I’ve noticed it a couple other times not limited to Pink Floyd. It happened with the Metallica and AC/DC titles when they went to the higher res files.
For “The Wall”, the best digital version I have heard is the West German Harvest CD release.
For “The Dark Side of the Moon”, I prefer the 2003 SACD or the 2011 remaster. They are very close. The MQA release is not better than the SACD…
1 Like
I also thought the SACD of Dark Side of the Moon (I have the 2003 SACD) was better than the Tidal MQA version. On the other hand, the Tidal MQA version of Wish You Were Here was better than the CD. No surprise I guess.
3 Likes
FWIW, I downloaded “Wish You Were Here” and “Meddle” in 192k/24 bit and was not very impressed with sound quality. I actually prefer my old (and new pressing) LPs. Very disappointed and received a partial refund (one download) from HD Tracks which was decent. Don’t think they’ll make a habit of giving refunds on future purchases though.
1 Like
Interesting… 
I didn’t buy either of those, as I already had WYWH in DSD (ripped from SACD), and Meddle on MFSL CD. I did, however, download Animals, The Final Cut, & Pulse in 24/192, and I thought all 3 of those were significantly better than any 16/44.1 version that I’ve heard.
2 Likes
Wish You Were Here is my favorite PF album, and if anyone with critical ears will admit, the album needs to be either remastered from a cleaner, quieter tape source, or as the current trend is picking up some much-needed steam with many many albums, needs to be remixed-Steven
Wilson and Giles Martin style.
I have WYWH on several different CD editions, the SACD, and the Immersion set that’s got the blu-ray in it, and they all seem to have the same master that is very noisy, very hissy.
Let’s revisit the original multitracks and remix a fresh, more capable sonic edition while many PF fans are still alive, well, and in possession of good hearing…
I have listened to some on Qobuz. Animals, Atom Heart Mother and Meddle sound really nice.
Steve Wilson’s remix of Jethro Tull and Yes is brilliant. Amazing how much more content and detail was locked on the original multitrack tape and lost in the mixing process back in the day. Jethro Tull’s Aqualung and especially Stand Up have improved. Though Aqualung is still sonically better.
On Stand Up, Living in the Past was the big hit; but my favorite track was Reason for Waiting. A song of joy and reunion.
That version of “The Wall”…is that the 1994 Doug Sax Mastering? I have the U.S. release of that, and I agree…it’s the best version I’ve heard (yet).
Qobuz says it’s the 2011 remaster, this it what I found on Discogs
It’s this release from 1985:
This mastering is better than anything else I have heard and I have listened to most of the masterings out there…
1 Like
Stand Up has some great songs on it. It’s always been my favorite Tull album. I especially love all the use of 6/8 time.
1 Like