Bigshot Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 The mastering is not always the same on SACDs. I did an extensive A/B test of SACDs a year or two ago. It's very difficult to do because you need two disks and two decks. It isn't possible to switch between layers on a single machine without a large delay, making direct comparison impossible. A friend and I compared numerous SACDs on two line level matched decks and at first noticed differences in some, but it turned out that the differences were slight differences in mix. It appeared that the redbook layer had been deliberately hobbled on a couple of them. Finally, we used a hybrid SACD made from a high bitrate DSD master (Pentatone). The sound was phenomenal, and it was identical on both layers. The quality of the recording, mixing and mastering is what counts, not the bitrate. The sonic differences between SACD and CD are beyond the range of the audible in normal listening to music, both in dynamicsand frequency response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 The quality of the recording, mixing and mastering is what counts, not the bitrate. The sonic differences between SACD and CD are beyond the range of the audible in normal listening to music, both in dynamicsand frequency response. I, too, have done a/b comparison on 2 players, and the difference is quite clear between the sacd and cd layers on the Living Stereo hybrid sacds, and it's not a subtle difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 I noticed this on eMusic, for those who do mp3's. The Ahmad Jamal Mosaic for $52.50: Mosaic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Yesterday Amazon informed me that they would refund my money. However, they said that the refund would take up to ten business days. So now I'm going back to keeping my eye open for the next time the Sonny Rollins Prestige box is a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 For classical fans, 60 CD Living Stereo box set.... http://www.amazon.com/Living-Stereo-60-Collection-Box/dp/B003UCPEJ2/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music Classic Reiner and Munch. Uses the most recent SACD remasters. I folded and ordered this today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 For classical fans, 60 CD Living Stereo box set.... http://www.amazon.com/Living-Stereo-60-Collection-Box/dp/B003UCPEJ2/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music Classic Reiner and Munch. Uses the most recent SACD remasters. I folded and ordered this today. Good job! I have almost all of the SACDs and there are so many that I return to often. Sometimes I intend to play something that isn't a Living Stereo, get distracted and reach for one of these instead. They'll get played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 For classical fans, 60 CD Living Stereo box set.... http://www.amazon.com/Living-Stereo-60-Collection-Box/dp/B003UCPEJ2/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music Classic Reiner and Munch. Uses the most recent SACD remasters. I folded and ordered this today. Good job! I have almost all of the SACDs and there are so many that I return to often. Sometimes I intend to play something that isn't a Living Stereo, get distracted and reach for one of these instead. They'll get played. The library has a fair number, so I'm somewhat familiar with the series. I was actually close to ordering the single disc of Spanish composers (just called Spain) conducted by Reiner. Then Amazon sneakily insisted I consider this instead, which does include that particular CD. On my system, I'll never be able to hear the difference between SACD and CD. Finding time to listen will be the hard part. I've gone through the massive Gould set one and a half times. I have been a bit better about going through some of the Sony Original Jacket boxes, particularly the Bernstein box and Szell's Beethoven cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigshot Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 There is one Living Stereo CD that should have been included in the 60 cd box but wasn't... Hovhaness' Mysterious Mountain. I ordered that one separately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Finding time to listen will be the hard part. I've gone through the massive Gould set one and a half times. I confess there are still half a dozen of the Gould discs that I have yet to play and I think we got our boxes around the same time (mine was the Gold Box deal). For about 6 weeks I played a Gould disc every weekday morning. The vocal albums didn't work for me at such an early hour and eventually I changed my routine. I have played several of the albums multiple times despite having a few that have yet to played. I recently relocated the jacket box to a more visible spot. I reach in and pull out 3 or 4 and pick one to play. I guess the recent PBS American Masters (reshowing?) about Gould put his music back on my radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) For classical fans, 60 CD Living Stereo box set.... http://www.amazon.com/Living-Stereo-60-Collection-Box/dp/B003UCPEJ2/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music Classic Reiner and Munch. Uses the most recent SACD remasters. I folded and ordered this today. Good job! I have almost all of the SACDs and there are so many that I return to often. Sometimes I intend to play something that isn't a Living Stereo, get distracted and reach for one of these instead. They'll get played. Do you, like Bigshot, also cannot hear any differences between the cd and sacd layers? I guess not, otherwise you wouldn't be buying all those sacds. It's a long road ahead for me, in acquiring most of the RCA living Stereo sacds. Edited