Post by azure October 15, 2003 (11 of 46)
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Some good news - I've just been advised by the Australian distributor that the new design/superior hinge SJCs will be launched in Jan 04
packs of SJCs should be available from local audio/music outlets
At least that way you can place the digipak albums disc in a SJC when you are travelling around!
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Post by mikek November 1, 2003 (12 of 46)
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azure said:
thanks Dinko - it appears that these curved edged jewel cases were not just intended for SACD but replace the existing jewel case
i only first saw this super jewel case on SACDs - I thought Sony/Philips designed it especially for SACD ...now I look around i have even noticed local band 'powderfinger' using the Super Jewel Case .........check out the NEW slim version of the SJC I hope to get my hands on some of them as well.
I purchased 50 of the Super Jewel Boxes. They haven't arrived yet though. I went to the Super Jewel Box site and found out they make three versions. First there is the SACD jewel box, the DVD-Audio version, and a still larger version for DVD-Video that matches the size of current packaging for DVD-Video.
I may have jumped the gun on the purchase though. My intent was to put all of the SACDs I have that come in standard jewel boxes into the Super jewel box. However, I didn't realize the packaging is not the same. There are two differences as I can see. Both the back insert and the booklet of a standard CD are slightly shorter than those in a SACD. It is still functional but not perfect. In addition the back insert on the SACD has been die cut so that it has a notch on the top and bottom left hand side. To use a regular CD insert in the Super Jewel Box you would have to cut notches on the top and bottom to make it fit (cutting all on one side would hamper the overall fit of the insert). SACD back inserts also have a top and bottom fold that hold artist and title information. The lack of this on a cd insert doesn't affect the fit though.
So I may be doing a little trimming on my Sony, Blue Note, and a few other labels that don't use the Super Jewel Box.
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Post by Galley November 16, 2003 (13 of 46)
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mikek said:
I purchased 50 of the Super Jewel Boxes. They haven't arrived yet though. I went to the Super Jewel Box site and found out they make three versions. First there is the SACD jewel box, the DVD-Audio version, and a still larger version for DVD-Video that matches the size of current packaging for DVD-Video.
I may have jumped the gun on the purchase though. My intent was to put all of the SACDs I have that come in standard jewel boxes into the Super jewel box. However, I didn't realize the packaging is not the same. There are two differences as I can see. Both the back insert and the booklet of a standard CD are slightly shorter than those in a SACD. It is still functional but not perfect. In addition the back insert on the SACD has been die cut so that it has a notch on the top and bottom left hand side. To use a regular CD insert in the Super Jewel Box you would have to cut notches on the top and bottom to make it fit (cutting all on one side would hamper the overall fit of the insert). SACD back inserts also have a top and bottom fold that hold artist and title information. The lack of this on a cd insert doesn't affect the fit though.
So I may be doing a little trimming on my Sony, Blue Note, and a few other labels that don't use the Super Jewel Box.
I've got the PDF template files for the original super jewel box booklet and inlay cards. Apparently they are now password-protected on the http://www.superjewelbox.com/ site. Contact me if anyone wants them.
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Post by Johnno January 1, 2004 (14 of 46)
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What I dislike about digipaks is what to do when one arrives and one or more of the disc retaining claws are broken. That happened to me fairly recently with a standard 2 - CD set (not SACD). All the liner notes were, of course, part of the pak, so it wasn't a simple matter of taking the disc out and putting it in a jewel case. In the end, I did just that but had to duplicate the notes first on my PC. At least if a jewel case arrives cracked or worse, it can be replaced. As others have commented too, the digipak's life span is clearly shorter than jewel cases, too, so ultimately the same problem of replacement arises.
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I had to exchange my copy of TOMMY's THE WHO after Christmas because the digipak's disk-holding spindle for Disk1 was broken upon opening it. It was a pain in the butt to have to go do this. If it were the standard CD casing, I could have easily replaced it.
In general the only thing I dislike about current CD packaging is the way disks are held down by this spindle. However, one thing I *do* like is when CDs are put into a cardboard or thin plastic sleeve within a box set. This bypasses the whole spindle concept and there's nothing really breakable.
I do think that DigiPak is very attractive to the eye, and that one drawback is that the paper packaging exposes the album to greater risk of damage over time. But it reminds me of the old LP days, when I used to handle the album covers and inserts very gingerly, so I really like the paper packaging concept. It's also good for the environment.
So IMHO, they just have to get rid of the plastic tray in the packaging and just use cardboard envelopes for the disks inside, and I'd be happy. :-)
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Post by Johnno January 6, 2004 (16 of 46)
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Actually, I even have reservations about some of the SJCs, as the trays often seem very shallow (some digipaks are the same) so one has to be careful to ensure that one grips the disc firmly between ones fingers when extracting it and be very careful that one's fingers don't slip over the disc. I've been close to fingernail scratching one or two SACDs but have somehow managed to avoid doing so. SJCs seem to be just as susceptible to damage too (especially the front covers and tray claws) and I have had to replace a few. I do feel, though, that the SJC front cover hinges are a vast improvement over those in the standard jewel cases, although I did receive an SACD that had one completely smashed.
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Post by azure June 9, 2004 (17 of 46)
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Its nice to come across the Super Jewel Box [version 2] with superior hinge when I purchased the new Krall album -shame its not standard SACD packaging!
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Post by Claude June 11, 2004 (18 of 46)
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I can't see any advantage in the "super jewel box" compared to the standard CD jewel case, except that it look and feels more classy because of the round corners.
But when it breaks one needs a hard to find and expensive "super" replacement box, because the back cover doesn't fit into the standard CD jewel case. I usually have lots of spare CD jewel cases from CD-Rs to replace my broken CD cases, but with SACDs they can't be used.
I hate digipacks too. They don't break, but they tend to wear out when used heavily, and then they can't be replaced.
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mikek said:
Last and probably least, have you noticed that in the super jewel boxes some of the booklets exit out the side like standard jewel boxes and some exit out the top? Any preference or problems here?
Yeah, and I like the tabs on the sides better. Instead of trying to slide the booklet out, with the tabs on the sides, I can just push on the edge of the booklet, and it will slip out from under the left tabs (then the spine is free as well). I had the way Jewel Cases have the books held in, because I usually end up boogering up the books trying to get them out. With the new design, I just slide the spin under the right tabs, and then slide the left of the booklet under the left tabs.
A huge pet peeve of mine concerning the digipacks is when they put the sensormatic antitheft strip under the plastic. Usually it is black or white and sticks out like a sore thumb, with no way to remove it (and if you could, since it is on paper, it would probably rip off the top layer of printing with it).
Ryan
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Post by Keefycal January 20, 2006 (20 of 46)
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I see from the postings that I am not alone. Despite the expectation that SACD Super Jewel Cases are more robust, 30% of the disc ordered through the mail do not make it to the doormat in one piece.
Has anybody found a outlet where one can buy (small quantity)replacement Super Jewel Cases. I have found that 400 seems the mimimum order from some distributors. Help me please!
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