I hate to do this but...
The new Dead Can Dance Anastasis LP is so compressed it is unplayable. It's a wall of compressed MUD (loudness). Shame on the AR guy and the mastering engineer. What could have been... is ruined (at least on the commercial LP). Does anyone else have the PIAS America pressing? Such a disappointment. I'll try the digital version and see what gives.
Hi Peter:
I just just cued up the 24 bit download on my 2nd system (McIntosh MA660/Harbeth C7ES3/Musical Fidelity V-DAC II) and it certainly
is compressed..
I would definitely not say it is unlistenable mud. I would have liked more dynamic range.
Three things come to mind.
First on your system, which by any standard, is certainly awe inspiring, the problems will even worse...since it is so revealing
Second, I really have never heard great results from an LP from a current digital recording..the seem to want to make it LOUDER..so
as not to be outgunned by the digital.
Lastly, I have no doubt in my mind that much of the music today is engineered with the thought that it will be consumed on little
white ear buds...yes...I put a HUGE blame on Apple for lowering the bar on sound quality to the point that it is comical.
If I compare the MFSL version of The Who's Quadrophenia and the 2012 remaster..the difference in volume is a good 30%. We know that
MFLS applied zero compression..so that is the native volume of that master.
Very frustrating and thanks for reporting back.
A last point, is that economics is a huge factor here. If DAD has recorded this, lets say, to DSD...they would not have recouped their
costs. Reality bites.