[Lenni]

  


 
I received as a gift a Platinum SHM-CD of the Carpenters. I'm not like a huge fan of their music, but I've been listening to it all day because the SHM sounds so damn good.
 
I used MS Movie Maker to upload the soundtrack, which means it went through some conversions. Also youtube sucks when it comes to audio quality.
 
Compared to the original, the sound is somewhat muffled, but the difference can still be heard clearly.
 
I'll let you guess which is which, or the one you prefer.

 

[Dogmatrix]

Those Platinum SHM Cd's are beautifully presented and made I have a small collection mainly Stones and Dire Straits
Even if there was no difference in sound I think they are still worth the few extra dollars

 

[Lenni]

  Those Platinum SHM Cd's are beautifully presented and made I have a small collection mainly Stones and Dire Straits
Even if there was no difference in sound I think they are still worth the few extra dollars

 
true -- but there is a difference in sound, and that's what makes them worth more than anything else. Considering that the other track is from a cd that is supposed to be of superior quality than regular cds, the platinum shm-cd's quality is remarkable. To me, the shm-cd sounds less loud (is the bottom video, btw), less artificial, less digital (for lack of better words). Even thru youtube the difference is evident. I'd listen to the shm-cd any time, any day.
 
 
Is there a contentious issue with shm-cds like the one with cables, etc.? Heh the usual guys commenting on stuff they've never tried.

 

[Lenni]

 
 
 
 
 
I hadn't listened to Dire Straits in long while, until I got the shm-cd's (hopefully youtube won't mind 

)

 

[TJ Elite]

Not a group I've listened before (I am of course aware of the name). For me the above video is the clear winner at least when listening on my phone, my laptop's speakers and through headphones. I'm not curious enough to try the true test and comparing the two on my speaker setup. For me the above has better use of compression, which glues everything together better as a whole. The bass has also been EQ'ed to have better presence, clarity and impact, which some will like, some will disprove of. I find the EQ overall to be much better. The sound is fuller, more present, warmer – certainly more modern. It envelopes the listener in a very pleasing way. The bottom one is very likely closer to the original LP if I had to guess. For me personally it is less engaging and I feel disconnected from the music.

 

On quick comparison the two samples seem to have some small difference in the mix, but then again I must admit I am entirely new to this material. The bottom video also sounds like the sound suffers from deterioration in places unless I'm badly mistaken. These two points make me suspect the two masters might originate from two entirely different tapes. This wouldn't surprise me, because history is full of re-releases originating from different masters, backups, etc. There are some notorious examples in the world of audiophile labels and issues in different regions, particularly Japanese issues of American material.

 

As for the Dire Straits example you posted, the group used to be my favorite group as far us fun factor goes at least some years ago when I was still listening to a lot of rock music. Recently I've drifted away from most guitar-based music due to finding most of it quite repetitive and stale apart from the very best metal has to offer creatively and a few things in rock here and there. Here I find myself preferring the above video for pretty much the opposite reasons than in the Carpenters example. The bottom video sounds louder/more compressed and on somewhat brief comparison the EQ sounds like the bass and treble might've been boosted. To my ears the above video sounds more natural and relaxed. The sound is perhaps a bit smoother in the bottom one due to a more modern transfer, but due to the lossy conversions it's hard to say anything definite.

 

Like in the prior case, a proper and through comparison on my main speaker rig with the actual discs would be necessary to render final judgement, but I'm not interested enough in SHM-CDs to order any of the Dire Straits reissues from Japan. I do own one SHM-CD, but that is entirely due to there being no ordinary CD issue to begin with. It does sound rather good relative to the album having quite hot mastering which is very typical of Japanese CDs, but how much if any is due to the supposedly higher quality materials used to manufacture the actual disc, I cannot comment on. XRCDs in my experience tend to be exceptional for the most part. Whether this is solely due to better mastering or partly due to the strict and standardized production chain from mastering to final pressing is anybody's guess. The Blue Note reissues by Audio Wave in particular I highly recommend. Alan Yoshida is one of the best mastering engineers in the business today.

 

[Dogmatrix]

Discussion on which is better really belongs on the sound science section of the forum but the trolls are brutal over there
I do really love those Dire Straits Platinum's I have though and the Cream and Free ones are very nice also
As TJ Elite says the sound is heavily dependent on the source recording and there is no way to know what was used to make the Platinum versions
I buy them because they are high quality , I love the little pouch for the CD and the perfectly printed mini album replica with all the liner sleeves
The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers replica even has a fully functional mini zipper

 

[Lenni]

 

Not a group I've listened before (I am of course aware of the name). For me the above video is the clear winner at least when listening on my phone, my laptop's speakers and through headphones. I'm not curious enough to try the true test and comparing the two on my speaker setup. For me the above has better use of compression, which glues everything together better as a whole. The bass has also been EQ'ed to have better presence, clarity and impact, which some will like, some will disprove of. I find the EQ overall to be much better. The sound is fuller, more present, warmer – certainly more modern. It envelopes the listener in a very pleasing way. The bottom one is very likely closer to the original LP if I had to guess. For me personally it is less engaging and I feel disconnected from the music.

