What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIV)

Just a brilliant album

Kevin-W posted:

dave marshall posted:

Fact is, though, they sound bloody brilliant, as do some of the other SHM CD releases, so, plastic/schmastic, who cares, when the music sounds this good? 

Dave, the Bobbie Gentry SHMCDs (Fancy and Touch 'Em With Love) on Capitol/UMC sound wonderful - far better than the standard CDs. I wish they'd do her entire catalogue.

Likewise with Massive Attack.

I've got the SHM CD issues of "Blue Lines" and "Protection" and they're just great. 

Waiting, in vain, it seems, for the rest of their albums.

1978 - UK first pressing...

Yetizone posted:

OK, thanks anyway Kevin, hopefully someone who has plunged for the HD versions can share their experience compared to the ripped CDs (SHM and standard discs). 

Hi Yeti, I'm one of those who went on to get the 24/96 Hi-Res remasters (downloaded from Qobuz)  after having acquired the Japanese SHMCD boxset a few years before that. I'm afraid I can't tell you why theses SHMCDs sound better than the 24/96s or other CDs but all I know is for me they are by far my go to preference (streamed in WAV from the CD rips). As the other have said, simply put they just sound better (to me). Whether or not you want to pay for those marginal gains over say the 24/96 downloads is obviously your choice but I'm very glad I have the SHMCDs. Just a word of caution if you choose to acquire the box set, beware of fakes there were a great number of Chinese fakes going around at the time and no doubt still doing the rounds. If you google it you will be able to see what to look out for, buy from a reputable dealer or individual and you will have a  lovely sounding beautifully presented well put together Zep' set. 

Cheers

Steve

Angela Hewitt

Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in A minor; Aria Variata; Sonata in D major; Suite in F minor

Listening to this wonderful music again. This CD mostly consist of lesser known work by Bach. Angela Hewitt plays the music very well (as you would expect). Also, Hyperion did an amazing job because the sound quality is very good.

Michael Mccullough posted:

Perfect for a relaxed evening. First play on the Xerxes.10 Oh my....

Nice.

The Zeppelin flight over Japan continues...

Here we are with the third CD in the collection. Again, the SQ is just tremendous, rendering the album n=hugely enjoyable:

Been enjoying this gem in the car today 

  Led Zeppelin lV on SHM CD.

  Once you start listening to these, there's no escaping ..................... they really are that good. 

(1969)

Earlier in the week when the LZ theme was going strong I just about managed to contain myself from giving them a blast but I don't want to hold out any longer.

Stevee_S posted:

(1969)

Earlier in the week when the LZ theme was going strong I just about managed to contain myself from giving them a blast but I don't want to hold out any longer.

"Resistance is useless" .............. per Douglas Adams. 

Rachel Grimes - The Clearing

In the Thursday evening chillout zone.

dave marshall posted:

Stevee_S posted:

(1969)

Earlier in the week when the LZ theme was going strong I just about managed to contain myself from giving them a blast but I don't want to hold out any longer.

"Resistance is useless" .............. per Douglas Adams. 

Stevee_S posted:

Yetizone posted:

OK, thanks anyway Kevin, hopefully someone who has plunged for the HD versions can share their experience compared to the ripped CDs (SHM and standard discs). 

Hi Yeti, I'm one of those who went on to get the 24/96 Hi-Res remasters (downloaded from Qobuz)  after having acquired the Japanese SHMCD boxset a few years before that. I'm afraid I can't tell you why theses SHMCDs sound better than the 24/96s or other CDs but all I know is for me they are by far my go to preference (streamed in WAV from the CD rips). As the other have said, simply put they just sound better (to me). Whether or not you want to pay for those marginal gains over say the 24/96 downloads is obviously your choice but I'm very glad I have the SHMCDs. Just a word of caution if you choose to acquire the box set, beware of fakes there were a great number of Chinese fakes going around at the time and no doubt still doing the rounds. If you google it you will be able to see what to look out for, buy from a reputable dealer or individual and you will have a  lovely sounding beautifully presented well put together Zep' set. 

Cheers

Steve

Steve, that’s absolutely fantastic advice! Thanks for the feedback - very much appreciated.

If the difference between the SHM discs and HD versions are only marginal, then the HD versions could be the safer bet, rather than being stung with a counterfeit set. OK, I’ll have a serious ponder on this as I play the LZ albums quite a lot so any improvement on the standard (ripped) CDs will be most welcome.

Thanks again for the help

Aw gawd, I can't stop now... yet another Japanese CD:

Yetizone posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Yetizone posted:

OK, thanks anyway Kevin, hopefully someone who has plunged for the HD versions can share their experience compared to the ripped CDs (SHM and standard discs). 

Hi Yeti, I'm one of those who went on to get the 24/96 Hi-Res remasters (downloaded from Qobuz)  after having acquired the Japanese SHMCD boxset a few years before that. I'm afraid I can't tell you why theses SHMCDs sound better than the 24/96s or other CDs but all I know is for me they are by far my go to preference (streamed in WAV from the CD rips). As the other have said, simply put they just sound better (to me). Whether or not you want to pay for those marginal gains over say the 24/96 downloads is obviously your choice but I'm very glad I have the SHMCDs. Just a word of caution if you choose to acquire the box set, beware of fakes there were a great number of Chinese fakes going around at the time and no doubt still doing the rounds. If you google it you will be able to see what to look out for, buy from a reputable dealer or individual and you will have a  lovely sounding beautifully presented well put together Zep' set. 

Cheers

Steve

Steve, that’s absolutely fantastic advice! Thanks for the feedback - very much appreciated.

