Best Version of Steely Dan's Aja

[markshan]

Get an original AB, great and still plentiful and reasonably inexpensive.

 

[fredblue]

Aja will drive ya crazy if yer let her..

of all the goodness knows how many versions i've bought over the years, i'm buggered if i can tell any difference between most of them!! just these 4 i picked out at random have different numbers but they all sound the same to me (and they all sound great) so i'm digging my heels in and not buying it again until/unless they find the missing multi's and Elliot Scheiner does it in Surround!





"..what i hear
may be true,
i would still be proud
to know you..."

 

[fredblue]

Get an original AB, great and still plentiful and reasonably inexpensive.

not an AB, or an AA.. but it is a 1006.. and it looked pretty.. so i just had to add it to the piles of Aja!

as QQ Linda would say; "you need it..!!!"

 

[markshan]

not an AB, or an AA.. but it is a 1006.. and it looked pretty.. so i just had to add it to the piles of Aja!

as QQ Linda would say; "you need it..!!!"

View attachment 37854

If I found one at the thrift I'd be psyched, but not exactly bang for the aural buck at market prices. Very cool though.

 

[fredblue]

If I found one at the thrift I'd be psyched, but not exactly bang for the aural buck at market prices. Very cool though.

oh indeed! i'm not sure i've played it, i really mostly got it to gawp at the yellow Royal Scam obtained for similar reasons is quite a cutey too.. what can i say, i'm a sucker for pretty things (and happy endings! thank you Melissa Manchester!)

 

[privateuniverse]

The same website has an analysis of multiple versions of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow.

 

[HomerJAU]

Just curious about DR; the majority of albums I looked at showed regular vinyl LPs had the highest DR; would those numbers be reduced substantially if an LP was transferred to a flac file (like Gene is doing?)

No. FLAC or WAV preserves the original DR

 

[key_wiz]

Apparently, the Cisco vinyl from the last decade is the one to get... if you can track one down!

I have this version. I believe it sounds better than any version I own including an original ABC pressing, MFSL LP, the MCA CD (probably the Nichols) and the one in the Citizen boxed set. I find the low end to be a little warmer and punchier.

But it’s not like there are any bad versions of this album.

 

[privateuniverse]

Apparently, the Cisco vinyl from the last decade is the one to get... if you can track one down!

I also have this one. It's very nice.

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

Aja will drive ya crazy if yer let her..

...so i'm digging my heels in and not buying it again until/unless they find the missing multi's and Elliot Scheiner does it in Surround!

The reissues that were done in around 1999/2000 are worth it for the liner notes that Becker and Fagen wrote. Typical 'Dan fashion.

Also, nice colored versions of the albums. I've got a copy of the Canadian red pressing of Aja like your's, but don't think I've seen Royal Scam in color before. Can't Buy a Thrill also came out in yellow.

 

[Quad Linda]

I'll weigh in, although it's likely many of you will jump all over my s*$t for this.

I own/have owned these Aja pressings:
1st pressing ABC LP
Yellow Canadian LP
MoFi 1/2 speed LP
JVC Japan CD
MoFi Gold CD
Citizen Steely Dan CD
Japan SHM-SACD

IMHO, the SHM-SACD and JVC CD both were HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING. All the others sounded good to outstanding. For my money, I like the MoFi 1/2 speed LP and Gold CD the best. This is based on my A/B'ing different pressings.

LP's have been played on Ortofon MC 20 & MC20mkII cartridges the most. Early LP pressings also played through Audio Technica AT14sa.
CD's & SACD's were played on a variety of players.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I'll weigh in, although it's likely many of you will jump all over my s*$t for this.

I own/have owned these Aja pressings:
1st pressing ABC LP
Yellow Canadian LP
MoFi 1/2 speed LP
JVC Japan CD
MoFi Gold CD
Citizen Steely Dan CD
Japan SHM-SACD

IMHO, the SHM-SACD and JVC CD both were HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING. All the others sounded good to outstanding. For my money, I like the MoFi 1/2 speed LP and Gold CD the best.

LP's have been mostly played on Ortofon MC 20 & MC20mkII cartridges.
CD's & SACD's were played on a variety of players.

I would never doubt you Quad Goddess

 

[Quad Linda]

BTW: I don't believe that I've heard the Hoffman mastering. So, it's entirely possible that I'd prefer it. I like his DCC mastering of Nilsson's Harry. It beats the Japan CD, US LP and Complete RCA box. Admittedly, they alll sound very good.

Currently, I own the MoFi Gold CD, Citizen Steely Dan CD and SHM-SACD. I like the sound of the other two better than the Japan SHM-SACD. All three get played fairly regularly. Choice is usually based on what's handy or what system they're played on. There are three SACD players in our house.

 

[H.A.L.]

Sigh. And I really liked the SHM-SACD! Now I'll have to search for the MoFi

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Sigh. And I really liked the SHM-SACD! Now I'll have to search for the MoFi

Yeah and $$$$$$$$

 

[markshan]

No. FLAC or WAV preserves the original DR

Well, provided the transfer was properly done. I've seen people do transfers where they clip their sound card, which of course ruins the dynamic range.

 

[markshan]

I'll weigh in, although it's likely many of you will jump all over my s*$t for this.

I own/have owned these Aja pressings:
1st pressing ABC LP
Yellow Canadian LP
MoFi 1/2 speed LP
JVC Japan CD
MoFi Gold CD
Citizen Steely Dan CD
Japan SHM-SACD

IMHO, the SHM-SACD and JVC CD both were HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING. All the others sounded good to outstanding. For my money, I like the MoFi 1/2 speed LP and Gold CD the best. This is based on my A/B'ing different pressings.

LP's have been played on Ortofon MC 20 & MC20mkII cartridges the most. Early LP pressings also played through Audio Technica AT14sa.
CD's & SACD's were played on a variety of players.

There are lots of "first pressing" LPs. What's in your deadwax? I like my AB better than the MFSL, but like the MFSL better than the AA.

 

[Quad Linda]

Great question! That's something that I can't answer, since I no longer have the ABC LP. As I mentioned, Mofi Gold CD, Citizen Steely Dan CD and SHM-SACD are the only versions I currently own. Oh, yes and I have the Classic Albums DVD-V documentary.

BTW: I don't believe that I've heard the Hoffman mastering. So, it's entirely possible that I'd prefer it... Admittedly, they alll sound very good....

Currently, I own the MoFi Gold CD, Citizen Steely Dan CD and SHM-SACD. ..

 

[John Svensson]

I have the old Mofi Gold cd lying here somewhere, must give it a listen again....it has been ages. I'll check that Pillow comparison article also though I wouldn't call it an audiophile recording.

 

[Quad Linda]

I had an original US ABC LP pressing of Katy Lied. In '78, I bought the MoFi 1/2 speed LP. It was a revelation! There was a lot of fixing done. It will never be perfect, but it does sound much improved.

For over 40 years, I've listened through separate power amps, conservatively rated at 250 w/ch RMS and MC cart.

My rating of different pressings/masterings is based on several factors. (Perceived) DR, clarity of transients/harmonics, higher highs (far out!), lower lows and more thwack in the bottom. Don't forget how much noise/hiss is there and what, if anythng, they did to reduce it. I'd rather have to listen through a curtain of hiss and have ALL the highs.

It IS a total experience, so I often like this better about one pressing and that better on another.

Even more remarkable is the debacle Katy Lied suffered ......... as the DBX snafu unfolded. Even MORE audiophile than Aja? What a shame! And poor storage of the AJA master tapes. Unthinkable...