Steve,

I have both the MOFI and the original US pressing. (Columbia – KC 30130)

It's been a while since I have compared them so I will report back.

Thanks Kuma.

Kuma

Re your point about different dates on the Bill Evans. I have a friend who works for OUP. Evidently they purposely make a spelling mistake in different places in the text in different print runs from different countries so they can trace illegal copying. Not necessaily what is happening in this instance but a thought.

That's funny!

Care to share some of their typo examples?

Above OJC copy I have is a few years old so not sure if the current pressing has the same typo.

ABKCO'S Records of 'out of our heads' ( DSD- not sure what this means) Remasted 180gm vinyl. The sticker on the cover proclaims”The Way They Were Meant To Be Heard"  I disagree its rubbish even on vinyl it sounds thin, compressed and very, very, digital. Which is a shame because it is a very well produced Stones album on the original vinyl. Very disappointing.

Regards Graham.

Rolling Stones are quite interesting - I heard Keith interviewed and he was explaining how he got a particular guitar sound by placing acoustic into a portable cassette player that added a bit of distortion to make it sound electric ... seemed strange that Keith had gone out of his way to do it lo-fi and I'd just bought an expensive hi-fi pressing of that very album .... sometimes you just can't win. 

This album isn't the newest of the reissue, but since it came up on the topic above I've decided to listen to both the US original and MOFI 2008 reissue pressing again. It's been a while and my turntable evolved since I last listened, too.

Santana: Abraxas

Label: Mobile Fidelity
NUMBERED LIMITED EDITION 180g / Stereo/ US /MFSL 1-305

Re-Mastering by: Shawn Britton using GAIN 2 Ultra Analog System ( half-speed ) using the original stereo mastertape

Release Year: 2008

Sound Quality:

I've the original US pressing (KC 30130) in a decent shape but I reckon this isn't the first pressing and Columbia probably pressed millions of these. So there is no appraent surface or groove damage, the sound is rather overloaded and bleached at some spots.

Whilst the hyper saturated sound can *pop* the percussions but I could not deal with a high distortion sound of guitar.

The level is lower than the original US pressing so I had to turn up a bit on the MOFI reissue.

From the first note out, I hear a lot more details i mean, musical details like the piano tone sounds like a piano! This was always a gripe I had on this record as guitar and percussions sound pretty good but then then piano lead tune sounds a bit sad due to the clangy, veiled mix. So it's definitely a plus for me. Also other instrumental details that are buried in my original pressing along with the palpable presence ( you can call it *air* around notes ) are heard in abundance.

A lot more headroom as well as dynamic contrasts, too. Not so flat as my original where a minute I turn up the volume the tunes start hitting the dynamic ceiling.

The channel on the MOFI is reversed so the percussions show up on the other side than what I am used to. Turned out that this is the one and only balance correct pressing as apparently Columbia engineers screwed up and all the other releases in the market are wrong.

It's a dreaded half-speed master but this one is done just as groovy if not more than the original US pressing I have.

So this is a good sample of a MOFI and I see why I replaced the original.

Physically it's quiet and flat and dead center. Production value on the record itself is excellent and 30$ well spent.

Packaging Quality:
Printing quality is good but I wish they would duplicate the original label rather than the MOFI black label. A gold foil stamped number on the back. Mine is 07021. So much for a *limited edittion* status. With 7000 numbers it does not feel very special. :x

Graham,

DSD=Direct Stream Digital. Someone more technically inclined can possibly explain what this mean in terms of sound quality.

So the album is digitally remastered and put on the vinyl. Any credit on where did they get the original source from or who did the remastering?

I am not familiar with ABKCO label.

Digitally remastered vinyls are always a suspect and so far they lack the ease and naturalness of 'analogue' vinyl. 

Thanks Kuma

Steve

I just received a Columbia Half-Speed version of Abraxas. I do not have the original press to compare to but do have a Quad pressing which always sounded a bit "shouty"- especially the percussion.  The Half-Speed Master is much better balanced than the Quad version and dynamically superior as well. Nice quiet pressing . Thanks to Steve and Kuma for their past reviews.