January 20, 2011 by Dmitry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Do you, like Bigshot, also cannot hear any differences between the cd and sacd layers? I guess not, otherwise you wouldn't be buying all those sacds. It's a long road ahead for me, in acquiring most of the RCA living Stereo sacds. I've only listened to the SACD layers. The only A/B sort of activity I've ever engaged in was when the multi-format player had to go in the shop and I had to play some live archive Neil Young CDs instead of the DVD-As. I could tell a difference there. I can't really help here as far as layers or format advantage, other than to say I think the music would be worth hearing even on 8 track. Over the years between big Borders coupons, record convention finds and at used shops I've picked up about 2 dozen these for an average price of $6. (Whatever Living Stereo SACDs were in the last 2-3 rounds released I bought new). Their spines and the special cases of the SACDs make them easy to spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Their spines and the special cases of the SACDs make them easy to spot. Indeed. Those are hard to confuse with the cd jewel cases. Makes it much easier to pick them out. Which is your favorite disc of the LS series? I've only got a handful of those, and so far it's Rubinstein's Beethoven sonatas. Quite mesmerizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Yesterday Amazon informed me that they would refund my money. However, they said that the refund would take up to ten business days. So now I'm going back to keeping my eye open for the next time the Sonny Rollins Prestige box is a bargain. Amazon's refund was credited to my account yesterday. Add to that $32.97 the $20 Amazon gift card from yesterday's LivingSocial deal, and I've got $52.97 to spend! It's burning a hole in my pocket, as my late mother used to say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crisp Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Menuhin/Grappelli: Friends In Music (4 CDs) £4.99 at HMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Great Oscar Peterson Mosaic deal on Ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/Complete-Clef-Mercury-Studio-Recordings-Box-set-Impor-/270684482590?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_CDs_CDs_GL&hash=item3f060d6c1e#ht_1459wt_1137 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ayers Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Thanks for posting that. I'm in! Last of the euromosaics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigshot Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I jumped on that one too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelz777 Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Those went fast. When I last looked about 3 hours ago there were more than 10 available and now they are all gone. Looks like he sold 20 of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Those went fast. When I last looked about 3 hours ago there were more than 10 available and now they are all gone. Looks like he sold 20 of them. Especially since he first offered them almost a week ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASNL77 Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 He has just listed another ten! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelz777 Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I found an Oscar Peterson Mosaic offered by an Amazon marketplace seller for $3.98! I'm really curious to see how this purchase turns out. It was advertised as a 7-disc set which comes in 4-CD cases with no box or booklet. The condition of the CDs was listed as like new/perfect condition. I'm asking myself,"What's the catch?" It must be a mis-listing. Why would anyone take so little for 7 discs? CDRs? Condition overstated? It's an Amazon fulfillment and the seller is rated at 99% overall (4.9/5 stars) with 201 ratings. So far, the order hasn't been cancelled. With the shipping, I was more than willing to take a $6.96 gamble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I was gonna pass this up as I'm not that much an OP fan (despite having a fair number of albums), but I may need to grab this after all given the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelz777 Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Those went fast. When I last looked about 3 hours ago there were more than 10 available and now they are all gone. Looks like he sold 20 of them. Especially since he first offered them almost a week ago. Someone's probably buying several to gift someone or sell for profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Their spines and the special cases of the SACDs make them easy to spot. Indeed. Those are hard to confuse with the cd jewel cases. Makes it much easier to pick them out. Which is your favorite disc of the LS series? I've only got a handful of those, and so far it's Rubinstein's Beethoven sonatas. Quite mesmerizing. The short answer would be just about anything Reiner or Munch, though that doesn't exactly narrow things down plus it ignores some other fine discs. The Bartok concerto is a favorite and a couple of weeks ago for kicks I revisited the old warhorse Scheherazade. I was on a Chopin kick in December and enjoyed the 2 Rubensteins. I thought there might be a dedicated thread for these releases, though maybe I'm getting (gasp) Hoffman mixed with here. Not classical nor a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Great Oscar Peterson Mosaic deal on Ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/...#ht_1459wt_1137 Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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