I haven’t seen Mike this excited about a new pressing in quite some time. I am very lucky and fortunate to be a Steely Dan fan since I first heard Can’t Buy a Thrill. Aja is one of my all time favorite albums. I think I have close to 20 different pressings and, IMHO, the Analogue Productions UHQR is the best.
Nah. No more 45rpm albums for me. The need to get up too many times to change sides to listen to a whole LP. Negates any incremental sonic improvement I may be able hear. I’ve heard enough stacked Michael McDonald harmonies on Peg to last a lifetime.
I bought the UHQR version, AJA is sentimental to me. My first UHQR purchase. Honestly, cannot tell much of a difference over my AB-1006. That one was and is still my Grail.
The OG AB1006 is excellent. MOst of the them were pressed at Monarch as well and I notice the vinyl quality is pretty good. Still, I would like to compare it with the UHQR but not able to buy it as yet. This could be Bernie's swansong mastering and I recall him mentioning AJA is one of his favs that he did the orig mastering back in 1977 in this case. @@gotozerobassman
The Aja UHQR trounces the previous ones for Steely Dan thus far. You may as well just have purchased the $29 Universal releases from CBAT to PL as they were similar. The UHQR Aja is a HUGE difference this time around. Hopefully the Gaucho UHQR will be as good as Aja. I think Mike almost had a nervous break down after hearing the Aja UHQR : )
Disclaimer--I bought my UHQR Aja from The 'In' Groove. 😉 I think the UHQR is good, but not $150 good. As much as some in the audiophile press (*cough* Fremer *cough*) seem to think this is like the Best Record Ever Made in the History of All Records, I'm...underwhelmed, I guess? I just feel as though it's a flawless, pristine pressing of what it essentially a 46 year old safety copy of a 46 year old master tape. I find the "AB" pressing has slightly more details in the highs. The UHQR isn't bad by any means, but it wasn't the revelation all the press claims it is. But while listening to the album, I had a revelation. As I was listening to the fourth side of the UHQR, I must have gotten mentally sidetracked. As the record faded out, I realized I'd forgot I was listening to a UHQR or any "special" pressing--I was paying attention to the *music* which is what we should all be doing anyway. (So yes...I'm a Dan fan, but not a rabid one.) Seeing that the SACDs of the previous Steely Dan UHQR titles sound nearly identical to the vinyl UHQRs, I likely will hang onto those and sell the UHQRs. (Sad thing is, it cost me a small fortune to make my digital playback sound as good as it does...so while I can say I'd be happier with the SACDs, I can't recommend others do so unless they have a system to do them justice.) Given how disappointing the recent Face Value 45 RPM was, it's once again making me doubt what Analogue Productions is putting out.
Couldn’t agree more. I just got mine and was underwhelmed. The presentation was impressive, the quiet noise floor of the vinyl is quite good, but that is where the thrill ends. It sounds like a 47 year old recording on a decaying Ampex tape. I didn’t get 38 seconds in before I heard a raspy/edgy sounding open high hat hit at the beginning of the second verse of Black Cow. It was a tell tale sign of degraded Ampex. I don’t care how it was stored, Ampex never held up well with age. Although they gave it their best shot, it just brought the subtle anomaly’s of the aging tape to the forefront. I’ll be selling mine copy. Can’t listen to it twice.
Lol. You are going to have to listen to Steely Dan forever. 😀 I understand that it's in your best interest to sell records but I think you have proven that the reputation you have for being honest matters more. Happy Thanksgiving.
Am a huge fan of Steely Dan and got the AB 1006 and AAB 1006 on your recommendation and it is amazing and the uhqr is very much an upgrade it is so good
I enjoy Steely Dan have the MoFi and A/B but this UHQR is amazing. I demo this for friends and it blows their minds. I got lucky on the A/B unknowing what I had until you covered it here thanks Mike.
Lol mike u need to do a BLIND TEST because your prejudice against digital and you already know the outcome lol. When the SACD comes out do a blind test with Cd’s, SACD and redo the Analog.
The video I saw of Bernie explaining his master on the AB1006 is he had to do very little to the master because the mix was done so well by Donald and Walter. So i can't imagine any other version being hundreds of dollars better!
Sorry Mike but…depressing in so many ways. Look, I have no doubt the UHQR is a thing of wonder, that the OG is great, but you can’t say the new $30 dollar version is ‘pretty damn good’ before deciding it’s garbage (which is pretty much what you declare later). It’s sad if the engineer for the Geffin release has screwed it up but let’s face it the labels, or most labels, don’t give a damn. Pile ‘em up and sell, sell, sell. But after reading and watching various reviews I doubt it’s quite the horror show you suggest. I’ve bought all of the Geffin Dan releases and will complete the set because none of my ‘old’ copies are the OGs. I lived n the UK and now Europe and Steely Dan are just not n the used bins…none of the albums…and so this idea we should look for OGs doesn’t work. And I really don’t want to use Discogs unless there is no other way…I want to see something before I buy. I spend a fair amount on vinyl but €200 for a UHQR is (sorry) to me insane. But then my friends think the amount I spend on records should lead to some kind of therapy. If you can afford the UHQR then great, knock yourself out. The rest of us mere mortals will buy what we can and hope that the engineers care about what they do. After all, as the man said, ‘it’s he music stupid’. Sorry to be negative but your video wound me up a little… I’ll keep watching though.
Mike, yes this UHQR has created a problem, it raised the bar too far. When I first played it, I almost jumped in my seat, the sound was not coming from 2 channels, it felt as if I had a full range surround sound. I think Bernie gave us his legacy masterpiece in his UHQR
Hi Mike....Thanks a lot for your review. I have no doubt now this Aja is the best of all time. I saw other reviews where they mentioned not have the Cisco..but basically all of them reached to the same conclusion but your review 100% confirms how good this UHQR is. I am a Steely Dan fan :) and already bought Cant Buy a Thrill....next on my list is Royal Scam...I love Gaucho but I need to wait for your review to see if the UHQR it is better than the original which honestly is very hard to beat. Royal Scam I hope they can improve the sound quality and I think there is a lot room for improvement on that album. On the new digital version of Aja it could be the digital file was not really ready for vinyl mastering and the cutting engineer needed to do more than just a simple direct transfer. Bernie should know. By the way...I have question...yo mentioned Sledgehammer 45 RPM. Which edition are you referring here....Is the 2 x 45 RPM Peter Gabriel SO album? Or are you referring to the 12 Inch Singles of Sledgehammer in 45 RPM from 1986? Thanks a lot
Thank you for this shootout, Mike. I don't have the Cisco, but the original AB1006 and the UHQR. On my rig (MoFi Studiodeck, Nagaoka MP300, Graham Slee Reflex M, Cardas cables) I didn't hear that much of a difference between the AB1006 and the UHQR. I think I keep listening to the original to not too often stand up and flip the record😂
i have an AB pressing and bought the umg reissue. my ears must not work correctly, because i thought the new reissue sounded amazing. my system didn’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so i wonder if i’d even hear the difference on the uhqr.
