Japanese CDs what makes it better?

I've a Japanese Vinyl replica CD of Roxy Music's Avalon.

Out of all 5 CD releases I have, the US Remastered version sound the best. ( this was released a few years back. Not the recent ones which are just dire )

Less laid back, lower noise floor ( I hear some tape noise off the Japanese version ) and sound far more open and linear sounding to me.

Just had my latest batch of Japanese issue CDs from HMV Japan.

This includes a 'relica vinyl' issue of Roger Waters' "Amused To Death" (among others).

One of my favourite albums these days and a really good work out for the HiFi, mixing various musical styles with sound effects.

The Japanese Sony issue just blows away my regular one. Absolutely stunning. Far wider sound stage, better definition, bass, focus, better everything. You must get it if you like the album.

Incidently I notice these Jap CDs are usually much better made, perfectly round with smooth edges, unlike most of the CDs over here which don't seem quite true and have wonky edges, with the between layers sealant having oozed out around the edge. I wonder if this lends further credence to the idea of using a lathe like the Audio Systeme one to make CDs perfectly round, so as the CDP doesn't have to work so hard to convert the info on the CD.

I've got 5 Little Feat albums on the way. They have been indire need of an update so I have high hopes for these. The forthcoming Who series should be stonkingly good too.

Chris

Which little Feat / Who cds? and where from (web site/titles)?. Presumably better quality?

Please advise.


jim...........

I bought the Doobie Bros- Capt and Toulouse St of Amazon for about 6.50 each which I thought was really cheap for Japanese Replica Vinyl discs.

Also bought the Eagles reamsters in Replica vinyl. Like them as well.

Excellent sound

Apparently the Japanese have a certain eq that they like to apply to their discs. We always used to say in the '70's that US disc buyers liked a clean treble but UK buyers preferred deep bass.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
I've got 5 Little Feat albums on the way. They have been indire need of an update so I have high hopes for these. The forthcoming Who series should be stonkingly good too.

So have I!

I think Ewemon will get his before me, so I am waiting for him to post a report.

I also bought them from http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/index.html

I've heard some great-sounding Japanese CDs, and some awful ones (the main culprit: added treble EQ, so shrill one's ears are left bleeding). It varies; in general CDs today (I'm talking about pop/rock) are increasingly mastered at or near the digital maximum, compressed/limited to death, and shrill. I'm often in search for older CDs that were flat transfers from the master tapes, to be able to get rid of the nasty-sounding ones.

quote:

Originally posted by Right Wing:

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
I've got 5 Little Feat albums on the way. They have been indire need of an update so I have high hopes for these. The forthcoming Who series should be stonkingly good too.

So have I!

I think Ewemon will get his before me, so I am waiting for him to post a report.

I also bought them from http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/index.html

Mine are on their way apparently according to cdjapan. But no doubt everyones elses are as well.

That's the source for mine too. The first 5 Feat albums plus some blues stuff.

Urs...I'd be interested in your view about Santana's Lotus ..I bought the original triple(?) vinyl album with it's luxurious packaging (it cost me a whole week's wages!) and remember what a great sound quality it had (Sony recorded the original concert in Japan)the CD version released a few years back never sounded as good to my ears. I'd be interested in the new mini version.

Hello
I like the sound of the Lotus album quiet a lot. Using my system it gives a real live sound. But I must say that I never heard the vinyl, so I cant compare it with that.
The cover is a unique replica of the original vinyl album, and it is already a collectable due to its origami (folding like) qualities.
That work of art doesnt come cheap. I paid here in The Netherlands round 75 Euros, so round 50 pounds.
regards
and nice sunday
urs

Well my Little Feat Japanese discs have arrived and I am playing Last Record as I write this.

Will write a proper report on sound quality later.

quote:

Originally posted by ewemon:
Well my Little Feat Japanese discs have arrived and I am playing Last Record as I write this.

Will write a proper report on sound quality later.

No sign of mine yet, I cant wait, did you get stung for import duty etc?

I await your findings . . . .

Mine have just arrived.

Will post my findings later, the live little feat album seems much cleaner than my other version.

Will be interesting to see what others think . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Right Wing:

quote:

Originally posted by ewemon:
Well my Little Feat Japanese discs have arrived and I am playing Last Record as I write this.

Will write a proper report on sound quality later.

