Rush Sector Remaster Sets

[metaldad]

How does Exit sound? The last remaster was not much better than the first release . I love that album but the shound kills me Edited December 5, 2011 by metaldad

[Todem]

Funny you should ask. I have this in my player in the car.

 

I can confirm it sounds better than the 97 remaster and far better than the US Atomic (and it is complete unlike the US Atomic).

 

The bass rumbles and it sounds great cranked up to 11.

 

Exit always had a fat bottom end but the clarity is much better on the Sectors remaster.

 

Also I gave Caress of Steel a spin Saturday. I enjoyed it. The source tape is not nearly as prevalent as in past iterations. Alex's guitars on The Necromancer are sizzling.

[chemistry]

Hows The ESL disc sound??

[drbirdsong]

I haven't had nearly enough time at home to listen to them all yet, but I did put the Fly By Night CD in my car and got the drop outs that I didn't get on my home stereo. It isn't too bad, but noticeable.

 

My understanding is that Mercury will provide an address and information on how to send the two defective discs to them and then they will replace them via the mail. This is how other record companies have done this in the past so patience is required. If they announce it before the end of the year I'll be surprised.

 

I got to listen to Caress Of Steel today. It contains two of my least favorite songs, I Think I'm Going Bald and Lakeside Park, but I found myself thinking that even those two sound pretty good. The Necromancer is the winner. It is so nice to hear highs and lows again on a Rush CD. That weird bass thing that Geddy does flies around the speakers and then Alex cuts loose on the fast guitar solo and it just shook the foundation of my house. I turned up the sound even louder on Didacts And Narpets and... WOW.

Edited December 5, 2011 by drbirdsong

[reani14]

I wonder how much different the shm of caress of steel is compared to the sector box one..

[1 of the 7]

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Dec 5 2011, 02:04 AM)

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Dec 4 2011, 01:31 PM) I've always felt the keyboards in Grand Designs, especially at the end of the song, are a bit too loud/intense on the '97 remaster. For those who have Sectors, do you notice any difference in regards to this?   I agree with you about the ear slicing keyboard parts on "Grand Designs."   To be honest, this remaster is the best one that I have heard so far. Thanks! Will keep this in mind.

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Dec 5 2011, 06:50 PM)

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Dec 5 2011, 02:04 AM) QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Dec 4 2011, 01:31 PM) I've always felt the keyboards in Grand Designs, especially at the end of the song, are a bit too loud/intense on the '97 remaster. For those who have Sectors, do you notice any difference in regards to this?   I agree with you about the ear slicing keyboard parts on "Grand Designs."   To be honest, this remaster is the best one that I have heard so far. Thanks! Will keep this in mind. Cheers!

[Cyclonus X-1]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Dec 5 2011, 06:45 PM)

The Necromancer is the winner.  It is so nice to hear highs and lows again on a Rush CD.  That weird bass thing that Geddy does flies around the speakers and then Alex cuts loose on the fast guitar solo and it just shook the foundation of my house.

Man, I really don't want to burn cash on these things, but the lure of an even-awesomer-sounding Necromancer is going to be hard for me to resist.

[greg2112]

How does the non-5.1 Signals sound? Better than the 97 version?

[Todem]

QUOTE (greg2112 @ Dec 6 2011, 06:52 AM)

How does the non-5.1 Signals sound? Better than the 97 version?

Yes not even close.

 

Are you talking about the Hi-Res stero (which is still the DVD audio) or the standard CD.

 

The Hi Res is amazing and the standard CD is a lot better than the 97 remaster.

 

Quite frankly the Sector sets make the 97 remasters obsolete (I did not really like those anyway).

 

The MFSL of Signals is my go to for the car.

 

The MFSL of Permanent Waves is still my definitive version although the sectors remaster is quite good too. I prefer the meaty bottom on the MFSL as the Sector version of Waves is brighter.

[drbirdsong]

Today I listened to 2112. This was the first real test because I have the MFSL version. You can get the Sector 1 box for a lot less than the gold 2112 so I would say that the box is the way to go. I would have to do a side by side comparison, but the new version sounds excellent. The acoustic guitars in Lessons sound really good and the mellotron on Tears is really warm and friendly to the ear. The whisper on Twilight Zone seems a little easier to hear and thus creepier than ever. It is easily louder than the gold version, but no distortion or hiss that I noticed. Once again I love the dynamic range and space on these new versions.

 

I'm listening to All The World's A Stage. There wasn't a whole lot that could be done with this one really, but it is waaaaaay better than the 97 remaster. The first thing I noticed is that you can hear the hall on this version. The room the music is recorded at is always a factor and this sounds just like what it is: Alex Lifeson's loud guitar echoing off a concrete and steel building. This was my first Rush album ever and I don't think it has sounded this good since I heard it on vinyl.

 

I'm saving the 5.1 versions for later and moving on to box 2.

