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The sound is better for sure, but unfortunately it's at the expense of the dynamics. The loudness wars strike again! This isn't anywhere near as bad as Death Magnetic and I think most iPod users with casual in ear buds phones will find this may line up with a lot of the other material of recent years, but it's a shame that this nice new transfer had so much squashing done in the mastering phase, with limiting or brickwalling applied so that there is no clipping, as you can see from the "peak" field in the 2010 files.
Here are the dynamic range logs for each taken from a bit-for-bit EAC extraction of the original CD's: (note - I removed GDML from the 2010 folder for straight comparison of the 10 PHM tracks) posted: posted: For a comparison, here's Head Like A Hole's waveform: (Sorry if they're a tiny bit large for your screen, when I shrank them they became hard to read, so I left them at their original size. They should be okay for anyone running 1024x768 or higher) 1989 
2010 
The original 1989 CD has twice the dynamic range of the 2010 re-master. Here's hoping perhaps when a Super Deluxe edition eventually comes out, when TR has more time to devote to such a project if he wants, that more care will be taken in the mastering. IMO the new 2010 one will be better in the car and if you're working out or travelling with earphones in being mobile, the 1989 one will probably still be my choice for home listening. Maybe the vinyl will have better dynamics, this mix with 1989's dynamics would be the tits! Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2010 08:12AM by dobyblue. | |
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member deluxe audio nerd 
Joined: 11/27/07 Location: the wide open killingfiel Posts: 778 |
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I can verify the info dobyblue posted -- it's DEFINITELY louder.
Here's a waveform comparison I did of Ringfinger just to satisfy some of my own curiosities about the changes: 
I haven't had a chance to do anything more than spot-listen to a few tracks for now, but by tomorrow I hope to have had an opportunity to do so with a reasonably good set of headphones and using the FLAC audio files of the remastered tracks. Without the benefit of having a full listen I can't really "review" the album, but I can say with the spot-checking I've done that PHM2010 DOES sound more clear, crisp, and more loud than the original. All good things in my opinion, so take it for whatever it's worth. | |
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I pre-ordered mine on Amazon, and it isn't supposed to get here till the 25th - 30th.
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member Oozing of Onslaughttitude 
Joined: 12/03/07 Location: In front of my computer Posts: 1,708 |
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dobyblue posted: OH SHIT! Oh well! $10 Disappointed to say the least! Oh well! At least it will be LOUDer! Ideal master for... A. Road workers B. Airline passengers seated in 32E C. ipod owners with stock earbuds D. People with a proper stereo with a broken volume knob. E. All of the above. I have no problem boosting the levels of the orignal or re-EQing to bring out subtle details that may have been lost in the original mastering, but not at such a severe expense to the dynamic range of the original. First when you boost a recording significantly you are raising the noise floor. This will make quieter sections sound "noisier". Second, recordings that employ 0 dB or brick-wall limiting will have an artificial pumping sound as drum sounds such as crash cymbals will not be able to complete a natural arc to the sound and are "cut off" at the top of the event. Dynamic range delivers the "punch" or "power" to the music. Much of this may be lost to many people and I don't expect to convert others. By the same token, those of us who do "have an ear" for such matters shouldn't have their concerns discounted by trivial assertions of being "weenies" or "loudness war - blah, blah". Peace, mixter_ | |
