1. Home
  2. digital
  3. 195373-91149

Remastered CDs, HDCDs, SACDs

CD is my only source. My album collection is somewhere around 800 discs. I have found significant differences in SQ (sound quality) comparing original releases to remastered releases. To my ear, Bob Ludwig was the best engineer for that. 

I was speaking with a local recording engineer and mentioned how much I liked Bob's work. He replied Bob boosted 2 dB at 150 Hz.

In order of SQ (worst to best) my rankings are original CD, original HDCD, remastered CD, remastered HDCD, original SACD, remastered SACD.

Those rankings are usually the case, though occasionally they may vary.

Happy listening to all. Enjoy the music!

tomcarr
old_ears's avatar
old_ears
66 posts
 

   I know MoFi has some checkered history but their I Robot and Los Lobos KIKO Original Master SACDs are worthy upgrades over CD quality.  Absolutely agree Red Book CD can sound as good or better than SACD versions on many titles.  Those master tapes are key.

dtgunn365
10 posts
 

FWIW I just purchased my first remastered CD; J. Baez GH. Found it crushingly disappointing with little consistency in the tracks! Tested on my $.5k auto system and two others; including my serious home system. Several tracks seemed just short of fingernails on the blackboard.

Looking to get my Nakamichi cassette deck fixed as I remember that album was pretty good,

dtgunn365
10 posts
 

FWIW I just purchased my first remastered CD; J. Baez GH. Found it crushingly disappointing with little consistency in the tracks! Tested on my $.5k auto system and two others; including my serious home system. Several tracks seemed just short of fingernails on the blackboard.

Looking to get my Nakamichi cassette deck fixed as I remember that album was pretty good,

vitussl101's avatar
vitussl101
296 posts
 

The first time I noticed a difference between mastering was the MFSL release of the Getz/Gilberto CD.  When I first listened to it, I was stunned by the difference between it and the original Verve release.  It was like they were mastered by completely different tapes.  When I rip the MFSL to CD, it sounds like the Mofi.  I also have made rips of Hi rez files made for me from LPs to black blank discs with great sonics.

rwwear
2,917 posts
 

Bluray is generally the best sounding digital medium.

More to discover