Hi-Rez Highway

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RE: Tower Records Japan SACD Reissues: any opinions?

Posted by PAR on May 9, 2020 at 16:23:08:
" Any comments would be appreciated."

This is definitely in the nature of "any comments" as it certainly is not conclusive.

It has been the practice of at least two major companies to license their repertoire for limited pressing and distribution by important retail record stores. For example until EMI's demise the UK chain of stores, HMV, produced licensed editions of EMI classical repertoire.

The Davis/BSO Sibelius recordings were originally issued by Philips which became part of UMG with the repertoire thereon being reissued under the Decca imprint. The Tower Records Japan SACD issue complies with this branding at least. UMG certainly do license selected repertoire to retailers for pressing and distribution, for example with Presto Classical in the UK.

I am therefore inclined to believe that the Tower Records Japan issues are legitimate although what they have been mastered from is unclear. The fire at UMG destroyed thousands of masters which may well have included these. So if these are a DSD digitisations from the analogue originals or an upsample from 16/44.1 PCM masters or copy masters is not known.

My opinion is that if this set is priced at a level where it is worth a punt on your behalf then do it. If, on the other hand, you want a 100% certainty then leave alone.