Norah Jones on SACD

[Whitehall]

The Norah Jones SACD "Come Away With Me" has one arrangement issue that shows one of the technical weaknesses of SACD. At several points on the recording, there is this "wiped cymbal" sound, where the drummer is dragging his wire drumstick (there's got to be a better name for it) on the metal cymbal. I'm sure it sounds great in person or on a phonograph, but it is all high frequency and on SACD, noise increases with frequency. For whatever technical reason, the sound of that cymbal sounds very irritating on my system.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[KevinD9052]

I have the SACD and know the part you are talking about. The scraping cymbals on my set up sounds great. Hi frequency is clean and no noise that I can discern. I don't have an high end system, just a Pioneer 563A, a Sony receiver and Yamaha speakers. To me, it is one of the high points of listening to that recording in SACD. The CD version sounds the same but less defined with no reverberant "air" around it.

 

[bmoura]

I have the SACD and know the part you are talking about. The scraping cymbals on my set up sounds great. Hi frequency is clean and no noise that I can discern. I don't have an high end system, just a Pioneer 563A, a Sony receiver and Yamaha speakers. To me, it is one of the high points of listening to that recording in SACD. The CD version sounds the same but less defined with no reverberant "air" around it.

I don't hear any "noise" there either. Using the Meitner DAC6 setup here, the cymbals on that track have some real presence and stand out in perspective from the rest of the mix.

As for the Surround Sound treatment of the album, I'd have to say that cut 3 (Cold, Cold Heart) is probably the best Surround selection.

If I were mixing the album I would have put the vocals in the Center speaker as some of the James Taylor SACDs have done. That would have really taken this one over the top sonically in my book.

 

[JonUrban]

......If I were mixing the album I would have put the vocals in the Center speaker as some of the James Taylor SACDs have done. That would have really taken this one over the top sonically in my book.

I agree, Brian. That would have been great. BTW - Have you heard anything at all about her second album appearing on SACD? Over at SH, someone said that Blue Note was not happy with the sales of her first SACD. I find that hard to believe, as the local BB started out with about 15 of them, and they are all gone. And, of course, they have never been restocked.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a DVD-A or SACD title "restocked" at our local BB's, now that I think of it.

:-jon

 

[Whitehall]

Perhaps I just need to tweak my system some more. I'm using a Advent/4 center speaker and it seems the weak link in the system. Currently, I can just discern the wire brush on the cymbal but it comes across more as static than as music. Maybe a treble boost would help.

BTW, mine was the last copy of the SACD at my local Tower Records, and it was stuck away on a bottom shelf. I'll snap up the SACD version of "Sounds like Home" when ever I see it - might even order it over the net.

Anyone listen to the LP version of either on a decent system?

 

[bmoura]

I agree, Brian. That would have been great. BTW - Have you heard anything at all about her second album appearing on SACD? Over at SH, someone said that Blue Note was not happy with the sales of her first SACD. I find that hard to believe, as the local BB started out with about 15 of them, and they are all gone. And, of course, they have never been restocked.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a DVD-A or SACD title "restocked" at our local BB's, now that I think of it.

:-jon

Well, I've seen the same here, both at Tower and Best Buy. They've gone through many, many copies of the Norah Jones SACD. And both stores have restocked it as well - several rounds worth. It's clearly doing just fine in these parts sales wise.

 

[quadtrade]

"If I were mixing the album I would have put the vocals in the Center speaker as some of the James Taylor SACDs have done. That would have really taken this one over the top sonically in my book."

I agree, Brian. That would have been great. BTW - Have you heard anything at all about her second album appearing on SACD? Over at SH, someone said that Blue Note was not happy with the sales of her first SACD. I find that hard to believe, as the local BB started out with about 15 of them, and they are all gone. And, of course, they have never been restocked.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a DVD-A or SACD title "restocked" at our local BB's, now that I think of it.

:-jon

You 2 are real funny, are you telling me you want them isolated in the center? That is the absolute worst for a soundfield. The JT i heard like that was just horrid. But JT is sure not my fav either.

 

[JonUrban]

Tad,

For some reason, I got used to the lead being in the center. At first, it sounded a bit strange, but after listening it sounded more "balanced" than having them in either the front left or front right. I much prefer the vocal to be discrete, in one location, then when they float it in multiple channels to make it "appear" in the center of the room, or the center of the front soundstage. It just seems natural for the lead singer to be in the center front.

But that's just me!

:-jon

 

[Whitehall]

The problem largely resolved itself when I swapped the Advent/4 center speaker with a Baby Advent II.

Not all tweeters are created equal.

I agree that her cover of Hank Williams' classic "Cold, Cold Heart" is the best piece on the album. Good use of surround too.