Mceljo,
Sounds to me like your speaking from personal experience:)
Regards, |
Tbg,
I thought that the SHM SACD were not hybrids. I have ordered a few more but everyone I looked at played on SACD only.
My OP concerns the SHM SACD only.
Regards, |
Hi Rwwear,
Yesterday, I didn't beleive it either. I'm still astonished by the change. The difference is dramatic and the sound so altered that I can't chalk it up to placebo effect or justify the expense I laid out for it.
It wasn't as good last week as my two other versions and now it is clearly superior. Whatever the reason I am happy{:
Regards, |
Hi Rcprince,
I never turn off my cdp, and do not even use the standby mode ever. Let me also add that I stopped the burning in process a few hours before my listen session last night.
I am as shocked by this as you and Rwwear are and am not surprised by your doubts. |
Cerrot, The Esoteric SA-10 settings are pretty basic and nothing was changed.
Mceljo, I listened to the SACD twice when I first got it and was disappointed both times. The triangles on the Aja cut was barely audible.Gadd`s drumming, when they got loud were boomy or bloated just did not measure up to the mofi or the redbook. I cannot explain why it sounds better then the other formats now but it does. The drums sound wonderful and the light triangle is both natural and decay beautifully.
I also brought the disc over to a friend who wanted to hear it. He has a very high Esoteric front end and he thought the disc was ok at best.
I want him to hear it again now.
Regards, |
Al-The player is over two years old and well over 1500 hours on it. Since I have had it,It has over 700 hours alone. The sound is pretty consistant and my system has stablized a long time ago.
Bar81-Since you have many SHM SACD's,are they worth it in your opinion?
I'm not going to argue something that is perplexing to me as well. As I have said I would feel the same, If I hadn't experienced it for myself.
I am not the only one who has reported simular with this same sacd. See this link.
http://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/6499#7534
You can also google "SHM SACD burning in" and get some feedback as well.
Some may say cables being burned in or frozen improve the sound "as load of crap as well".I just find this interesting and never experienced this before on any disc.
Regards, |
Bar81- Thank you for the feedback regarding the SHMs.Based on what you have said,I will buy a couple more.I chose Aja because it is not available on SACD any other way and I enjoy the format when done right.
Rrwear-Perhaps you are right,but the difference is significant enough that I'm perplexed now.
Audiofeil-My carpets have about 2000 hours on them and my drapes the same. I'm was using only a 20 spf at the beginning but I upgraded to a 50 on the jewel cases.
Do you think that was the reason?
Regards, |
Hi Rja,
I'm absolutely serious. Go over to AA sacd forums or the link I mentioned earlier. They are discussing this as well. The theories are of course inclusive,but my intial question is answered.There are others who have heard simular results with the SHM SACD.;-)
Regards, |
Hi Tbg,
Are your SHMs sacds?I'm not surprised at all by your statement. Who would look for a cd to improve after repeated listens. I would not look for it and also wouldn't have searched out other reviews of this sacd if I hadn't been disapointed in this Aja the first couple of times I heard it. As stated earlier,I will be taking it over to the one other person who heard it when new and see if he can tell if there is a difference.He is very experienced and himself doubts there could have been any change.I will post his reaction.
I am surprised and amused by some of the posts here.There is a bit more open mindness over at the Audio Asylum. I thought the 'gon was a kinder gentler place to interact.
Regards, |
Hi Alex,
i trust only what I heard, and have no explaination for it.
I never said the disc went from dull to crystal clear analog sounding. I said it went from inferior to my mofi edition of it (not an amazing cd by any means)to now clearly superior.I was also able to pin point some of the changes I heard and attempt to convey them.
I still have quite a few sacd that are superior sonically to this SHM
In my research, I am not the only one to experience a sonic change with regards to the SHM sacd. Some theries put forth feel its the new materials used to produce the product.
If there exist cd enhancers (nats.markers, footings, power chords, and liquids)that alter the signature of a cd, why can't heat from repeated plays alter the sonics of the new materials being used as well?
Lots of people are flaming me for OP but no one has explained why it is impossible.
Regards, |
Thanks Bar81. I thought they were all single layer.Appreciate the confirmation.
The op of this thread concerned SHM SACD`s only with the Steely Dan Aja SACD in particular.
Regards, |
Mceljo,Why does it have to be specifically the laser (it may be)and not heat.Perhaps there is some coating that burns off. The SHM use material that has never been used before in other disc so this is new territory. I am sure you have tweaked your system at one time or another and couldn`t explain why the sonics changed, just that they did.
That being said,I haven`t noticed any change since the burning in process(repeat for two days straight).It has only been played about 5 times since then. The only person who heard the disc when new,will be borrowing it tomorrow. I am very interested in his opinion.He may very well say `no change`
Please note to all,
I never heard this before on any other disc.
I currently own only one SHM SACD with 3 more on order.
I have a very simple and resolving system that is a excellent tool to determine how different sources, wires, or cables affect the over all sound.
I have no explaination.
I stand by what I heard.
Regards, |
Mceljo,in this particular case (SHM SACD of Aja only)there are specific sonic improvements that I have outlined that my audio friend will INSTANTLY hear.I think that a P01/G01 with the Gorb clock will offer the detail needed to confirm any change.The only question I will have for him is "does he like it now?" I stated that if he felt it was the same that wouldn't bother me in the least.I now enjoy this sacd very much.We both had a simular reaction to the sound quality when new and the lack of detail in both the high and low end of the frequency spectrum.
This is something I experienced and choose to share in this forum,and not in the least bit a scientific lab controlled experment.
Regards, |
Folowup as promised earlier
Brought the now burnt in SHM sacd of Aja over to my audiophile friend last night along with a SHM sacd sampler we both just purchased.
For fun,I burnt in my sampler for about 24 hours and his remained unplayed.
The first thing was that he too heard the improvement in Aja to the point that he thought it very good digital (but not reference quality). He wasn't impressed with it at all the first time he heard it as previously discussed.
The second thing was that my burnt in sampler sounded better than his fresh one. The bass was tight and the resonances were clearer. The best way to discribe the differences between the two identical sacd's were if you changed your reading glass from a 1.25 to a 1.50.
The sampler comes with a second sacd that is identical but produced using normal material.It actually sounds better than both my burnt in sacd or the non burnt in one. I haven't a clue why they would do this. The SHM is cut higher so you have to use a spl meter but this was the biggest surprise of the evening.
I do not feel the shm's are worth the price and will not be buying anymore,but they are one of the few producing new sacd's these days.
Regards |
Hi Mcejco,
It was apparent when listening to the two identical samplers.I did not load the player,so i wasn't aware of which SHM sampler was being used, but I knew which one I was hearing. The curious thing from a marketing point of view is why did they include a second sacd to compare the shm sacd with that sounds better!
Regards, |
Mceljo,
I duplicated the same result on my system as my friend so I don't think that would be the answer.The non shm tester they provide sounded better than the shm.Two systems with different front ends produced simular results.
In regards to the 'burn in' of the shm sacds, I wouldn't judge there sq until they have been played numerous times.
That being said,I don't feel the price is justified based on the few I now own.
Regards, |
