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The Dark Side of the Moon, Remastered

BilboBaggins

BilboBaggins

Addicted Member
Last week, I received my new remastered version of Pink Floyd's iconic The Dark Side of the Moon. I held off until this morning from opening it. I wanted to sit relaxed for the unveiling. I also wanted to pull my original version in near mint condition to hear what differences there would be, if any.

Original
www.discogs.com

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the Vinyl release of "The Dark Side Of The Moon" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com
My original came with both posters.
IMG_8632.jpg

New 50th anniversary remastered version
www.discogs.com

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2023 Vinyl release of "The Dark Side Of The Moon" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com
The new version also comes with the same two posters, with differences in the pyramid!
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Another difference is the side bar of the two LPs.
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My original version has THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, where as the new version is blank.

So then I placed the new record on my favourite turntable.
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while playing the same on my 2nd favourite turntable.
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One thing I had noticed in the past, was that when comparing records across the two turntables, the Sony tended to play a little lower in volume. This time though, with both vinyls playing(big shout out to @GChief), I found that the Sony was louder and clearer than my new version. WTF!!! So I tried adjusting the volume so that the new version was playing at the same volume, and it sounded better, but still a little muddy. My wife, who was sitting beside me, noticed the same thing. I switched the records around and played side 2 on both. This time, they were really close in output, but I still prefer the original version. I'm wondering if this is my own bias coming through(along with my wife's) or what? I was expecting the new version to be better in a less subtle fashion.

Has anyone else had this happen to them with the new 50th anniversary Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon? The feedback I had seen and the reason I purchased this copy is because it was really good. Maybe it is, and I just happen to have a better original version? This is why I posted the Discogs links to my versions.

I would be really interested in hearing what people say about it. I was really not expecting this!
 
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Can't speak to vinyl, as I only still own a ~1985 pressing on vinyl, but my favorite cd version is still the 25th anniversary topo disk.

I like it better then the ?original? mofi ultradisc cd, and far, far better then the late eighties cd, or the early oughts 'immersian' remaster.

shrugs.

I have to have bought DSOTM 10 times over the years.

only the Alan Parsons Project (the first album, subsequently renamed Tales of Mystery and Imagination of Edgar Allan Poe) and Physical Graffiti have I come close to the same number of purchases of the exact same album over the decades... Oh, and The Final Cut. I've definitely bought that at least as many times. It's my favorite Floyd album after Piper.

I wonder if Tower Records knew they'd hooked a 'big un' with me back in 83 when I first started buying albums....
:banana::banana::banana:
 
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Most remastereds are worse than the originals. I have one of the new versions for completeness, but I don't imagine it will be better. For serious listening, I usually play the SQ or the SACD version. I have a nice bootleg of a Boston Garden concert in sort of a derived quad which is nice, too.
 
kyle said:
Just a small point but the original issue of DSOTM has a solid light blue triangle on the disc label and they're on Harvest records. Later ones have a blue outline triangle.
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Yes, mine is definitely not the original release, but it is an early release and of the three versions I had at the same time, sounded the best. I picked it up about 7 years ago at a Vintage Market in Toronto Place or something like that. I went there with my eldest daughter when she lived in TO, and walked away with that record. The seller had two copies and I liked this copy, and got him to throw in the pyramid poster from the other.
 
Kodaline said:
Most remastereds are worse than the originals. I have one of the new versions for completeness, but I don't imagine it will be better. For serious listening, I usually play the SQ or the SACD version. I have a nice bootleg of a Boston Garden concert in sort of a derived quad which is nice, too.
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that really depends on a number of factors.

the original us releases of pink floyd and black sabbath, and the beatles especially. blew donkey nuts compared to the original uk releases.

pre-internet, we (I) scoured record shops for the uk releases of all three, because of the serious sound quality difference.

