Billy Joel Billy Joel/Glass Houses Glass Houses Original US CD Audio Fidelity

*This is not a gold CD. The high-quality sound label “Audio Fidelity” is known for its charismatic engineer Steve Hoffman. The great masterpiece “GLASS HOUSES”, reissued from the CD “AFZ 092”, is set to be released. Our shop has introduced CDs reissued from various high-quality records, such as “Audio Fidelity”, “Mobile Fidelity” and “Nimbus Supercut”, which are in the same vein as “DCC”. “Audio Fidelity” is one of them. The label was formerly known as “DCC (Dunhill Compact Classics)”, which is said to be on par with Mobile Fidelity, and is a prestigious label known for mastering by the renowned engineer Steve Hoffman. “Audio Fidelity” is primarily known for its SACD releases, but it only made the full-scale transition in 2012. He worked on Billy Joel’s “GLASS HOUSES” in 2010, just before that, and released it on CD media (strictly speaking, HDCD: see below). This work is a reissue of the mint quality version of that CD. So what is this “Audio Fidelity”? High quality CDs can be roughly divided into “material type (SHM-CD, etc.)”, “new technology type (SBM CD, etc.)” and “engineer type (MFSL, etc.)”, but “Audio Fidelity” involves all three. 24K gold is used as the material, and HDCD is also used as the technology. “HDCD” is a technology that digitizes at 20 bits or more, which is higher quality than the 16 bits of the normal CD standard. Unfortunately, dedicated decks have become obsolete, but it is fully compatible with normal 16-bit CD decks. Not only can it be played without any problems, but because it is digitized at 20 bits or more, it is considered to have higher sound quality than CDs made with normal processes. And even more important than that is the engineer. The original master tapes of the albums are borrowed from the record companies and digitized, but the tape playback environment and process are thoroughly considered. Of course, each manufacturer has its own know-how, and the utmost attention is paid to the finishing, focusing on reproducing the “sound of the master tape itself”. And the important thing here is “who remastered it”. Since the sound quality is not improved by digital technology or materials, each process depends on the skill and sense of the craftsman, and it will not be the same no matter who does it. Among them, popular engineers appeared, and many engineers became charismatic, such as the master Bob Ludwig and Bill Inglot of the Rhino label. The masterpieces they worked on are especially popular among the many high-quality CDs, and some are even sold for tens of thousands of yen second-hand. And one of them is Steve Hoffman. The analog sound that used vacuum tubes for mastering equipment was even called magic, and the “DCC” brand spread around the world. “Audio Fidelity” is a successor label that follows that trend. “GLASS HOUSES” depicts a three-dimensional effect just by the reproduction of the master, and this work “GLASS HOUSES” has been revived with such a Hoffman sound. The sound is extremely natural. Although the sound pressure is lower than the current remastered CD, the reproduction of the fine details is overwhelmingly superior. The intro of “You May Be Right”, in which glass breaks, is so realistic that you can see each piece of glass, and the drums that come in are so realistic that you can feel the vibration of the skin. In the current CD, the sound pressure is raised to the point where the drum hit peak is almost distorted, but in this work, the peaks and peaks are glossy because it is mastered with a margin. If the sound pressure is simply low, it would be meaningless, but of course this work is different. The three-dimensional effect is wonderful because it is clear from the moment of the rise to the very end of the muffling, and while it is natural, it has a sense of space that is not inferior to the current CD, which emphasizes the unevenness by mastering. If you want to enjoy that detail, “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” might be a good choice. The song progresses in sync with not only the rhythm section but also the guitar cutting and clapping, but each one is wonderfully separate. Even though the rhythms are perfectly synchronized, they do not mix and feel independent. It is definitely 2ch stereo because it can be played on a normal CD deck, but it is so vivid that you might think it is 5.1ch surround for a moment. Moreover, if you concentrate closely, you will notice that there is no strange stereo processing at all. The presence of the instruments and palms is depicted simply by the fineness of the details and the reproduction of the sound. Speaking of “GLASS HOUSES”, it was also released as an MFSL SACD in 2012. It is said to be the best. However, this work achieves high sound quality approaching SACD despite being CD media. No matter how digital the CD is, music is still the gift of human hands and sensibility. This is especially true for works that were handmade in the analog era. Charisma: A great master sound masterpiece revived by the masterful work of Steve Hoffman. “GLASS HOUSES” by charismatic engineer Steve Hoffman has been released. The digitization system using unique technology is on a different level, and you can enjoy the great master sound. Taken from the original US CD (Audio Fidelity, AFZ 092) 1. You May Be Right 2. Sometimes A Fantasy 3. Don’t Ask Me Why 4. It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me 5. All For Leyna 6. I Don’t Want To Be Alone 7. Sleeping With The Television On 8. C’etait Toi (You Were The One) 9. Close To The Borderline 10. Through The Long Night