Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

Great news Danny. Can you imagine Woody and Dutch in hirez? Awesome!

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I've got "Music From Big Pink" on DVD-A from Capitol already. Does Mobile Fidelity include the surround mix from that in their Ultradisc SACD edition? If so, I'd buy this in a New York minute!

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I've always wondered what the selection process is for these discs, does anybody have any insight? I imagine they rebooted the production of these discs with all the Patricia Barber stuff because she's married to the owner of Music Direct as I don't see these being hot sellers. It seems like sometimes, they get on a artist/band and release several albums from them (Little Feat, John Lennon) and then others are just out of left field.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

MoFi doesn't do surround mixes at all because it is not the original way the album was produced. I know...bummer.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

You're forgetting all of the multi-channel SACDs Mo-Fi did with the Vox Classical Surround recordings, Zack!
Besides, Capitol already has an existing high resolution surround mix of "Music From Big Pink" that they released on DVD-A! How hard would it be for them to port that over to the SACD?

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

No I'm not. I should have written it differently. Mo-Fi won't do multi channel releases of Popular music since it was originally released in 2-ch stereo. Orchestral is a totally different category for some reason for them. I wish that they would include surround mixes on their SACDs. Maybe the format would have taken off more if they did. WHo knows?

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

At this point (though I speak only for myself), I've concluded--after extensive comparisons and tweaks to ensure I could detect a reasonable difference between them--that my ears and my gear (which I will not be changing any time soon and which is not "bargain basement" stuff--Integra receiver, Marantz "universal" player and Boston Acoustics VR-M series speakers) working together cannot reliably distinguish 2 channel CD from 2 channel SACD in most cases. I've taken two copies of an RCA Living Stereo SACD, played on a CD player, the other on my SACD player and, after level matching the output, did a "partially blind" A/B (I had a friend switch the playback input while listened with my eyes closed. No audible difference that I could detect (and I was favourably biased towards finding one).

Now, this doesn't mean I will never buy another non-MCH SACD again. It does mean I won't spend significantly more money on one vs the same release on CD (assuming a release from the same mix and mastering). But I got into SACD primarily for its MCH potential (same as I did for DVD-A) and that is where my hi-res audio purchasing priorities lie.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I would love to get a hold of The Band on sacd.
I have the Big Pink on that dvd-a disc and find myself
not using one of the tracks because of the excessive his
hopefully that can be fixed for a sacd releae.

now don't kill me I know hiss isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I must politely differ here Paul. There are significant sonic benefits to hirez layers like Super Audio. I'm not sure why exactly you are not hearing it but it is quite noticeable on my system and several of my friends. Now it is truie that if you have a Wadia or similarly fancy CD player then the gap in sound narrows but it is still there. I'm heard it on around a half dozen systems of close friends who have SACD capability.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I did qualify my statement by saying "most cases" and "reliably distinguish". Perhaps I should have expressed my point slightly differently. I have noticed some difference, some of the time. However, the differences, with my ears and gear, are not sufficient to warrant a major difference in price. I usually budget to reflect 'biggest bang for the buck' and MCH trumps 2 CH, for me, each time. I'll gladly "upgrade" to a MCH SACD/DVD-A of something I already own in redbook, but I won't do the same for 2CH hi-res. As for buying something new in 2 CH hi-res (new in the sense of "I don't already have it"--I'm an avid used disc shopper), if the price difference is not more than 10% (happens, but not overly frequently) OR it is only available as a hybrid 2CH (RCA Living Stereo and Pentatone seem the only ones I've encountered) OR it contains extra material not found on the redbook release (also very rare) OR it has been remixed/remastered and trustworthy reviews indicate that the new mastering is better than the original redbook release (of course, this is still subject to the 10% rule or the "only available in hybrid" rule), then I'll buy it. Otherwise, to me, it's not worth the extra money.

One other note on differences--I know it is hotly debated in some circles and this is my own view with no intent to proselytize--I have reached the conclusion, for 2 CH comparisons, that the bulk of any improvement in SQ in hi-res audio owes more to the extra care the producers of some of those discs take at the mastering stage rather than any inherent superiority of the format itself. When I've compared the same mastering (as I have with RCA Living Stereo releases--about the least processed SACD releases available), redbook vs SACD in 2 CH, any difference becomes so small that the level of concentration required to notice it takes away from the joy of listening to the music. If redbook were as carefully treated across the board, rather than merely in a few cases (relatively speaking), hi-res would be largely superfluous for 2 CH and we would all be better served by the music industry at large. Sadly, that is not the case. Perhaps if my ears were sharper and my gear was better, I'd notice a more significant difference. But I'm getting older, not younger, and I have other life concerns besides my hobby (children, mostly) so my gear isn't going to get significantly better for quite some time.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I think you are correct in many cases.

I love the sound of SACD's on my Denon, but the other night I accidentally started playing the redbook layer of John Hiatt's Master of Disaster.
I then changed to the same song, SACD layer. I think I heard a slight difference in the soundstage, and maybe his vocals sounded a bit less "pinched" but the differences were very subtle.

This is only one disc and maybe not a good example at that (the recording quality is so so IMHO).
One of these days I'll try a few more SACD/Redbook comparisons.
Right now I'm too busy enjoying the music

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I think the first paragraph is a very reasonable view. On the second paragraph, I have a different take. Good mastering can ensure a very good redbook CD no doubt and on a megabuck player like a Cary or Wadia. Still given the same mastering, the SACD layer, in my experience, will sound better still. A really good hirez player will highlight the effects of the "hall" and the extra detail in the recording which in my experience shows up in more realistic instrument tone, dynamics, and soundstage.

I record with two friends, live to two track classical acoustic music in 24/176k hirez digital using a SoundDevices 722. From there we make CDs at 16/44.1 using good downrez programs for the musicians. Playing back the DVD-Audio product and then the CD product is quite a step down sonically. The extra information really does add value.

But at the end of the day your kids are much more important than all of this audio stuff so I agree with you completely on that!

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I attend the Montreal A/V show every year and I know I am only at the first steps above entry level with my gear. But my gear represents a significant leap forward over my previous gear (which was at about the same "level" when new, but was mostly around 15 years old when I upgraded five years ago--it'll be at least another ten before I do a wholesale upgrade, if not longer than that). I guess, in the end, I would rather devote the money towards more music rather than upgrade the gear to reach a level where the differences become more apparent. Still, I do feel a little envy for those with the time and money to pursue audio excellence.

Re: Mobile Fidelity announces new SACDs from Rickie Lee Jones and The Band

I think the best plan is to get the best possible sound for whatever budget one has. Too many in this hobby use price tags as a "dick measuring contest". Ultimately I find those people are not music lovers. I hear a lot of gear at Rocky Mountain every year that sounds terrible in spite of astronomical price tags. This hobby has sadly become a rich man's sport.

I just have learned through smart purchases how to assemble a resolving system over the 24+ years I have been in it. Used and vintage gear can help a great deal as can setup process and tweaks.