simonldt

Funny how all this shit has gone down at this time because I've been reading that the latest Dream Theater releases are CD sourced...!!!! See here for the discussion: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dream-theater-brookvale-or-music-on-vinyl-for-the-2014-releases.396817/#post-11647227

Has nobody else listened to these yet? Curious to hear what other people think of the quality.

The original Remission sounds like shit. Distorted mess. The new deluxe however does sound excellent, a major improvement.

Have listened to both now and they're awesome. FII still is a bit too compressed for my liking but definitely better than the CD. The covers are a bit low-res but not blurry, I can only assume the best available. The Vinyl are so nicely done and all of my are flat and very quiet. Can't fault either of these packages, except for the shitty paper sleeves. Is there a reason why they're not poly-lined? I could understand if they were printed (even though I'm not fond of those myself) but when they're plain white like these I'd have expected them to be poly-lined.

Got mine here in the UK yesterday (no customs fees, thankfully). Played Awake earlier and it does sound superb. Not such a big revelation as I&W and SFAM were but it's a step up from the CD, especially the crunch of the guitars and bass.

Those look absolutely sick! My order has shipped too, so excited to hear how these sound!

I wouldn't trust Zavvi at all. Would a record label/distributor really only press 500 of these? A huge film like Iron Man would have a big demand. I would guess there will either be a standard press available later OR that this is just a timed exclusive (Zavvi have done this before). No idea how their packaging is like because the only vinyl I ordered from them was the recent Game of Thrones S4 and even though I pre-ordered early, it never got shipped out. I waited like 3 weeks after release and then just cancelled it. I knew they only had a small allocation but they could of at least contacted me to let me know they had sold out. They've done this before too and will leave orders open for months even though they have no stock. Terrible company with some of the worst customer service you'll find.

I've got them on black and they sound good. A little better than the CD's but not by much (I doubt they used new masters). They're not a revelation but very nice to listen to and pressing quality is good.

I have the Silver and it's fine. Pressed at MPO, same as the EU black vinyl.

I only own 6 Degrees and Train of Thought of the MOV releases and while they do sound really good, I can tell they use the same master as the CD's. Obviously those albums were recorded digitally so they had an existing master but it would have been nice to have them mastered more dynamically for vinyl.

Thing is, MOV are releasing Awake in a single pocket sleeve BUT with a 4 page insert. ETR being a gatefold but with no insert. Also, I emailed MOV about their source and got this reply: ''We received and used high res audio files (192 KHZ / 24 BIT) of the original masters of our Dream Theater releases. We have nothing to do with Enjoy The Ride, so we can’t comment on which masters they are using.'' That is a bit vague really and doesn't mean they'll be using the newly mastered for vinyl master. I think I will buy both to get the best all round package and will compare SQ.

As far as I know, all USPS first class internaitonal packages come with basic tracking now. They're not signed for but usually scanned upon delivery. The only other option past that is via priority mail which shoots up to around $50.

I'm confused about the intl shipping too. I've ordered big boxsets from relapse and was only charged around $25-28 first class intl. With these being 140g I'd be surpsired if they went over the USPS first class mail weight limit.

Pirates Press isn't a plant, they're a go-between. They generally use GZ Vinyl to press. GZ vinyl, like most plants can be good or bad. However, I've personally had more good than bad from them. The biggest issue I have with their vinyl is that they seem to always come in dirty jackets and the dust/grime on the records can be bad. The best plant imo is Record Industry. It's very rare I get bad vinyl from them. Pallas are nice but I get too many warped vinyl from them.

Excellent, thanks for the info. That's right on the money for 1st class International mail so will be ordering from you if I can. Pirates Press usually use GZ vinyl. They're stuff is usually pressed well so that's good. I've had the odd LP with dirt/grime from them but on the whole they're good (and certainly better than Rainbo).

That's great news. How much is your shipping cost to Intl usually? Also, do you have details on pressing plant used for these?

Kinda wish Warner would just release Twin Peaks direct. Just seems to be huge delays on this and hard to find latest information.Even then, will 'normal' folk get a chance to order these or will they be subscription-only?

Any updates on this and Falling into Infinity?

Got both of my copies today (US black and EU colour). Both have the same deadwax info so they're from the same press. Pressed by MPO and it has the initials SST followed by a squiggle that looks a bit like this - WVVV. It does sound great and all 4 of mine are flat and pretty much quiet.

I'm assuming it will be same as with Heritage, where the US and EU releases had different presses. I've got both and they sound the same so the master should be the same. EU was pressed by Optimal, can't remember about the US one but it does have a different deadwax. Still waiting on my PC order, plus it's bank holiay here monday so doubt I will get it for release now (ordered from stereoboutique).

Got mine direct from the label (Snapper/Kscope).

I didn't notice anything like that on my copy and stuff like that usually jumps out at me like a sore thumb.

Got mine today and yes IMO it's a big improvement. Mainly because it actually sounds decent at last. It's also the only vinyl copy I've had which doesn't suffer from clipping/distortion. I've got a purple (2010) and recent black and both sound pretty bad and are quite fatiguing to listen to as the high end is too harsh and distorted. The mix isn't entirely different (not a re-imagination or anything - which is a good thing as the original characteristics of the album are still there), it just sounds clearer and a little more spacious. Defintely sounds like an audiophile version of this great album and is probably the best it'll ever sound. Also, it's one of the best piratespress/GZ vinyl I own. Both lps are flat and super quiet. BTW, listening to the CD right now and it sounds really good too (and the embossed cover is sublime, it's high gloss heaven!).

I own the Purple press and the recent black press and both sound pretty bad. Lots of surface noise and what sounds like clipping/distortion (which I assume is just the CD master pressed to vinyl). Hoping this is much better and hopefully not pressed at GZ.

Got a replacement today from the UK Opeth store (bandstores). Had a letter with it stating it has been re-pressed. Played it eariler and it's defect free, not a single mark on it and plays smoothly. It mentioned that those who purchased Brown will get a yellow replacement (I got Gold).