WB JAPAN 5.1 SACDs: Up Close

[Quad Linda]

I own Machine Head on DVD-A in a CD-style jewel box, so perhaps I shouldn't mix in. That never stopped me before! I have dozens of CD's or CD layers that I've ripped to my HD where the cover art and/or track listings don't match. CDDB has many of these errors, my guess is that the music is Machine Head. Only the art and track listings are wrong. Whenever I've encountered this, the music is ALWAYS what the actual disc is labeled. Key in the correct information and you'll be fine.

Linda
Jill the Ripper

I am just ripping the Redbook portion of the Machine Head SACD to my PC (for my archive) and was surprised to find that my software, when looking the album up on freedb, recognized it as "25th Anniversary Edition, CD 1" and all tracks as the 1997 remixes. I haven't listened to them yet, and I am not very familiar with the album, so I don't know whether I will be able to identify whether they actually are the 1997 mixes when I listen to them (tonight, after I get home from work). I just found it curious - has anybody else even tried the CD audio layer? Can you guys confirm?

 

[The Bright Side]

Yeah I usually correct it because I expect the databases to be at fault. After all, they're community-driven and contain user-submitted data. My guess is, too, that is is the original mix, not the 1997 one - but it still made me curious

 

[elroy]

Amazon e-mailed to say that Machine Head has an estimated delivery date of August 30th!:banana:

 

[carrolls]

Licensing... here in America where the RIAA & the MPAA run the world, they probably won't allow it without some big royalty... ahem...
excuse me... extortion fees to be paid that doesn't make it worth while to repress.
Yes, glass masters are already made, artwork is already there etc. making for what seems like a cheap press job.
But factor in the $100 or $200 grand they'll want from licensing and you're sunk.
Wasn't it already tried that they wanted a fee for the stereo, a fee for the multi and one for the CD layer on SACDs
as well as one for each track format on the DVD-As?
Not to mention licensing for the copygaurd and watermarking systems and.... ad nausem.
It's a wonder all music isn't illegal by now.

When you say "They", lets be very clear, it was the artists and publishers. Not the record company. It was the artists in the US that sunk the SACD project in 2003.
When Al Kooper's publisher demanded a fee for the stereo, a fee for the multi and a fee for the CD layer on an imminent SACD, that was the final straw for Sony.

 

[Quad Linda]

It was '04 when I met Al Kooper. He mentioned that Super Session and BS&T's Child is the Father were both mixed for 5.1. So, which album was "the final straw?"

Linda

When you say "They", lets be very clear, it was the artists and publishers. Not the record company. It was the artists in the US that sunk the SACD project in 2003.
When Al Kooper's publisher demanded a fee for the stereo, a fee for the multi and a fee for the CD layer on an imminent SACD, that was the final straw for Sony.

 

[carrolls]

It was '04 when I met Al Kooper. He mentioned that Super Session and BS&T's Child is the Father were both mixed for 5.1. So, which album was "the final straw?"

Linda

I'm glad you met the greedy S.O.A.B who screwed up the Hi-Res SACD industry in the US.
Child is the Father is the one that is mentioned.
It was not released in 5.1 because of the showdown with Koopers publishers and Sony(in which the publishers demanded three royalties for each song). Sony released nothing in 5.1 after that in the US.

 

[GabeL]

How about some reviews of these newly released sacds? Thoughts on packaging, quality, etc.??

 

[mch007]

Just checked that my Eagles - Hotel California SACD amazon order status changed to 'Shipping soon'...so most probably it will ship in a day or two.

UPS delivered Eagles today...'Yes - Fragile' will arrive tomorrow...

 

[rtbluray]

Oh yeah. I got Fragile at my house today. Not around there currently so I'll to wait for a free weekend to get down there and take a listen to it. (even though I've heard the mix before)

 

[bmoura]

UPS delivered Eagles today...'Yes - Fragile' will arrive tomorrow...

You'll enjoy that one. The Eagles "Hotel California" is my favorite among the first group of the Warner Surround SACDs.

 

[GabeL]

Just received Fragile myself and am looking forward to Hotel California in the next few days

 

[Quad Linda]

I was in Music Masters on Saturday. They had an SACD of Hotel California. I passed, since I have the DVD-A.

Linda

You'll enjoy that one. The Eagles "Hotel California" is my favorite among the first group of the Warner Surround SACDs.

 

[cupboy]

You know, it's funny.

A US Release with a ton of licensing fees could be sold at a very nice profit for around $40, which would make money for everyone....

Well, I don't know. Isn't that sort of like giving into extortion by greedy musicians?

I read something about Al Kooper being one of them.

Stores wouldn't stock them anyway, so you'd still have to buy off the internet.

