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Good Achtung Baby CD? I got a bad one.

Achtung Baby is probably my favorite US album. When it first came out I had it on cassette tape. Then, years later acquired it via iTunes. Always listened to it on OEM car stereos or low end systems.

Now that I've got my high end system I do not like the SQ of the standard compressed iTunes version. So I did a little research on the dynamic range web site dr. loudness-war and purchased a cheaply priced copy of the Island Records CD (314-510 347-2, cat # D125174) that rated pretty highly on that site in regard to dynamic range anyway.

Well, it does not sound good. Way too bass heavy and bass is a muddy wall of background noise, midrange and vocals seem lost in it all, treble is okay. It seems like the dynamic range is concentrated in the high and low ends. I noticed on the CD that it was "Manufactured for BMG Direct Marketing, Inc." I'm assuming this was a club CD. It was new (old stock). Don't know if that might be part of the problem or not.

I compared it to Tidal's high res version (but just from my laptop to pre-amp via RCA cord, no DAC) and even that sounded better than the CD but still not great in my opinion.

So I'm wondering, who has a CD of this album that they like? I do not have an SACD player or BluRay. Or do all the CD versions sound so-so? That would be surprising for a band like U2 but still possible I guess. Any recommendations much appreciated.

George


n80
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,602 posts
 
n80-

what gear is in your system-   Happy Listening!
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
Audio Research LS16 tubed line stage, Madrigal Proceed HPA2 amp, Transparent balanced cables, Aerial Acoustics 7B tower speakers with Transparent Super BiWire cables. Basic Sony CDP.
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,602 posts
 
Very nice n80

Big fan of Transparent Cabling. It is a sonic match for ARC and Aerial.

Happy Listening!
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
An idea occurred to me. I really can't move my speakers much further out from the wall than they already are and moving 120# speakers just for one album is kind of nuts. But, the bass ports on the Aerial Acoustic 7Bs is in the back. I may try putting a sock on the bass ports to see if that will un-muddy things a little on the bass end.

Will report results later....maybe much later. My son and his girlfriend are 'refugees' from Florence and are at my house now so my listening room is now my son's bedroom.
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
I was able to get a few minutes in my listening room-turned-refugee-camp and socks in the rear facing bass ports helps a good deal. Without the I did not even want to listen to this album.

Aerial Acoustics actually makes a 'plug' for the bass ports for situations like mine but I suspect a pair of socks works just as well....and at least one professional reviewer agrees.....

I'm not saying it made things perfect but it is a lot better.

Ideally I'd be able to move the speakers further out from the corners but it simply is not practical......plus they sound great right where they are for most of my other music.
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