Stones Super Audio discs continue to roll... (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/ne...umber=10587062

The above is another quality story by Brian Moura. It tells of 1.65 million Stones albums sold outside the U.S. which is apparently big sales compared to previous efforts on this catalog.

This will help build the case for more superstar albums.

And let's not have another debate as to how many were to redbook buyers and SACD buyers...no one knows and in many ways it does not matter.

 

[Al B. C]

If it doesn't matter, then why not just say "Stones Remastered discs continue to roll" in the thread title?

Just an observation.

 

[Marc Colella]

If it doesn't matter, then why not just say "Stones Remastered discs continue to roll" in the thread title?

My thoughts exactly.

In fact, if it doesn't matter how many are being used for redbook and SACD - then why even start a thread on it in the first place?

 

[Justin Lane]

I thought Lee was going to mention something about more Stones discs coming to SACD. I was mistaken.

Lee,

When did you obtain the position of High Fidelity Review's official SACD correspondant to the HTF? Congrats on the promotion.

J

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I thought Lee was going to mention something about more Stones discs coming to SACD. I was mistaken.

I am reporting this because it will inevitably lead to more titles on Super Audio.

This is good news. A hirez format is doing well globally which creates more incentive for other supergroups to try hirez.

Why should any of you be disappointed with that?

 

[Marc Colella]

This is good news. A hirez format is doing well globally which creates more incentive for other supergroups to try hirez.

Does everyone else get the feeling that we're just running around in circles on the Hybrid sales issue?

I guess we can say the jewel cases they come in are selling well also.

 

[Jerry Klawiter]

Why all the negativity to a informative post that tells of 1.65 million Stones albums sold outside the U.S.?

I feel this is a very good thing for BOTH highRez formats.
Yes this report favors SACD sales, It is also a motivator to the marketers of DVD-A as it proves huge profits are widely available when they bring the wanted music to the table for purchase.
I understand the turmoil between these two formats and the parties that developed them, LOTS of money at stake here.
But why all the negativity between the user's of these formats? Have you invested your retirement into either with a stock purchase?
Any good news to either is good news to the end users.
I don't think it matters what % total sold went to red-book users.
Labels can target BOTH user groups with a single distribution.
This alone cuts costs and is a big incentive to forge forward.
Just my $0.02

 

[Michael St. Clair]

The lesson I've learned from the Stones releases is that if I want to sell a ton of discs at a low cost, I release a double-disc greatest hits disc, popularly priced, in a Redbook-only format.

'Forty Licks' is the title that is really selling, dwarfing the others and beating them combined.

How could a record label look at the 'Stones sales and decide that high-res is the key to high sales?

The original CD releases of the original albums sounded pretty bad and there has been strong fan interest for remastered discs since before high-res was on the scene. And the lack of high-res sure hasn't hurt the demand for 'Forty Licks'. Probably cheaper to replicate, also.

I'd feel the same way if they were released in the 'other' format.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

What might be even more interesting info, is, the sales for the 4th month (say) after release, vs the sales for the original CDs, for some random month a year before they were released. *That* would tell us a lot.

Of course, still doesn't differentiate between CD and SACD buyers, but *would* differentiate between the remaster itself and the prior versions.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Universal Music International says that "with sales exceeding 1.65 million, this represents a major increase compared with previous CD sales of this classic rock collection."

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Does everyone else get the feeling that we're just running around in circles on the Hybrid sales issue?

Marc,

Why so negative?

Don't you see how this helps build out the hirez markets in general?

Don't you see the value in Warner or Sony going to the Beatles and saying "look what the Stones did...and it still plays on Joe Sixpack's CD player!"

Let's assume that a band gets $2 in royalties per disc times 2 million unit sales equals $4 million. And Sony foots the production bill. And the label keeps $3-4 per disc. We are talking real money here. And the marketing people get to say: "And its in surround! And it is high resolution! And you need not have a SACD player!".

A compelling value proposition to record labels and rock stars alike.