 

On quick comparison the two samples seem to have some small difference in the mix, but then again I must admit I am entirely new to this material. The bottom video also sounds like the sound suffers from deterioration in places unless I'm badly mistaken. These two points make me suspect the two masters might originate from two entirely different tapes. This wouldn't surprise me, because history is full of re-releases originating from different masters, backups, etc. There are some notorious examples in the world of audiophile labels and issues in different regions, particularly Japanese issues of American material.

 

As for the Dire Straits example you posted, the group used to be my favorite group as far us fun factor goes at least some years ago when I was still listening to a lot of rock music. Recently I've drifted away from most guitar-based music due to finding most of it quite repetitive and stale apart from the very best metal has to offer creatively and a few things in rock here and there. Here I find myself preferring the above video for pretty much the opposite reasons than in the Carpenters example. The bottom video sounds louder/more compressed and on somewhat brief comparison the EQ sounds like the bass and treble might've been boosted. To my ears the above video sounds more natural and relaxed. The sound is perhaps a bit smoother in the bottom one due to a more modern transfer, but due to the lossy conversions it's hard to say anything definite.

 

Like in the prior case, a proper and through comparison on my main speaker rig with the actual discs would be necessary to render final judgement, but I'm not interested enough in SHM-CDs to order any of the Dire Straits reissues from Japan. I do own one SHM-CD, but that is entirely due to there being no ordinary CD issue to begin with. It does sound rather good relative to the album having quite hot mastering which is very typical of Japanese CDs, but how much if any is due to the supposedly higher quality materials used to manufacture the actual disc, I cannot comment on. XRCDs in my experience tend to be exceptional for the most part. Whether this is solely due to better mastering or partly due to the strict and standardized production chain from mastering to final pressing is anybody's guess. The Blue Note reissues by Audio Wave in particular I highly recommend. Alan Yoshida is one of the best mastering engineers in the business today.

 
I'm pretty sure that anybody who listened to the two samples, prior of me revealing their ids, may have thought the top video was the shm-cd. I can see that because it is louder and gives the impression at first to be better. You're correct about the EQ's boost, which is not bad, but I'm surprised you would declare it as a clear winner. To me, the xrcd doesn't even come close to the shm-cd's sound quality... there's a flow, smoothness, naturalness in it that is simply astonishing.
 
same with the Dire Strait samples. The normal cd does indeed sound more relaxed in comparison, but I'm surprised you would prefer it. The shm-cd is the louder one in this case, but it doesn't sound EQ'd to me like the xrcd is in the other samples; it just sounds natural. To me, the regular cd sounds boring, almost lifeless in comparison. Honestly, I hadn't listened to Dire Strait for years until I got the shm-cd; I ended up listening to it for three days non-stop, until I got sick of it and could listen no more. Personally, I wish that every cd would be reissued as a shm-cd, and it would become a standard in cd's making. One can only dream...
 
After all it's a matter of preferences. Thank you for your detailed impression, much appreciated and valued.
 
 
 

  Discussion on which is better really belongs on the sound science section of the forum but the trolls are brutal over there
I do really love those Dire Straits Platinum's I have though and the Cream and Free ones are very nice also
As TJ Elite says the sound is heavily dependent on the source recording and there is no way to know what was used to make the Platinum versions
I buy them because they are high quality , I love the little pouch for the CD and the perfectly printed mini album replica with all the liner sleeves
The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers replica even has a fully functional mini zipper

 
I initially wanted to post it in the sound science sub-forum, as I was curious to read what they'd make of it (believe or not, I do value science and the knowledge of some the guys have), and to find out more about shm-cds' as I don't know anything what's involved or how it works. But in the end I refrained, for the reason you mentioned.

 

[AJHeadfi]

If you have a CD player with a little bit weaker transport, these suckers are great. They make no difference when ripped, only for CD transports. K2HD CD are just as good or better. This my opinion spinning them. Since most people use a digital stream via USB or whatever, these are only good for the new processing/transfer of the original elements, if that, otherwise nothing of any sonic improvement.
 
I can see the tea leaves predict a complete re-release of all CD's using these new technologies, therefore a whole of cash to deal out again.
 
Viva Le CD.