Mike how about a video on top 10 or 25 albums to Demo equipment? Don’t recall if you have made anything like that. Another great video as always. From Pensacola Jim…
Aja is the best album in the history of best albums. The only reason i listen to music at all is because of Aja. Its my life mission to acquire every single copy of Aja on the planet !!!! (that includes YOURS, yes you reading this, i'm coming after all your Aja's so lookout) Aja is the only album i own, and i currently have a record collection of 26,074 albums, all Aja. I'm not interested in listening to anything other than Aja Audiophiles wouldnt exist if it wasn't for Aja. In fact Music wouldnt exist if it wasnt for Aja There will never be a better album than Aja There is Aja then there is the distance between earth and the sun x100000000000000000 then in 2nd place is Aja again. If you want to end the war right this second just send a copy of Aja to the Palestinians and the Israelis and BOOM...over instantly..
What happened to the 45 RPM of the other 4 titles that are released .... Are they not as good as Aja .... Wasn't the original master tape used on anything .... It's too bad they're missing the 24 analog multi track of Black Cow and the song Aja ... Cause frankly is making a remix in 2025 a bad thing..... Or does it have to do with the original mix ... Because I am lost with origingal mixes vs remixes ... King Crimson they remixed everything .... Yes almost got close ELP didn't do Pictures from the 16 track multi track ... I'm not sure if Works 1 and 2 and Love Beach are even worth it .... Gaucho on DVD had a sort of smidget of a remix although they consider it a surround sound 5.1 mix ... Although when using Foobar with mixing down the channels it was kinda of better then the original 2 track mix ... And with Katy Lied needs a new remix because they screwed it up using a defect DBX box like Yes's Progeny ... I don't know maybe doing digital remixes is a bad thing... Cause I don't understand ... I mean The Who were remixed David Bowie kinda of was ... Flpyd they're working on .... The Beatles except Revolver where they used AI I think ... I have a few rips from rippers of the 150.00 Aja and frankly it was good ... The cisco I found was too bright .. I need to go back the 1977 AA AB cut to see if that original LP is better then this 45 RPM .... Peter Gabriel So he is talking about the old 45 RPM are the new 45 RPM because again I'm confused ... I only thought with Gabriel well are we talking about the later one or the one from 2002 where I thought the only 45 RPM was the 4th Peter Gabriel album with Shock The Monkey... I'm so freaking confused I don't even care ... I think I have a rip copy of Pretzel Logic and I heard that was terrible ... What do I know ...
d***, I'm a Dan fan. Big one. I resisted this one because here in Europe, it's not $150, it's 200 ******** euros. I've been resisting because a reissue, as audiophile as it maybe, cannot be that expensive. It just goes against my principles. But looks like I'll need to pony up......
Aja on those Wilson's must be killer I bet Mike. The sound must envelope you from what I picked up from your UHQR45 review. Your going to convince many to buy the UHQR Mike. From your recommendation and that free contest for a Steely Dan cruise offering, I'm game. Ha
"Does this make me a Steely Dan fan"? LOL! I hear you! I've a got a couple NM real ABs and a few more ABs with the B scratched out. I still struggle though with the band and I don't think I've listened to any of the copies all the way through! I'm definitely not going to pop for the UHQR--besides I'm lazy and hate 45 rpm sets!
What's the fuzz about this maybe good , but not very good album , do mean 1977 studio's ? One has to pay 229 Euro's for an lp , give me a break . Modern recordings , like the Jacob Collier , Gavin Harrison , The English band Frost , Sanguine Hum , sounding far better on CD than this Royal Scam ?!
My dad has an AB or Aa copy from the 70s and it sounds amazing. I personally cannot bring myself to pay hundreds of dollars for a single album these days. The UHQRs do sound absolutely fantastic mind blowing for sure.
The sound engineer must be a deaf person. They should not sell these. It’s a waste of money. I will never buy from that record company no more because they obviously don’t care about high quality sound or even worse have no clue what that is.
Now i cant commend on the Analog preduction version of Aja because ended up canceling my copy after buying and listening to the first release from them of Steely Dans first album Cant Buy a Trill. i am a big Steely Dan fan as well as a Bernie Grundman fan and was super excited when i heard the master tapes ( at least most ) were found and the were going to have Bernie remaster them to 45 rpm. i had planned to purchase every single one and ended buying Cant Buy a Thrill and the pre release of Aja. Well after listening ( on a exceptionally well balanced and tuned system as mine is ) i was quickly disapointed after comparing it to my other versions. i immediately canceled my pre order copy of Aja coming to the conclusion these versions are being mastered to Chads preferences and i am not a fan of the sound hes after. Ive now been burned to many times buying many of his remasters to be ver disappointed in there sound. wouls love to here this version from all the reviews but am highly skeptical.
The master tape on this was very likely lost in the fire that took out a TON of master tapes some, like five to ten years back? There have been way too many SoCal fires. One of them took out a HUGE catalog of masters.
What is with the obsession with Steely Dan? 😂 not only you, but in the audiophile community, Steely Dan is mentioned all the time. Does anyone genuinely like them that much, or is it that it’s a title that gets repressed so it’s something to talk about?I realise I may sound negative, for that, I do apologise. Peace. Awesome channel though, man. I do enjoy listening to the technicalities and processes in creating records.
I own AB 1006, new DSD Aja released a month ago (featured in this video) and the UHQR which just landed last week...I can tell you there isn't so much difference if all between the DSD Aja and UHQR version, the DSD one is phenomenal. I own a resolving high-end system and am into critical listening, you can believe me when I say so. When I "want" my UHQR to sound much better, in my mind I do so, when I listen critically and placebo effect is turned off in my brain, it's almost a tie. AB version is also very good but I place it behind my DSD one as it's been played over and over again and some sound fading due to slightly altered groove geometry is becoming noticeable.
I respect the dedication even though you don't consider yourself much of a Dan fan. I am not a huge fan myself, although I really enjoy some of their stuff. Plus the stories of studio perfectionism are fun. I was looking at my copy of Aja (that I got from my friend's dad when I was 8) the other day. It is one of those with AB scratched out in the deadwax. (AA appears everywhere else.) Pressed at Columbia's Pitman plant. Runouts end in P4/P4, so not sure if it's still a Grundman cut. Once it gets the cleaning it desperately needs, I will give it a listen.
