Crosby, Stills & Nash - HDTracks

[Garf]

Just purchased and will soon download from HDTracks. Thought I would be the guinea pig on this one. Listening to the samples on the website just isn't enough to satisfy my curiosity on this release. The only thing I have to compare this to is the So Far compilation in redbook format.

 

If the samples on the website are any indication, then this will be substantially louder and have a punchier bass. No clue why I am buying this as I really don't like that...

 

Will be posting screenshots of analysis within the hour.

 

Gary

[Garf]

foobar2000 1.1.8 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.0

log date: 2012-10-10 19:44:14

 

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Analyzed: Crosby, Stills & Nash / Crosby, Stills & Nash

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DR Peak RMS Duration Track

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DR8 -0.18 dB -10.47 dB 7:23 01-Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Remastered)

DR8 -0.16 dB -9.91 dB 2:38 02-Marrakesh Express (Remastered)

DR10 -0.20 dB -13.70 dB 4:39 03-Guinevere (Remastered)

DR11 -0.20 dB -12.73 dB 2:45 04-You Don't Have To Cry (Remastered)

DR9 -0.20 dB -10.35 dB 2:58 05-Pre-Road Downs (Remastered)

DR7 -0.14 dB -9.48 dB 5:28 06-Wooden Ships (Remastered)

DR10 -0.20 dB -15.64 dB 2:38 07-Lady Of The Island (Remastered)

DR10 -0.20 dB -12.88 dB 2:41 08-Helplessly Hoping (Remastered)

DR6 -0.14 dB -7.53 dB 4:19 09-Long Time Gone (Remastered)

DR7 -0.18 dB -9.32 dB 5:06 10-49 Bye-Byes (Remastered)

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Number of tracks: 10

Official DR value: DR9

 

Samplerate: 96000 Hz

Channels: 2

Bits per sample: 24

Bitrate: 2999 kbps

Codec: FLAC

[Garf]

Plots on Guinevere and Wooden Ships

 

[Garf]

Long Time Gone

 

[Garf]

Really like the sound of Guinevere, You Don't Have to Cry, Pre-Road Downs. Had higher hopes for Judy Blue Eyes, Wooden Ships and Helplessly Hoping. The clarity and vocals are there, but more in your face, as the bass is. It's fatiguing on some songs. And I'd love to have 4db back on Long Time Gone. I hope this was an "accident", that this is the wrong version or something, DR 6? I need to track down the Steve Hoffman Audio Fidelity Gold CD now and compare.

 

Listening to the album again on headphones as I write this. I am not writing it off by any means, but it is a mixed bag.

 

 

Gary

[Garf]

Thanks firedog!

 

I had the editor window open for a long time, and didn't see your post.

 

Actually freaked me out, I assumed your DR numbers were what I posted, and I was questioning my sanity. Time to go to bed, guess I am tired!

[Garf]

I couldn't resist one more post.

 

In the HDTrack release info, Stanely Johnson closes with "Please turn down the lights, sit back and enjoy these albums all over again!"

 

Perhaps that is how this album should be listened to. Now I just need to kick the wife and kids out of the house so I can do that.

[Garf]

I will do the same firedog, and will make sure to explain to HDTracks what I didn't like. Hoping that it can be pushed back up the chain to whoever is making these decisions to apply heavy handed compression.

[Garf]

I would be fairly certain it is the label's remastering, rather than HDTracks bothering to apply its own compression. ...

 

I completely agree Jud. I just wonder who it is that is making the decision to compress. Particularly in the instance of the CS&N release, when the compression levels vary so much across the songs.

[Garf]

I am pretty sure I saw this release at barnes and nobles the other day, unless it is an old remaster (every song was listed with 'remastered' after the title). To add injury to insult, the disc had three bonus tracks.