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Re: Why are Japan "First Pressing" CDs considered the best sounding?

Posted by Quint (D) on April 14, 2007 at 16:44:58

In Reply to: Why are Japan "First Pressing" CDs considered the best sounding? posted by LoWang on April 13, 2007 at 18:03:15:

I can’t offer you a technical reason why Japanese first pressings sound different, but I have a number of them, and I wouldn’t say they uniformly sound better than every other pressing. Some sound great, while others are quite disappointing—at least to my ears.

I still have a Japanese first pressing of DSOTM that I bought used in the late ‘80s. It sounds very nice—smooth and relaxed, though mastered fairly low—but I definitely prefer the SACD and MoFi (in that order). Both sound more resolved and more dynamic, particularly the SACD.

But, really, it’s all about preference. I know a bunch of people who worship at the altar of the first pressing, and think it’s easily the best version of that title. I happen to disagree, but I can appreciate its charms. It’s one of the most “analog”-sounding CD pressings of DSOTM (the MoFi is another one), and if you like that type of sound, it’s definitely a keeper. Of course, it’s also extremely valuable, which is a not-inconsiderable attraction.

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