Safeties can be very good. I think of it this way: A mastering engineer can do a poor or subpar job with the mastertape. A mastering engineer can do a great job with a safety that basically sounds like the original mastertape. Which would I rather have? A great mastering from a safety. All day long.
After being disappointed with the sound on the "Pretzel Logic" UHQR, I was reluctant to spend the $150 on the "Aja" UHQR. So instead, I bought the $29 digital copy. Now that everyone is raving about it, I'm going to have to spend the money and get it. Hopefully, the rest of the Steely Dan releases on UHQR will be of equal quality as "Aja".
I have the AA-1006 copy. Got it for 12 bucks. I'd like to buy a better version at some point on vinyl, but I guess until then I will listen to what I have on Vinyl CD, and the 24 bit 192 kHz digital.
I’m betting the $30 version by Alex Abrash is not a simple flat transfer of Bernie’s to cut the lacquer. There is a compression in dynamic range and a boost to loudness that I don’t think could be in the original work of Bernie. That’s been my experience with the 3 of the 4 Steely Dan reissues done by AA Mastering. P.S. For me, the Can’t Buy A Thrill had a near same improvement impact to me.
I have this and Pretzel Logic. I feel like Acoustic Sounds should send everyone that purchased Pretzel Logic a $50 dollar gift card. Very disappointing
After watching your video, I had to check my copy. I have an AA! Kind of thought it might be as I lived in southern Calif and was a huge Steely Dan fan. So as soon as it came out I bought it. I would really like tp have the UHQR but my copy is near mint and not sure if the difference is worth $150. But I really enjoyed your video!
Dude has 15 different pressings and probably listens to Aja once every four or five years or so...if that. Lol. I have about 2,000 albums in my music library and there might be a half dozen instances where I have multiple pressings of the same album. This usually occurs when I buy an album and was not happy with it: could be SQ issues or pressing defects. But the truth is that I just don't obsess over this stuff like I used to. Being a vinyl junky no longer means that I have to race to empty my wallet as quickly as possible on vinyl records. There are certain mastering studios/engineers and record pressing plants that I look for when I buy new vinyl. But beyond that I just don't care whether or not the Kevin Gray 2006 remaster of some album sounds a smidge better than the Ryan Smith 2023 remaster of the same album. And people really need to do a sanity check on these $150 albums, because they are being taken to the cleaners and receiving exceptionally poor value for money. And I say that as someone who has bought some of these expensive pressings and came to regret it. What blows me away is that some people seem to live in fear that they aren't spinning the absolute best sounding pressing of any given record as judged by people on the internet who they don't know, and will then blow $150 on a pressing like this without really thinking about it too much. Yep, Magic Mike told me I needed the UHQR if I wanted the best sounding pressing possible. So I went out and bought it. WTH!! I thought $34.99 was a lot of money to pay for a 200g Classic Records release during that label's heyday about 20 or so years ago. Chad Kassem has bought the Classic Records label, and in some cases is reusing those Classic Records 45RPM plates (which he now owns). He has put everything in very nice packaging, and viola: a $150 album! So things have gotten out of hand over the last twenty years or so. I don't have a problem with using the CR 45RPM plates, but the pricing is getting absurd. Don't get me wrong. I happen to like Chad and bought tons of Analogue Productions vinyl from him over the last two decades. But that doesn't mean he is beyond fair criticism. Supporting these ultra expensive reissues just lays the foundation for $200 reissues, or $300 reissues, or $500 reissues down the road. At some point vinylphiles are going to need to push back on price gouging like this by keeping the money in their wallet. When AP or MoFi ends up sitting on 10,000 records that no one wants to spend $125 or $150 to get then they will lower the price -- and still make a lot of money. Some people really need to learn to relax, and just listen to and enjoy music. It is much more rewarding than being a vinyl or gear snob or chasing after bragging rights. And this guy has a financial stake in selling you stuff...so it is not like he has no skin in the game. The conflict of interest is obvious. As he said, he isn't the one who made the record -- but he is here shilling for it. And after that big rant some might be wondering if I have even heard the Aja UHQR pressing. I have. I own it. I was genuinely curious about how it would compare to the three other pressings of Aja that I own. I prefer two of those other pressings to the Analogue Productions UHQR, and by a wide margin. I'm not going to get into the details of that. Both of them are out of print and selling for crazy silly money on discogs and eBay when you can find them. I will say that neither of them are the Cisco Music 180g pressing, as I don't own that pressing. Does this mean I think the UHQR pressing sucks? No, it doesn't. On its own it sounds very good and I can see how some people might like it. But it doesn't stand up very well to the pressings that I prefer and it doesn't pass the critical listening sniff test as far as I'm concerned.
I have 2 Aja LPs- the UHQR and at scratch out AB on the dead wax. The AB is quite good; the UHQR is better- the vinyl on the UHQR is notably quieter. If there were no UHQR version or if I could not swing the UHQR, the AB is still considerably more than satisfactory,
Interesting and helpful information. Thank you. After listening to the MFSL pressing last night at a friend's home, I decided to do a search to see what might be new and found your review. In the deadwax of the copy I purchased new many years ago was the following: • AB 1006 (RE-3) - A {1A scratched out} 1B • AB 1006 (RE-3) - B 1A Why 1B is inscribed on side A, and 1A on side B seems a bit odd, too. Your enthusiasm surrounding the UHQR pressing has resulted in a debate between my ears and wallet.
I just picked up an AB-1006 copy yesterday for $5. The outer jacket is pretty worn, and the record itself is in not super bad shape, but no real problems with playing other than a couple slightly noisy spots. Sounds really good overall! Love this album very much.
I feel with you man. Not my bag at all but im also almost on the fence of getting one just for the demo purposes. Here in Sweden with shipping and all its more a 200 dollar record so even more over here. Thanks for the video! //Jonas
Hi Mike arrived today- so I listened twice - sound stage is amazing and I did hear nuances that were intriguing and fun- then put on the AB1006- sound stage is good on that too just not to the degree of the Uhqr - I did notice a slight richer and punchier bass on the AB1006 which I like because that is what I’ve been used to- then went back to Uhqr and again sound stage is so life like it’s crazy- but am I wrong about the bass being spaced out more that it kinda loses a tiny bit of punch? Glad to have both no regrets but after all these years the AB from 1977 still kicks a lot of butt! No denying the expanded range of the Uhqr though… for sure.
