Can anyone compare the HDCD w/ the box set RSOG?

[lindil]

I am considering shelling out the 50+$ for the japanese HDCD of Tales but would like ot see if any fellow yesfans have an opinion as to wether the remastering on the new bow set is better/same or worse.

I also heard mention of another remaster [ not the official one] but I can not recall the name and my search of the site did not turn it up.

Anyway I have the Gastwirt/OCeanview digital and it sounds as lame as I remembering the records sounding.

Cardboardy, 2 dimensional, no resolution.

I found the box-set RSOG to be much better but still not ideal.


Any feedback is welcome.

thanks

[Yesmaniac]

I have the entire HDCD catalogue. Some are much better, some are about the same. But TFTO, in my opion was worth every penny. It stands out head and shoulders above any other version I've encountered. The intro on "Revealing" is crystal clear, which always sounded cloudy in my opinion. Then I threw it in my computer which has 24bit HD decription 5.1 and WOW!

[lindil]

I actually finally got it and it is superb.

I heard it just went OOP.
How is Relayer and Gft1?

I was disaapointed that the Gates and TBO on the american remastered relayer both cut off early like the engineer had to go take a wizz or something. It is really embarrassing.

Gft1 doesn't sound remastered at all! it is thin and compressed. especially if listened to after Relayer.

[headrott]

The HDCD mini LP version of Tales is very good. Probably the best version on CD you can get. Unfortunately, the CTTE, Relayer, Fragile, and Time and A Word all have drop outs on them. I definately don't recommend these. The actual sound quality is good, but the drop outs make them unlistenable (IMO). Also, with regards to all of the HDCD version of the albums, they all are mastered way too loud! It's almost to the point of clipping! Someone should have told whom ever mastered these to turn it down! The newer remasterings of the albums are better than the original five with regards to drop outs. TFTO is the best of the original five, but Time And A Word is the most horrible of the newer ones. To answer your question about Relayer and GFTO. I would definatey NOT get Relayer because of the reasons stated above. GFTO is better because there are no drop outs and the sound quality is better than the US releases, but it is also mastered way too loud. It sounds thin and compressed mostly not because of the way it's mastered, but because of the way it was actually recorded. The highs are extreme on this album. I don't know if the engineer had the bias turned all the way down or what, but the highs are up there! The HDCD remastering doesn't do much for this, but it may be worth your while to get this one. Hope this helps lindil.