No sign of mine yet, I cant wait, did you get stung for import duty etc?

I await your findings . . . .

Nope customs didn't touch me even though it clearly states on the outside of the box it was 5 discs and cost 10 zillion Yen.

Mine got thru too.

So far, I only really like the live album, the rest seem quite bright to me.

I will have a proper listen later . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Right Wing:
Mine got thru too.

So far, I only really like the live album, the rest seem quite bright to me.

I will have a proper listen later . . .

Dixie Chicken seems to have more bass but it could be just my ears after a busy day at work. Didn't buy the Live disc as I thought the Rhino remaster was excellent

Mine arrived today, untroubled by HMR&C, unlike my recent Amazon.com packages.

Have not had a chance to listen yet. I went for the live album even though I also have the Rhino remaster, plus the first 5 studio albums. Neat packaging!

Also got an email today advising me that the 2 blues albums I ordered are now out of print and unavailable. Just the Traffic and Who to come then!

So far I am not too convinced by these remasters, I was hoping for a more vibrant sound from them, they seem more bright and lack that japanese smoothness about them IMO.

Hopefully they will grow on me . . .

In the meantime I will hunt down one of those rhino remaster live albums.

Whatever you do, don't get sucked into any of the "Japanese Vinyl Replica" CDs. The are just packaged well - there is no improvement sound wise.

You see quite a few of these. I got hold of a couple of Kate Bush examples and tried them. They sounded no better and possibly worse than the UK issues.

PS Rhino remasters that I have are excellent.

Steve

Yep, another vote for the Rhinos, they do seem to do a good job yet aren't getting so much publicity as say the Classics re-releases or some others.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve S1:
Whatever you do, don't get sucked into any of the "Japanese Vinyl Replica" CDs. The are just packaged well - there is no improvement sound wise.

You see quite a few of these. I got hold of a couple of Kate Bush examples and tried them. They sounded no better and possibly worse than the UK issues.

PS Rhino remasters that I have are excellent.

Steve

Not always a great lover of Rhino discs, boosted mid ranges,compression etc. etc. Some that I have are excellent and some not so.

However the Little Feat discs unlike a lot of Japanese vinyl replica discs have been remastered and usually Rhino will do a limited release on them in the States this year.

Haven't had a proper chance to listen to them today as the wife has been pestering me all day so am currently unable to give my HO yet.

Thanks to some info I received from Jim Learoyd it seems that MFSL are going to issue the first Little Feat album this month as a gold disc.

Wish I had known that before I bought the Jap remaster.

Here's a link for anyone who wants to read about The Beatles on MFSL. I saw Abbey Road up on eBay as a cd recently and couldn't believe how cheap it went.

http://www.friktech.com/btls/mfsl/

Not really sure what you mean munch.

Rca ,WB, MCA and others have all released gold discs of a sort in their attempt to cash in on the MFSL success (before they went belly up).

The only other discs that are comparable IMHO to MFSL are the DCC discs of which I have quite a few.

Badfinger- Straight Up
Heart- Dreamboat Annie
Wings- Band on the Run
Steve Miller- Gt Hits
Bonnie Raitt- Luck of the Draw
Bonnie Raitt- Nick of Time
Jackson Browne- The Pretender
Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky
Deep Purpel- Made in Japan
Bob Seger- Night Moves
Joni Mitchell- Court and Spark
Joni Mitchell- Blues
Gerry Rafferty- City
Cream- Fresh Cream
Cream- Wheels of Fire

Out of that lot above I have never heard a bad disc. Most are vg sound quality wise.TURN THE VOLUME UP is what I say.

A lot of people think that the dcc quality is better than MFSL.

I have the following coming in to me shortly

Steve Miller- Fly Like and Eagle
Steve Miller - Book of Dreams
Eagles- Hotel California

I have heard some MCA and it's god where are those earplugs time.

As I mentioned in another post some of the companies didn't actually make a gold disc. What they did was to spray the normal aluminium gold to make it look as if it was a gold disc.

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
ewemon what i meant was there have never been any Beatles albums released as official MFSL CDs .John Lennon's solo cataloge has been done.

Sorry munch if I picked you up wrong. Mind you I thought it was weird that no one seemed to be bidding on the Abbey Road disc. Think the disc went for about £38. Couldn't understand why the Beatles collecters didn't go after it as I had never seen one up before.