[Review] CD lathe update

larkrise any chance i could send you a black cdr copy of rickie leejones for the lathe treatment, so i can compare to the original.

i'll be happy to include a few black cdr blanks for your trouble.

 

PM me - I'm sure we could work somethng out - though a case of bolli would clinch it I'm sure.

 

Well finally I've managed to get to my PC, The Black Memorex CD-R's turned up a few days ago, and I'm pleased to report that they seem to have a superior sound in comparsion to my Standard TDK Media, Both CD-R are infact manufactured by CMC using the same dye.

I noticeted that Bass and Treble seemed Sweeter, and less distorted,and a bigger soundsage.If I had to be honest, it sounded like a lathed CD-R that was working only at 50%, so it would seem that Black Surface is improving things at my end.

My next step, Black Lathed CD!

 

Aha - that's my boy!!!!

See, I am not Mad!

 

ok, I've ordered the cd - and I should get this in a few days - will PM you when I get the cd!

cheers

 

Hi, I've PM'd you...

cheers!

 

Stellebagpuss,
Thanks for posting the CDs. Hopefully I'll be able to spin these as soon as possible and report back.

Wolfie.

 

My lathed black CDR of Rickie Lee Jones first album duely arrived back home today.

A few words about the orignal CD, it's perfectly scratch free, reveal cleaned, not that it made any difference, and is the one CD in my collection that i know better than any other. The album was recorded mixed and mastered in the analogue domain originally, maybe they remastered from the original tapes for the Cd release, but i doubt it.

It gives a very airy warts and all presentation, right down to the tape hiss.

So onto the comparisson.

Originally i couldn't tell them apart in ABX tests, with my trusty assistant, (girlfriend) swapping between the orginal CD and the unlathed CDR.

Today was a different story.

The lathed CD has noticably more tape hiss, and it's a better defined tape hiss,more forward in the mix, win some loose some i guess.

Tape hiss aside, the position of Rickie Lee's vocal sits a good foot higher in front of me, from my seated position. The strummed double bass has a much clearer tone and more obviously woody resonance. instrumental seperation is improved and there's a definate improvement in soundstage width compared to the original CD, with guitars sitting out side of the speakers, where previosuly they sat in the speakers.

Swapping the discs around ABX style, with the GF, i can discern which is which within the first few seconds of all but two tracks.

On two tracks i can't tell them apart with any accuracy, managing little more than the chance 50/50.

In comparisson to the Cowboy Junkies CD that Zanash/Pete bought round the effect is noticably less apparent on this CD choice, though always very obvious apart from on two tracks.

So there may be some potential best case CD's that show up the effects more obviously than this one does.

But it's impressive none the less.

Would i buy one based on this outing, no, i'd put my money elsewhere first, based on this experiement.

No Doubt Pete will be happy to hear that as a set of his cables are waiting in the wings.

but until i get one, the nagging doubt that this may just be a 'well rounded' CD anyway, with only modest scope for improvement will always be there.

 

and i have no idea how it works,but to these ears at least it does.

 

Great News another believer !
Funny in regards to certain recording sounding more effected than others. I have found that AAD Disc's seem to show a big improvement, it also helps if there isn't loads of compression used to master the CD.

Ok, I'm off to do my test now with an Anita Baker Cd "Rapture" Orginal "Lathed" Vs Black Lathed CD-R.

Will report back later !

 

Black CDRs are definitely another step up and for those concerned about modifying their CD collection a safe alternative. I too have found that some discs show a marked improvement above others, so i think it's a try it and see - but when it works very well it works very very well!

 

I've found a couple of cd's that lathing has made only marginal impact on ...but with most of my collection now done the great majority do sound more alive ....

 

First of all thanks to Stellebagpuss for a great compilation of great songs. I really enjoy all of it. I have to listen to the whole lathed disc from beginning to end using the Oppo DVDP. Beautiful clear sound. Listen to it another time before putting on the normal disc. This also made a beautiful clear sound. No obvious down grade in the sound quality. Might settle down for more intense comparison later.

Thought I repeat the thing with a better spinner. The Linn Karik played the normal disc perfectly. So was the first song with the lathed disc but there after it seem to stop and start like it is trying very hard to read the data.

Tried with the Tag DVD32R. This time the stupid thing couldn't even read the lathed disc. Spin a few times and said 'no disc detected'. Kind of expected as this is one bastardly fussy disc spinner I have ever own. Luckily the normal disc made a fantastic and beautiful sound with the normal disc. So just sit back and listen to the whole compilation again. Would be interested it you have the list of tracks handy. Great compilation.

I have not read the whole thread but anyone else have such problem with their lathed discs?

 

In a word, No! Are the problems that you describe to do with the CDP having difficulty reading CDRs, or a particular type of CDR?

 

None of my 3 players have difficulty reading the normal untreated CD-R.

Only the disc with the edge carefully lathed and blacken seen to be a problem. Owners with the popular Oppo DVDP shouldn't have a problem if they wanted to try as it played both easily.

 

Strange One... There shoudn't be any difference in regards to reading the data on both Disc's "TDK". They were both recorded one after another using the same Yamaha CRW-F1 Writer.

As a quick test, put it into a DVD player or your PC, there is of course a outside chance that the CD has been damaged in transit, anyway glad you like the Music, hang on to the disc's, and prehaps you can try them on someone elses set up, then ship them on to someone else to try!

 

Odd .....if you need a standard pair of cd's doing ..just ask !

 

Black Lathed CD-R Vs Original Lathed CD
So how did it go at my end? Intersesting to say the least. I Firstly tried the Original Vs Black Lathed CD-R, The CD-R was recording was done via PC via my Yamaha Writer. I Used Anita Baker's Rapture CD for the test.

Straight from the first seconds it was clear to my ears that the original was by far superior, the Black Lathed CD-R lacked that certain presence, and the Stereo Width that was projected by the Original. The Origianal had a larger and wider soundstage. So 1 -0 to the Original, at the moment...

I decided then to loose the PC side of things, and use my old Phillips CD-R 880 Audio Recorder, I'd stopped using a Few years back, as it was sometmes playing up, probably I figured it was from being used so much. Anyway one of the great things with the CD-R880, is you can cheat the machine, and get it to burn standard CD-R's,saying you lots of money.

Using My Meridian 500 Transport, the Phillips recorded the Memorex Black Lathed CD-R, without a hitch. On Playback, it was now a different story, what an improvement, but was it better that the original....No. Infact I couldn't tell them apart! And thats was track after track.
So after all of that, IMO Black CD-R is superior compaired to Normal CD Media Lathed or Not, but a Black Lathed can be equal to an original depending on how you record your CD-R's, which is an completley different thread on its own!

 

How much are these things again??

 

But how did you then fnd a lathed black CDR?