Of course, I am assuming DVDA gets the hybird tech out at some point.

 

[Mark All]

What impresses me about the review page cited in this thread is its report that 2 million SACD hardware units have been sold, and that an additional manufacturing capacity of one million hybrid SACDs per month will soon be available. The investment in new manufacturing capacity points to good things to come for SACD. Hybrid seems the way to go. I'm hoping we soon stop seeing new discs coming out in SACD only format.

Note that I managed to avoid mentioning the other high resolution audio format at all in this post.

 

[Al B. C]

Well looking right under that item in HFR, I spied this one about new titles that are coming out on SACD.

I would trade every one of these titles for one Madonna title or one Bowie title or one whoever.

Am I alone on this? I know that there is a huge following of classical music, but gimme a break, how's about some popular discs to get excited about.

I could give a rats ass about 100 new classical and obscure titles.

Various Artists - Best of Super Audio CD (BMG 7432-192471-2)

Manfred Krug - Schlafstorung (BMG/Amiga 7432-191814-2)

Ben Becker - Wir Heben Ab (BMG/Sing Sing 7432-193882-2)

Margiono Quintet - Arie Antiche (Challenge SACC 75138)

Bob Brookmeyer Newart Orchestra - Waltzing With Zoe (Challenge SACHR 75115)

Das Kolner Streichsextett - Brahms, Adolf Busch (Classical Music Network CMN 006)

Wolfgang Hufschmidt - Meissner Tedeum (Cybele SACD 860.210)

Gheorghiu, Alagna, La Scala Orch - La Boheme (Decca Classics 470624-2)

Thibaudet, Concertgebouw Orch - Turangalia Symphony (Decca Classics 470627-2)

Deep Purple - Concerto for Group & Orchestra (EMI Harvest 7243-541009-2)

Accardo, Orchestra da Camera Italiana - Piazzolla: Oblivion (Fone SACD 019)

Accardo, Orchestra da Camera Italiana - Piazzolla: Nonino (Fone SACD 020)

Accardo, Orchestra da Camera Italiana - Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango (Fone SACD 021)

Wexford Festival Chorus & National Philharmonic - Massenet: Sapho (Fone 2SACD 023)

Wexford Festival Chorus & National Philharmonic - Dvorak: Jakobin (Fone 2SACD 024)

Orchestra & Choir Teatro Regio - Donizetti: Marin Faliero (Fone 2SACD 027)

Ensemble Vocale e Strumentale di Rovereto - Cavalli: Musiche Sacre Concertate (Fone SACD 031)

Groove Armada - Vertigo (Jive 9230678)

Era - The Mass (Mercury Records 0440-063611-2)

Benny Andersson, Tim Rice & Bjorn Ulvaeus - Chess (Mono Records MMCD 019)

Suwanai - Sibelius & Walton: Violin Concertos (Philips 470622-2)

Laura Fygi - At Ronnie Scotts (Universal 0440-038020-2)

Marco Borsato - Onderweg (Universal 0440-038270-2)

Noa - Now (Universal 0440-067056-2)

Laura Fygi - Change (Universal 0440-067575-2)

John Wilson & His Orchestra - Soft Lights & Sweet Music (Vocalion CDSA 4803)

 

[Al B. C]

Dead on Mr. Keith!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

***EDIT***

Why is my response before Keith's?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Put me down as someone who thinks hybrids can only help the format(s). Take the Police reissues, for example. If they'd been hybrids, I'd have picked up all of them even though I don't have an SACD player. As it stands, I only grabbed Breath, the sole hybrid in the bunch. I own all of the Stones hybrids necessary to get a full collection - that's all of them minus the two single-disc hits collections, Hot Rocks, the UK Heads and the US Aftermath and Buttons. (I also have the promo sampler to pad out the one or two tracks I'd otherwise need Hot Rocks to get.) I doubt I'd have splurged on all of these without the appeal of the hybrid.

