Dire Straits Brothers in Arms

Got this yesterday & I'm happy to report this is the "180 GRAM High-Performance 2-Disc Vinyl Record, Half-Speed Mastered by Stan Ricker, Plating & Pressing at R.T.I. version ($30.29 as of this posting). As you might or might not know, this version has the complete, un-altered full length versions of all songs. On the original album songs were trimmed to fit on 2-sides.Haven't had a chance to do a full listen comparison to my 1st press of the album but I'm liking what I'm hearing! :)180 Gram Virgin Vinyl - 093624937715Half Speed Mastering by Stan Ricker - Limited Edition - Pressed at Plated at RTIWOW!!! The sound was excellent, deep bass, great depth of soundstage, smooth rich tone and great dynamics! There is a reason they cut this Album on four full sides!"Whatever you think of Knopler’s songwriting depth and the communicativeness of his delivery, there’s no denying the exquisite—though now sounding dated— mid-1980’s production quality. The sound quality of this album immediately attracted audiophiles back then and continues to do so today.Even on his worst day, I wouldn’t bet against Bob Ludwig cutting at the Masterdisk lathe and the “RL MASTERDISK” original is still a potent sounding record. Stan Ricker’s half-speed cut, spread out over four sides, doesn’t attempt to re-create the original’s brash, forward and echoey sound. It’s somewhat drier, less “tinkly” and definitely gives musical images greater weight and more body. For instance, “Walk of Life” comes off far less “carnival-like” and I think that makes it a much better song. Ricker gives the album a warmer, more mature feel, with the half-speed mastering trading some brashness and edginess for greater true transient detail and a more burnished overall presentation.. Dire Straits' biggest-selling album-in fact, one of the biggest-selling albums world-wide of all time-Brothers In Arms helped musically define a decade. This superb album spent the grand total of 203 weeks in the UK charts and a respectable 55 weeks in the US charts (where it sold 7 million copies alone)."Brothers In Arms" was pretty much the success story of the 80's and was primarily fuelled by a slate of huge hit singles like the classic "Money For Nothing" (No.1 US, No.4 UK '85), "Walk Of Life" (No.2 UK '86, No.7 US '85) and "So Far Away" (No.19 US '86, No.20 UK '85). "Money For Nothing," the song that helped immortalize the phrase “I want my MTV,” hit #1 and won the Grammy® for Best Rock Performance.Today, Brothers In Arms remains a rock essential - and now is offered as a completely uncompressed two-disc vinyl album for the ultimate in fidelity!The instruments are sharper and the whole soundstage is much more full than the studio pressing. It also seems as if there is more music. I do not remember the extended lead in for the first song on side two ("Walk Of Life") as well as the trailing notes for the last song on side 3 ("Ride Across The River"). I'm not a big fan of bloated bass, and even though the bass is considerably more full than the studio pressing, it was also more musical.1/2 Speed Mastered by Stan Ricker on High Performance 180 Gram Vinyl... Because Sound Matters! Plating and Pressing at R.T.I. Dire Straits'

This is for the DVD-Audio version. Wow, really brings the album to life. The 5.1 surround sound remix highlight precision music, and it doesn't get any more precise than later Dire Straits.I've been on a dvd-audio buying spree lately, and Brothers In Arms is unquestionably the most outstanding surround sound remix I've come across.Highly recommended.

Played on my OPPO BDP-83 SE, Nuforce Edition, OPPO BDP-83SE - Nuforce Edition I listened to it on my high quality stereo, with my jaw dropped and my eyes wide with excitement. This is the music we know, yet like we've never heard before; the improvement is so outstanding. A whole new experience of the same songs, only remastered to quality better than possible for consumers, back in the day. The sounds from guitar have all the character, twang and original Dire Straits sound you could dream of. It must be heard to understand. Imported from England, but worth every penny.In "So Far Away", during the chorus, the low growling guitar notes are heard to advantage, and similarly at the end of lines, such as following "blister on your little finger". Throughout, the percussion is tightened up in the remaster, weigh in the lows, fast and crisp for cymbals. "Money for Nothing" is the album version, at 8 minutes, 26 seconds. The percussion in the intro to Money for Nothing" is heard to particular good effect, with the ethereal "I want my, I want my MTV ..." lead in. The price of this Hybrid SACD album is not "money for nothing"; the money is for a fine improvement/remaster of particularly high quality.There are CD stereo, SACD stereo, SACD multichannel tracks. I didn't listen multichannel as I only have stereo gear, although my OPPO did down-mix the 5.1 audio track as stereo. Even playing it as an ordinary CD on a nice, older Sony CD player, it was nicely improved. The musical upgrade of this disc is not as fine when the CD layer is played, compared to SACD, but it is still no small improvement in my opinion. Particularly recommended for those with quality music setups, especially played as SACD, both stereo and surely also as multichannel, although the multi-channel assessment is based only on the quality experienced in stereo. It's made me feel like a kid again, only with better toys and music. Listening as SACD, I wanted to listen all the way through, the music drew me in so. Listening as a CD, was more like in the old days, where, after the great songs, one might be motivated to jump to the next great song rather than just listen. High quality, reasonably priced, audio equipment can show the audio improvement to good effect. "Be-Bop-A-Lula Baby What I Say ... do the walk of life", to great music.