I recall Kevin Gray stating he made a copy of the actual master, done in reverse, so that would make the generations the same. That doesn't mean the sources are equal...Bernie made his copy when the master was barely used. We don't know how many times the master was used, its storage, and many other variables when Kevin made his copy. Beyond that, its mastering is pretty different. I do not care much for the sound of the Cisco. It has certain things about it which are better than an original made from the AB metal parts, but overall is not as engaging for me to listen to. This new UHQR is like a much better original, and retains any few things better in the Cisco vs an old AB metal parts sourced pressing. They really did a fabulous job with it, and deserve the wonderful reviews its mostly getting. Beautiful work.
@xentakis I am curious about this also. The AS blurb says about the SACD: Mastered by Bernie Grundman from an analog, non-EQ’d, tape copy. However, the CBAT SACD is not as good as the early prefered CD nor is is better than the og lp or the UHQR of CBAT. So unfortunately I dont have high hopes for the SACD of Aja either. Basically, none of the 3 SACDs have been whoopin’ the pants off of the best original CDs from what I have gathered. So, yeah, take that for what it is worth.
@@FleagleSangria thanks for this, it’s hard to find people’s thoughts on SACDs, and even moreso people willing to compare SACDs to vinyl. Very helpful to know.
Hi Mike. When I listen to my UHQR of Aja, I hear an overly bright and harsh high end where Donald Fagens voice doesn’t sound natural and the warm Ed’s has been taken out overall. For me it’s difficult to listen to.
Mike man, I'm wondering..would your personal collection be 2/3's the size if you got rid of duplicate releases, not Mono/Stereo sort of thing but the others ?🤣🤣
Great review, I wasn't going to buy the UHQR Aja, but I did because of the great reviews . I think UHQR Miles Davis is the best so far, Aja is very good !!!!!
I have loved Steely Dan since I first heard Do It Again on AM radio when I was a kid. I love AJA. Adore it even. But, I am more about Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied I think...probably more Pretzel Logic. But, AJA is an all encompassing experience. You cannot deny it. They do things musically on that album that are sooooo precise. Every beat and every note has ITS PLACE. And its beautiful to listen to. I would love to have the UHQR and maybe one day when groceries aren't more important I will get it. Choices and priorities you know...:)
Before seeing your initial shoot out video I had the AA with the B etched out and A etched in. At the time, I couldn't believe how amazing the album sounded compared to all of my other albums. Then I watched the Aja video. I bought a Cisco copy, it came directy from Michael Fremer. I was curious why he sold it based on what you said about it in your video? I listened to it a number of times really trying to like it but in my opinion, the AB-1006 is the better sounding pressing. Perhaps Fremer thought that as well and then decided to sell his copy on Discogs. We agreed on a price that was much less than what he had it advertised for. He said that he got it directly from a manufacturing executive. He also told me that not all of the albums had the same inner sleeve your's had. The copy he sold to me had the original manufacturer inner sleeve which consisted of a paper sleeve that was poly lined. I ended up giving the Cisco copy to a buddy who's given me a lot of NM classic rock and jazz albums over the last couple of years, one of which was a NM AB-1006 copy of Aja. You've spoken with my buddy, he's the guy that told you about the tone arm issue with the AMG TT you both have. I'm on the fence about getting the Aja UHQR. I do have the Can't Buy a Thrill UHQR, mostly because I don't have an original copy of that one and heard the original pressing wasn't that great anyway...
Aja is a great album. I met and he became a friend Chuck Rainey who played bass on that album. Of course he has played on many records. I asked him to sign on the or the front of all my Steely Dan albums that he played on. Great story and great for me. I have gone to many of their concerts. I remember the first was they opened for Elton John
Thanks for crystallising my thinking, Michael! Your comments are sincere and honest. Sadly there are several TH-cam specialist, who quite frankly come across as if they’ve sponsored to give positive rather than accurate comments . …
Happy to know that my ears are still fine. I bought the hi-res 96/24 file of the new Aja reissue and I am (still) underwhelmed. Sounds really flat to me.
I haven’t seen Mike this excited about a new pressing in quite some time. I am very lucky and fortunate to be a Steely Dan fan since I first heard Can’t Buy a Thrill. Aja is one of my all time favorite albums. I think I have close to 20 different pressings and, IMHO, the Analogue Productions UHQR is the best.
Nah.
No more 45rpm albums for me.
The need to get up too many times to change sides to listen to a whole LP.
Negates any incremental sonic improvement I may be able hear.
I’ve heard enough stacked Michael McDonald harmonies on Peg to last a lifetime.
I bought the UHQR version, AJA is sentimental to me. My first UHQR purchase. Honestly, cannot tell much of a difference over my AB-1006. That one was and is still my Grail.
OG is still killer!
The OG AB1006 is excellent. MOst of the them were pressed at Monarch as well and I notice the vinyl quality is pretty good. Still, I would like to compare it with the UHQR but not able to buy it as yet. This could be Bernie's swansong mastering and I recall him mentioning AJA is one of his favs that he did the orig mastering back in 1977 in this case.
@@gotozerobassman
The Aja UHQR trounces the previous ones for Steely Dan thus far. You may as well just have purchased the $29 Universal releases from CBAT to PL as they were similar. The UHQR Aja is a HUGE difference this time around. Hopefully the Gaucho UHQR will be as good as Aja.
I think Mike almost had a nervous break down after hearing the Aja UHQR : )
…I just pre ordered Gaucho from The sound of vinyl for $29. Set to drop 12/1…
And your saying there’s s UHQR copy available… WoW!!!.. Thanks..
@@damienmercer4731They are doing the whole catalog man. Where tf have you been?
@@hurkamur1 …I’ve been playing records that I can afford…
Comparing, I put my AB-1006 3rd, 2023 reissue 2nd and UHQR first
Disclaimer--I bought my UHQR Aja from The 'In' Groove. 😉
I think the UHQR is good, but not $150 good. As much as some in the audiophile press (*cough* Fremer *cough*) seem to think this is like the Best Record Ever Made in the History of All Records, I'm...underwhelmed, I guess? I just feel as though it's a flawless, pristine pressing of what it essentially a 46 year old safety copy of a 46 year old master tape. I find the "AB" pressing has slightly more details in the highs. The UHQR isn't bad by any means, but it wasn't the revelation all the press claims it is.
But while listening to the album, I had a revelation. As I was listening to the fourth side of the UHQR, I must have gotten mentally sidetracked. As the record faded out, I realized I'd forgot I was listening to a UHQR or any "special" pressing--I was paying attention to the *music* which is what we should all be doing anyway. (So yes...I'm a Dan fan, but not a rabid one.)
Seeing that the SACDs of the previous Steely Dan UHQR titles sound nearly identical to the vinyl UHQRs, I likely will hang onto those and sell the UHQRs. (Sad thing is, it cost me a small fortune to make my digital playback sound as good as it does...so while I can say I'd be happier with the SACDs, I can't recommend others do so unless they have a system to do them justice.)
