Thread: Any opinion on Sarah Brightman super rare SACD's?

Posts: 5

Post by Barbazul July 28, 2011 (1 of 5)
I've read that these 3 sacd's by Sarah Brightman were released in China with promoting purposes. Anyway they're now really rare and I could say by their scarcity and high prices that they are a supreme example of what a SACD is. I've searched the web for reviews and they are almost non existant. Anyone who have one or all of them in this forum could share with us a review? Sound quality, AB comparison with redbook, aggressive/discrete or ambience multichannel mix, etc.
I specially like Eden so I would like to know opinions on this one.
Thanks =)

Post by pescholl July 29, 2011 (2 of 5)
Hi, long time reader, first time poster here.

I have all three Sarah Brightman SACDs. They were all released in Hong Kong and they cost me $35 each (US Dollars) to import.

Using the analog outputs I recorded one to my computer (I forget which one, this was around 5 or 6 year ago). Using a spectrum analyzer in Adobe Audition 1.5, I was disappointed to discover that the stereo DSD program was identical to the CD program, i.e. it was 16/44 and not hi-res. The multichannel was recorded in true hi-res.

Having said that, I will only discuss the multichannel mixes.

On "Time To Say Goodbye" the surround mix is mild, you tell it is there but it doesn't distract. I compare it to a good classical surround mix. Sarah's voice is clear and distinct.

On "Eden" there is a stronger surround mix, what you might expect from a pop recording. Sarah's voice is still clear and distinct.

On "La Luna" the surround mix to pushed to its limit. The listener it totally immersed in the sound field. The opening number reminded me of being in a large glass dome at an aviary. The surround field is toned down a little in later tracks but you are still totally immersed. Instead of Sarah's voice coming from a distinct point, it is indistinct and out of focus but still emerging from around the center front image.

From an audiophile point of view, "Time To Say Goodbye" is the best. From a close-you-eyes-and-loose-yourself-in-Sarah's-ethereal-world point of view, "La Luna" is the way to go.

As a devout Sarah Brightman fan, all three SACDs are a delight to listen to.

Hope this helps.

FYI, "Eden" is still my favorite Sarah Brightman album.

Post by Barbazul July 29, 2011 (3 of 5)
pescholl said:

Hi, long time reader, first time poster here.

I have all three Sarah Brightman SACDs. They were all released in Hong Kong and they cost me $35 each (US Dollars) to import....

Excellent and bad news for me: Good because I seldom listen to stereo layer in my sacd's. Bad news because I'm tempted to start the hunting and my wallet is not so happy.

Thank you pescholl!

Post by pescholl July 29, 2011 (4 of 5)
Well, between the hunt and the hit on your wallet, you will treasure these SACDs that much more. Since "Eden" is your favorite, I recommend going for it first, then if you're happy with it you can hunt for the others later.

Post by pescholl August 6, 2011 (5 of 5)
As a quick follow up-

I just learned that the Sarah Brightman album "The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection" has been re-released on the K2HD mastered CD. It has some of my favorite Sarah Brightman/ALW songs on it so I plan to pick it up and compare it to my standard CD. If the sound has a noticeable improvement, I may purchase more K2HD CDs.

YESAsia has the cheapest price at $27.49 + $4.00 shipping.


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