Thread: Exton - DSD, PCM, True Multichannel or Synthetic?

Posts: 10

Post by Windsurfer May 18, 2007 (1 of 10)
Having, in my opinion, been burned with the Mozart Haffner disc on Exton, I began to wonder how many like that are in the catalog and how can one tell?

For those who haven't read my post, the disc in question is a remastering of a 1993 PCM recording complete with synthesized surround sound.

I note also that Macal is doing a Dvorak series with Exton. Symphonies 2 & 6 are identified as multichannel and as DSD. This would indicate they are new recordings. However, 4 & 8, and 3 & 7 are listed the same as the Mozart:

(Multi-ch, Hybrid) with nothing to indicate the provenance of the Multi-Channel recording. Is it a high resolution recording with original MCH included or is it a remix of a pcm recording dating from (like my Mozart) 1993 or there abouts?

This is important to me because I can buy just about 2 PentaTones, or Telarcs, or BIS, or LSO Live, or most anything else available in the US for the price on one Exton.

A good Exton is very good indeed. One synthesized from an older PCM recording such as that Mozart Haffner Serenade is simply disappointing. Do I need to avoid all non-DSD recorded Extons to avoid the trap?

Post by Arthur May 18, 2007 (2 of 10)
The 4th and 8th is a remastered recording from 1997. All the rest of his Dvoraks are newly recorded DSD recordings. There is nothing on the 4 & 8 to indicate it is not true multi-channel, but since my surround speakers have not been hooked up for about three months, I cannot verify if this is true or not.
By the way, I am liking his performances very much!
Bret

Post by Windsurfer May 19, 2007 (3 of 10)
Arthur said:

The 4th and 8th is a remastered recording from 1997. All the rest of his Dvoraks are newly recorded DSD recordings. There is nothing on the 4 & 8 to indicate it is not true multi-channel, but since my surround speakers have not been hooked up for about three months, I cannot verify if this is true or not.
By the way, I am liking his performances very much!
Bret

Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 7 - Macal indicates nothing about DSD for the 3rd and 7th. Do you have it and note from the recording documentation that that is the case? (that its a new recording and not a remastering?) I am particularly interested in that title. Thanks

Bruce

Post by flyingdutchman May 19, 2007 (4 of 10)
Windsurfer said:

Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 7 - Macal indicates nothing about DSD for the 3rd and 7th. Do you have it and note from the recording documentation that that is the case? (that its a new recording and not a remastering?) I am particularly interested in that title. Thanks

Bruce

I cannot answer the question Bruce, but I do know that the 3rd and 7th were also released much earlier as DVD-Audio.

Edit to add:

If you look at the sacd cover, you will see a DSD or a Mult-channel (in the case of the 4th and 8th) in the lower right corner. By that indication, I would suggest that everything, save the 4th and 8th, are DSD recorded.

Post by nickc May 19, 2007 (5 of 10)
Windsurfer said:

Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 7 - Macal indicates nothing about DSD for the 3rd and 7th. Do you have it and note from the recording documentation that that is the case? (that its a new recording and not a remastering?) I am particularly interested in that title. Thanks

Bruce

Hi Bruce
I think 3 & 7 are 96/24 5.0 PCM recordings from late 2004.
Cheers
Nick

Post by Arthur May 19, 2007 (6 of 10)
flyingdutchman said:

I cannot answer the question Bruce, but I do know that the 3rd and 7th were also released much earlier as DVD-Audio.

Edit to add:

If you look at the sacd cover, you will see a DSD or a Mult-channel (in the case of the 4th and 8th) in the lower right corner. By that indication, I would suggest that everything, save the 4th and 8th, are DSD recorded.

Windsurfer:
I stand corrected, Dutchman is right: 3 & 7 is a remastering. It says so quite clearly (if in rather small print), but the others (except 4 & 8 as already indicated) say equally clearly "DSD Recording". To read stuff that small I have to remove my bi-focals. It's nice to know there's something I can read au naturel, if only from 2 inches away! (-:
Bret

Post by Windsurfer May 21, 2007 (7 of 10)
flyingdutchman said:

If you look at the sacd cover, you will see a DSD or a Mult-channel (in the case of the 4th and 8th) in the lower right corner. By that indication, I would suggest that everything, save the 4th and 8th, are DSD recorded.

On all the Extons I have, I see on the front in the lower right hand corner, the pentagonal 5 channel icon. Just above that are the capital letters DSD. However it is on the rear of the case that we find some real information.

In the case of the Mozart Haffner Serenade, in the right hand column, just below the bold blue letters DSD, within in the same grey background, we see "remastering" while in the same spot on the Bruckner 6th and the Mozart Piano Concertos 17&20 we see the word "recording". Unfortunately I don't know of a way to see the rear end of an EXTON case without actually holding it in your hand because no website I know of provides that picture!

But thank you for your interest and effort.
Bruce

Post by Peter May 23, 2007 (8 of 10)
I've listened to Respighi: Church Windows etc. - Ashkenazy; the performances are red-blooded. I particularly enjoyed the Belfagor Overture - really well done here. The sound is good - the impression I got was close strings in the Mercury manner, followed by enormous depth to the orchestra, the timps sounding clear but way in the distance. (Listened in stereo)

Now that more have been announced for distribution in Europe, I wonder what these two are like:

Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, Novak: Slovak Suite - Macal recommended by four of four

and

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 - Mácal which only one of two recommends.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Post by tommwi May 23, 2007 (9 of 10)
Peter said:

Now that more have been announced for distribution in Europe

Exton i Europe? I must have missed something here.

What, when and where?

/Tommy

Post by zeus May 23, 2007 (10 of 10)
tommwi said:

Exton i Europe? I must have missed something here.

Follow this link:

/alltitles/24

and select "jpc" as the vendor (from the drop down at the top of the page). These titles should also appear on other European sites in a few days.

Closed