Given how disappointing the recent Face Value 45 RPM was, it's once again making me doubt what Analogue Productions is putting out.
Couldn’t agree more. I just got mine and was underwhelmed. The presentation was impressive, the quiet noise floor of the vinyl is quite good, but that is where the thrill ends. It sounds like a 47 year old recording on a decaying Ampex tape. I didn’t get 38 seconds in before I heard a raspy/edgy sounding open high hat hit at the beginning of the second verse of Black Cow. It was a tell tale sign of degraded Ampex. I don’t care how it was stored, Ampex never held up well with age. Although they gave it their best shot, it just brought the subtle anomaly’s of the aging tape to the forefront. I’ll be selling mine copy. Can’t listen to it twice.
Lol. You are going to have to listen to Steely Dan forever. 😀 I understand that it's in your best interest to sell records but I think you have proven that the reputation you have for being honest matters more. Happy Thanksgiving.
Awesome Melinda is in the house, always awesome to see you comment on other videos, made my morning rock on!!😎🤘
Thank You. Happy Thanksgiving!
Yes I have the AB. But here’s a strange thought. I listen for the music. Weird isn’t it! 🤔😳
Yeah this is a fantastic version. Especially after the Pretzel logic tragedy ✌🏻
Mike describes obscure mineral that can never be discovered. Unabtanium. 9:30
Im now totally hyped to own a copy.....
Of the upcoming AP SACD 😂
Am a huge fan of Steely Dan and got the AB 1006 and AAB 1006 on your recommendation and it is amazing and the uhqr is very much an upgrade it is so good
hi Mike, can you share which version of Sledgehammer you're referring at the end of video? Thanks for great content!!!
I enjoy Steely Dan have the MoFi and A/B but this UHQR is amazing. I demo this for friends and it blows their minds.
I got lucky on the A/B unknowing what I had until you covered it here thanks Mike.
Excellent review Mike
The UHQR Aja is not torture
I used to hate Peg and I am a Dan fanatic
The distorted vocals are torture on the ears.
Recently found an AB 1006 vg+ for 10$
Funny how you say listening in the store it sounded good and then somehow it became a bad sounding record. The uhqr at $150 should sound better.
Lol mike u need to do a BLIND TEST because your prejudice against digital and you already know the outcome lol. When the SACD comes out do a blind test with Cd’s, SACD and redo the Analog.
Remember, no one noticed for years they MOFIs had a digital step. Audiofools can't tell the difference.
The video I saw of Bernie explaining his master on the AB1006 is he had to do very little to the master because the mix was done so well by Donald and Walter. So i can't imagine any other version being hundreds of dollars better!
somehow I've missed any previous mention of a 45rpm Sledgehammer being a demo. Can you be specific on which pressing? The US or UK - 12 or 7"? thanks.
Curious about that too. I don't recall Mike talking about it previously.
Sorry Mike but…depressing in so many ways. Look, I have no doubt the UHQR is a thing of wonder, that the OG is great, but you can’t say the new $30 dollar version is ‘pretty damn good’ before deciding it’s garbage (which is pretty much what you declare later). It’s sad if the engineer for the Geffin release has screwed it up but let’s face it the labels, or most labels, don’t give a damn. Pile ‘em up and sell, sell, sell. But after reading and watching various reviews I doubt it’s quite the horror show you suggest. I’ve bought all of the Geffin Dan releases and will complete the set because none of my ‘old’ copies are the OGs. I lived n the UK and now Europe and Steely Dan are just not n the used bins…none of the albums…and so this idea we should look for OGs doesn’t work. And I really don’t want to use Discogs unless there is no other way…I want to see something before I buy. I spend a fair amount on vinyl but €200 for a UHQR is (sorry) to me insane. But then my friends think the amount I spend on records should lead to some kind of therapy. If you can afford the UHQR then great, knock yourself out. The rest of us mere mortals will buy what we can and hope that the engineers care about what they do. After all, as the man said, ‘it’s he music stupid’. Sorry to be negative but your video wound me up a little… I’ll keep watching though.
Mike, yes this UHQR has created a problem, it raised the bar too far. When I first played it, I almost jumped in my seat, the sound was not coming from 2 channels, it felt as if I had a full range surround sound. I think Bernie gave us his legacy masterpiece in his UHQR
Couldn't agree more. This is UHQR is amazing.
I never heard my hifi system sound so good after first I played Aja UHQR
Hi Mike....Thanks a lot for your review. I have no doubt now this Aja is the best of all time. I saw other reviews where they mentioned not have the Cisco..but basically all of them reached to the same conclusion but your review 100% confirms how good this UHQR is. I am a Steely Dan fan :) and already bought Cant Buy a Thrill....next on my list is Royal Scam...I love Gaucho but I need to wait for your review to see if the UHQR it is better than the original which honestly is very hard to beat. Royal Scam I hope they can improve the sound quality and I think there is a lot room for improvement on that album. On the new digital version of Aja it could be the digital file was not really ready for vinyl mastering and the cutting engineer needed to do more than just a simple direct transfer. Bernie should know. By the way...I have question...yo mentioned Sledgehammer 45 RPM. Which edition are you referring here....Is the 2 x 45 RPM Peter Gabriel SO album? Or are you referring to the 12 Inch Singles of Sledgehammer in 45 RPM from 1986? Thanks a lot
🎶
Aja
Now all my dime dancin' is through
I spent them all on you...
Thank you for this shootout, Mike. I don't have the Cisco, but the original AB1006 and the UHQR. On my rig (MoFi Studiodeck, Nagaoka MP300, Graham Slee Reflex M, Cardas cables) I didn't hear that much of a difference between the AB1006 and the UHQR. I think I keep listening to the original to not too often stand up and flip the record😂
If I had a heart I would feel for you
i have an AB pressing and bought the umg reissue. my ears must not work correctly, because i thought the new reissue sounded amazing. my system didn’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so i wonder if i’d even hear the difference on the uhqr.
Flashback to 1979 I walk into my local hifi shop and they put Aja and crime of the century on! History does repeat itself.
Add Gaucho to the mix
Not a Steely Dan fan either, but Peter Gabriel I love. Is this a particular pressing of "Sledgehammer" you're talking about?
A reminder that in the UK this a $250 record, I have seen it at $298……waaaaaay too expensive.
Mike how about a video on top 10 or 25 albums to Demo equipment? Don’t recall if you have made anything like that. Another great video as always. From Pensacola Jim…
It’s almost like digital is inferior even at 96k…..
Yes, it's hard to listen to Aja again, but wow this UHQR is amazing!
Aja is the best album in the history of best albums.
