Hi guys, I'm a newbie here.
Very recently I stumbled on the above, SUPER HIGH MATERIAL cd, I think through e-bay, anyway I ended up on the JapanCd web site.
Invented by the wacky guys at JVC, this special polycarbonate layer is supposed to make the cd SOUND BETTER.
The science is kinda simple, the layer used gives a much lower ERROR rate for the reading laser, due to the more precise manufactureing process, so a better reading by the cd, should translate to more information coming in to ya lug holes, therefore SOUNDING BETTER.
Actually I dunno, it may or may not work, over here across the pond, one of our very serious Hi-Fi monthly mags did a like for like album test, they found the Jap SHM version to be mastered about 1:5db higher, but the sonics to be about the same.
Personally I adore these versions of cd's. Not for the silly reason stated above, but for the loving way these cd's are crafted.
Considering my megere means I am a proud owner of 9 albums on SHM, they are;
1) Steve Windwood - Back In The High Life Again
2) Bjork - Debut
3) 10cc - 10 out of 10
4) Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
5) John Fogerty - Centerfield
6) Carpenters - A Song For You
7) Don Henley - Building The Perfect Beast
8) Don Henley - The End OF The Innocence
9) Joe Jackson - Night & Day
8 of the 9 are mini Lp's, they come with original art work, a main cardboard sleeve, a proper inner sleeve that mimics the original Lp version, with an inner inner anti static sleeve for protection. The cd its self LOOKS to be of higher quality.
Now, the important bit, how they sound.
All of my 9 have 1 thing in common, they are all re-issues of favourite albums of mine that herald from round about mid 70's to late 80's.
In this respect I have been able to do a like for like comparison for each album.
Unsuprisingly, to my ears they sound SOoooooooo much better the very early cd mastering efforts, there is more clarity & subtle information, on the album Back In The High Life Again, one I have played to death, playing the SHM-CD against the original 1986 release, it is louder, but not to the extent where you get clipping or overload, there is much better clarity & separation between the instruments, decay on individual notes is more noticeable, it just sounds so much smoother, & the original 86 release was one of the better ones too. All sound better than the original releases, & to be honest, even if they did not, the premium paid is worth the attention to detail just in the presentation of the album art work, (from Amazon the average price paid is about £8 per cd, as apposed to a current SHM-CD release price of about £25 with postage, an out of print from e-bay considerably more).
I LOVE these SHM reissues, my next purchase will hopefully be the reissue of Thin Lizzy's Live & Dangerous, yippy!!
So sorry for the long & protracted post, but I am really passionate about these things.
Anybody else have some, what do you think about them??
Edited by Walking Spanish - 4/27/11 at 2:54pm
Very recently I stumbled on the above, SUPER HIGH MATERIAL cd, I think through e-bay, anyway I ended up on the JapanCd web site.
Invented by the wacky guys at JVC, this special polycarbonate layer is supposed to make the cd SOUND BETTER.
The science is kinda simple, the layer used gives a much lower ERROR rate for the reading laser, due to the more precise manufactureing process, so a better reading by the cd, should translate to more information coming in to ya lug holes, therefore SOUNDING BETTER.
Actually I dunno, it may or may not work, over here across the pond, one of our very serious Hi-Fi monthly mags did a like for like album test, they found the Jap SHM version to be mastered about 1:5db higher, but the sonics to be about the same.
Personally I adore these versions of cd's. Not for the silly reason stated above, but for the loving way these cd's are crafted.
Considering my megere means I am a proud owner of 9 albums on SHM, they are;
1) Steve Windwood - Back In The High Life Again
2) Bjork - Debut
3) 10cc - 10 out of 10
4) Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
5) John Fogerty - Centerfield
6) Carpenters - A Song For You
7) Don Henley - Building The Perfect Beast
8) Don Henley - The End OF The Innocence
9) Joe Jackson - Night & Day
8 of the 9 are mini Lp's, they come with original art work, a main cardboard sleeve, a proper inner sleeve that mimics the original Lp version, with an inner inner anti static sleeve for protection. The cd its self LOOKS to be of higher quality.
Now, the important bit, how they sound.
All of my 9 have 1 thing in common, they are all re-issues of favourite albums of mine that herald from round about mid 70's to late 80's.
In this respect I have been able to do a like for like comparison for each album.
Unsuprisingly, to my ears they sound SOoooooooo much better the very early cd mastering efforts, there is more clarity & subtle information, on the album Back In The High Life Again, one I have played to death, playing the SHM-CD against the original 1986 release, it is louder, but not to the extent where you get clipping or overload, there is much better clarity & separation between the instruments, decay on individual notes is more noticeable, it just sounds so much smoother, & the original 86 release was one of the better ones too. All sound better than the original releases, & to be honest, even if they did not, the premium paid is worth the attention to detail just in the presentation of the album art work, (from Amazon the average price paid is about £8 per cd, as apposed to a current SHM-CD release price of about £25 with postage, an out of print from e-bay considerably more).
I LOVE these SHM reissues, my next purchase will hopefully be the reissue of Thin Lizzy's Live & Dangerous, yippy!!
So sorry for the long & protracted post, but I am really passionate about these things.
Anybody else have some, what do you think about them??
Edited by Walking Spanish - 4/27/11 at 2:54pm
