Abbey Road; (2019 MIX), 24/96 streaming on Qobuz----awesome!

[Mike Lavigne]

this is admittedly an emotional reaction to a re-imagining of my very favorite all time #1 album; Abbey Road. it was 50 years ago yesterday that Abbey Road was released. i have an original pressing, which is awesome, and a pretty good 1/4" 15ips master dub. and numerous other pressings and digital CD's and files.

this Quboz 96/24 (a 3 disc file with lots of outtakes) is quite different than my memory of this album. musical parts are in different places, and are bigger, bolder, and more detailed than my memory recalls. until i take the time to compare directly to my references i can't judge it. but on first listen it is awesome and new life seems to have been imparted into the old girl.

have too many liberties been taken with this sacred icon? it's a reasonable question......my personal answer will wait until i spend more time with it, listen to the remaster vinyl version, then revisit my own references. my first take is that a good excuse to listen to Abbey Road again and with a fresh view is worth upsetting the guardians of purity.

Abbey Road is huge for me on many levels. i graduated from High School in 1969 (my 50 Year H.S. re-union was last Saturday night). so this album hit's me in my wheelhouse and i'm a big time Beatles fan. and i just love the music.

the 3 disc vinyl version with a bunch of outtakes i think will arrive tomorrow.....and at some point i will compare it to this file. i may download this Quboz file to my hard drive too. it's really fine.

if you like or love Abbey Road, or just know the music and have a bit of interest, you should hear this.

highly recommended.

 

[asiufy]

I just did a run through the vinyl (standard QRP LP) as well, and even though I don't have the same emotional connection to it as you do but I did seem to have picked up a whole lot of detail in there, and best of all, brought forth somewhat naturally.
Thumbs up indeed!

 

[Holli82]

Listening to it now on Qobuz. I don't have any vinyl for comparison but definitely better than my Redbook CD. I'm enjoying it!

 

[asiufy]

I was just doing a quick comparison between the original mix and the new one, and to make it easy for folks "on the fence", just check out "Here Comes The Sun" on any streaming service. The difference is startling, and for the better, IMHO

 

[NorthStar]

2009

2019

1969 ...

 

[LL21]

impressive...there is a surprising difference on a laptop speaker. For 7 bucks, not owning the album, and these few observations alone, its in the Amazon basket already...thanks!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the vinyl landed here an hour ago and i have a couple of visitors about to arrive. we will investigate the differences between the 24/96 Qobuz file, the new remaster vinyl, and my original pressing and 1/4" 15ips master dub.

 

[microstrip]

I will wait for the arrival of the Extreme before downloading it the HiRez version, but would like to know more technical details about this remaster - although I could find lot of information in the past concerning the 2009 remasters, I could not find equivalent details on this one.

 

[NorthStar]

? https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/a-music-passion.24689/page-17#post-599712

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the vinyl remaster that was suppose to arrive next week got delivered yesterday mid-day......so 'game on'.

we had a fun session yesterday for 2-3 hours. member Ultrafast69 came over with his friend Tanner. we started out with the Qobuz 24/96 version playing three cuts; 'Come Together', 'Here Comes The Sun', and 'Polythene Pam', then played my 24/48 USB edition file from my hard drive. we all preferred the Quduz 24/96.

Next we played the USA vinyl pressing of the re-mastered vinyl of 'Come Together' and 'Here Comes The Sun'.......and preferred that to the digital. i was not in the sweet spot so my perception, while i agreed, was provisional. i have three early vinyl pressings of Abbey Road plus the ProCut Japanese pressing. i also own at least 5 Beatles Box sets and numerous other pressings.

i guessed which one of my early pressings was my original pressing (i have not played it in a few years and would have needed to spend some time making sure with all the little tells). i think Ultrafast 69 preferred the remastered vinyl, whereas preliminarily i preferred (what i think is) my original pressing. the remaster sounded 'processed' to me and was missing sparkle on top. more 'life' in the original. also, Ultrafast mentioned that the new remaster has different notes in some spots, likely the remaster choose different work parts when optimizing the new remaster.

lastly we played my 15ips 1/4" master dub (of unknown provenance) of Come Together, Something, Here Comes the Sun, Because, and You Never Give Me Your Money. this was the first few cuts on 2 reels.

game, set, match to the RTR tape. i was not in the sweet spot but it had a sense of musical flow and rightness those others could not match. to my ears the original pressing was closest to this.

next we played side one of Led Zeppelin I on RTR tape.......by request. Ultrafast69 had been blown away by that tape at a prior session and needed a fix. i think he got it. i have the Classic Records 45rpm box set of Led Zeppplin which is crazy good. but the tape is other-worldly.

this is how God intended this music to be heard.

good RTR tape is just not fair to other choices.

i'll sit down and do an extended, unhurried, set of the remaster to original digital and vinyl compare when i have more time and comment further. we only had a couple of hours. it was a very enjoyable session and thanks to Ultrafast 69 for coming over. i enjoyed meeting his friend Tanner who is new to high end audio. he seemed to enjoy it and all the carrying on about system building and different music version talk.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Was this on the Saskia or NVS, Mike? We need the details Lol.

Btw, is AR one of those albums that has vague provenance of the mixes and masters used on the original and subsequent pressings? I know w some artists there is no agreement on definitive performances on disc or tape.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Was this on the Saskia or NVS, Mike? We need the details Lol.

Btw, is Sgt. Pepper one of those albums that has vague provenance of the mixes and masters used on the original and subsequent pressings? I know w some artists there is no agreement on definitive performances on disc or tape.

the Saskia has been idle for the last 3 weeks as i moved the Durand Tosca to the NVS and my arm board for the Saskia for the Durand Telos has not yet been done by Win. maybe this week. fingers crossed.

i may need to move the Tosca back to the Saskia, or acquire another arm where i do have a Saskia arm board for (i have 7 arm boards).

i have 15ips 1/4" for 5 Beatles albums, including Sgt. Peppers, so far; they all better any pressings. and i have very good pressings. all mine are stereo mixes which on tape better my mono pressings, whereas on vinyl many times i prefer the mono mix. i actually have a 1/2" dub of Sgt. Peppers (sourced from a 1/4") which for whatever reason is best. 1/2" tape (with a good source) is a world apart from anything.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I can't remember the last time an all bells and whistles remaster really blew the original out of the water. I've got the "Blue Box" Beatles collection, a v nicely considered set that by all accounts compares favourably to the first 60s pressings. No hint of anything tipped up or over emphasised w my lps. Will be interesting to see the consensus of AR 2019.

 

[howiebrou]

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/beatles-abbey-road-returns-to-no-1-uk/