The only reason i listen to music at all is because of Aja.
Its my life mission to acquire every single copy of Aja on the planet !!!!
(that includes YOURS, yes you reading this, i'm coming after all your Aja's so lookout)
Aja is the only album i own, and i currently have a record collection of 26,074 albums, all Aja.
I'm not interested in listening to anything other than Aja
Audiophiles wouldnt exist if it wasn't for Aja.
In fact Music wouldnt exist if it wasnt for Aja
There will never be a better album than Aja
There is Aja then there is the distance between earth and the sun x100000000000000000 then in 2nd place is Aja again.
If you want to end the war right this second just send a copy of Aja to the Palestinians and the Israelis and BOOM...over instantly..
What happened to the 45 RPM of the other 4 titles that are released .... Are they not as good as Aja .... Wasn't the original master tape used on anything .... It's too bad they're missing the 24 analog multi track of Black Cow and the song Aja ... Cause frankly is making a remix in 2025 a bad thing..... Or does it have to do with the original mix ... Because I am lost with origingal mixes vs remixes ... King Crimson they remixed everything .... Yes almost got close ELP didn't do Pictures from the 16 track multi track ... I'm not sure if Works 1 and 2 and Love Beach are even worth it .... Gaucho on DVD had a sort of smidget of a remix although they consider it a surround sound 5.1 mix ... Although when using Foobar with mixing down the channels it was kinda of better then the original 2 track mix ... And with Katy Lied needs a new remix because they screwed it up using a defect DBX box like Yes's Progeny ... I don't know maybe doing digital remixes is a bad thing... Cause I don't understand ... I mean The Who were remixed David Bowie kinda of was ... Flpyd they're working on .... The Beatles except Revolver where they used AI I think ... I have a few rips from rippers of the 150.00 Aja and frankly it was good ... The cisco I found was too bright .. I need to go back the 1977 AA AB cut to see if that original LP is better then this 45 RPM .... Peter Gabriel So he is talking about the old 45 RPM are the new 45 RPM because again I'm confused ... I only thought with Gabriel well are we talking about the later one or the one from 2002 where I thought the only 45 RPM was the 4th Peter Gabriel album with Shock The Monkey... I'm so freaking confused I don't even care ... I think I have a rip copy of Pretzel Logic and I heard that was terrible ... What do I know ...
To make 30K all analog copies of Aja, how many times did they have to run that tape??
1
@@TheInGroove Interesting, thank you.
Loved the review Michael! I don’t have Sledgehammer but I do have Kind of Blue UHQR and it matches your description. Dig Dig Dig! 😎
d***, I'm a Dan fan. Big one. I resisted this one because here in Europe, it's not $150, it's 200 ******** euros. I've been resisting because a reissue, as audiophile as it maybe, cannot be that expensive. It just goes against my principles. But looks like I'll need to pony up......
Aja on those Wilson's must be killer I bet Mike. The sound must envelope you from what I picked up from your UHQR45 review. Your going to convince many to buy the UHQR Mike. From your recommendation and that free contest for a Steely Dan cruise offering, I'm game. Ha
"Does this make me a Steely Dan fan"? LOL! I hear you! I've a got a couple NM real ABs and a few more ABs with the B scratched out. I still struggle though with the band and I don't think I've listened to any of the copies all the way through! I'm definitely not going to pop for the UHQR--besides I'm lazy and hate 45 rpm sets!
What's the fuzz about this maybe good , but not very good album , do mean 1977 studio's ? One has to pay 229 Euro's for an lp , give me a break . Modern recordings , like the Jacob Collier , Gavin Harrison , The English band Frost , Sanguine Hum , sounding far better on CD than this Royal Scam ?!
My dad has an AB or Aa copy from the 70s and it sounds amazing. I personally cannot bring myself to pay hundreds of dollars for a single album these days. The UHQRs do sound absolutely fantastic mind blowing for sure.
This is the first time I've spent this much on a vinyl but I love this album and this beautiful recording was worth it!
No piece of vinyl worth 150$.
I find it interseting that you don;t really like Steely Dan that much but own that much Steely Dan. Not a criticism, just interesting.
The sound engineer must be a deaf person. They should not sell these. It’s a waste of money. I will never buy from that record company no more because they obviously don’t care about high quality sound or even worse have no clue what that is.
You say you filmed this video. Did you get the newly released Kodak camera? Oppenheimer was shot on film too. Maybe film will come back like vinyl.
Now i cant commend on the Analog preduction version of Aja because ended up canceling my copy after buying and listening to the first release from them of Steely Dans first album Cant Buy a Trill. i am a big Steely Dan fan as well as a Bernie Grundman fan and was super excited when i heard the master tapes ( at least most ) were found and the were going to have Bernie remaster them to 45 rpm. i had planned to purchase every single one and ended buying Cant Buy a Thrill and the pre release of Aja. Well after listening ( on a exceptionally well balanced and tuned system as mine is ) i was quickly disapointed after comparing it to my other versions. i immediately canceled my pre order copy of Aja coming to the conclusion these versions are being mastered to Chads preferences and i am not a fan of the sound hes after. Ive now been burned to many times buying many of his remasters to be ver disappointed in there sound. wouls love to here this version from all the reviews but am highly skeptical.
The master tape on this was very likely lost in the fire that took out a TON of master tapes some, like five to ten years back? There have been way too many SoCal fires. One of them took out a HUGE catalog of masters.
Spare a thought for your friends in Ireland. You need to shell out $250 for a copy over here! Nuts.
What is with the obsession with Steely Dan? 😂 not only you, but in the audiophile community, Steely Dan is mentioned all the time. Does anyone genuinely like them that much, or is it that it’s a title that gets repressed so it’s something to talk about?I realise I may sound negative, for that, I do apologise. Peace. Awesome channel though, man. I do enjoy listening to the technicalities and processes in creating records.
Thanks for the review!
You’re going to need a bigger demo room!!
Come to the dark side Mike …. Embrace the Dan!!!!
Thanks for the last two minutes of this Mike! That's hilarious!! "PEEEEEEEGGGGG will come back to you." 😮
I *still* like the Cisco & the AB 1006 better so go figure! Great review nonetheless Mike!
I own AB 1006, new DSD Aja released a month ago (featured in this video) and the UHQR which just landed last week...I can tell you there isn't so much difference if all between the DSD Aja and UHQR version, the DSD one is phenomenal. I own a resolving high-end system and am into critical listening, you can believe me when I say so. When I "want" my UHQR to sound much better, in my mind I do so, when I listen critically and placebo effect is turned off in my brain, it's almost a tie. AB version is also very good but I place it behind my DSD one as it's been played over and over again and some sound fading due to slightly altered groove geometry is becoming noticeable.