However, My Harvest release of 'A Nice Pair' on vinyl was still my favorite version of 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn' until the immersion remasters, FWIW
 
I have the 2016 version and the new 2023 50th anniversary edition and I found that they were both made from the same master tape: both have a pop in the beginnings of Breathe (side A) and Us and Them (side B). The new 2023 version has cut down the dynamic range of some the the guitar parts that were recorded a bit "hot" and the pops are much quieter.

Both versions sound perfectly fine on my main system, but the 2016 version is a bit louder (Schiit Freya+ in tube mode/ Schiit Skoll phono pre amp /Monitor Audio Silver 500 speakers and AT-VM740ML cartridge on a modified Rega P3 RB330 arm). The 2023 version has far more nuance in the guitar parts - on the older versions some of the guitar sections were a bit too loud, which masked a lot of Gilmore's finger work.

Both are definitely "duller" when played in my office (Parasound JC3 Jr phono pre/ Parasound P6 preamp, Rega P3 table with Exact 2 cartridge, and Infinity RS4B speakers). The Rega Exact 2 cart is not the best one around (soo far from it) and it doesn't like the "Hot" sections on the 2016 version- the sound gets a bit too high pitched. It also makes the 2023 version sound a bit subdued, not dull by any means, but you can readily hear the difference.

When played on the bedroom system (Parasound Z phono amp, Parasound 200 preamp, Marantz 6200 Table with AT-VM95ML cart and Dynaco A-25 speakers) both sound pretty much alike, more dynamic than the office stereo, but nowhere near the SQ of the main stereo...

I'm going with the cartridges making the largest difference. Anyway the 2023 version is kept with the main system and the 2016 version is kept in the office.
 
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I just stripped down the main system where I was demoing Dark Side of the Moon because I needed to put up some art above the turntables, and I didn't want to risk something really bad happening, which it would have if I hadn't taken the system apart in advance. I decided to put the Denon DL-103 cartridge on the Yamaha GT-2000 as I didn't have a stylus protector for it, and I thought it was time to give the DL-103 some more play time. I'll put the Dark Side of the Moon on tomorrow. I'm a little sore after all that moving around. Moving the GT-2000 around is not a lightweight job, even after I remove the platter!
 
I gave up buying this on LP as none can match my Goodwill early pressing ... if you want to best that, here are (3) suggestions:

MFSL CD, the original release
SACD multi-ch, the original release
Current Dolby Atmos release - quite a ride indeed
 
Lavane said:
Did you try swapping the records on the two turntables and listening?
There has to be a sonic difference between the two decks and cartridges.
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I did swap the records around, and that was when the output from the GT-2000 was fairly close to the PS-X600. I've also changed cartridges on the GT-2000. It just made sense at the time. I'll do another listen test tomorrow morning once I reconfigure the system correctly. I was trying to use the Tape Input on the KUBE as an input for the SOTA Pyxi and playing the GT-2000 from there. Obviously, something is not happy. I was listening to a record on the GT-2000. But the leds on the Bose 1801 were like a strobe. Never seen them do that before, and its probably because of how I reconfigured the system. Listening to CD and tape for the rest of the night.
 
damacman said:
I gave up buying this on LP as none can match my Goodwill early pressing ... if you want to best that, here are (3) suggestions:

MFSL CD, the original release
SACD multi-ch, the original release
Current Dolby Atmos release - quite a ride indeed
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Dacmacman sorry to call ya out. I own an early German press of the album, sounds incredible. "The Best", though I admit its rare but its better than any copy ever made, more than any other MFSL copy, is the MFSL copy of the cassette tape. Direct 1-to-1 copy from the master reel. no EQ only dolby on the best tape/shell ever made. Only took 40 yrs to find locally. Will demo to any AK'ers in the Colorado Springs, it definitely sounds they're in the room.
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hjames said:
I do like the Alan Parsons remastered DSOTM that was available through internet sites maybe 8-10 years ago ...
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I believe he was the original producer of the album and was amazed at the engineer getting rid of the cyclic clicks out of the tape when converting to the earliest digital copys.
 
I think I like the German SQ LP from 78. It has a large QUADROPHONIE across the top; I guess that's the German word for it.
 
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