Definitive Audiophile pressings

[Hemotep]

Look at this in regards to the new Cure album. Mixed reviews on the pressings so far. I went with the 2xCD + Blu ray and waiting for it to be delivered today.

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I got a delay notice on my CD that said it won't ship until the 15th now stupid target

 

[zdkaiser]

I got a delay notice on my CD that said it won't ship until the 15th now stupid target

Did you go the deluxe CD route to get the instrumentals?

 

[Mather]

I'm listening to the high res Tidal stream and it's terrible. No highs or lows, the usual with Cure.

 

[zdkaiser]

I'm listening to the high res Tidal stream and it's terrible. No highs or lows, the usual with Cure.

Ive been looking forward to this release for a long time.

 

[Hemotep]

Did you go the deluxe CD route to get the instrumentals?

Yes. Those instrumentals were too tempting. Plus the price was right and didn't want to order it on vinyl until I saw reviews of the audiophile one. But the CD set will probably do for me unless a vinyl copy makes it to pifsgiving...

 

[Mather]

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Ive been looking forward to this release for a long time.

Think of how much better the album would be if you could actually hear it!

 

[zdkaiser]

Think of how much better the album would be if you could actually hear it!

Next time I bump into Robert Smith, I'll tell him he really needs to consider mixing his music as if it was a Beach Boys album.


More variety listed below for the mixing.

 

[Mather]

Next time I bump into Robert Smith, I'll tell him he really needs to consider mixing his music as if it was a Beach Boys album.


More variety listed below for the mixing.
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I mean I'd settle for him mixing it with literally any treble or bass. I mean just like, some. Instead of it all being a big muddy straight line.

 

[Jbraswell]

Qobuz dropped the hi-res today.
Sounds fairly decent to me.
Nothing else to baseline it against.

 

[Nee Lewman]

I mean I'd settle for him mixing it with literally any treble or bass. I mean just like, some. Instead of it all being a big muddy straight line.

There are fifteen mixes!!! One has to have something.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Also, it didn’t sound terrible to me on Qobuz either, but it was not a dedicated listen.

 

[Mather]

There are fifteen mixes!!! One has to have something.

ONE CAN DREAM

 

[Jbraswell]

There are fifteen mixes!!! One has to have something.

It's a lottery

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

Also, it didn’t sound terrible to me on Qobuz either, but it was not a dedicated listen.

Folks get very upset when a digital album is loud or dynamics are squeezed, at all, not understanding what goes into making a record that isn't jazz or classical. Lol. And then as @Joe Mac astutely points out, when you go conservative on a master like this, it sounds wimpy.

It's weird. I don't know what the average audiophile is looking for, cause compression is used from the get-go in tracking. It would sound awful without it!

 

[zdkaiser]

Folks get very upset when a digital album is loud or dynamics are squeezed, at all, not understanding what goes into making a record that isn't jazz or classical. Lol. And then as @Joe Mac astutely points out, when you go conservative on a master like this, it sounds wimpy.

It's weird. I don't know what the average audiophile is looking for, cause compression is used from the get-go in tracking. It would sound awful without it!

I listened to the CD this morning and have no complaints. Has deep bass, sub was working, treble was adequate, though I always EQ it up 3db on my setup. Mix seemed fine to me. Nowhere near offensive or disappointing. Didnt have some massive sound stage, but instruments sounded clear to me. Wouldn't say it was muddy.

Source is Oppo BDP-93 into Yamaha RX-V1600 via optical into DAC in the amp.

 

[Mather]

Folks get very upset when a digital album is loud or dynamics are squeezed, at all, not understanding what goes into making a record that isn't jazz or classical. Lol. And then as @Joe Mac astutely points out, when you go conservative on a master like this, it sounds wimpy.

It's weird. I don't know what the average audiophile is looking for, cause compression is used from the get-go in tracking. It would sound awful without it!

All the recent Cure remasters sound like mud to me. They don't need to be crystal clear but when the entire album is center channel with almost no treble or bass, that's just a shame considering the layering and sheer amount of musical intricacies that go into your average Cure song.

 

[Joe Mac]

Folks get very upset when a digital album is loud or dynamics are squeezed, at all, not understanding what goes into making a record that isn't jazz or classical. Lol. And then as @Joe Mac astutely points out, when you go conservative on a master like this, it sounds wimpy.

It's weird. I don't know what the average audiophile is looking for, cause compression is used from the get-go in tracking. It would sound awful without it!

I think a lot depends on music style and a bit of compression with the likes of the cure isn’t necessarily bad and with balls out rock and roll it’s almost essential. With the more sparse singer songwriter or dense experimental music then perhaps less so. It’s also an 80s goth act, mud is kinda part of the sound to a point.

 

[Mather]

I think a lot depends on music style and a bit of compression with the likes of the cure isn’t necessarily bad and with balls out rock and roll it’s almost essential. With the more sparse singer songwriter or dense experimental music then perhaps less so. It’s also an 80s goth act, mud is kinda part of the sound to a point.

It's true, you'd think I'd be used to it by now. But every time I hear those trademark Cure sparkly bell sounds and they are so muffled they sound like they're coming through a pillow... it gives me the sads.

Wait.

It's the Cure. I'm supposed to be sads.

GENIUS!

 

[Mather]

It appears this whole time, that I've been playing checkers... and Bob's playing chess.

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

All the recent Cure remasters sound like mud to me. They don't need to be crystal clear but when the entire album is center channel with almost no treble or bass, that's just a shame considering the layering and sheer amount of musical intricacies that go into your average Cure song.

The only newer one I've really checked out is I actually bought the picture disc (gasp, I know) of Seventeen Seconds from 2020(?), cause it's my absolute fav of theirs - obviously not a hifi production, and I was shocked at how good it sounded for the medium!