Abbey Road [VINYL] [Original Recording Remastered] 2012.

Just finished listening to the new 'Abbey Road' re-master. The first thing that struck me was the balance of the production there is no way you could describe the sound as HI FI which is a good thing. I cannot comment on the other albums in the box but the 'Abbey Road' production is sublime, the vocals subtle and dynamic with depth and placement you can hear and imagine the height and depth of the Abbey Road studio. Ringo’s drumming is full but not over powering with definition between the kit and the timbre of the different skins can clearly be heard.The bass is full and deep but with no hit of boom or overblown. My copy is beautifully flat with no surface noise. IMO it sounds majestic.

Regards Graham.

Great Graham!

By any chance do you have a plan to get a Let it Be?

I am not a big Beatles fan so no box set for me but planning to get at least a few of my favourite single releases.

I've a crappy UK digital reissue (PCS 7088) of Abbey Road which would be nice to replace.

Hi kuma

No I have no plans to get  'Let It Be' as I have just ordered the Box Set on the back of what I have just heard with 'Abbey Road'. Only problem is going to be a Christmas present from my mum so cannot help you until 26th December. 

Regards Graham.

Thanks Steve, 

I'd think that your mint 1st UK original will slaughter the digital reissue, no matter how good it is.

Whilst you are at it, could you give me a report on the Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Magical Mystery Tour, too?

Can you tell I am not a Beatle mania skipping their *good stuff* by hardcore folks.

Kuma,

It's interesting that the early Parlephone LPs are pressed on much better quality vinyl than the later Apple pressings and the later albums have not aged as well as the early ones. The SQ is still good but there is more surface noise. I was playing the originals this weekend and began to wonder whether I had done the right thing ordering the box set but I think it's worth a punt as not all the originals I have are perfect and I can play these new albums protecting my valuable originals. I've noticed on Acoustic Sounds that all the pre-order box sets are taken. If this is a truly limited edition of 50,000 worldwide I think these sets will hold or increase in value over the years, even if unsealed. Look at the price the MOFI Beatles box set now commands and the SQ of that set is awful.

I trust you're keeping well and your Briks are on song.

ATB

Steve

Steve,

50,000 copies might not have been exhausted as I got an email from Barns & Noble ( Last US large Books and Music retail store ) that they are still taking preorder for tomorrow. Knowing how big they are, I'd reckon they've bought a lot more copies than Acoustic Sounds did.

I've a friend who owns almost all the MOFI catalogue vinyl ( sealed ) hoarding for rainy days. ( or sometimes I wonder he's just a hoarder ):/

My Briks are fine. 

But Akiva is dying and Kleos SL won't be coming for a several months so finally the 'show time' for the Royal N soon. ( keeping my fingers crossed this thing works )

Kuma,

Good luck with the cartridge. Why the delay on the Kleos SL? Is it being custom made? 

Steve

Steve,

Cuz, I was told that  US distributor ( Audioquest ) was rather annoyed that the cat was out of the bag. Per my dealer, Lyra ( Scantech ) will produce 5 Kleos SL but the wait time will be 10-12 weeks and it will be 3500$ instead of 3000$.

P.S. I read in the Analogue Planet that the new Beatles remaster lacquer is produced from 44.1k/24 bit master not 96k/24 bit. Interesting why they decided to go with a lower sampling rate. 

Another try for the HQ Records release. 

This time I wanted to replace my late '79 US Angel reissue. (S-36728)

Notice the cover design change on the original US pressing ( right ). Angel Records marketing department decides that Slava needs to be cleaned up for the American market. Gone are his sour puss and a wart on his face. Plus he's sporting a snappy suit and a tie. 

Brahms Piano Concerto No.2: Richter/Maazel/Orchestre de Paris

Label: Hi-Q Records Supercuts
180g Vinyl/ Stereo/ EC/HIQLP018
Re-Mastering by: N/A Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS82 lathe fed an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape deck with additional ‘advance’ playback head, making the cut a totally analogue process.
Pressed at: The Vinyl Factory in Hayes, England ( Made in EC printed on both jackets and label )
Release date: 2012

Sound Quality: 

A minute the needle hit the record I knew this was yet another poor Hi-Q record reissue with bright silver edged thin sounding strings. Noise floor is lower than the Muti reissue but not as dead quiet as other comparatively priced premium reissue pressing. There is no naturalness to the sound and this all starkness put me uneasy.

