Alisterkoran
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- Joined
- Feb 19, 2019
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Anyone else bought the new Abba Album? I didn't have high hopes to be honest and as such am not disappointed, I doubt it'll become a classic.
Anyway I bought the Amazon Orange Transparent LP (Matrix A3/B3). Good grief it sounds dire! Although I make sure my stylus is clean (using a 10x magnification hand lens) before I play a record, after the first track I was convinced the stylus was massively dirty. I checked it, nope, clean. Checked my turntable connections etc. I honestly thought the problem was at my end. But no. The music sounds dull, robbed of any high frequency info and transients. Cymbals etc can only just be heard if one listens carefully. Vocals and instrumental layers just a muddled mess.
So, I then checked the 24/96 download version (genuine 24/96 not up-sampled). The frequency balance is better, high frequency details are now higher, but not perfect. Album DR is 8 which matches most other Abba albums, so ok. But oh dear, as soon as multiple layers of instruments are used in the more complicated tracks, the vocals aren't forward enough in the mix so get lost and It's difficult to understand what is being sung. Also, the multiple layers just end up muddling the sound. One should be able to distinguish the different layers of instruments, but not here. Checking previous Abba albums during song parts with multiple layers, much much clearer, with obvious space between the layered instruments.
Taking one relatively simple track as an example, "Keep an Eye on Dan" (DR:8) The sound overall is dull, there's no 'sparkle', the drums have been compressed too much, Old Abba tracks with a DR of 8 have sparkle, the drums have a forcefulness. And then, as with the rest of this album, the vocals are too far back in them mix. I realise the singers voices have deepened with age and I'm trying to take this into account, but still. Presently listening to "No Doubt About It" Classic Abba type track. It's a horrible mess.
I wasn't expecting anything amazing from this album, but I was at least expecting the usual recording, mixing and mastering quality, the Abba 'sound' of old.
I'd be interested in what others think of the sound quality of this new Abba album.
Thanks,
Ali.
P.s. after the Voyage album, the next album in my queue happens to be Ac/Dc's "Power Up". Good grief, someone's just turned up the treble control from -3 to 11 ! From a dull album straight to an overly bright one. Crazy!
Anyway I bought the Amazon Orange Transparent LP (Matrix A3/B3). Good grief it sounds dire! Although I make sure my stylus is clean (using a 10x magnification hand lens) before I play a record, after the first track I was convinced the stylus was massively dirty. I checked it, nope, clean. Checked my turntable connections etc. I honestly thought the problem was at my end. But no. The music sounds dull, robbed of any high frequency info and transients. Cymbals etc can only just be heard if one listens carefully. Vocals and instrumental layers just a muddled mess.
So, I then checked the 24/96 download version (genuine 24/96 not up-sampled). The frequency balance is better, high frequency details are now higher, but not perfect. Album DR is 8 which matches most other Abba albums, so ok. But oh dear, as soon as multiple layers of instruments are used in the more complicated tracks, the vocals aren't forward enough in the mix so get lost and It's difficult to understand what is being sung. Also, the multiple layers just end up muddling the sound. One should be able to distinguish the different layers of instruments, but not here. Checking previous Abba albums during song parts with multiple layers, much much clearer, with obvious space between the layered instruments.
Taking one relatively simple track as an example, "Keep an Eye on Dan" (DR:8) The sound overall is dull, there's no 'sparkle', the drums have been compressed too much, Old Abba tracks with a DR of 8 have sparkle, the drums have a forcefulness. And then, as with the rest of this album, the vocals are too far back in them mix. I realise the singers voices have deepened with age and I'm trying to take this into account, but still. Presently listening to "No Doubt About It" Classic Abba type track. It's a horrible mess.
I wasn't expecting anything amazing from this album, but I was at least expecting the usual recording, mixing and mastering quality, the Abba 'sound' of old.
I'd be interested in what others think of the sound quality of this new Abba album.
Thanks,
Ali.
P.s. after the Voyage album, the next album in my queue happens to be Ac/Dc's "Power Up". Good grief, someone's just turned up the treble control from -3 to 11 ! From a dull album straight to an overly bright one. Crazy!
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