Really funny at the end Mike…..I guess that’s just one of the perils of your profession. Thanks for the great review update.
I respect the dedication even though you don't consider yourself much of a Dan fan. I am not a huge fan myself, although I really enjoy some of their stuff. Plus the stories of studio perfectionism are fun. I was looking at my copy of Aja (that I got from my friend's dad when I was 8) the other day. It is one of those with AB scratched out in the deadwax. (AA appears everywhere else.) Pressed at Columbia's Pitman plant. Runouts end in P4/P4, so not sure if it's still a Grundman cut. Once it gets the cleaning it desperately needs, I will give it a listen.
The UHQR rocks. Amazing it’s cut from a safety. I had no idea the CISCO was cut from a 3rd gen copy.
Safeties can be very good. I think of it this way:
A mastering engineer can do a poor or subpar job with the mastertape.
A mastering engineer can do a great job with a safety that basically sounds like the original mastertape.
Which would I rather have?
A great mastering from a safety. All day long.
Kinda odd, it really seems like the kind of album you'd normally like.
Really helpful. Thanks for the clarity!
I'm a Dan fan and I just order it. So now I just have to wait.
After being disappointed with the sound on the "Pretzel Logic" UHQR, I was reluctant to spend the $150 on the "Aja" UHQR. So instead, I bought the $29 digital copy. Now that everyone is raving about it, I'm going to have to spend the money and get it. Hopefully, the rest of the Steely Dan releases on UHQR will be of equal quality as "Aja".
Don’t get your hopes up to high. I just got mine... not impressed.
A 12" Sledgehammer is a Mallet haha
Oooo that thumbnail ! Great and fair review Mike.
The UHQR has a superior soundstage. The music fills the room this is the ultimate LP.
is that IWC?
looks like the IWC Lake Tahoe "top gun" ceramic chronograph !
I have the AA-1006 copy. Got it for 12 bucks. I'd like to buy a better version at some point on vinyl, but I guess until then I will listen to what I have on Vinyl CD, and the 24 bit 192 kHz digital.
Vinyl, CD, and*
I have an AB VG+ copy and I think I'll leave it at that. $150 is just too steep. Thanks for the entertaining review.
It’s not too steep when you consider how expensive the original recordings in mint or even VG + are running 80/95
I would ve curious to compare the better vinyl versions with my MFSL Gold CD copy
I've Jelly Cleaver, Forever Presence. All analogue. The separation of the instruments is astounding too. The mastering of an album is everything.
"The mastering of an album is everything."
The recording, the mixing and the mastering are everything !^
@@lucalone but has to be done with soul. I find some although technically superb is soul less and sterile.
Thanks Mike 😂
I’m betting the $30 version by Alex Abrash is not a simple flat transfer of Bernie’s to cut the lacquer. There is a compression in dynamic range and a boost to loudness that I don’t think could be in the original work of Bernie. That’s been my experience with the 3 of the 4 Steely Dan reissues done by AA Mastering. P.S. For me, the Can’t Buy A Thrill had a near same improvement impact to me.
I feel your pain,😞 I'm same with my Minty PF albums of Dark Side....it hurts, but ...A man's gotta do what a Man's gotta do...lol
Great Video Mike!!
I have this and Pretzel Logic. I feel like Acoustic Sounds should send everyone that purchased Pretzel Logic a $50 dollar gift card. Very disappointing
After watching your video, I had to check my copy. I have an AA! Kind of thought it might be as I lived in southern Calif and was a huge Steely Dan fan. So as soon as it came out I bought it. I would really like tp have the UHQR but my copy is near mint and not sure if the difference is worth $150. But I really enjoyed your video!
Dude has 15 different pressings and probably listens to Aja once every four or five years or so...if that. Lol. I have about 2,000 albums in my music library and there might be a half dozen instances where I have multiple pressings of the same album. This usually occurs when I buy an album and was not happy with it: could be SQ issues or pressing defects. But the truth is that I just don't obsess over this stuff like I used to. Being a vinyl junky no longer means that I have to race to empty my wallet as quickly as possible on vinyl records. There are certain mastering studios/engineers and record pressing plants that I look for when I buy new vinyl. But beyond that I just don't care whether or not the Kevin Gray 2006 remaster of some album sounds a smidge better than the Ryan Smith 2023 remaster of the same album. And people really need to do a sanity check on these $150 albums, because they are being taken to the cleaners and receiving exceptionally poor value for money. And I say that as someone who has bought some of these expensive pressings and came to regret it. What blows me away is that some people seem to live in fear that they aren't spinning the absolute best sounding pressing of any given record as judged by people on the internet who they don't know, and will then blow $150 on a pressing like this without really thinking about it too much. Yep, Magic Mike told me I needed the UHQR if I wanted the best sounding pressing possible. So I went out and bought it. WTH!! I thought $34.99 was a lot of money to pay for a 200g Classic Records release during that label's heyday about 20 or so years ago. Chad Kassem has bought the Classic Records label, and in some cases is reusing those Classic Records 45RPM plates (which he now owns). He has put everything in very nice packaging, and viola: a $150 album! So things have gotten out of hand over the last twenty years or so. I don't have a problem with using the CR 45RPM plates, but the pricing is getting absurd. Don't get me wrong. I happen to like Chad and bought tons of Analogue Productions vinyl from him over the last two decades. But that doesn't mean he is beyond fair criticism. Supporting these ultra expensive reissues just lays the foundation for $200 reissues, or $300 reissues, or $500 reissues down the road. At some point vinylphiles are going to need to push back on price gouging like this by keeping the money in their wallet. When AP or MoFi ends up sitting on 10,000 records that no one wants to spend $125 or $150 to get then they will lower the price -- and still make a lot of money. Some people really need to learn to relax, and just listen to and enjoy music. It is much more rewarding than being a vinyl or gear snob or chasing after bragging rights. And this guy has a financial stake in selling you stuff...so it is not like he has no skin in the game. The conflict of interest is obvious. As he said, he isn't the one who made the record -- but he is here shilling for it.
And after that big rant some might be wondering if I have even heard the Aja UHQR pressing. I have. I own it. I was genuinely curious about how it would compare to the three other pressings of Aja that I own. I prefer two of those other pressings to the Analogue Productions UHQR, and by a wide margin. I'm not going to get into the details of that. Both of them are out of print and selling for crazy silly money on discogs and eBay when you can find them. I will say that neither of them are the Cisco Music 180g pressing, as I don't own that pressing. Does this mean I think the UHQR pressing sucks? No, it doesn't. On its own it sounds very good and I can see how some people might like it. But it doesn't stand up very well to the pressings that I prefer and it doesn't pass the critical listening sniff test as far as I'm concerned.