 

[Bob Squires Jr]

I bought six of the ten...
Eagles, Yes, Chicago (have those now) and Fagen, Foreigner & Fleetwood Mac I should have today.
I didn't get the Deep Purple as I have the quad SACD.
If they did T-Rex as one of the new ones, I wouldn't need it as I have the original on SACD, SHM-SACD & DVD-A
(I didn't like that album much did I??)

I have them all on DVD-A as well, but.... I'm a sucker!

I too, was given to the thought of offing the DVD-A for the SACD as I have 7 SACD players (!)
and 2 DVD-A Players (that play SACD too!) but I saw that Panasonic and another company (not OPPO)
was putting DVD-A capabilities into Blu-Ray players now.
I know some Sony BDs have SACD.

For some reason, I don't have the heart to part with any of them!
When I moved, I sold a lot of my discs.
Then I spent a half a fortune trying to get them all back.
Now I have them...
(Not to mention over 300 quad LPs!)

Wanna get me going?
Release all the Moody Blues in DVD-A!

It's a mad mad hobby we have!

 

[Bob Squires Jr]

Just got my 3 in: Fleetwood Mac, Donald Fagen & Foreigner 4.
Again, they look just like the DVD's except Foreigner 4... The DVD-A is sliver with the writing etched... on the SACD it's
in color and silk screened on.
I wished they'd done that for Fleetwood Mac (and a few other DVD-As).
The silver writing on a shiny silver disc combined with shitty pressing (US primarily) left some ugly
looking discs!
I went through 6 Fleetwood Mac DVD-As to get a near perfect copy (yes, I said NEAR perfect, and it was sealed!!!!!)
and the one that came close was a German pressing.
Crowded House was that was as well but I got a good one in 2 tries. (sealed!!!)

These SACDs look nice and sound great.
Mind you the DVD-As sound better, but these are the same mixes only on SACD
and for those that can't get or afford the DVD-As, these appear to do nicely.
Now. let's see if there is a third wave.

None announced yet, nor have any SHM-SACDs been announced.
I hope it isn't the end.

 

[kap'n krunch]

They certainly look VERY PUR-TY!!!Cool! Happy for you guys
Too bad I'm into DVD-As now..and well, I have no money..well you know the rest...Although I don't know what I'm gonna have to sell to get the new KC DVD-As!

Hijacking the thread a bit, a friend of mine from High School(!!!!) came 2 weeks ago with his Japanese girlfriend and she was flipping out with my vinyl/DVD-A/SACD connection and all the Japanese pressings I have ...she thought it was odd I had so many of them...so great a hearing a "local" reading out loud what the OBIS say!!

 

[JonUrban]

DOORS arrived today. Scans added to post 6 of this thread.

 

[wappinghigh]

I am bloody well thrilled about these releases. I can't believe it! For months I have been searching ebay etc for good copies of Rumours, Chicago, Doors and Eagles HC DVD-A's at half decent prices. I nearly fell of my chair when I picked up all 4 for almost less than my last DVD-A purchase! I don't care if they are SACD and I can't get them into a digital library. I'm kinda all nostalgic anyway for disc playback, in a weird sorta retro way. It also takes the pressure of my computer music server (it doubles as my workstation). My SACD collection has been growing recently to feed a second hand NAD55 I bought for under 1K. Pure dsd playback. Bloody bargain. Totally awesome these have been released. I'm pumped. I hope WB Japan sell's these by the truckload. I agree with JohnU. Bring it on other labels! And release the digital DSD downloads as well. I'd even pay for double copies of those. Anything is good. There are a few DSD multichannel DAC's just released or in the pipeline so let's see ALL this content available for purchase from online stores as well. I've been starved of quality for years. Good onya WB Japan for supporting our hobby!

 

[davie]

There are a few DSD multichannel DAC's just released or in the pipeline so let's see ALL this content available for purchase from online stores as well.

Could you elaborate briefly or is there another thread discussion about the DACs you referred to?

 

[wappinghigh]

Could you elaborate briefly or is there another thread discussion about the DACs you referred to?

Sure. go to computeraudiophile.com (I'm sure this thread won't mind about the plug)..and search mytek and playback designs. Or my call sign. Mytek has a new dsd capable stereo dac out for home users. There is also the multichannel 8x192 which is also dsd capable...I'm looking very closely at purchasing this one. Just waiting to here back from the designer whether it really is (non audio engineering and non DAW) "useable" for normal folk!! @:

I know the designer is working very hard to bring DSD to the "normal" user. He is working with all the Korg DSD guys..and the guys from blue coast records. Probably not quite there yet (not even for stereo)..but they are very close. Follow the threads. Not sure about playback designs. But they have one as well. But it's real excitin that some of these well respected audio engineering guys have realised there is a whole new market out there for "home friendly" pro audio gear!! Go for it guys!