Steely Dan's "Aja." MoFi vs UHQR.

[Fishead]

I bit the bullet and ordered the UHQR AJA album from Acoustic Sounds... tracking info says I'll have it this Friday ! I can't play any of the Dans albums on weekends because my wife does not care for them, they are "too jazzy".

I had to laugh amigo! I have the same "condition" here.....maybe it's something to do with New Mexico.....you know, Roswell and all that??? I have spent no small amount of time trying to help her to appreciate the sound quality, but my efforts go absolutely for naught! Guess it would be like somebody trying to get me to cozy up to some Barry Manilow.....moral of the story might be: if one can't stand the music itself, hard to appreciate the stellar sonic characteristics? Just found it funny that you said that.....

I played side 1 today on medium loud volume as a send off to a restored 1219 that I passed on to a guy for a Xmas gift for his wife. I have a square full of Dan, a square of Zappa and Bruce Cockburn.

I was hoping you might say something about which pressing you played and what you thought about the sound quality?

 

[SmileyFaceEQ]

I had to laugh amigo! I have the same "condition" here.....maybe it's something to do with New Mexico.....you know, Roswell and all that??? I have spent no small amount of time trying to help her to appreciate the sound quality, but my efforts go absolutely for naught! Guess it would be like somebody trying to get me to cozy up to some Barry Manilow.....moral of the story might be: if one can't stand the music itself, hard to appreciate the stellar sonic characteristics? Just found it funny that you said that.....



I was hoping you might say something about which pressing you played and what you thought about the sound quality?

ABC records 9022-1006
Canadian Pressing
I think it sounds great and even better on the right system.

 

[krautmaster]

I recieved my UHQR copy of AJA is morning... stunning... It is the cleanest vinyl I've ever seen (and clear to boot) but I ran them through my record vac anyway. Absolutely ZERO background noise, bass is taught and not too loud unlike some of my MoFi discs that can get boomy. The midrange is crystal clear, especially the guitars. The highs are very very good, great cymbols without a hint of sibilance. Soundstage was incredible, great instrument separation, not the muddled mix I usually hear- the JC3 Jr phono amp was really showing its stuff with this recording.

Two complaints: (1): They did not edit out Michael McDonalds irritable bowel syndrome grunts and howls - he was more subduded on Peg than usual, but obnoxious as hell on "I got the news" (I hate that guy ). (2): having to get up and change album sides every two songs.

 

[SmileyFaceEQ]

Those are beautiful looking packages.

 

[Mr Boochie]

Having to get up and change album sides every two songs.

Especially one song, for Deacon Blues.

I know that a well-mastered and pressed 45RPM sounds better. However, I personally don't play them as often --- just because of this issue.

Like that "I Want You," Vanessa Fernandez 45RPM LP. I hear that one maybe once a year.

 

[Mr Boochie]

I recieved my UHQR copy of AJA is morning... stunning... It is the cleanest vinyl I've ever seen (and clear to boot) but I ran them through my record vac anyway. Absolutely ZERO background noise, bass is taught and not too loud unlike some of my MoFi discs that can get boomy. The midrange is crystal clear, especially the guitars. The highs are very very good, great cymbols without a hint of sibilance. Soundstage was incredible, great instrument separation, not the muddled mix I usually hear- the JC3 Jr phono amp was really showing its stuff with this recording.

Two complaints: (1): They did not edit out Michael McDonalds irritable bowel syndrome grunts and howls - he was more subduded on Peg than usual, but obnoxious as hell on "I got the news" (I hate that guy ). (2): having to get up and change album sides every two songs.
View attachment 3050256View attachment 3050257View attachment 3050258

Nice, clean audio setup!

[unlike my mess ]

 

[Mr Boochie]

I recieved my UHQR copy of AJA is morning... stunning... It is the cleanest vinyl I've ever seen (and clear to boot) but I ran them through my record vac anyway. Absolutely ZERO background noise, bass is taught and not too loud unlike some of my MoFi discs that can get boomy. The midrange is crystal clear, especially the guitars. The highs are very very good, great cymbols without a hint of sibilance. Soundstage was incredible, great instrument separation, not the muddled mix I usually hear- the JC3 Jr phono amp was really showing its stuff with this recording.

After hearing this album for the third time, tight bass is really nice.

You need clear, clean mids and lows to have a nice drum and bass guitar.

 

[DeadRock]

ABC records 9022-1006
Canadian Pressing
I think it sounds great and even better on the right system.

That's the one I have.

 

[Fishead]

@krautmaster, thank you for your report and as @Mr Boochie commented, your setup is also very appealing amigo! Please do let me know if you are in Farmington sometime.....would be fun!

 

[Symba]

Settings the same. Flat EQ. Subs on.

Steely Dan - "Aja." Mobile Fidelity. MFSL 1-033. Second variant. 1980.
Runout: MFSL-1-033-B3 A SR/2 ORTOFON 30MAY80 1 31 ☼☼.

Steely Dan - "Aja." Analogue Productions. UHQR 0014-45. 45 RPM. Clarity Vinyl, 200 grams. 2023.
Run-out: APP 139-45-B (RE 2) Bernie Grundman [signature] ▽

No disrespect but I can't understand why you would post two video clips for comparison when both have very poor audio quality and each only have one working channel? How is it even possible to determine which of the two is superior to the other when they both their audio qualities suck?....

 

[Mr Boochie]

No disrespect but I can't understand why you would post two video clips for comparison when both have very poor audio quality and each only have one working channel? How is it even possible to determine which of the two is superior to the other when they both their audio qualities suck?....

Odd. I hear two channels.

Just to compare the two pressings.

 

[Symba]

Odd. I hear two channels.

Just to compare the two pressings.

I listened to it on YouTube through 3 different browsers and all had the audio in the left channel

@krautmaster, thank you for your report and as @Mr Boochie commented, your setup is also very appealing amigo! Please do let me know if you are in Farmington sometime.....would be fun!

OOPS I commented on the WRONG video...MY bad... They both sound pretty good but neither have the detail I'm used to hearing on my original album but that's par for the course when uploading to Youtube. Were these recordings done with a mic or direct off the album into the computer for the video?

 

[Mr Boochie]

I listened to it on YouTube through 3 different browsers and all had the audio in the left channel

OOPS I commented on the WRONG video...MY bad... They both sound pretty good but neither have the detail I'm used to hearing on my original album but that's par for the course when uploading to Youtube. Were these recordings done with a mic or direct off the album into the computer for the video?

No problems.

MIcrophones off the left and right speakers.

Subwoofers on. Flat EQ.

Getting what you hear live onto a file to upload onto YouTube is difficult. I can't blame YT. YouTube uses MP4, which is an excellent audio-video software.

I've found that room acoustics are the limiting factor. Good mics pick up all the ambient reverberations and noises that, for some reason, your brain seems to be able to erase in real-time when you are listening live. Good mics pick up noises when you adjust the camera or even sit or stand while recording. All those flaws show up on YT. It's not good. You have to sit there stone quiet and hope some stupid car with a hotrod exhaust doesn't drive by while recording. So, I do most of the recordings after midnight.

Takes many trials of mic placement. Volume levels. Camera audio settings --- to get the YT kinda close to what you hear live.

Deacon Blues is not the best studio-mastered song for picking out details. There are better, more dynamic tunes on Aja.

This one has more quiet and dynamic passages to test your system.

Off Linda Ronstadt's "Simple Dreams." Nautilus Recordings. NR26. 1/2-speed remaster SuperDiscs. 1981.
Run-out: NR 26 A1 IAM RD 1/2 KM - 6432 - A1