I have 2 Aja LPs- the UHQR and at scratch out AB on the dead wax. The AB is quite good; the UHQR is better- the vinyl on the UHQR is notably quieter. If there were no UHQR version or if I could not swing the UHQR, the AB is still considerably more than satisfactory,
Interesting and helpful information.
Thank you.
After listening to the MFSL pressing last night at a friend's home, I decided to do a search to see what might be new and found your review.
In the deadwax of the copy I purchased new many years ago was the following:
• AB 1006 (RE-3) - A {1A scratched out} 1B
• AB 1006 (RE-3) - B 1A
Why 1B is inscribed on side A, and 1A on side B seems a bit odd, too.
Your enthusiasm surrounding the UHQR pressing has resulted in a debate between my ears and wallet.
1st world problems Mike. I did like the small rant tho. It was kinda funny.
I just picked up an AB-1006 copy yesterday for $5. The outer jacket is pretty worn, and the record itself is in not super bad shape, but no real problems with playing other than a couple slightly noisy spots. Sounds really good overall! Love this album very much.
😂🤣 You're going to have to sell equipment....😆
I feel with you man. Not my bag at all but im also almost on the fence of getting one just for the demo purposes. Here in Sweden with shipping and all its more a 200 dollar record so even more over here. Thanks for the video! //Jonas
Hi Mike arrived today- so I listened twice - sound stage is amazing and I did hear nuances that were intriguing and fun- then put on the AB1006- sound stage is good on that too just not to the degree of the Uhqr - I did notice a slight richer and punchier bass on the AB1006 which I like because that is what I’ve been used to- then went back to Uhqr and again sound stage is so life like it’s crazy- but am I wrong about the bass being spaced out more that it kinda loses a tiny bit of punch? Glad to have both no regrets but after all these years the AB from 1977 still kicks a lot of butt! No denying the expanded range of the Uhqr though… for sure.
I recall Kevin Gray stating he made a copy of the actual master, done in reverse, so that would make the generations the same. That doesn't mean the sources are equal...Bernie made his copy when the master was barely used. We don't know how many times the master was used, its storage, and many other variables when Kevin made his copy. Beyond that, its mastering is pretty different.
I do not care much for the sound of the Cisco. It has certain things about it which are better than an original made from the AB metal parts, but overall is not as engaging for me to listen to. This new UHQR is like a much better original, and retains any few things better in the Cisco vs an old AB metal parts sourced pressing. They really did a fabulous job with it, and deserve the wonderful reviews its mostly getting. Beautiful work.
I’m interested in the SACD, I have a feeling it might get close enough to the UHQR
@xentakis I am curious about this also. The AS blurb says about the SACD: Mastered by Bernie Grundman from an analog, non-EQ’d, tape copy. However, the CBAT SACD is not as good as the early prefered CD nor is is better than the og lp or the UHQR of CBAT. So unfortunately I dont have high hopes for the SACD of Aja either. Basically, none of the 3 SACDs have been whoopin’ the pants off of the best original CDs from what I have gathered. So, yeah, take that for what it is worth.
@@FleagleSangria thanks for this, it’s hard to find people’s thoughts on SACDs, and even moreso people willing to compare SACDs to vinyl. Very helpful to know.
Hi Mike. When I listen to my UHQR of Aja, I hear an overly bright and harsh high end where Donald Fagens voice doesn’t sound natural and the warm Ed’s has been taken out overall. For me it’s difficult to listen to.
You're not a Steely Dan fan but you spend $150 on a record that you already have several copies of? No comprendo!
just get a 2nd uhqr for your personal collection.
Mike man, I'm wondering..would your personal collection be 2/3's the size if you got rid of duplicate releases, not Mono/Stereo sort of thing but the others ?🤣🤣
Great review, I wasn't going to buy the UHQR Aja, but I did because of the great reviews . I think UHQR Miles Davis is the best so far, Aja is very good !!!!!
will ther be shipping notification for the uhqr Aja.? I know you said you were to start shipping last friday?
I have loved Steely Dan since I first heard Do It Again on AM radio when I was a kid. I love AJA. Adore it even. But, I am more about Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied I think...probably more Pretzel Logic. But, AJA is an all encompassing experience. You cannot deny it. They do things musically on that album that are sooooo precise. Every beat and every note has ITS PLACE. And its beautiful to listen to. I would love to have the UHQR and maybe one day when groceries aren't more important I will get it. Choices and priorities you know...:)
Many thanks for this shootout for Aja. Whats your opinion/ review on the first Japanese pressing with the obi in 1977?
I am waiting for the UHQR to go on sale at the INN Groove this Black Friday. Until then, my recent 33 RPM sounds great to me - LOL
Before seeing your initial shoot out video I had the AA with the B etched out and A etched in. At the time, I couldn't believe how amazing the album sounded compared to all of my other albums. Then I watched the Aja video. I bought a Cisco copy, it came directy from Michael Fremer. I was curious why he sold it based on what you said about it in your video?
I listened to it a number of times really trying to like it but in my opinion, the AB-1006 is the better sounding pressing. Perhaps Fremer thought that as well and then decided to sell his copy on Discogs. We agreed on a price that was much less than what he had it advertised for. He said that he got it directly from a manufacturing executive. He also told me that not all of the albums had the same inner sleeve your's had. The copy he sold to me had the original manufacturer inner sleeve which consisted of a paper sleeve that was poly lined.
I ended up giving the Cisco copy to a buddy who's given me a lot of NM classic rock and jazz albums over the last couple of years, one of which was a NM AB-1006 copy of Aja. You've spoken with my buddy, he's the guy that told you about the tone arm issue with the AMG TT you both have.
I'm on the fence about getting the Aja UHQR. I do have the Can't Buy a Thrill UHQR, mostly because I don't have an original copy of that one and heard the original pressing wasn't that great anyway...
Aja is a great album. I met and he became a friend Chuck Rainey who played bass on that album. Of course he has played on many records. I asked him to sign on the or the front of all my Steely Dan albums that he played on. Great story and great for me. I have gone to many of their concerts. I remember the first was they opened for Elton John
I'm not even a Dan fan, Mike. Worse, like you, i'm far from being one and still, i've watched the entire video!
I’m guessing the tape Bernie used would have been an “engineers copy” and thank god for that
Thanks for crystallising my thinking, Michael! Your comments are sincere and honest. Sadly there are several TH-cam specialist, who quite frankly come across as if they’ve sponsored to give positive rather than accurate comments . …
Happy to know that my ears are still fine. I bought the hi-res 96/24 file of the new Aja reissue and I am (still) underwhelmed. Sounds really flat to me.