want to buy: quality Rush CDs or Flac...your op?

[canali]

hi guys...trying to update my collection and buy new Rush cds or flac.

on the steve hoffman forums they talk alot about how certain remasters

can sound better or worse, given limited dynamic range, etc.

...of course the 2015 remasters by Sean McGee at Abbyroad studios

have alot of good buzz...and i can download that flac from 7 digital

(hd tracks not available in canada).

 

but i'm thinking of buying good sounding

CDs and ripping them myself to my windows laptop, then to my ipod touch 6

(paired with either dragonfly red or chord mojo for portable use).\

 

any series you can suggest I look at please?

amazon has a bunch of them, but still researching.

 

ps: anyone see the final aug 20th tragically hip concert, live in Kingston, Ont?

beforehand i was a meh-ish hip fan...sure i knew some of their songs

and even had their live cd...but after that concert i'm a born again hipster and am

ordering a bunch of their cds.

god bless gord downie and those close to him: hope they all have a ton of TLC in the trying days ahead.

[Lucas]

Hey Canali, welcome to the forum

 

The MSFL Gold version of 2112 is the best IMHO

 

Check eBay .. It's worth it if you are a Rush geek, and truth be told, aren't we all ??

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jj4AAOxy-o5R4MUZ/s-l300.jpg

[canali]

thanks, Lucas...and if I was to download flac, should I stick with the 2015 releases (remastered by sean mcgee abby road studio) as 2nd best?

...have you heard the two, side by side (msfl vs 2015 flac)...is there a signif difference warranting the costs?

Edited August 29, 2016 by canali

[HemiBeers]

I saw a remastered CD of Farewell to Kings in the Best Buy bargain bin last week. Almost wanted to cry.

[YYZumbi]

Just buy the sector boxes. Those sound great!

[Permanent-Rush]

I saw a remastered CD of Farewell to Kings in the Best Buy bargain bin last week. Almost wanted to cry.

 

Did you buy it?

[canali]

the sector boxes...those are at amazon, too, i presume?

 

also this from Rush's own site, when I asked about the quality of their CDs:

Thanks for your email.

 

All our CD's appears to be remastered from Anthem's original tapes.

 

Thanks and have a nice day.

 

Yours,

--

Customer Service Team

Showtech Merchandising Inc.

www.showtech.com

[ytserush]

For CDs, the Sectors (although the lyrics come in one big annoying booklet not with the individual albums) or the original pressings (not the 97 remasters for Mercury) For the Atlantic Years, I'd say the 2004 remasters. I'm not sure I like that Atlantic Years box that came out a few years back. The packaging is kind of skimpy though and you don't get the original version of Vapor Trails, only the remix.

 

For me, the exceptions include the Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity discs. Those versions (except for 2112) blow away the CD field in my opinion.

 

There are some who swear by those Japanese Super High Material discs (which are just gold plated discs -- nothing special was done with the master tapes) but I have no experience with those yet.

[canali]

thanks guys...keep the feedback coming.

 

right now i'm streaming

why you ask? because I stupidly sold alot of my CDs a few yrs ago before i moved to a new place..

.just wasn't into audio back then as I am now.

 

back to streaming: I was with apple, then moved to spotify premium, then lately (again) tidal hifi.

just did more research and came across these 2 interesting blind tests comparing streaming.

seems that Tidal's supposed superior ''hif fi'' cd quality 44.1 makes little difference in the end if the source is not so well produced/mastered...which is why i'm back to buying my own material, too.

 

see both the videos and comments afterwords...interesting.

recently from CNBC: ''Hi-fi music streaming: People can't tell it when they hear it"

http://www.cnbc.com/...ey-hear-it.html

 

and last summer, from 'the verge': ''what sounds better: apple, tidal, or spotify''?

http://www.theverge....io-quality-test

 

then there is also the 7digital.com etc where I can download flac, too....

but even 24/196 people are suspect if one can truly detect the difference for their premium offerings

 

i have good enough iems (flc 8s), dragonfly red and chord mojo for portable dac/amps....still learning and finding out.

while i don't mind spending money, don't want to break the bank.

Edited August 29, 2016 by canali

[Mr. JD]

Good sound is very subjective. What sounds great to one person, sounds like garbage to another. I buy CDs' and import them at 320kbps into iTunes. I use my phone to listen via Bluetooth in my vehicles. At home, I listen to every format from 8-Track, cassette, LPs', CDs, and digital files streamed from my computer via Bluetooth using iTunes. Although I have some very nice stereo equipment, I try not to get to hung up on sound quality and just "listen" to the music. That being said, I listen to some music for the sole reason of great production quality.

[ytserush]

Good sound is very subjective. What sounds great to one person, sounds like garbage to another. I buy CDs' and import them at 320kbps into iTunes. I use my phone to listen via Bluetooth in my vehicles. At home, I listen to every format from 8-Track, cassette, LPs', CDs, and digital files streamed from my computer via Bluetooth using iTunes. Although I have some very nice stereo equipment, I try not to get to hung up on sound quality and just "listen" to the music. That being said, I listen to some music for the sole reason of great production quality.

 

It's almost always more convenient to listen to mp3 (even ones with a high bitrate) but I never want to forget about how something should sound and act accordingly.

 

It's almost always in the mastering.