Why are early single pressed CDs so heavy?

[kool bubba ice]

I read that when the CD first came out they were pressed in West Germany and Japan. I hear the sound is better, in part due to no excessive compression. True? I just bought Hall and Oats greatest hits and ABC Lexicon of love. The CD's are like 3 times heavier.

 

[Jaska]

Most of my early CDs are that way. They were built to last

As far as sounding better, I don't think it has anything to do with the discs themselves being so much more robust, but just because albums were mastered so much differently back then (in the 80's). From my really old and heavy CDs, one that I can think of that sounds absolutely phenomenal is Joe Jackson's Look Sharp!

 

[roadtonowhere08]

They were pressed to higher standards for the most part. Now that they are all over the place and people care less about quality (most use them like Frisbees), there is no incentive to use thicker polycarbonate.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Does it have the song Stepping Out? One of my fav songs ever.. Love the piano work.

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as sounding better, I don't think it has anything to do with the discs themselves being so much more robust, but just because albums were mastered so much differently back then (in the 80's).

Right. If labels really pulled out all the stops, CDs released now would crush those pressed in the 1980s due to better technology (DACs, software, dithering, etc.) and better understanding of the actual CD standard.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does it have the song Stepping Out? One of my fav songs ever.. Love the piano work.

I think that song first appeared on Night and Day. Look Sharp!, in my opinion, is his best album overall, despite it being his debut.

Back on topic, though, my old 80's Rush CDs are maybe the absolute heftiest I have ever seen. The screen printing job on them is like nothing you'd see today, either. I feel like weighing one of them... maybe we could identify which CD is the heaviest of all time

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right. If labels really pulled out all the stops, CDs released now would crush those pressed in the 1980s due to better technology (DACs, software, dithering, etc.) and better understanding of the actual CD standard.

Maybe we wouldn't need SACD, if they actually cared about the music. I spent nearly 100.00 replacing my new releases and 'remastered' CDs.. And worth every penny to bring back the fidelity that was lost due to the studio hack jobs and 'remasters.' But we live in a age of, it's loud and it's good.. And many don't have the gear and headphones that reveal it.. So, it becomes a problem. I listen to 'hot' and compressed music at work on a Bose system.. Sounds nice if you are working and not 'listening' to the music.. But when you go home for the critical listening, where it's only you and the music, it's just awful.

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right. If labels really pulled out all the stops, CDs released now would crush those pressed in the 1980s due to better technology (DACs, software, dithering, etc.) and better understanding of the actual CD standard.

Yes, they could, but most don't. I say "most" because their are exceptions. Get any CD on the Gemini Sun label (for example), and it will have the best SQ you have ever heard.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read that when the CD first came out they were pressed in West Germany and Japan. I hear the sound is better, in part due to no excessive compression. True? I just bought Hall and Oats greatest hits and ABC Lexicon of love. The CD's are like 3 times heavier.

Do they sound better? Depends on the title....but generally they do sound very good.

Are they heavier? Oh yes, but not like 3X heavier. Certainly noticeable if you have a new CD in one hand and an old CD in the other.

If you have one of the older/original jewel cases, you'd notice that it's also heavier and a lot stronger than current ones.

Check out some of my vintage CDs that fit the above generalizations.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do they sound better? Depends on the title....but generally they do sound very good. Are they heavier? Oh yes, but not like 3X heavier. Certainly noticeable if you have a new CD in one hand and an old CD in the other. If you have one of the older/original jewel cases, you'd notice that it's also heavier and a lot stronger than current ones. Check out some of my vintage CDs that fit the above generalizations.

I take it, none of them are for sale?

 

[Jaska]

That's a nice gallery. The disc below looks just like the old Rush CDs.

They really are like a thick slab of silver with a hole drilled in the middle; something that might have been the object of a throwing contest in ancient Greece.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I take it, none of them are for sale?

Sorry, no. It took me quite a long time to gather such a collection. Unfortunately for me, I have the "sickness" of being an early CD collector. I think I have the RCA Japan CD pressing of the Hall & Oates "Greatest Hits" (do you mean "Rock & Soul, Part 1"?). I have other early CD pressings around the house that I haven't photographed yet, like the Japan CD pressing of Tiffany's debut album (should I even admit to this?

), several early Japan Denon CD pressings of Windham Hill titles, etc.

You can find these CDs at used music stores most of the time and at rather cheap prices. You're in San Jose, so you should have a good number of sources. Otherwise, I'd recommend checking out the "classified" section of stevehoffman.tv for these collectible CDs.

In case you haven't done so, I'd encourage you to browse through this "The History of the Compact Disc" thread over at stevehoffman.tv. It's quite interesting since there are some very fascinating information on how the CD came about.

 

[krmathis]

They were built to last longer, like most other products back then in the '80s.
As for higher sound quality. I am sure that is mostly related to the mastering, and not the CD quality itself. Dynamic compression is the key word.

 

[salannelson]

Yeah come to think of it my dad's AC/DC CDs are a lot thicker/heavier than my collection... That's probably just the way they did it.

Maybe they were thick cause people were coming off vinyl and such and if they saw some flimsy CD they would think of it as junk... just a theory...

 

[FalconP]

When a technology matures, people learn which corner can be cut.

But frankly, early CDs are not that much thicker than today's ones.