Arcam fmj 23t Pre-Pass Labs x1 Amp-Pass Labs x350.5 Speakers- Energy Veritas 2.4i
When I play the american version and the jap back to back with the same volume. I do hear a big differnce. The sound is a lot clearer, back ground is so black I can hardly hear the tape hiss, drums have more snap and more in your face,plants voice seems to flout in the air, pages guitar is much shaper. The list goes on and on. Now I did have my douhts at first. The american rematers are a lot cheaper and besides I had all of them already. Why invest a lot more money for the jap versions. The sucker in me had to have a listen, and I was blown away. The sound differnce to my ears sounds like a componet upgrade. Now it could be my system or a differnce in hearing between you and I. But I'm so taken a back that I have begone to replace my pink floyd cd's with mini lp's as well. And it's the same story with the pinks as well. Happy listening!
Ben, or somebody. Is the box set of 4 discs that came out in the early 90's (basically collects all their best songs from all their albums plus a few rarities) which has a picture of a zeppelin going over the crop circles on the box cover the same re-masters?
Chadaudio816 I am afraid to tell you are completely and utterly wrong about these Zep discs. Last week I ordered the Jap import of Physical Graffiti,it arrived today. The packaging is superb;an exact copy of the vinyl and a lyric sheet to boot. However it states quite clearly in one of the few pieces of English on the data sheet that these discs are remastered by Jimmy Page and George Marino at Sterling Sound. On listening these discs are IDENTICAL to the Grey Box Set version I have.No difference on volume or anything.
I misunderstood your original post with the Page/Marino reference which I took to be the American discs you were comparing with. So therefore I'm back at my original point that I believe the American CD's you are comparing are pre-Page/Marino which would explain the difference.
These discs are no better than what has been available for nearly 15 years.
Chadaudio816 okay that's clarified the situation. I'll need to do some investigation on the Japanese Zep mini-LP's-they were mini-LP versions available in the UK the past 18 months or so but I'm not sure if these were Japanese or a European version.
The cd's that I have of led zep do say in the back "digitally remastered from the original master tapes by jimmy page and george marino at sterling sound. Now as far as pink if you can follow this link http://pinkfloydcd.com/2JapanCountryPage.html it will give you all the info you need on the japs verions of those cd's starting with the first issed as a havest cd. If you take a look under that link at the dark side of the moon. The japs have released a hand full of dsotm most have been remasted and some have not. While the one we have in the states was last remastered when the sacd version came out. But I still like the the 92 remastered the best. Since I have not heard any of the jap versions. But I'm sure that the japs version is better compared to the usa verions.
The cd's that I have of led zep do say in the back "digitally remastered from the original master tapes by jimmy page and george marino at sterling sound. Now as far as pink if you can follow this link http://pinkfloydcd.com/2JapanCountryPage.html it will give you all the info you need on the japs verions of those cd's starting with the first issed as a havest cd. If you take a look under that link at the dark side of the moon. The japs have released a hand full of dsotm most have been remasted and some have not. While the one we have in the states was last remastered when the sacd version came out. But I still like the the 92 remastered the best.
Chadaudio-the mistake you may be making (if you are making a mistake, you may not be) is in the mastering of the American CD. Are you sure that one is the remastering done by Page because these were not issued singular fashion until a while after the grey box set.
If you are sure of that fact then you will be right the Jap versions are better. It is possible the Jap versions are better but I was led to believe like the Pink Floyd mini-LP versions these discs were only repackaged from the most recent remasters.
I have compared both cd's the usa versions are not as good as the japs version. I can't read what the cd's say about mastering because it's in japaness. But the sound is a lot better to my ears. I'm sure that something has been done in order to get the better sound. I have heard from word of mouth that the japan versions have been remasted.
Chadaudio the mastering on the Jap mini-Lp's is exactly the same as the box set. There have been no updates on Zep since Page did the revamp way back in '91 or whenever it was.
The best cd's I have found so far are from japan. They are called mini lp's. Remastered and made in japan in 2000 and 2001 by toshiba-emi. I have bought all the remastered by page cd's one by one. And although the sound was good, a lot better than the first set of cd's. The japan versions are better yet. Simply jaw droping. Check out ebay or you local tower records store for the mini lp's.
The new remasters by Jimmy page and George Marino, produced at Sterling Sound with the original master tapes, sound very good. Not quite as good a Zep vinyl Japanese import, but still very good. At least the three I own. 1,4 and Houses Of The Holy.
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