The original copy is noisy but even then there are lot more harmonic overtones happening on this than this reissue. Piano sounds significantly more alive on the original than the Hi-Q reissue as note decays are present so that the instrument does not sound so isolated like cutout figures.

Odd that they claim they've employed all *analogue process* but the end result is nothing but. Sounds like a botched digital remastering job is what they all seem to sound.

A full of digital distortions in dynamic climaxes. Their recordings have an opaqueness that adds to the music losing the transluscent feel. Strings are just too opaque. Higher tape hiss noise on the B side, too. I also noticed that they moved the piano in front to spotlight Richter. I usually don't mind close mic'd piano or solo instrument but the way they did it seems unnatural.

Just about the only good thing I could say about this reissue is that they've got the missing low frequency back. 

This is another FAIL.

After this experience no more Hi-Q for me. 

Packaging Quality: 

Sturdy laminated cardboard outer and white inner. Printing quality is decent with no registration problems. Like MOFI, they don't preserve the original label.

Jay,

I tried. Because sometimes the sound quality can vary by the titles even within the same label.

But this is 3 out of 3.

They all have this same uneasy digital artefacts to my ears.

Like some past MOFI titles ( the one with smily EQ ), they might be ok sounding in a lazy dark  system but the balance on all of Hi-Q records I tried do not sound natural.

Any good reissues find?

"Music On Vinyl" 180g Vinyl

I have a  "Master Sound" gold CD copy of this album and on first listen the SQ, pressing, etc of this re issues sounds as good as the superb SQ of the CD.

Graham. 

Graham,

I am not surprised.

The MOV Hooverphonic is also excellent.

I was wondering about their Yello 'Flat' reissue.

Has anyone listened to the MOV reissue of this classic?

The 2012 Beatles reissues are much discussed in depth in a separate Beatles Remastered Vinyl thread, but I finally got around to listen to my copy. I picked this title only because Fremer wrote this was the best out of the new reissues. 

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Label: EMI
180g Vinyl/ Stereo/ US/Parlophone PCS 7027
Re-Mastering by: Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios from the 2009 stereo digital master. 

Yhe lacquers were cut from 44.1k/24 bit masters not 96K/24 bit masters

Engineered and Mixed by: Geoff Emmerick

Pressed at: Capitol pressing plant US
Release date: 2012

Sound Quality: 

The only other issue I could compare it to was the horrid DMM UK reissue from a few years ago. This pressing has a unusually high degree of distortions and congestions almost anything would be an improvement. The irony is that there is a notation on the back of the cover that says: 

This album has bee direct metal mastered from a digitally re-mastered original tape to give the best possible sound quality. 

It's been a while I have listened to this album but I still 

can't get used to this ping-pong hard paning stereo effect with a hole in the middle. In fact I had to check to make sure the left channel is still engaged till the music came on. Listening back to back, the new version has a lot less distortion so I can turn up the volume. Vocals are even more natural and sounds more realistic throughout. Drums and bass lines are clear and taut. There are still a slight congestions notably in guitars, however. 

Overall this is nicely done but at some spot I felt that the music became a tad too safe. A little less swing, perhaps.

Also, this record isn't perfectly flat. I'd reckon this is still acceptable range for many and it does not affect tracking or sound quality.

Fremer gave it 10/10 rating but I don't think this reissue is orgasmic.

It did better my awful DMM pressing, however.

Packaging Quality: 

Brighter and vivid with gloss varnish over it. Several inserts including the cut outs on a heavy paper and inserts. Altho, I have no means to compare it the original pressing but the inside photo is a disappointment as it looks to be like they did not have the original art work in the right file size. So, someone tried to clean them up by too much 'sharpening' function on a Photoshop. So the all the details and out lines are blown out and digital artefacts are everywhere. I haven't seen the original pressing but it looks unprofessional. The cover did not suffer from this.