Dylan Remasters: Worth Buying If I Don't Have An SACD Player? (1 Viewer)

[Andrew_Sch]

I don't have an SACD player, but I'm really tempted to buy a few of the Dylan Remasters, especially The Freewheelin... and Highway 61 Revisited. Is the improvement over the original CD's worth it if I'll just be listening to the CD layer, since I don't own an SACD player?

 

[Rachael B]

I never had the "original" CD's. I had the original vinyl. I've listened to some tracks from the CD layer of both those albums when dubbing an MD and they sound very good. I'd also highly recommend JOHN WESLEY HARDING and NASHVILLE SKYLINE.

 

[Phil A]

I have some of the stuff on CDs and have listened a little to the CD layer and think it certainly is an improvement. Both the hybrids you noted sound good. It is a question of whether you have the CDs and how much you like the albums. I have CDs that I have rebought on SACD and others where I can live with the CD I have. Andrew, if you get down by way (you're not that far), come have a listen.

 

[cwhite]

In all, a better reason to get a SACD player!

 

[Jesse Lawson]

I don't have an SACD player either, but I thought the CD layer on Blonde on Blonde sounded far better than the older CD, having much more depth. I can never think of ways to describe sound except in terms of depth, warmth, brightness, clarity, etc., and sometimes I wonder if I'm actually saying anything at all by using those adjectives, but I definitely thought the improvements made it worth buying a second time. I'm not sure I understood the rational for splitting it between two discs, though — theoretically a capacity issue with the two layers of SACD. In any case, it mirrors the original double album, and the retail price is only a dollar or two above the other albums (which are kinda expensive — wish other majors would jump on Universal's lower-prices bandwagon). There are no additional liner notes or anything, but the digipacks look a lot nicer than the old CDs.

I used to have the old CD of Highway 61 and somehow never got into it, so I sold it. When the reissue came out, I decided to give it another try and couldn't believe I hadn't liked it before. I'm not sure if this is attributable to improvements in sound quality, but they couldn't have hurt. Grey Cavitt's review at Musictap that the sound on either layer of Freewheelin' was a considerable improvement on the old CD and even the LP:



He goes on to say that the SACD layer is even better, of course...

 

[Marc Colella]

Word of warning:

you may experience a problem if you're trying to play them on a DVD player, as with many hybrids. If you are, then make sure you buy it from somewhere that'll allow you to exchange/return.

A friend of mine picked up Blood on the Tracks hybrid, and the CD layer won't play on his 1 year old DVD player.

 

[Angelo.M]

I have no use for the SACD layer, but the redbook layers of Blood on the Tracks and Blonde on Blonde sound much better than the previous redbook releases.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Very definitely yes, it is worth it even if you never get to hear the SACD layer.

 

[Larry Geller]

SCAD? Hell, it's worth buying if you don't have EARS!