HiRez Poll Depeche Mode - SPEAK & SPELL [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of Depeche Mode - SPEAK AND SPELL


  • Total voters
    33

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Please post you thoughts and comments on this special CD/SACD/DVD release. If you would, please let us know where you got yours, what you paid for it, and what package you got! THANKS. (y) :phones (n)

Thanks to elmer, here's a link for some info on this and the other Depeche Mode SACD releases:
http://remasters.depechemode.com/

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Of the three DM SACDs released to date ("Speak and Spell", "Music For The Masses" and "Violator") I like "Speak and Spell" best from both a fidelity and surround mix standpoint. I also like it best from a vocal standpoint (which for me is the weak point of all DM releases, but that's just me... shoot me.) The music is more upbeat and less whiny on this disc than the other two releases. It is also the best sounding. This is obviously an analog recording and it sounds freaking great! Unfortunately, it is the most primitive sounding of the three, with weaker song compositions and technological effects. However, this is to be expected, to a certain extent, since this is the earliest of the three. All in all a very enjoyable surround-sound experience, if a somewhat weak musical effort. Seven heartfelt points.
 
This is my first Depche Mode cd, and i liked it quite a lot. I like most anything with synthesizers, so that helped a lot. The other SACD's by them don't sound quite as synthesizery, but i think i might try Violator next. Anyway i thought the surround mix was quite good a 9, and the music was a 9 to me also, so overall 9.
 
My last visit to Best Buy I came across the Depeche Mode Speak & Spell Rhino Remastered CD and DVD 5.1 disk. Now being a huge fan of the 80's Techno sound, I just had to have this. Most of the songs were recorded 8 tracks and good drum samples were few! I chose the DTS audio and was quite surprised ! the songs popped to life. The surround mix was very active in all channels with out being gimmicki. The bass could have been bumped up a bit . Next I tried the DolbyDigital mix and It was a total different mix. It was not as loud and mixed mostly for the front speakers. I was wondering if any one has the import and noticed if it was like that also? There were many great synth bands in the 80's that would sound great in MC like... Men Without Hats, Berlin, Flock of Seagulls,Franky goes to Hollywood, UltraVox .. I could go on all night !
 
Although I do consider myself sort of a Depeche Mode fan, I've never owned or even listened to this album before (although I did buy the singles from this album and enjoyed them). Anyway, of the three remasters so far, this turned out to be my favourite. Lots of attention to detail, very nicely polished analogue sound. Only New Life sounds kind of messed up on all the versions included in this package. Btw, I much prefer the SACD MCH version to DTS on all the DM-remasters. The DTS sounds kind of harsh/shrill to me compared to the SACD (Never bothered to listen to DD).
The bonus tracks included on the DVD-V don't really sound like discreet 5.1. I won't complain about that, just thought it was worth mentioning.
 
There were many great synth bands in the 80's that would sound great in MC like... Men Without Hats, Berlin, Flock of Seagulls,Franky goes to Hollywood, UltraVox .. I could go on all night !

well, a really entertaining sacd from frankie goes to hollywood has been out for quite a while...
there are also some surprisingly well done "homemade" mch remixes of ultravox floating around..
the other bands i dont think will ever see the mch treatment although i have a few video dvds with 80s clips and DD 5.1.
 
Dumb question, but, was this also released in Germany as a CD/DVD only release (no SACD)??? I ask because I ordered one on Ebay and it has no SACD and I thought the European release was sacd/dvd...it was listed as SACD/DVD...
 
Dumb question, but, was this also released in Germany as a CD/DVD only release (no SACD)??? I ask because I ordered one on Ebay and it has no SACD and I thought the European release was sacd/dvd...it was listed as SACD/DVD...

It was originally released in Germany (Europe) as SACD/DVD, but the new reprint is CD/DVD
 
A "5".

This had dated so badly! I couldn't believe it, having not heard it for years and years!

The mix was ok, the sound quality wasn't bad but the music and production.. Yeuch!

I hated it so much I gave it away to a surround music mate.i don't know what he did with it!? I don't care, I just couldn't stand it polluting my bookshelves!
 
Just added this to my collection. As a big Yazoo fan, I like the influence of Vince Clark on this release. Pity he only hung around for their first disc. I like the lighter sound this has, whereas their later releases, where they are sometimes called 'Depressed Mood'..:)…are somewhat darker. It is fairly discrete and with a heavy synth influence. I'm giving this a 9 as it grows on me
I just cant get enuff!! But that's another story...;)
 
I'm more along the lines of fredblue lol
I wish I could find their 2nd album at a decent price, just for completist's sake. Not sure I have their latest, either, come to think of it.
Anyway, I like lots of DM, just not particularly this one. Glad you like it beerking!!!
 
Just added this to my collection. As a big Yazoo fan, I like the influence of Vince Clark on this release. Pity he only hung around for their first disc. I like the lighter sound this has, whereas their later releases, where they are sometimes called 'Depressed Mood'..:)…are somewhat darker. It is fairly discrete and with a heavy synth influence. I'm giving this a 9 as it grows on me
I just cant get enuff!! But that's another story...;)

Speaking of Yazoo ....... why no 5.1? LOVE Yazoo .... Even the RBCD of Upstairs at Eric's [one of the earliest DDD recordings] sounds fantastic....especially the remastered RBCD.


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Love all my Depeche Mode 5.1 discs but wish I had them all in higher res SACD [some are DTS 5.1]
 
I'm more along the lines of fredblue lol
I wish I could find their 2nd album at a decent price, just for completist's sake. Not sure I have their latest, either, come to think of it.
Anyway, I like lots of DM, just not particularly this one. Glad you like it beerking!!!
And....what is their 2nd album?
 
I'm more along the lines of fredblue lol
I wish I could find their 2nd album at a decent price, just for completist's sake. Not sure I have their latest, either, come to think of it.
Anyway, I like lots of DM, just not particularly this one. Glad you like it beerking!!!

Mike this was an ultimately confusing 5.1 remastered set to track down as it came in two versions: Higher res SACD and later DTS 5.1 DVD. I was so disappointed when I placed orders with Amazon third party vendors which advertised the SACD only to receive the DTS version instead. Not that they sound bad .... but the higher res SACDs do sound audibly superior, at least on my system.
 
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