Coming on July 19, 2024 - Sting, Maroon 5, and Roxy Music on stereo hybrid SACD

[soundboy]

Hong Kong Universal Music will be releasing the below titles on stereo hybrid SACD, pressed in Japan....

 

[JediJoker]

Hong Kong Universal Music will be releasing the below titles on stereo hybrid SACD, pressed in Japan....

I wonder if the Sting will be the 15- or 17-track version?

 

[4-earredwonder]

The Universal Japan 2002 RBCD did contain three bonus tracks .......

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I've heard this specific line of SACDs has no dynamic improvement over previous RBCDs. Is that true? I would kill for some better dynamics on the Maroon 5 disc but if that's not going to happen...

 

[soundboy]

The Universal Japan 2002 RBCD did contain three bonus tracks .......

Fifteen tracks on the SACD:

1. Fragile
2. A Thousand Years
3. Perfect Love…Gone Wrong
4. All This Time
5. The Hounds Of Winter
6. Mad About You
7. Don’t Stand So Close To Me
8. When We Dance 9. Dienda
9. Roxanne
10. (If You Love Somebody) Set Them Free
11. Brand New Day
12. Fields Of Gold
13. Moon Over Bourbon Street
14. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
15. Every Breath You Take

 

[soundboy]

Print ad of the SACDs just released:

 

[Dynamic Editor]

I know the physical market in Japan is still running strong (even with CDs), but this seems a bit silly. A live Sting album and two greatest hits releases, two of the three of which are over two decades old? I find myself scratching my head at what demographics they're hoping to hit with these, especially if they're not even remastered.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I know the physical market in Japan is still running strong (even with CDs), but this seems a bit silly. A live Sting album and two greatest hits releases, two of the three of which are over two decades old? I find myself scratching my head at what demographics they're hoping to hit with these, especially if they're not even remastered.

These Hong Kong SACDs are a huge hit in China and sell out quickly, IIRC.

 

[Dynamic Editor]

These Hong Kong SACDs are a huge hit in China and sell out quickly, IIRC.

I guess I'd need a better sense of what has sold there, then.

 

[soundboy]

I know the physical market in Japan is still running strong (even with CDs), but this seems a bit silly. A live Sting album and two greatest hits releases, two of the three of which are over two decades old? I find myself scratching my head at what demographics they're hoping to hit with these, especially if they're not even remastered.

While these SACDs are pressed in Japan, they are officially available for sale in Hong Kong and Macau....which have a combined population of approximately 8 million people. I would imagine the typical demographics for SACD purchasers over there are like those elsewhere, but the "greatest hits" album format is often the preferred to buy music.

 

[soundboy]

I guess I'd need a better sense of what has sold there, then.

Especially for a foreign language SACD title, the "greatest hits" album....

https://live.staticflickr.com/933/30114881498_744fedb82d_n.jpg

 

[soundboy]

These Hong Kong SACDs are a huge hit in China and sell out quickly, IIRC.

SACD has gained momentum in mainland China in the last several years. With the departure of the Arcam CDS50 and the Yamaha CD-S1000 CD/SACD players, the lowest-priced dedicated component CD/SACD player is the Shanling SCD 1.3 (@ US$1,300). Also, mainland China music labels have released more SACDs as well.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I've heard this specific line of SACDs has no dynamic improvement over previous RBCDs. Is that true? I would kill for some better dynamics on the Maroon 5 disc but if that's not going to happen...

While some of the Universal Hong Kong Stereo SACDs do suffer from some form of compression, IMO,THE MAJORITY SATISFY! They are encoded at a high level unlike a lot of domestic Stereo SACDs but on my tank like Marantz SA11S3 SACD player, the sound can be quite exquisite.

IMO, the recent Universal SHM SACD of Norah Jones album VISIONS was an abomination....IMO, something went terribly wrong with this recent release and I can report that Universal Hong Kong's quality control for the most part with the majority of their discs pressed in Japan [and some in the UK] is TOP NOTCH!

While boutique vendors like Elusive Disc and Acoustic Sounds sell these Stereo SACDs at a $40 list price, I buy mine from ImportCD which price them under $29 .........

 

[GilWave]

I'm still waiting for the Atmos release of Roxy Music Avalon, which was completed by Bob Clearmountain last September., which would include the 5.1 mixes of the Avalon songs from this SACD release remastered, Hopefully there will be a stand alone BluRay edition.

 

[weekendtoy]

Especially for a foreign language SACD title, the "greatest hits" album....

https://live.staticflickr.com'

Any noticeable improvements over the SHM-SACD?

The latter is reference for me in the world of two-channel.