Good Recording of Hotel California & The Long Run?

[MRC01]

The only recordings on Qobuz are the 2013 remasters, which are squashed to death and sound terrible. I captured the streaming to disc to see why they sounded so bad, see below (red is clipping).

Whoever remastered this should be ashamed of himself. The original recordings were very well produced, so where does one find one? Look for a used CD or LP? If so, with a used CD how can determine that it's an early version before this abomination was inflicted on it?

PS: with these 2013 remasters, the first 4 albums sound good. It's just these last 2 that are so bad. I find it strange they are so different.

 

[JLGF1]

Perhaps the DVD-A? I'll check the date on mine, but I'm pretty sure it was before 2013. Fortunately, I have a copy of the original CD as well.

 

[MRC01]

From what I see here: https://dr.loudness-war.info/?artist=eagles&album=the+long+run
The 1999 remaster is also heavily squashed. You need to get 1980s pressing to get the full dynamic ranges.

 

[GD Fan]

I have Hotel on SACD that's dated 2001 and it sounds incredible.

My 'Long One' (see Glen's joke in the documentary) is dated 1999 but honestly it gets little play. Maybe tomorrow we'll test it out.

 

[levimax]

The DCC Gold CD remastered by Steve Hoffman is considered to be the best version. Most other digital versions are compressed including the SACD and DVD-A. I have an original press LP which sounds pretty good... not perfect but not over compressed.

 

[JLGF1]

new 1990 version for $10 (ebay)?

Or there is this bargain.

 

[MRC01]

Thanks for the tips. I found both albums from the same eBay seller, both from 1984. I'd rather pay for decent sounding albums than stream this heavily compressed garbage for free.

I still think it's weird that all 6 of their albums were remastered in 2013, and the first 4 sound fine, but these last 2 are so squashed. It's not just my "lyin' ears" (), the DR14 numbers show the same.

 

[MRC01]

So the CDs arrived today; they are from the 1980s and they sound fantastic. They have a smoother, more pure midrange, bigger more natural dynamics, and the beats are punchier than the over-squashed remasters.
Definite thumbs-up.

 

[Anonamemouse]

By far the best versions (get them while they are available):

Digital

Shop the latest Digital releases by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

mofi.com

 

[MRC01]

Those MoFi SACDs have the same DR numbers as the 1980s masters. Interesting.

In direct comparison listening I found the 2013 remaster is perceptually 9 dB louder than these 1980s masters. That's comparing peak levels. Yeah, they did make it sound louder. Ugh. Too bad they destroyed it in the process.