Latest on MJJC

Best prints for each album?

Dorian

Smooth Criminal
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
4,144
Points
113
Doubling this thread from 2000 Watts for more exposure.

I’ve did some research a while ago about the best prints of the albums. My conclusions were:

- Best OTW: vinyl UK first pressing/Japanese 1991 CD
- Best Thriller: vinyl US first pressing/Japanese 2000 SACD
- Best Bad (lol) : vinyl European pressing from 1988

The Thriller hypothesis is confirmed here (also T25 is hot garbage).


Bad is early version (not sure if CD or vinyl) slaps according to this video:

I’m inclined to think that there is no major difference between vinyl and CD from Bad onwards, simply because Michael switched for digital recording. I’ve read somewhere on gearslutz that for the Dangerous vinyl pressing they used both analog and digital sources, but I’m not 100% on this one.

Any help is appreciated.
 
What about:
Dangerous
History
Invincible?
 
I feel like the best OTW issue could be the 1987 Japanese CD, which also has the OG mixes of Rock With You and Get on the Floor.

Best Dangerous issue is probably the 1st pressing vinyl (they're all probably sourced from the same master).

Best Invincible issue has to be the 2009 Music on Vinyl LP set. It's a nice upgrade to the mess the CD is.
 
MJbr2 said:
I feel like the best OTW issue could be the 1987 Japanese CD, which also has the OG mixes of Rock With You and Get on the Floor.

Best Dangerous issue is probably the 1st pressing vinyl (they're all probably sourced from the same master).

Best Invincible issue has to be the 2009 Music on Vinyl LP set. It's a nice upgrade to the mess the CD is.
Click to expand...
True this.

Personally i'm not too crazy about the original mixes of Rock With You/Get On The Floor, i prefer much better the single/2nd versions.

For the Bad album... specifically only talking about CD pressings, i personally think that literally any CD pressing that isn't Bad Special Edition, 25th, 2014, or newer than 2001, sounds great.
Not related but, recently i found out there's like, at least 5 entirely different CD versions of Bad with slight differences in their tracklists, really cool stuff.
 
MJbr2 said:
I feel like the best OTW issue could be the 1987 Japanese CD, which also has the OG mixes of Rock With You and Get on the Floor.

Best Dangerous issue is probably the 1st pressing vinyl (they're all probably sourced from the same master).

Best Invincible issue has to be the 2009 Music on Vinyl LP set. It's a nice upgrade to the mess the CD is.
Click to expand...
Any difference between otw 1987 and the OG?

Also how can the vinyl be better than the CD regarding Dangerous and Invincible. They come from a digital source.
 
Last edited:
Dorian said:
Any difference between otw 1987 and the OG?
Click to expand...
Not really. I just find it to be a tad more balanced than the EU/US CD issues that came before it.

Dorian said:
Also how can the vinyl be better than the CD regarding Dangerous and Invincible. They come from a digital source.
Click to expand...
I'll use Remember the Time and Unbreakable as references:

Dangerous (US 1st LP pressing) [E2 45400]

lAXog7e.png


Dangerous (JP 1st CD pressing) [ESCA5500]

ELpghe5.png


Invincible (2001 EU CD) [495174 2]

LxezH18.png


Invincible (2009 EU "Music on Vinyl" LP reissue) [MOVLP013]

7RMSJVV.png


It's easier to see it when you look at the spectrum :)
 
MJbr2 said:
Not really. I just find it to be a tad more balanced than the EU/US CD issues that came before it.


I'll use Remember the Time and Unbreakable as references:

Dangerous (US 1st LP pressing) [E2 45400]

lAXog7e.png


Dangerous (JP 1st CD pressing) [ESCA5500]

ELpghe5.png


Invincible (2001 EU CD) [495174 2]

LxezH18.png


Invincible (2009 EU "Music on Vinyl" LP reissue) [MOVLP013]

7RMSJVV.png


It's easier to see it when you look at the spectrum :)
Click to expand...
Well in this case of course the vinyl is quitter than the CD. I think this is available post any 90 release.
 
I agree with Dorian on the best sounding pressings. Although the 80's/early 90's Japanese Thriller CD uses the first Vinyl master and has the videoclip mix of Billie Jean. The midrange sounds wonderful on that pressing and that is why i can't decide yet for Thriller. Really looking forward to the MoFi SACD sound!
 
