The Dark Side of The Moon: The best remastered edition?

Aside from an early original copy the 2012 reissue is probably the best.

That's exactly the one I have, thanks Graeme!

Regards,

Michel

If the original is in good condition then stick with that.  Failing that any '70s pressing is probably preferable to the reissues I've heard (admittedly I've not heard the latest one).  The original MFSL, particularly the UHQR version is widely considered by many to be "the best" but while very clean, smooth and quite impressive sounding, it also sounds curiously unengaging (EQ'd?) with that bass that afflicts so many of the MoFis.  The original just sounds more enjoyable to these ears.

I used to own the MOFI, and I thought it wasn't any great shakes.The original pressing with the solid blue triangle is the best one to have, if you can find a mint one and have the readies!

Otherwise, the 2011 remaster is hard to beat, both on vinyl and CD.

I also really like my 1978 Toshiba-EMI Japanese pressing, which is a teeny bit muddy sometimes but also has a lovely rich sound that's rather engaging.

I've never heard the MOFI UHQR box set which now goes for thousands of dollars and which Richard mentions above. Has anyone on here heard it, and what are/were your impressions?

Does anybody know how the redbook layer of the SACD compares?

Regards,

Michel

Do you mean the 2003 hybrid SACD? It's good but personally I think the 2012 just shades it.

More compressed than the Harvest. 

FWIW my favourite DSoTM is a Japanese pressing of the 1974 BBC Archives Live Concert - fantastic clarity, dynamics and performance. G

Yes, that's the one I mean. Which version are you talkin' about?

Regards,

Michel

Sorry, I meant the 2011 version, as found in the Experience, Immersion and Discovery reissues! Nothing is as good as the vinyl though.

I have the 30th anniversary hybrid SACD version (EMI 7243 582136 2) and the CD layer is very good indeed. Significantly better than my earlier 20th anniversary edition.

MDS  

Not having the readies for an original vinyl copy, I do have a subsequent 3rd pressing which I enjoy. I also have a copy of the MoFi and I really like it. I also have the recent reissue and that is also very good. Probably better than the other two simply because it is a decent new pressing. However do not on any account buy the 25th anniversary pressing. It is truly terrible.

I still prefer my September 1973 version on vinyl. But for the SACD version is quite good.

Tim

A nice cheap s/h original takes some beating. Something like Harvest CDP7 46001 2. My copy is Dutch. Look for the old 'Compact Disc Digital Audio' logo on the disc.

The Mo-Fi version is pretty good, though I find with a good quality, high resolution CD player there is a 'rounded off niceness' with Mo-Fi transfers. They are beautifully smooth and refined but can lack a bit of the fire and bite of good originals.

All of the subsequent remasters sound inferior to me. My pick of the bunch which I own is an early Toshiba Black Triangle copy (CP35-3017). Predictably, these discs are rare and can be expensive.

Good luck.

John.

PS. Yes indeed Tim - I'm with you on the original vinyl gatefold version sounding fabulous.

I now only listen to the Immersion Blu-ray 24/96 version.

DSOTM is one of my favorite late-night listens. I'm looking for a nice condition 70s vinyl version on Harvest or Capitol. For now I use the 1992 Capitol CD for listening on speakers, and the 2011 EMI/Capitol remaster CD for headphones. The 1992 CD has more clarity and airiness overall, but with less punch. The 2011 CD is a bit thicker with the top-end more subdued, but the percussion is better.  The soundstage/imaging on both CDs is excellent. Both are identified as remasters.

Just looked on eBay, they ain't cheap for an original pressing!

Gary

By the way the 30th anniversary edition on 180g vinyl is crap, just flat and boring, not engaging at all.

Tim

Immersion Box Blu-Ray rip in 24bit/96kHz ripcsounds amazing! And the CD remaster from 2011 sounds good, too. I do not like the Mofi too much and prices are crazy.

Yep, the 24/96 rip of the Immersion BluRay version's the best digital copy by a fair bit. Doesn't beat my original vinyl copy though! 

Respect to the 5-channel (4.1) Alan Parson's mastered version too.

There is no dark side in the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark

For a while I have noticed that the bass at the begining of "time" seemed to be a bit distorted, sort of analogue distortion - a bit like "analogue grain", even on the 2011 CD remaster.

I think I found an explanation for this - I got the immersion edition with an amazon voucher I got for my birthday this year, and on one of the discs they had some videos of the band talking about the remastering (in 2003 I think). One of them said that the 5.1 remaster was a lot cleaner than the original stereo mix because the original master was bounced quite a bit when doing the original stereo mixing. They said that for the new 5.1 mix they went back to the original tracks on the original tapes and this was the cleanest version they had done.

This made got me thinking a bit and so I ripped the 5.1 mix off the blu ray disc and converted it to stereo with foobar 2000. To my ears, the sound of the 5.1 converted to stereo is much cleaner than from the stereo mix (also ripped the from the blu ray). The 5.1 mix is quite different from the stereo mix - different sounds get priority, but I was quite surprised by the jump in clarity - for example on my "stereo 5.1 rip", the distortion on the bass in time is much reduced.

(For the record - I ripped the blu ray for my own purposes having paid for the immersion edition, not for any kind of sharing - I believe in paying for music.)

That's interesting sjt. Any multichannel BluRay/DVD I've converted to stereo in the past has never sounded as good as the proper stereo mix. I might give this a try.

Best DVDs  I have  sound wise hobo Rome 123 and game of thrones,  Also treasure of seieramadrai hope I have spelled it  right and anything with Bogart in.

I just found a copy of the Harvest CD, circa 1983. Various labels of this CD were issued but they all originated from the same FIRST-TIME digital mastering. It is considered by some to be the truest to the analogue sound. But by comparison I'd still rather listen to the 1992 Capitol remaster.  The 1992 bass is more prominent, tighter, and not over-heavy. And the cymbals definitively have a greater shine and sweeter decay.