3 of 5 recommend this SA-CD
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Label:
   Universal (Japan) - http://www.universal-music.co.jp/
Serial:
   UCGU-9004
Title:
   Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong: Ella & Louis
Description:
   "Ella & Louis"

Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Details:
  
Genre:
   Jazz
Content:
   Mono
Media:
   Single Layer
Recording type:
  
Recording info:
  
Note:
   "SACD-SHM"
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Related titles: 3
 
Reviews: 1
Review by analogue September 6, 2011 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:  Sonics:
This is such an amazing album from the 1950's. Simply fantastic music. This title is also one of the first shm-sacd's I purchased.

As the music on this album is classic, historic and first rate and since this title has been covered on this site many times thus far..I will only mention the virtues of it's quality of sound.

I owned the original verve sacd back in the early days of sacd and while it had some nice qualities it also had some shortcomings as well. It was compressed a little so that it could be a tad loud and forceful(BUT NOT Like THE WORST OFFENDERS THOUGH) and it did in fact bely it's age. By that I mean that it did not as sound fresh as a newer transfer with the latest hardware would sound.

After buying the first sacd......Verve Japan released a newer transfer which was gorgeous and much improved over the first Verve sacd. I was really impressed with the second version and did not regret the extra money spent.

Years later Universal Japan released yet a third version (of which this review is based upon) but which was transferred from the the original dsd transfer of the first sacd release.

The Shm treatment made for a smoother and less bumpy listen but still falls short of even the decent sounding shm-sacd's. It still sounded a little old and worn but not as much as the first disc.
There is no guarantee as to sound quality of any Shm Sacd when going back to previous and older dsd files. Some are good and some are simply not worth the money. And there is simply no way to tell which will sound great and which will sound not so great. But the better the original transfer the better the newer shm sacd will sound. The Getz Gilberto shm sacd from a previous dsd file was simply amazing while the Layla was a flat lifeless mess.

In this case it was not worth parting with the green for the disc. The second verve release is a better listen.

And although I have read nary a review ...a fourth version has been or will be released by Analogue Productions. Four of the same title in less than a decade. And Im not counting the botique cd labels either. Go figure.

Amazing album and timeless music...but I cannot recommend this shm-sacd disc. Certainly not for the price one would pay for it.

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