GrandMaster-D said:
I agree with Dorian on the best sounding pressings. Although the 80's/early 90's Japanese Thriller CD uses the first Vinyl master and has the videoclip mix of Billie Jean. The midrange sounds wonderful on that pressing and that is why i can't decide yet for Thriller. Really looking forward to the MoFi SACD sound!
Click to expand...
Yessir. The Japanese 1st pressing CD from 1982/83 is my go-to for now. Sourced from a 1:1 digital master of the original analog master, it sounds pretty neutral.
 
MJbr2 said:
Yessir. The Japanese 1st pressing CD from 1982/83 is my go-to for now. Sourced from a 1:1 digital master of the original analog master, it sounds pretty neutral.
Click to expand...
My go-to Thriller has been the hi-res streaming version, as it is just a PCM conversion of the SACD from 2000, however, i usually find myself alternating between all the different masterings there are, depending on my mood :)
 
NeoGardiV8 said:
My go-to Thriller has been the hi-res streaming version, as it is just a PCM conversion of the SACD from 2000, however, i usually find myself alternating between all the different masterings there are, depending on my mood :)
Click to expand...
Although I love the original master, I truly hate the error in Billie Jean around the 1:00 mark.
 
The waveforms of vinyl can't be used as a comparison tbh. They will always look more dynamic and more quiet even if it's the exact same master used. Same with dynamic range meters, they do not work accurately on vinyl rips.

Vinyl is also always quieter than the cd because it needs to be, if it's the same master they just put it on the vinyl at a lower volume. It doesn't mean anything in regards to sound quality. Obviously a vinyl can sound better but you'd really need to research or listen to it and not just go by waveforms alone.
 
SmoothGangsta said:
The waveforms of vinyl can't be used as a comparison tbh. They will always look more dynamic and more quiet even if it's the exact same master used. Same with dynamic range meters, they do not work accurately on vinyl rips.
Click to expand...
This is correct, however, i will say that Invincible's 2009 MOV LP does sound better, simply because the mastering from the CD/2001 LP is absolutely ass. Actually, i think they literally just slapped the CD master on the original Invincible LP and then called it a day.
 
SmoothGangsta said:
The waveforms of vinyl can't be used as a comparison tbh. They will always look more dynamic and more quiet even if it's the exact same master used. Same with dynamic range meters, they do not work accurately on vinyl rips.

Vinyl is also always quieter than the cd because it needs to be, if it's the same master they just put it on the vinyl at a lower volume. It doesn't mean anything in regards to sound quality. Obviously a vinyl can sound better but you'd really need to research or listen to it and not just go by waveforms alone.
Click to expand...
True. Vinyl can't be compressed as much or else the stylus will jump on the grooves like popcorn on a frying pan, but even then Invincible sounds miles better. I can send you the files so you can hear it for yourself if you'd like.
 
NeoGardiV8 said:
This is correct, however, i will say that Invincible's 2009 MOV LP does sound better, simply because the mastering from the CD/2001 LP is absolutely ass. Actually, i think they literally just slapped the CD master on the original Invincible LP and then called it a day.
Click to expand...
Isn’t that what they do since the late 90s?
 
SmoothGangsta said:
I own the MOV Invincible LP, I agree it sounds slightly better but not the amazing change I've seen other describe it as. It still sounds quite smashed. It definitely sounds a bit more layered and less like a brick than the original cd, though.
Click to expand...
Lucky fella, wish I had that one myself.
Yeah, I do think it's a better option than the CD, but it'd need them to redo the whole thing from the original lines to get it right.
 
by the way... now i'm curious, @Dorian about Bad, why do you think the european LP from '88 sounds any better than the original pressings from '87? 🤔
 
NeoGardiV8 said:
by the way... now i'm curious, @Dorian about Bad, why do you think the european LP from '88 sounds any better than the original pressings from '87? 🤔
Click to expand...
Well, I just opened my vinyl to check the credits and found this: "Recorded digitally on the Mitsubishi multi-track and stereo master recorders".

So it might have been just placebo. I guess the first CD press is the best shot here.

Does anyone have Dangerous to check this? I don’t have the album at hand right now.
 
Dorian said:
Well, I just opened my vinyl to check the credits and found this: "Recorded digitally on the Mitsubishi multi-track and stereo master recorders".

So it might have been just placebo. I guess the first CD press is the best shot here.

Does anyone have Dangerous to check this? I don’t have the album at hand right now.
Click to expand...

What do you need checked?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top