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Pet Sounds on disc

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 4:11 pm
by Jeff T.
I was wondering which disc most folks prefer for the mono and the stereo mixes of this album?

The MFSL SACD has gotten good notices for the later stereo mix. I wondered if the AF gold in mono is an improvement over the DCC gold CD issue in most folks opinion?. I read that the mono master is missing now, and that the disc known by many as the best (the DCC) might remain the best we ever get on CD for a mono. Or did the AF mastering actually open it up a bit and produce a more revealing account of the original mono mix? I really did not want to get into a DCC vs. AF debate over there in that other forum, it is a hot button issue I know.

I am a fan of the stereo mix btw, got it on LP for my BD 12 years ago. I think that the album would have fared much better had it gotten a stereo release by the time the "Summer of Love" arrived, or should I say the "Summer of Pepper" arrived. Anyway, better late than never.

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It is hard for me to make honest comparisons now that I repaired my speakers. One may recall (or not recall), last year I redid the foam on my speakers with one of those "O-Ring" kits. It worked out wonderful! But the speakers have a much thicker bass response now then they ever had before. LPs tracked with that AT 440ml cart (and needle drops using it as well) no longer sound even a tad overly bright. We know that this cart is a bit is brighter than many, and painfully so to some. Yet after I redid those speakers, everything sounds about fine so far as upper area. I have carpeted living room, and then some large framed posters on each wall. So I have the dead sound of that carpeting, and then the lively-ness of the glass frames - resulting in a very musical sounding environment. My few friends that have heard my records and media all think it sounds euphoric. It does sound clear and clean, and all frequencies are there. Rock, Jazz, and Classical all sound very pleasing. But deep in my heart I know that this rig is not that neutral. And I'm fine with that. I was playing a UK LP of Bowie's Aladdin Sane a few weeks ago, and it sounded the best that I have ever heard that album sound. The guitars had that R & R raunch like good distorted lead guitars should sound, the rest of the music was crystal clear, like the bass, it had detail yet was deep and low. 12" woofers are a good thing if you like loud music, and want your bass clean at that volume.

So all this sounds fine. But I don't totally trust this system to compare slight differences in gold CDs, especially if they were both mastered by the same person.

I think that the next upgrade I do to this system will be a higher end DAC to run from my server PC to the analog inputs on my amp. I have a friend with a $25,000 system, and which it is engaging, and revealing, and fun, yet it does not sound particularly more musical than mine. In fact it is a bit cold and clinical to say the least. He has a loft downtown, and there is a lot of concrete and glass in the big room, that might be a part of it.

Re: Pet Sounds on disc

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 1:38 am
by Jeff T.
Awe never mind, I should just stick with the stereo mix, and preferably in hi-res and just forget about mono on CD. I mean I can always dig out a green label mono LP I picked up in 1984 at Wherehouse Records on Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa, CA.

Remember those green label reissues which turned out to be rather good and quiet - and blow away originals in some or many cases. I think I got The Band brown album in that series as well but never listen to it.

Memories of record stores n' jumpin' from one to the other. There was Music Market right down the street which was the size of Amoeba in Hollywood, and every mall had at least one record store with an import bin. I was into three things mainly when I went to these stores, imports, 1/2 speed mastered audiophile LPs. This was in Orange County an hour south of LA when I lived at the beach of Balboa, CA.