cdjapan.net, amazon, etc.... |
calloway...even though I'm a vinyl junkie too, these things sound incredible to me as well. |
I'm compelled to mention that over a decade ago I was told by a lab and manufacturer that the choice of materials used in their production runs(right down to the specific suppliers of aluminum and plastic) did have great effect on the final product. dvd, cd, etc. It maybe a little late to the rescue, but I've started to buy my favorites yet again....and yes AJA is pretty awesome. |
drubin, I think your post is as close as damnit is to swearing..a more exact read, less laser splash. |
I don't think anyone thought shm-cd's were remastered. since sacd is tanking(not because they're not better, but because the hardware isn't selling), the emphasis on manufacturing(which has been known to have an effect positive or negative on cd or dvd quality) is now an option for those with redbook players. I just received some japanese van morrison and rolling stones shm cd's from japan and they play as fine as my original lp pressings. since the compact disc was originally intended for mass consumption, it has always been limited by the cost of manufacturing(about 50 cents today). using more expensive materials(neary tripling the cost) does improve the sound. as far as remastering goes, improvements are still on a title by title basis. todays vinyl revival is still(in many cases)relying on masters that are a decade or more old, and many of the sources are digital. Here too, the manufacturing makes a lot of difference. In order for sacd to be commercially viable(given the production expense), it has to sell well over a threshold thats just not there today for most titles other than the biggest sellers. think of blue spec and shm as 'plan b'. tiny runs for those who covet cd collections, and want the final word for the format quality wise, and the tiny LP replica covers that some have are cool as well.. sort of a 'festivus for the rest of us' |
completely agree calloway. |
I don't think anyone thought shm-cd's were remastered. since sacd is tanking(not because they're not good, but because the hardware isn't selling), the emphasis on manufacturing(which has been known to have an effect positive or negative on cd or dvd quality) is now an option for those with redbook players. I just received some japanese van morrison and rolling stones cd's from japan and they play as fine as my original lp pressings. since the compact disc was originally intended for mass consumption, it has always been limited by the cost of manufacturing(about 50 cents). using more expensive materials does improve the sound. as far as remastering, improvements on still on a title by title basis. todays vinyl revival is still(in many cases)relying on masters that are a decade or more old, and many of the sources are digital. Here too, the manufacturing makes a lot of difference. In order for sacd to be commercially viable(given the production expense), it has to sell well over a threshold thats just not there today for most titles. think of blue spec and shm as 'plan b'. tiny runs for those who covet their cd collections, and want the final word for the format quality wise. sort of a 'festivus for the rest of us' |
even universal players that cover everything including sacd are selling in such small numbers compared to the original cd boom(or todays i-pod boom) that music companies(big and small)are tightning there belts in regard to mastering and production expenses. since the additional money for an shm manufacturing improvement does not have to be amortized over a number thats not reachable to make it affordable, its a no brainer. no one's questioning the superior sound of sacd, or for that matter dvda. as we already know, the history of satisfying audiophiles(reel to reel,quadraphonic lps, mini discs, digital tape, and others) doesn't stay for long, when the hardware doesn't catch on with the masses. even the growth of vinyl(is at best)a boutique business for now. generally 'new' formats only catch on when 'older' formats are killed off. the problem today... no one wants to risk killing off 'anything' that would send consumers away from physical product for good. the slowing of sales for 'everything' may not lead to eventual death, but the widespread hobby of 'listening to', and 'collecting' music, is under seige. making a redbook cd that sounds better isn't being done to get back consumers who have already abandoned buying music. its being done to further compliment the improvements on the mastering side that were already there(and paid for), for an audience with an affection for an existing media type. I would suggest that people try a few, before kicking them to the curb. if redbooks do however die(I am optimitic they'll live in a smaller universe), they'll be taking 'all' the formats with 'em when they go....not a happy thought. Even though I'm a vinyl junkie too, I like what I here . |
they are from the major labels and yes the artists get paid. its only a manufacturring process which helps the laser to better read(fewer errors) the information. it is more expensive to manufacture, and (for now) limited 'runs' are in the 2 to 3k range. nothing else is different, and it plays in any cd player. |
not for long. runs are limited to 2 to 3k, and most are sold out upon release. |
one of my favorite pop long players ever is 'odessey and oracle' by the zombies. I have no fewer than 4 vinyl incarnations(including a mint us copy on date records, and 5(count 'em)copies on cd, domestic and import. the shm release is the best of the bunch to my ears. is the shm disc for everyone who loves the zombies? maybe....is it for anyone else? probably not. here's what i know for sure...it, along with many thousands of other great recordings are never gonna see an sacd release. the reason is one of economics, plain and simple. heck, most recordings may be available today in their last physical incarnation(s) ever. in order for sacd to work in the marketplace, you have to reach the kinds of sales levels(per title)that were common a decade ago. it costs a fortune to 'properly' remaster and manufacture sacd compared to cd. most artists and labels haven't even come to terms on what to do next, if anything. like i've said in previous posts, only a couple thousand of a title are being made(like the mini lp cd), and they aren't for everyone. they do sound great, and as a lifelong vinyl junkie(another imperfect media)i can actually say i'm impressed....heck, i bought a houseful of cd's, even when i wasn't impressed. i'm sure sacd would be superior,but since most recordings won't make their way to sacd(or an a,b comparison(even advocates know this) the argument will soon be filed alongside beta vs vhs. |
