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Thread: Roxy Music at half speed

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default Roxy Music at half speed

    Back in the early seventies at the age of fourteen I became slightly hooked on the Roxy Music album 'For Your Pleasure' and played my original album on some serious grot that rendered it knackered quite quickly. A few years back I bought the EMI 100 Centenary edition on direct metal master just to keep up. Last week I took delivery of the newest EMI half speed mastered edition.

    When I played track one of the album and then played track one of the DMM version my partner Sue had a 'WTF !' moment. I could clearly hear why.

    The DMM version is crisp, sharp, clear and driven. The half speed master is dull, congested and flat. It is almost as though there is no high frequency content. The pressing quality is good but the EQ is appalling. I then unsealed my new Queen II half speed master and lo and behold, it is no better.

    I then remembered that this was the reason I ditched vinyl back in 2018. Ah well...


  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Glasgow

    Posts: 7,718
    I'm Brian.

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    Shaun, a couple of months ago I bought a Beautiful South album and got the same result. Now, for me, these things ain't cheap anymore and surely it's not unreasonable to expect a new album to sound good. The turntable is now in the loft and there's an Audiolab 6000CDT in it's place. I can go on to Musicmagpie and buy 8 CDs, to add to my already decent collection for £12 and the Audiolab sounds excellent, making even crappy recordings sound very listenable.
    Big Roxy Music fan here too BTW
    Regards
    Brian

    Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )


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  3. #3
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

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    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by brian2957 View Post
    Shaun, a couple of months ago I bought a Beautiful South album and got the same result. Now, for me, these things ain't cheap anymore and surely it's not unreasonable to expect a new album to sound good. The turntable is now in the loft and there's an Audiolab 6000CDT in it's place. I can go on to Musicmagpie and buy 8 CDs, to add to my already decent collection for £12 and the Audiolab sounds excellent, making even crappy recordings sound very listenable.
    Big Roxy Music fan here too BTW
    Brian, I hear you loud and clear. Twenty odd quid is a lot of bloody money for an LP regardless of the fact it is no longer 1973. If we now have to pay over twenty quid for one vinyl LP it is definitely not unreasonable to expect a new album to sound good. The only other possibility is that the masters for this album are now completely knackered and worn out. If that is the case, how can EMI push such trash on us ?

    My original in 1973 cost me £3.50.


  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Glasgow

    Posts: 7,718
    I'm Brian.

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    God, I was a teenager in 1973 too Roxy Music, David Bowie, and Tubular Bells were all favourites. Can't remember what I paid though. I had just started as an apprentice mechanic on £8 per week
    Regards
    Brian

    Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )


    Korus Computer Audio music server
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    Amplifier : Sony TA FB740R
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  5. #5
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

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    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by brian2957 View Post
    God, I was a teenager in 1973 too Roxy Music, David Bowie, and Tubular Bells were all favourites. Can't remember what I paid though. I had just started as an apprentice mechanic on £8 per week
    Bloody Hell yeah I had started as an apprentice lab tech on probably the same wage. In my delusional 14 year old head I envisioned myself as a Brian Eno synth wizard making amazing sounds and appearing all over the World. How ridiculous ! My first ever vinyl purchase was 'Every Picture Tells a Story' with my second being 'Stranded' by Roxy. I then got hooked on 'For Your Pleasure' not realising that it wasn't really the same band at this point. Christ it feels like a long time ago.

  6. #6
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Weymouth

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    I'm John.

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    Well that's not unusual to be disappointed with reissues. It makes you wonder if the remastering ''engineer(s)'' have some sort of hearing impairment from listening to music at higher than safe levels for years. Or just don't give a damn about sound 'quality'.

    Most people - normal ones at least - think it all sounds the same anyway and until exposed to high quality reproduction will settle for anything.

    I rip CDs and play via Roon/Innuous and get some excellent results.

    Still play vinyl though as I really enjoy the 'difference' in sound.
    Sent by me using an appendage



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  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

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    I'm Martin.

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    send it back to Abbey Road and ask them to do it again, £90 per track (ex VAT)

    https://www.abbeyroad.com/online-mastering
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

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    I'm Adrian.

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    Unfortunately this is not uncommon with re-master or even just re-released vinyl, and it can affect digital format as well, if you think it does not just go and listen to an original good early pressing of Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, an early CD of it, the 1986 SBM CD, and repress on vinyl, a re-master of it on vinyl and the 24/192 version on Qobuz. I won't say which ones sound best I will leave that to you, but it is an interesting result. I compared them recently due to some disappointment in a version and wanting to decide what to do about it.
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

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  9. #9
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

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    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    send it back to Abbey Road and ask them to do it again, £90 per track (ex VAT)

    https://www.abbeyroad.com/online-mastering
    Money for old rope. Or old audio

  10. #10
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: Derbyshire

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    I'm Josie.

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    I have For Your Pleasure and Roxy Music on the half speed repress and find them very good indeed. I have an original FYP too in fine condition but I prefer the 1/2 speed.
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