If the difference between the SHM discs and HD versions are only marginal, then the HD versions could be the safer bet, rather than being stung with a counterfeit set. OK, I’ll have a serious ponder on this as I play the LZ albums quite a lot so any improvement on the standard (ripped) CDs will be most welcome.

Thanks again for the help

Yeti, I don't wish to further complicate your choices but I probably should not have used the term 'marginal gains' if you take that to mean only 'slight' gains, I should have perhaps said something like appreciable/noticeable gains. All I can say is if it was to be my choice (now) between the 24/96 and the SHMCDs it would be the SHMs every time, every day. I'm sure the forum could point you in the right direction as to where you can acquire a kosher  SHM box if you choose that route.  

(1969)

Onward and backward to where the Zeppelin started with their first album. Once again, and obviously, from their much lauded SHMCD box collection. What an absolute blast and revelation this was as a fifteen year old when it hit the scene.

Re SHM CDs - I have Santana, Supertramp, The Stones and The Who. 

I always understood they made reading by the laser a more accurate process and so with no error correction by the CD, they sounded better  

Rolled Gold  does sound very good and the others certainly don’t sound bad  but when I rip them with dBPoweramp, the accurate rip  check “sees/reads ” them as the same as all the other rips. 

We all hear what we hear and perhaps the fact that the rips appear to be the same as the standard CDs my expectation bias is that they will sound no better. My SHM Who hits is brick walled and a s/h 1990’s version is superior. 

Interesting to see people saying their SHM CD rips sound better, perhaps they are superior masterings?

Anyway currently enjoying 

.sjb

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Black Coffee

I recently posted 'Seesaw' another BH & JB collaboration but his is their latest. If Seesaw is a 'belter' (and it is) then Black Coffee is a 'stonker' (a notch up from belter) of an album.

Thoroughly recommended.

Stevee_S posted:

Yeti, I don't wish to further complicate your choices but I probably should not have used the term 'marginal gains' if you take that to mean only 'slight' gains, I should have perhaps said something like appreciable/noticeable gains. All I can say is if it was to be my choice (now) between the 24/96 and the SHMCDs it would be the SHMs every time, every day. I'm sure the forum could point you in the right direction as to where you can acquire a kosher  SHM box if you choose that route.  

Ah, thanks for the correction Steve, I did misinterpret it as 'slight gains'. So there is worthwhile noticeable difference with these SMH discs over the HD downloads, its just locating a set! OK, I’ll have a think and a google. Thanks again.

Yetizone posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Yeti, I don't wish to further complicate your choices but I probably should not have used the term 'marginal gains' if you take that to mean only 'slight' gains, I should have perhaps said something like appreciable/noticeable gains. All I can say is if it was to be my choice (now) between the 24/96 and the SHMCDs it would be the SHMs every time, every day. I'm sure the forum could point you in the right direction as to where you can acquire a kosher  SHM box if you choose that route.  

Ah, thanks for the correction Steve, I did misinterpret it slight gains. So there is worthwhile noticeable difference with these SMH discs over the HD downloads, its just locating a set! OK, I’ll have a think and a google. Thanks again.

I'm listening to a couple of the albums now Yeti and really would not want to listen to any of the other renderings that I know of.  

OK - I'll start the search this evening and see what I can find on Discogs to begin with!

Now Playing........

Chris Cunningham - If You Knew All Along

Streaming on TIDAL........   Something from the TIDAL Queue.....

Yetizone posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Yeti, I don't wish to further complicate your choices but I probably should not have used the term 'marginal gains' if you take that to mean only 'slight' gains, I should have perhaps said something like appreciable/noticeable gains. All I can say is if it was to be my choice (now) between the 24/96 and the SHMCDs it would be the SHMs every time, every day. I'm sure the forum could point you in the right direction as to where you can acquire a kosher  SHM box if you choose that route.  

Ah, thanks for the correction Steve, I did misinterpret it as 'slight gains'. So there is worthwhile noticeable difference with these SMH discs over the HD downloads, its just locating a set! OK, I’ll have a think and a google. Thanks again.

I checked on CDJapan, but the neither the boxset or individual SHM CD's are currently available.

At the time I got mine, there was some suggestion that the boxset was limited to an edition of 1000, so it seems that pre-owned might be the only option. DisCogs have a couple, but I've no way of knowing if they're the genuine article or not.

Eionk of this parish picked one up a few days ago, so maybe he can help.

dave marshall posted:

Yetizone posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Yeti, I don't wish to further complicate your choices but I probably should not have used the term 'marginal gains' if you take that to mean only 'slight' gains, I should have perhaps said something like appreciable/noticeable gains. All I can say is if it was to be my choice (now) between the 24/96 and the SHMCDs it would be the SHMs every time, every day. I'm sure the forum could point you in the right direction as to where you can acquire a kosher  SHM box if you choose that route.  

Ah, thanks for the correction Steve, I did misinterpret it as 'slight gains'. So there is worthwhile noticeable difference with these SMH discs over the HD downloads, its just locating a set! OK, I’ll have a think and a google. Thanks again.

I checked on CDJapan, but the neither the boxset or individual SHM CD's are currently available.

At the time I got mine, there was some suggestion that the boxset was limited to an edition of 1000, so it seems that pre-owned might be the only option. DisCogs have a couple, but I've no way of knowing if they're the genuine article or not.

Eionk of this parish picked one up a few days ago, so maybe he can help.

I found one in shrink wrap with one of the reputable sellers on the river, still a risk, but now I have it the quality of printing of the covers and the SQ makes me sure it was kosher. There were a couple of other ones on the river from other sellers.