First new Hong Kong Universal Music SACD in ages

[soundboy]

More than a year has passed since the last HK Universal Music SACD was released, the company has finally released another title....Tsai Chin in Concert Hong Kong 2007. For those unfamiliar with Tsai Chin, her music was featured prominently in the Hong Kong movie "The Infernal Affair", which was later remade by Hollywood as "The Departed". She's also an audiophile favorite, resulting in SACDs of her from companies such as HK EMI and HK Warner Music, plus a number of smaller audiophile labels.

This is only the second SACD release* by any of the major Hong Kong music companies in almost as many years (the previous SACD release by a "major" was a HK EMI Classics title earlier this year). I hope this is a sign that SACD will pick up steam amongst the major HK music companies once again.

* HK Universal Music released a promo-only SACD single last year, but hasn't officially release a SACD title since late 2005.

 

[soundboy]

Just received in the mail from yesasia.com, so I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. Very nicely packaged, although I found it odd that the 2 SACDs are stacked on top of each other on the spindle in the super jewel case. They are easy to take out but that's not a good way to store the discs. Also, I noticed that the discs themselves are now made by Sony in Japan; the previous batch of SACD releases from Hong Kong Universal were pressed by the local Viva Magnetics pressing plant and I have noticed cracks, similar to the US SACD pressing of "Dark Side of the Moon", developing from the inner ring. Otherwise, looks to be very high quality recording....24 bit/ 96kHz recording with DSD mixing and mastering, pressed in Japan by Sony, excellent print quality with the booklet (full listing of credits and recording equipment), etc.

Note to HK Universal....stop using the year 2000 Sony SACD promo insert on a 2007 SACD release.