I plan to get an SACD player eventually, but for me, it's not worth the investment for non-hybrid discs. I don't listen to a lot of music at home, so portability is really important to me. Hybrids allow me to have my cake and eat it too. Do a lot of people feel this way, or at least enough to move some serious units? Dunno, but I still think hybrids are a smart move for the record companies if they want SACD to catch on...

EDIT: Do the time warp? I posted after the two below me! Buh?

 

[Marc Colella]

Marc,

Why so negative?

Don't you see how this helps build out the hirez markets in general?

Not negative, just realistic.

We know that most (and I'm talking a major percentage) of the hybrids are purchased for the CD layer. People have to accept that.

If I were a record exec, I would think about how this effects the bottom line.

1. Are more discs being sold because of the SACD layer? No, it would have sold almost the exact same amount if it were CD-only.

2. Is there an added cost to producing the SACD layer (both in the studio and in the pressing plants). Yes, definitely.

3. Are hybrid discs exempt from being pirated? No, the CD layer can still be copied/ripped.

In a market where audio quality is less and less important, and MP3 is on it's way to becoming the music format of the future - hybrid SACDs don't make much of a difference.
Really, the only people who care about hybrids are audiophiles who want the ability to play their music on any player.

And for the record, I have a SACD player and own 20 SACDs and do NOT own a DVD-A player or any DVD-A discs.

 

[KeithH]

Lee, the problem that many of us here have with your posts is that you post all good news that is at all related to SACD and pose it as a positive reflection of the current state of SACD and as a harbinger for the future. Then, you turn around and post negative information about DVD-Audio. The tone of your posts goes beyond someone who is simply interested in hi-rez audio. Rather, it suggests that you have an agenda. In the end, the tone gets old and tired and is irritating.

Look, I love SACD. It's a great format. I hope it succeeds with the masses. However, I also love DVD-Audio. It's a great format. I hope it succeeds with the masses. In the end, I come to these message boards looking for a balanced perspective -- news, reviews, and discussions that are informative and objective. What I see here is that your posts polarize discussions on the one hand and irritate people on the other. I've seen this here for months now, and to a lesser extent on Steve Hoffman's forum. The place for polarized discussions is Audio Asylum.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Who am I kidding?... this is the year of Halliburton.

What does Halliburton have to do with anything? Are you implying the war was over 3% of world's oil supply?

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Something bizarre is going on with the timing of replies here administrators...

 

[gregD]

I guess nobody remembers the VHS-Beta wars... the superior format did not survive... the winner was the one the mass market found most easy to digest... in this case, by virtue of more available software and cheaper pricing.

Not that there was a war, but DVD came to be in about the same manner... lotsa titles, cheap player pricing, plug-n-play.

I've helped a number of people from different walks of life set up their home entertainment systems... the one constant I see is that they all want it to be easy... my circle of friends, with varying degrees of sophistication, aren't remotely aware that: there is a DTS option as well as DD... that their sub must be adjusted and calibrated... that there needs to a sub at all... they just want me to make the sound whiz around their room and then go away.

Fat chance the mass market is gonna go out of their way to analyze, much less fund, dueling technologies that may offer some sonic improvement and then add it to their already crammed AV cabinet.

Those who are interested in upgrading quality are few by comparison... we will either have to pay a premium for slow and clumsy development, or have some assistance from the mass market... and the only way that will happen is to hand it them on a platter... in the form of an affordable, idiot-proof universal player (with a digital interconnect please!), and unleash a TON of titles with minimal marketing effort (an add-on label - "Enhanced!" - "Surround!" - "Plays Anywhere!")... high-enders can always continue to chase upscale players.

We're all in this together, huh?

Wars are usually fought over greed, and the DVDA-SACD shapes up as one of those... the combatants are clearly more concerned with holding all the technology licenses and having their roster of artists rake in the revenue, rather than developing an upgrade that everyone can enjoy on several levels... both formats have considerable merit - why not throw em into one box?... in a flat economy, you'd think there'd be a little flexibility.

Who am I kidding?... this is the year of Halliburton.