Post by Claude June 1, 2006 (11 of 15)
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Jonty said:
Second sentence says the recording is technically superb.
And the sound rating is 10.
But they don't seem to have noticed that it's an SACD. The description states (CD)
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Post by tream June 2, 2006 (12 of 15)
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From Christine's Tham's excellent review of the new Walkure:
"Melba Recordings is smart to release Die Walküre as the first installment in the cycle. It is the most accessible and listenable of the operas, and perhaps not by coincidence was the last opera released in the Solti version."
Actually, the official version on why Walkure was the last in the Solti cycle is set forth in Culshaw's Ring Resounding - Decca at the time had an alliance with RCA, and on the heels of the success of Decca's Rheingold, RCA released a Walkure with Nilsson, Vickers, Leinsdorf conducting (recorded by Decca, I believe), which meant that Decca would have to delay their own version until later instead of competing with the RCA. Therefore, the decision was to record Siegfried next.
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Also, to be pedantic, the Solti was not the first stereo Ring recording, just the first to be released. The 1955 stereo Ring is in the process of being released for the first time by Testament.
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MDT : I'm curious as to your choice of Accuphase gear, as I presume you live in Switzerland or Deutschland. There is so much expensive European hi-fi. I see that Goldmund and MBL now have SACD players, as well as all other replay electronics. Does Accuphase give a different sound on SACD to these other companies? The descriptions of Accuphase CD player sound, 'deep bass but lively presentation' seem to mimic the Wadia CD players.
I have the Accuphase digital front-end, 100 for SACD and 75V for CD. I am certainly sheltered, but I have yet to hear better, for either CD or SACD.
--woodstock
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Post by ramesh July 2, 2006 (15 of 15)
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woodstock said:
I have the Accuphase digital front-end, 100 for SACD and 75V for CD. I am certainly sheltered, but I have yet to hear better, for either CD or SACD.
Accuphase don't seem to release details on where their CD or SACD transports are sourced from. According to the blurb on their new DP 78 player, they use Analog Devices DACs, and trumpet their multiple delta sigma topology with 3 DACs per channel. If I remember correctly, the later Sony high end SACD player also used 3 DACs per channel. Interestingly, Esoteric and the new Wadia SACD players utilise Burr-Brown chips. According to the interview of an Esoteric engineer in the British hi-fi press, they claim PCM processing using Burr-Browns gives a more 'muscular' sound, although I have no idea what this means.
Adelaide Ring : take advantage of Melba Records weird overseas postage rate, which is a flat rate per order, regardless of whether the destination is America or deepest Outbackistan.
Unfortunately, Act 2 in SACD stereo is needlessly split over 2 SACDs. There is less stage noise than the Barenboim Bayreuth set from 1991-2. The singing is not quite up to this Bayreuth level, although it is still very competitive. The Adelaide orchestra sounds about the technical level of the Royal Philharmonic on the Membran SACDs.
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