 

I was thinking about the cost factor for those who are still waiting. I got them at Best Buy for 49 (US) dollars and change. If you don't count the packaging that is just over 8 dollars a disc. I think you can get them even cheaper on Amazon. Of course you might want to wait for the correction to Fly By Night and the 5.1 version of A Farewell To Kings.

 

Oh man, By-Tor And The Snow Dog is starting. Gotta go.

[fordgt99]

Hmm. Based on the most of the sensible reviews here I think I may get these. By the time I'm able to the kinks should been worked out.

[greg2112]

QUOTE (Todem @ Dec 6 2011, 09:23 AM)

QUOTE (greg2112 @ Dec 6 2011, 06:52 AM) How does the non-5.1 Signals sound?  Better than the 97 version? Yes not even close.   Are you talking about the Hi-Res stero (which is still the DVD audio) or the standard CD.   The Hi Res is amazing and the standard CD is a lot better than the 97 remaster.   Quite frankly the Sector sets make the 97 remasters obsolete (I did not really like those anyway).   The MFSL of Signals is my go to for the car.   The MFSL of Permanent Waves is still my definitive version although the sectors remaster is quite good too. I prefer the meaty bottom on the MFSL as the Sector version of Waves is brighter. I was talking about the standard CD. Thats great news. Im also very intrigued by the 5.1, with all the rave reviews.   im not interested in power windows or show of hands, but Signals is my all time favorite album so I think I need to pick the set up.   thanks for the response - much appreciated!

[drbirdsong]

I got into box 2 today. A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres are as good as the rest. Hemispheres should have had the high fidelity gold treatment long before now, but this is close enough. I didn't hear anything new, but like the rest of the albums the bass is just excellent. I had to play La Villa Strangiato twice. The space and clarity is so nice. I wish Rush and some other artists would take advantage of stereo the way they used to. I love hearing the sounds travel across the speakers.

 

I'm listening to Jacob's Ladder right now and I'm hearing the keyboards better than ever. These new versions seem to make the keyboards very warm and rich sounding. I can't wait to get further into the 1980s to see if that trend continues. Permanent Waves is my favorite gold CD and this new one doesn't beat it, but it compares quite well. The gold PM may be one of the best Rush album mastering jobs of all time so I knew it would be hard to beat

 

I'm guessing that the Moving Pictures is the same one that comes with the 5.1 anniversary version, but I'll give it a spin tomorrow anyway.

[Todem]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Dec 7 2011, 04:07 PM)

I got into box 2 today.  A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres are as good as the rest.  Hemispheres should have had the high fidelity gold treatment long before now, but this is close enough.  I didn't hear anything new, but like the rest of the albums the bass is just excellent.  I had to play La Villa Strangiato twice.  The space and clarity is so nice.  I wish Rush and some other artists would take advantage of stereo the way they used to.  I love hearing the sounds travel across the speakers. I'm listening to Jacob's Ladder right now and I'm hearing the keyboards better than ever.  These new versions seem to make the keyboards very warm and rich sounding.  I can't wait to get further into the 1980s to see if that trend continues.  Permanent Waves is my favorite gold CD and this new one doesn't beat it, but it compares quite well.  The gold PM may be one of the best Rush album mastering jobs of all time so I knew it would be hard to beat I'm guessing that the Moving Pictures is the same one that comes with the 5.1 anniversary version, but I'll give it a spin tomorrow anyway.

Totally agree. The MFSL of Permanent Waves is the very best Rush CD/Vinyl ever produced/pressed.

 

Simply sonic bliss.

 

Signals MFSL comes in second for me.

 

I have to say that the Power Windows, Hemispheres and 2112 Sector remasters are clearly standing out to me so far.

 

I have thus far listened to:

 

COS - The best version yet

 

2112 - Best version yet

 

AFTK (5.1/Hi Res Stereo and reg CD) - very good

 

Hemispheres - best version yet

 

Permanent Waves - solid

 

Exit Stage Left - best version yet

 

Signals (5.1/Hi Res Stereo and reg CD) - very good and the 5.1 is something everyone should experience

 

Grace Under Pressure - Not a big difference at all warmer than the 97 but the US Atmoic is just as good as the Sector version

 

Power Windows - hands down my favorite version

 

Hold Your Fire - Outstanding despite the alternate mixes creeping in. I hate the extra snare hit in Time Stand Still. And i don't mind the strings on Mission nor the wind chimes on Tai Shan. I am surprised though that this was not announced as an alternate mix.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Todem

[ghostworks]

[Majestyk]

QUOTE

The MFSL of Permanent Waves is the very best Rush CD/Vinyl ever produced/pressed.

 

Actually as far as the CD is concerned, the original Atomic is better. I thought the same when I first got the MFSL. I said to myself that this is the best this will ever sound and I would never part with the nice gold disc in a million years. Then a week later, I bought the German Atomic (which is the same as the US) and three days after that, I sold the MFSL and didn't miss it a bit...I never even made a copy of it. The MFSL, when cranked is very loud and fatiguing. The Atomic was nice and smooth with no loss in detail.

