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Mediocre Santana (I) CD

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  • #1

    Mediocre Santana (I) CD

    Just spinned my new copy of SANTANA (I) CD tonight. Very disappointed. While the music is excellent, the sound on this 1998 mastered edition is crap. Veiled. Unclear. No subtle details. Rolled highs. No bite to the guitar. Whats weird is there are three bonus tracks live from Woodstock that sound better than the studio album per se. If this is what the master tape sounds like , I'm glad
    I didn't waste $30 on a 180g Lp version. Anybody have a version of Santana's debut album that sounds fantastic? CD or LP?
    Last edited by JCOConnell; 09-17-2016, 12:06 PM. Reason: added photo
    Magnepan 1.6 QR Loudspeakers, Amherst A-2000 MOSFET 150 WPC Amp, Conrad Johnson PV-10A Modded Tube Line & Phono Stage, Electrocompaniet MC II Class A Head Amp, Audio Technica AT-OC9XML Cart (Stereo) , Graham Engineering 2.2 Tonearm (Stereo) , VPI Aries-1 Turntable (Stereo) , VPI Clamp, Denon DL-102 Cart, (Mono) , Luxman Tonearm (Mono) , Kenwood KD-500 Turntable (Mono) , Michell Clamp, Marantz 20B Analog FM Tuner, Pioneer SACD, Onkyo DX-6800 CD Transport, DIY 24B/192K DAC, Sennheiser HD-650 Headphones, Headroom Max Balanced Headphone Amp, DIY Silver Interconnects
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  • #2
    G'day JC, I'm really sorry to hear that mate.

    JC...most of my CD's are great copies. I have original Abraxis, Caravanserai, and many many others...my favourite quality CD's are Ceremony: Rarities and Remixes, Live at the Filmore 1968. I've digitised to wav most of my collection and it still sounds great. Oh and dare I say this...try YouTube Black Magic Women from his live concert Montreux 2011 here: Santana - Black Magic Woman (Live at Montreux 2011) - YouTube

    As he is easily one of my favourite artists of all time, seen him twice on Stage, I have most of his music available...and love it.

    Exactly which CD did you buy?
    John M. Read PhD CPsychol;
    Oppo 103D SE, Cocktail Audio X40 SE, Marantz TT15S1 turntable. Marantz AV8802A SE, Burmester 897 Upgraded with phonostage. Emotiva XPA5, Marantz MM8077 SE, Finale Galliard 829B SE, Line Magnetic 518ia (SG Ver). Time Portal interconnect cables. Furman Elite Pfi 20, Power Transformer. PMC Twenty26, Sound Dynamics Centre and Bookshelf Dipole rears, Atacama stands, MartinLogan in-ceilings and rears, IDEA & Velodyn 12" subs. All SE by The Upgrade Company, Michigan USA.

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    • #3
      The CD I bought is "Santana" which is the self titled first album from 1969. This CD is the sony legacy edition from 1998. It doesn't sound anywhere near as good as my Lp copy of Abraxas. As far as the 2011 Montreux concert goes, I have that on video ( blu ray disc ) and its very very good, but the sound I wouldn't call great. (good digital)
      Magnepan 1.6 QR Loudspeakers, Amherst A-2000 MOSFET 150 WPC Amp, Conrad Johnson PV-10A Modded Tube Line & Phono Stage, Electrocompaniet MC II Class A Head Amp, Audio Technica AT-OC9XML Cart (Stereo) , Graham Engineering 2.2 Tonearm (Stereo) , VPI Aries-1 Turntable (Stereo) , VPI Clamp, Denon DL-102 Cart, (Mono) , Luxman Tonearm (Mono) , Kenwood KD-500 Turntable (Mono) , Michell Clamp, Marantz 20B Analog FM Tuner, Pioneer SACD, Onkyo DX-6800 CD Transport, DIY 24B/192K DAC, Sennheiser HD-650 Headphones, Headroom Max Balanced Headphone Amp, DIY Silver Interconnects

