HW: Live Chronicles audio showdown

[Steve Swann]

So, my new headphones arrived a while ago, and I decided to figure out
once and for all which of the 4 Live Chronicles releases is really the
one to have.  So here's the equipment used to do the audio comparison:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-7506-Pro-MDR-7506-Headphones/dp/B0002H02ZY
http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/320/

Neither the Amazon nor the Sterophile link is intended as an
endorsement (ok, especially of Stereofool).  ;-)

The contenders:

#1 Original single CD release, "The Collector's Series"
GWR Records
Castle Communications
CCSCD 321
1992(?)

So, this is the oldie, the one I'm most familiar with from having
listened to it since it came out in what, '92?  Probably because it's
the version that I'm used to, I have a liking for it that far exceeds
its actual quality as a recording.  It's weak on the bottom end and
screechy at the top.  I have to assume this one was mixed to CD direct
from the LP balanced master tapes, there's no other rational
explanation for those glass-shattering, ear piercing synthesizer
washes.  And yet I like it.  I'm weird.

#2  Original 2-disc version with restored songs
Griffin Music
GCDHA-0136-2

This came out not too long after the Castle original.  At the time
that it came out, I thought that by comparison to the Castle original
it sounded "muddy".  I have to fess up that I never really gave this
one a fair chance.  Looking back, Griffin did a pretty good job of
properly balancing the mix, making it less screamingly bright.  It
stands somewhere in between the original Castle release (#1) and the
Remastered Castle release (#3) in terms of how beefy it sounds.

#3  Remastered single disc version, with "Bonus Collection" disc
Castle Communications
CCS CD 829
1998(?)

So, this time Castle took their original 1-disc version of LC, and
remastered it, seriously re-balancing the sound and beefing up the
bass end to give it lot more presence and impact.  It has none of the
screechy glare of the original, and the bass has the kind of room
shaking quality that it probably had in the original concerts.  I
didn't like this much when it came out, I thought it had buried the
other instruments under bass and drums, but in fact on listening to it
again that's an unfair assessment of it.  Of course by raising the
volume and impact of those instruments you hear slightly less of the
others (like Huw's guitar), but they are by no means buried, the mix
is actually pretty damn good, and what it's really done is lifted the
sonic compression from the original Castle release.  I like this one a
lot.

#4  Remastered 2-disc version
Atomhenge
ATOMCD 2007
2008

So, sonically, this is very similar to the Castle remaster.  I go back
and forth as to which one I think is clearer or has more sense of
presence.  When I play this at top volume on my big speakers I detect
a slight unpleasant burr in the sound, but I am not 100% convinced
that this a failing in this recording vs a problem with either my
speakers or amp.  But really, if you want the full LC performance,
there's no choice anyway.  Bottom line: this is in a two-way tie for
best sounding release, and it's the only one that's got the full
restored performance, so this is the one to own.

Steve

P.S.  Now someone will go and do some serious audio analysis, and find
out that one or the other release is saturated to the point of
clipping like gets done to everything else these days, and I'll have
to eat my words about what's good...  ;-)