 

And as far as their best sounding album on CD, that would go to Moving Pictures Atomic (the 03 to 05 version). That was their best sounding recording to date and the Atomic (except the German 02 version) is the only CD that truly captures it.

 

[drbirdsong]

Moving Pictures is the same as the 30th anniversary edition. There are several good pressings to choose from, but this will certainly do as the standard issue.

 

The best thing about the Sector 2 box is Exit... Stage Left. It almost sounds like an entirely different recording. As with the debut album it's like a gauze has been wiped away. I am hearing way too many new sounds and details to list here. You can especially notice a lot of percussion details. Geddy's vocals are more 'live' sounding than they used to be. It is louder and less muted than it used to be. Even the audience sounds better. This is one of those times when being remastered really made a difference. If they sell these separately this is the first one anyone should get. Like Todem said, it is the best version ever and one of the few times I would dare say that it beats the original vinyl.

[capoetc]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Dec 9 2011, 05:35 PM)

... The best thing about the Sector 2 box is Exit... Stage Left.  It almost sounds like an entirely different recording.  ...

^+1

 

Couldn't agree more. I was just listening to the newly-issued ESL in my car, and it even sounds great there!

 

BTW, I listened to the AFTK 5.1 DVD today, and it sounded great too! I guess the problem with it was just for listening on DVD-Audio players??? I have a Bose Acousti-mass system hooked up to my TV, so I was able to select and play from my TV screen -- I didn't see any problems.

Edited December 10, 2011 by capoetc

[WCFIELDS]

Just got Sector 2.....haven't listened to them yet, but will in the next few days...

[WCFIELDS]

ESL sounds awesome....huge difference on this one. Listening to Jacob's Ladder right now, and damn...amazing.

[PolarizeMe]

Looks like I'm gonna have to break my piggy bank for these Sector box sets...probably gonna wait till my birthday in March to get these though since I want the flaws the band management mentioned to be fixed first.

[fordgt99]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Dec 9 2011, 05:35 PM)

Moving Pictures is the same as the 30th anniversary edition. There are several good pressings to choose from, but this will certainly do as the standard issue. The best thing about the Sector 2 box is Exit... Stage Left. It almost sounds like an entirely different recording. As with the debut album it's like a gauze has been wiped away. I am hearing way too many new sounds and details to list here. You can especially notice a lot of percussion details. Geddy's vocals are more 'live' sounding than they used to be. It is louder and less muted than it used to be. Even the audience sounds better. This is one of those times when being remastered really made a difference. If they sell these separately this is the first one anyone should get. Like Todem said, it is the best version ever and one of the few times I would dare say that it beats the original vinyl.

That sounds very cool! Only live album I ever got was the remaster for A Show of Hands.

[WCFIELDS]

QUOTE (fordgt99 @ Dec 10 2011, 12:23 PM)

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Dec 9 2011, 05:35 PM) Moving Pictures is the same as the 30th anniversary edition.  There are several good pressings to choose from, but this will certainly do as the standard issue. The best thing about the Sector 2 box is Exit... Stage Left.  It almost sounds like an entirely different recording.  As with the debut album it's like a gauze has been wiped away.  I am hearing way too many new sounds and details to list here.  You can especially notice a lot of percussion details.  Geddy's vocals are more 'live' sounding than they used to be.  It is louder and less muted than it used to be.  Even the audience sounds better.  This is one of those times when being remastered really made a difference.  If they sell these separately this is the first one anyone should get.  Like Todem said, it is the best version ever and one of the few times I would dare say that it beats the original vinyl. That sounds very cool! Only live album I ever got was the remaster for A Show of Hands. This new one is WAY better....

[drbirdsong]

I was on my own last night. It was just me and the Christmas tree so I watched the DVD that comes with the new Yes live album (very nice, too short) and then broke out Sector 3.

 

Signals is very good. The 97 remaster was probably the best from that bunch so I wasn't sure what to expect. There are no big surprises. It sounds really good and because of more dynamic range you can hear the details better.

 

My understanding is that the guy who remastered the albums had little luck making Grace Under Pressure sound any better than the original CD. Like Signals there are nicer highs and lows and the bass is the key. All of these Sector remasters make Geddy's bass sound really better than ever. Sometimes you can only feel the bass on a recording and that is fine, but when you have a player like Geddy you want to hear it.

 

Finally I got to Power Windows. This is easily the loudest studio album Rush ever made and that didn't change. Honestly I didn't hear a lot of difference from previous versions. There are a few different details at the end of Mystic Rhythms, but I was listening for it so I'm sure a casual fan would not even notice.

 

Overall the first box has the biggest improvements and the second box is excellent with a much improved Exit... Stage Left. My understanding is that there are a lot of new details on Hold Your Fire and I'm hoping that A Show Of Hands is as good as the other live remasters. I'm looking forward to hearing them.

Edited December 10, 2011 by drbirdsong