Living Stereo 3CH SACDs at Best Buy

Rob Babcock · « **on:** 17 Jan 2006, 08:01 pm »

Just a heads up to fellow AC'ers- I found that BB has the SACD remastered/reissued Living Stereo SACDs. They're only $11.99, just like they cost at Amazon or Music Direct. I bought half a dozen of them, and I'll probably have to look thru them once more.

BTW, they're mixed in with the regular classical CDs at the location where I shop. For some reason they brought back the SACD section again, although I have no idea why- there's only about 50 discs there. I think there's more of 'em simply mixed thru out the regular music. And they wonder why the format isn't taking off?

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:43 am »

Tower Records has them for $9.99 .... http://www.towerrecords.com/Classical/Default.aspx?search_in=cLabel&oft=Living%20Stereo&urlid=9cc3d76763ef142419&label_free=Living%20Stereo&

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:48 am »

That is a great deal. Wonder how long it's going? I'll probably end up buying more from there. But on the upside, I've already got a few of mine listened to, and lemme tell you, they're sublime! Two thumbs way up.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:53 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

That is a great deal. Wonder how long it's going? I'll probably end up buying more from there. But on the upside, I've already got a few of mine listened to, and lemme tell you, they're sublime! Two thumbs way up.

Don't know how long the sale is...but their all very good.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:54 am »

Yeah, but you'll have to pay sales tax, wontcha? Still pretty cheap, tho.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 03:59 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

Yeah, but you'll have to pay sales tax, wontcha? Still pretty cheap, tho.

8.625%....The State needs the money...hey, it's NY...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$....

Mathew_M · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 04:45 am »

I just purchased a couple from Tower for 8.99 a piece with free shipping (orders over $20). I'm really impressed by the sound quality through my Squeezebox. Very analog and robust. It would be interesting to hear a comparison to the SACD layer.

I can't stand shopping for music at Best Buy anymore. For some reason they crank up the shitty alt-rock to ear bleeding levels in their music department.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 05:18 am »

Last couple times I've been in it's been the Eagles Greatest Hits. Not sure which is worse.

brj · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 05:46 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

But on the upside, I've already got a few of mine listened to, and lemme tell you, they're sublime! Two thumbs way up.

For those of us still stuck in the dark ages... how's the Redbook layer?

Thanks!

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 05:54 am »

Quote from: brj

Quote from: Rob Babcock
But on the upside, I've already got a few of mine listened to, and lemme tell you, they're sublime! Two thumbs way up.

For those of us still stuck in the dark ages... how's the Redbook layer?

Thanks!

Its excellent...I've compared the old cds to the new hybrid's....much better sounding !!!

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:06 am »

Some further reading.... http://www.fanfaremag.com/archive/articles/28_3/283031.aa.Living_Stereo.html

brj · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:07 am »

Thanks, Lonewolf!

They have a lot of good titles listed, and for those prices, I don't mind having an SACD layer that I can't use just yet. From the Living Stereo website, it appears that there was almost no editing done on the re-releases (although I imagine they had to get creative with the Redbook layer of 3 channel recordings).

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:22 am »

Quote

Dan Guss, the senior director of catalog development for BMG Classics, serves as the series producer. He makes no apology for lavishing modern technology on recordings from the dawn of the stereo era. “These are some of the best-sounding recordings ever made, period,” he says, “and whenever a significant new technology comes along, it only stands to reason that we should try it out with the best of the best. Gilbert Hetherwick, who is vice president and general manager of BMG Classics, wanted to revitalize the catalog and revitalize the Living Stereo line. Living Stereo was always well known for its superior sound quality, so it was an opportunity to see how much more superior we could make it. It’s not so much that you’re improving the sound; you’re minimizing the level of interference between the original recording and the listener. There’s more information to be had than the LP could allow; more was able to come through when CDs came along, and now there’s still more we can hear. Of course, the opportunity was there to remix, but the original producers and engineers and artists created these recordings with a certain expectation of how they would sound, and it didn’t make sense for us to monkey with that. Everything is new re-mastering from the original source, including the CD layer as well as the two-track and three-track DSD layers.”

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:25 am »

They did a helluva job. The four that I've listened to so far sound fantastic.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:35 am »

I think this thread should be in the Music Circle....?

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:39 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42

Agreed. Music circle.

Galactus · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Jan 2006, 06:45 am »

Done.

Woodsea · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jan 2006, 01:44 am »

Thanks for the heads-up guys, I ordered 3 from Tower!

Brad · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jan 2006, 04:21 am »

I'm trying to limit myself to 10 or so of these...........

Silly hobby

ted_b · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Jan 2006, 04:35 am »

As I've posted earlier on another classical thread (I think) these SACD's are absolutely incredible. They are my reissues of the year, by far.

BTW, a number of these, and their Mercury Living Presence counterparts, are at yourmusic.com for $5.99 shipped.