Haewon Moon with Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – Midnight Sun – Review – (Test: SACD, vinyl record, Tidal MAX), 2 masters, 2 different listening experiences

[Jean.Francois]

Hello,

Haewon Moon's “Midnight Sun” album, in collaboration with Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, is a vocal jazz album released in 2024. The album features Haewon Moon's soft, melodious voice, accompanied by the talented pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto.

However, this album has an additional feature: two different masterings between the SACD and the vinyl disc, which alters the listening experience of the album.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the SACD – 2024 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap up to 1 kHz. Beyond this frequency, the level of the vinyl record increases, reaching up to 6 dB more between 5 and 20 kHz (yellow zone).

The waveform of the Tidal version shows a correct dynamic range, confirmed by the DR11, but with tracks more limited in dynamic range (min DR9) than the SACD or vinyl editions (min DR11).

It’s A beautiful album featuring the Korean jazz singer Haewon Moon and the extraordinary Japanese pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto.
The SACD version is the most natural, balanced and detailed reproduction of this audiophile album. The vinyl edition takes a different approach, with mastering favoring the high end of the spectrum, offering a less homogeneous but more open sound experience.

We invite you to listen to the samples available to compare these two SACD and vinyl record versions, and to consult the full analysis Here.

Which master do you prefer, SACD or vinyl record?

Enjoy Listening,
Jean-François

 

[RandomEar]

Very interesting sample in your post. The rattle / Maracas playing directly in the beginning is quite muffled in the SACD and Tidal mixes, but overly present in the vinyl one. I think based on these short samples, I would prefer a 50/50 mix between vinyl and SACD for the tonal balance. At least this one isn't compressed to death on either format