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      • #4
        There are a bunch of other digital editions of Santana. The older MFSL CD is good, as are the newer MFSL SACD and the HDTracks (and others') 24/96 download.
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        • #5
          Originally posted by rbbert View Post
          There are a bunch of other digital editions of Santana. The older MFSL CD is good, as are the newer MFSL SACD and the HDTracks (and others') 24/96 download.
          Was the MoFi SACD recorded straight from the master tape to DSD or is it one of the PCM recordings converted to DSD?
          Micro Seiki SX-8000 table with flywheel, SME 3012R arm, SME 312S arm, Lyra Etna SL and Dynavector XV-1S cartridges, ARC Ref 3 phono stage, Otari MX-55 tape deck, Ampex 350 repros, Roon Nucleus Plus server, PS Audio DSJ DAC, ARC Ref 6 pre, ARC Ref 75 amp, Parasound JC5 amp, JBL 4345 speakers, and Def Tech Ref subs.

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          • rbbert
            #5.1
            rbbert commented
            09-17-2016, 10:43 AM
            Editing a comment
            I'm pretty sure it is from the master tape, not merely a PCM>DSD conversion of one of the other masterings. I don't know for sure if it was analog R2R straight to DSD though, without a PCM mastering step.
          • mep
            #5.2
            mep commented
            09-17-2016, 07:47 PM
            Editing a comment
            If it wasn't R2R straight to DSD, it's a hybrid. PCM converted to DSD does not sound like native DSD.
        • #6
          which Lp version is the best? seems there are many,
          Magnepan 1.6 QR Loudspeakers, Amherst A-2000 MOSFET 150 WPC Amp, Conrad Johnson PV-10A Modded Tube Line & Phono Stage, Electrocompaniet MC II Class A Head Amp, Audio Technica AT-OC9XML Cart (Stereo) , Graham Engineering 2.2 Tonearm (Stereo) , VPI Aries-1 Turntable (Stereo) , VPI Clamp, Denon DL-102 Cart, (Mono) , Luxman Tonearm (Mono) , Kenwood KD-500 Turntable (Mono) , Michell Clamp, Marantz 20B Analog FM Tuner, Pioneer SACD, Onkyo DX-6800 CD Transport, DIY 24B/192K DAC, Sennheiser HD-650 Headphones, Headroom Max Balanced Headphone Amp, DIY Silver Interconnects
          • Likes 1

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          • Johnny Vinyl
            #6.1
            Johnny Vinyl commented
            09-17-2016, 12:10 PM
            Editing a comment
            I'd like to know this as well, including Abraxas and Amigos.
          • MylesBAstor
            #6.2
            MylesBAstor commented
            09-18-2016, 01:08 AM
            Editing a comment
            Scroll down.

            vinyl
            http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue44/vinyl.htm


            I'm relying on memory and would have to recheck but the ARS Santana done by Joerg Kessler in Germany was my preferred reissue. But the ARS is a little harder to come by nowadays is it's been OOP for roughly 20 years now. Occasionally ARSs' do pop up on eBay. (they did maybe 6-10 other reissues IIRC before closing; imagine if they had started today!)
        • #7
          Still waiting to get my $100 copy of the new MFSL LP of Santana.
          Micro Seiki SX-8000 table with flywheel, SME 3012R arm, SME 312S arm, Lyra Etna SL and Dynavector XV-1S cartridges, ARC Ref 3 phono stage, Otari MX-55 tape deck, Ampex 350 repros, Roon Nucleus Plus server, PS Audio DSJ DAC, ARC Ref 6 pre, ARC Ref 75 amp, Parasound JC5 amp, JBL 4345 speakers, and Def Tech Ref subs.

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          • JCOConnell
            #7.1
            JCOConnell commented
            09-18-2016, 07:43 AM
            Editing a comment
            the $100 copy is not Santana, its Abraxas
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