The uploaders describe their media. The dynamic range is measured by stipulated software. No connection.
@AWillby Did you play them on a CD player or did you rip those SHM-CDs as well?
@Wren I do wonder if there’s a different master, the improvement seems to be substantial.
Generally speaking I guess everybody agrees on the superior quality of SHM-CDs, even when they are ripped. Also they often have a better dynamic range, probably because of a different master if I’m not mistaken.
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I bought the Citizen Steely Dan Box Set, around 1995. This has the first 7 SD albums in full and a couple of extra tracks. When Aja was first released on SHM-CD in Japan, a friend bought a copy and we both thought it was an improvement when we compared it to the Box Set version. Over the next few years, I aquired the other 6 in SHM-CD format, all sound excellent to me.
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@GeoffC Nice and colorful SHM-CDs collection! I need to try one of these sooner or later.
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I play them on my CDX2. They are also ripped to my NAS. Streaming through my Auralic G1.1/Qutest setup sounds identical to CD replay. I suppose you could say that ripped files must surely miss whatever the manufacturing advantages of SHM are - but on the other hand they could be transferred to the NAS during the rip. Who knows.
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Nice set of CD’s. I’m still occasionally tempted to buy SHM discs - however there is so much hi-res content available on Amazon these days that I tend to listen to that instead if I want an alternative to a CD I own. Streaming is rarely worse than CD and sometimes the improvement is obvious but I have concluded it is more likely the effect of a remix / remaster than the increase sample rate / bit depth. I think SHM’s probably fall into the same camp.
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My own theory is that the Japanese SHM-CD issues are done with great care and attention to detail, and Iogically they are using the very best available master the record company has.
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If anyone is a Elton John fan and has not tried a SHM-CD i can recommended the 2018 SHM-CD releases, these are a unique remaster to these cds and are a flat transfer from the master tapes so a double whammy, come in a mini lp sleeve, no bonus tracks but are rated as one of the best ways to hear these albums on cd, there are a few mini lp releases of Elton John in Japan so care is needed to get the correct version.
How does a SHM-CD differ from a standard CD? I thought that all CDs had to conform to a fixed standard - is it Red Book?
And will a SHM-CD play on any CD player? Will it sound different (ideally better!)?
Yes a SHM-CD it will play on any cd player does not need any special chip, basic theory is it helps the laser read the disc better, all the amount of explaining does not convince people, only way is to try one, once you get what the shm does to the sound you know if its for you. I had some Gale 401s and it was a very obvious different when played on them , now with my smaller Russell K 100 speakers and older ears not as much, if i was to say more dynamic sound than a standard edition of the same cd thats where we are going standard edition a little flat , not night and day, some people cannot hear any difference thats ok but for me always my first choice if available on cd.
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Thanks for that get clear explanation. From what I can see, not many artists have their music available on CD.
It would be good to have a standard CD and an SHM-CD of an album that I know - Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Doors or whatever.
I mentioned Brothers in Arms - but another one worth purchasing in SHM is Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty if you like him. Really superb sound quality.
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Assuming the same master is used, a cd and shm cd will be identical apart from the polycarbonate used to make the disc. The “music” (or data, the 1s and 0s) that your cd player is trying to extract is the same. So no difference in dynamic range or any other attribute.
The polycarbonate used for the shm cd is clearer and degrades less than a regular cd. Which in theory leads to fewer read errors / less error correction needed by the cd player.
If you were to rip an shm cd and a regular cd, made from the same master, the accuraterip checksum value will be the same.
The Zep SHM CDs sound awesome, and look lovely, being exact miniature replicas of the LPs - but they are getting expensive, and there are counterfeits about.
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Funnily enough I was just looking up how much I paid for that great box-set the Definitive Collection, £110.65 back on 13th December 2013.
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To be honest, I have got new LP copies of the Led Zeppelin albums that I want, so I’ll be fine.
But thanks, gents, for explaining what SHM-CDs are all about.
@AWillby Indeed, who knows! I wonder if there’s a database somewhere with all the masters used in CD albums, that would be very helpful before buying one.
I agree @GeoffC, however they should make it clear whether they are using the same master or not IMO, so one can put things into the right perspective.
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Only if you’re sure they have the same mastering.
Edit - I see others have already pointed that out.
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I have to say - I thought the original CD sounded quite good. For that matter, early MCA discs generally.
Agreed - but the SHM is even better.