scienceguy
Group: Members
Posts: 55
Joined: Aug. 2012 |
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Posted: Oct. 14 2012, 08:56 |
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| Quote (hergestridge @ Mar. 03 2012, 08:37) | | My copy of Ommadawn on SACD arrived a couple of days ago and I have to say it sounds fantastic. Beautifully natural, detailed sound without that slightly hard edge you often get on CD. Also, you get to pick up on those tiny background subtleties which often get lost on CD. Yes, it's expensive but, if you love this album, it's worth every penny. |
I wholly concur.
I have just carried out comprehensive direct comparision testing between the 2012 SACD Version by Mercury Records, and the 2010 (so-called) Deluxe Edition CD, which includes no less than THREE versions, namely 2010 Stereo Mix on CD, original 1975 version (same version as SACD) on CD, as well as 2010 Mix in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound.
In short, IMO this is the ranking of the different versions regards to which offers the best audio quality, in descending order:
1) 2012 SACD by Mercury Records (i.e. This version)
2) 2010 Deluxe Edition, Original 1975 Mix, CD Version
3) 2010 Deluxe Edition, 2010 Stereo Mix, CD Version
4) 2010 Deluxe Edition, 2010 Stereo Mix, DVD Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Version
Without a doubt the best version of OMMADAWN is the 2012 SACD Version by Mercury Records.
Specifically, the audio clarity, dynamics, soundstage, frequency range, compression, distortion and depth are all significantly superior than the other versions.
This is most noticable at 1:15 of OMMADAWN Part 1 when the deep bass begins, wherein it is so much deeper than the other versions; and 12:27 when the african drums start, wherein the considerably superior clarity and realism of the drums stands out versus the other versions. The 2010 Mix in my opinion is a huge disappointment, in that it is as if LOUDNESS has been applied producing a muddy, boomy and imbalanced bass / lower end, such that the african drumming is a blurry mess; whereas with the SACD version the drumming is astonishingly real.
In my opinion there is absolutely no contest; the SACD version is irrefutably the best version. Period.
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