Which "Dark Side of the Moon"?

Ross6860

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Have it on CD, but would like it on vinyl.

Which, of the many pressings and various re-issues and re-mastered versions are actually worth searching out and forking the scratch over for?

Thanks,
 
Japanese, German, and UK pressings are all great. The best re-issue is usually undisputed as the 30th Anniversary pressing from 2003. That being said I haven't heard the re-issue that came out in June of this year. A friend who's a diehard Floyd fan and myself have done a few shootouts and I have settled happily with a Japanese 1st Pressing Harvest label, and he has 3 copies of the 30th anniversary. The 30th is a laid back, massive sounding record with tons of subtleties and a glassy minuscule noise floor. The Japanese is a much leaner, punchier, forward sounding album. It also has a very low noise floor.
 
For my money, I like 70s UK pressings of DSotM on vinyl. Original UKs are quite expensive, but they are deservedly the standard. MFSL ("Mofi") pressings sound good and have a yummy EQ, but they lack the extension that you get from a 70s UK. Note that there are two versions of the MFSL and one is better. You can tell the difference by the yellow "Original Master Recording" banner. If you go the MFSL route, you will need to research further, because I've forgotten the details.

The 30th is loved by many, but I don't like the high end on my turntable (DL 103 / SL 1800). My theory is that the 30th likes better turntables.
 
For my money, I like 70s UK pressings of DSotM on vinyl. Original UKs are quite expensive, but they are deservedly the standard. MFSL ("Mofi") pressings sound good and have a yummy EQ, but they lack the extension that you get from a 70s UK. Note that there are two versions of the MFSL and one is better. You can tell the difference by the yellow "Original Master Recording" banner. If you go the MFSL route, you will need to research further, because I've forgotten the details.

The 30th is loved by many, but I don't like the high end on my turntable (DL 103 / SL 1800). My theory is that the 30th likes better turntables.

Thanks, I picked up a "supposed NM" early US pressing (Harvest) that didn't hurt to bad. The seller has excellent feedback and lots of sales, so we will see. FWIW I scored a couple Flatt and Scruggs, a Hubert Sumlin, a Chet Atkins, and a boxed Beethoven set for like $20 for all (all claimed NM), so even if the DSOM is only just OK the others should make up for it. I guess his market is not blues, bluegrass or classical...
 
Glad you asked this question as I am in the middle of this discovery myself with my Pink Floyd albums. I have a really old 1970's version of DSOTM that my dad used to own (I'm from the UK although I live in Australia). Its beaten up, pops but the sounds is pretty good. The top end is not a sharp as some of my best records, but its pretty good despite all the background noise.

I thought I would find a better quality vinyl copy to replace my old one and was really disappointed to hear the mix was completely different... not in a good way either. The guitars on the second vinyl are way too pronounced and ruin the experience for me, so I've reverted back to listening to my old copies (my WYWH and MLOR are also pretty ropey). Makes buying replacements for their audio quality hard as its a bit of a minefield.

When I get home I will post the inner labels and catalogue numbers for people to see.

I've also just pulled the trigger on a new 180g double release of Division Bell, it wasn't cheap but it was a gamble given the experience I've just had on DSOTM.
 
I'm going to have to spring for a new copy too so...:lurk:
After many, many moons, about a year ago I pulled out my original pressing of DSOTM and heard a lot of groove damage that I wasn't, but probably should have been expecting given the glory days of it all. No telling just how styli my copy has worn out in it's day.
 
Glad you asked this question as I am in the middle of this discovery myself with my Pink Floyd albums. I have a really old 1970's version of DSOTM that my dad used to own (I'm from the UK although I live in Australia). Its beaten up, pops but the sounds is pretty good. The top end is not a sharp as some of my best records, but its pretty good despite all the background noise.

I thought I would find a better quality vinyl copy to replace my old one and was really disappointed to hear the mix was completely different... not in a good way either. The guitars on the second vinyl are way too pronounced and ruin the experience for me, so I've reverted back to listening to my old copies (my WYWH and MLOR are also pretty ropey). Makes buying replacements for their audio quality hard as its a bit of a minefield.

When I get home I will post the inner labels and catalogue numbers for people to see.

I've also just pulled the trigger on a new 180g double release of Division Bell, it wasn't cheap but it was a gamble given the experience I've just had on DSOTM.

I wish I knew enough as a teenager to have bought a better turntable. All my albums from the 70s were played to hell on a Craig "one box does it all", it even had an 8-track player;) God knows what kind of stylus it has. Probably a steel needle...The albums I still have play OK, as far as skipping, but have lots of noise and pops.

Luckily when I bought a "real stereo" in 1984 the salesman talked me into a decent mid-range Stanton cartridge. "What do you mean? I spent $150 on a turntable and I have to buy a separate stylus and cartridge for another $100, geez.

I still have the Technics SL-j2 and the Stanton Cartridge (with two new vintage styli...).
 
The surprising thing to me though was that my beat to hell old copy of DSOTM was a much better mix than a newer better condition copy. I don't play the new one, still keep the old one in rotation.

Better condition doesn't always been better sounding.
 
I wish I knew enough as a teenager to have bought a better turntable. All my albums from the 70s were played to hell on a Craig "one box does it all", it even had an 8-track player;) God knows what kind of stylus it has. Probably a steel needle...The albums I still have play OK, as far as skipping, but have lots of noise and pops.

Luckily when I bought a "real stereo" in 1984 the salesman talked me into a decent mid-range Stanton cartridge. "What do you mean? I spent $150 on a turntable and I have to buy a separate stylus and cartridge for another $100, geez.

I still have the Technics SL-j2 and the Stanton Cartridge (with two new vintage styli...).
If you do some research on how to clean records, quite a bit of that noise and pops could be removed with a good cleaning. Well worth the effort.
 
If you do some research on how to clean records, quite a bit of that noise and pops could be removed with a good cleaning. Well worth the effort.

If only. Wet clean and PVA glue and it still sounds crap ;)

Sometimes it's just a beaten up old record :(
 
Here's my 2 copies of DSOTM.

Good: left copy. Harvest on label. EMI UK release. SHVL 804. A5 etched into record. Perfect mix for me.

Poop: right copy. EMI AUS release. SHVL 804. A3 etched into record. Rhythm guitars are way to forward in the mix.
 

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This is a little off topic, but I listened to a brand new Led Zeppelin "4" 180-gram re-master last night after switching out my speakers to some Large Advents I got and re-built with all new crossovers, re-foamed, etc.

I'm thinking these speakers sound like crap, that was a waste of effort to find them and go through and the time and expense of refinishing and rebuilding them. Where's all that great bass these things are supposed to have? Mids are OK, highs are nice, but overall very disappointing sound.

Then I played Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms", and wow, now this sounds really good. This was a used album bought off Ebay, but in NM condition. Actually this album along with an Eagles "greatest Hits Vol II" have become my reference vinyl. I know how good they can sound, so if they sound bad something is really wrong.

I guess what I'm saying is that the source material has a much greater effect than I realized. You would think a 180 g re-master would be a good recording. Not necessarily so. I guess that goes with the 2011 DSOTM that doesn't get very good reviews.
 
Your thread, so you can veer OT. I'm fond of the latest Led Zep remasters in the digital realm, but I've got the all-analog Classic Records version of IV. These sell for upwards of $100 now, so your Led Zep LP bargains are hard to come by. IV has never been an audiophile album. Just turn it up.

Brothers in Arms is one of the first digitally recorded albums, FWIW.
 
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