2. music
  3. 1029647099

Stones on SACD - Tempting?

With the announcement of a large number of Rolling Stones reissues on hybrid-SACD, done by a well respected recording engineer, is SACD-capability in your system more likely? There's no question in my mind that this is the right type of thing to energize the market for SACD, though for me personally this announcement won't push me over the edge. If this happened for, say, three of my favorite longtime bands, coupled with a half dozen new releases I was interested in being released in hybrid-SACD format as one of their initially released formats, I would get SACD capability for my system in some form.

Even if it doesn't prompt me to buy SACD capability immediately, it's nice to know I can purchase the hybrid discs and use them until I get SACD capabilty. So, they might not sell me a player yet, but they'll probably sell me a couple more discs than I would have bought. -Kirk
kthomas
ohlala
993 posts
 
I am on the cusp of buying a new CDP. The Stones and the groups that will follow them to SACD are an incentive to get an SACD player... Ya' know, SACD would be great if there were just more of them, and more players. And that is why I am still on the fence. As tempting as the SCD777ES is, I would prefer something else for redbook than Sony or Phillips, so maybe I will wait for a pioneering company to provide me with less of a compromise. I would think SACD would be profitable for smaller companies now that an inexpensive kit is out, but who am I to know about that.
musicslug
403 posts
 
maybe they can actually do a good version of Exile On Main Street - but I doubt it. If the Virgin reissue, remastered by Bob Ludwig, still sucks, I'm guessing that the source material is just hopeless. I second the 'silk purse from a cow's ear' comment.
megasam's avatar
megasam
798 posts
 
The Rolling Stones hybrid SACD/CD releases at the end of August are The older ABKCO label material, but they got Bob Ludwig to do final mastering (same guy who did great job on Virgin label Stones remasters in mid 90s)The big news is the price........$13.99........thats right, same cost as regular CD! Check Amazon pre-order for prices, other sites may be even lower.

Look in new Stereophile on page 123, Mike Fremer was very impressed with his sample hybrid disc of Rolling Stones,
used while reviewing Accuphase DP85 SACD player.
tmartinjr
7 posts
 
I don't count myself as a RS fan, but I originally bought 3 remasters. While playing Begger's Banquet in my car (CD layer), I could tell that these were special. I stopped at another store and bought a 4th remaster that day even before I listened to the SACD layer.

I now have 5 discs and plan to buy 4-5 more. They aren't perfect, but they are such an improvement over the previous releases. I've been listening to Stones for two weeks now--in my SACD based HT system, my car, and on my computer.

These discs clearly demonstrate that the CD layer on a SACD disc is superior to a normal CD.
stbhorn
63 posts
 
I can speak to the fact that the regular cd layer on these cd/sacd releases are excellent recordings. I have 7 of the releases.
More to discover