After rereading this entire thread, I must say, I don't really understand something.
Steve Hoffman can thread up the RCA "Dash 1" master mix of "Elvis Is Back" on a tape machine and hear an amazing sounding master tape just waiting to be "polished". BMG and Mr. Jorgensen cue up the same tape and panic because it sounds so bad that they have to "no-noise" it, and generally wreck it, sound wise (IMO).
How can that be?
Steve Hoffman can thread up the "Aqualung" master tape and coax out of it an amazing sounding CD, whereas the 25th Anniv. release using the same tape sounds dreadful (IMO).
How can that be?
Steve Hoffman can thread up the "Highway 61 Revisited" tape and coax out of it an amazing sounding CD, whereas Sony can't seem to get it to sound right.
How can that be?
I could go on with a hundred more titles.
Why can't everything sound like an SH version? I'm tired of spending my money on bad sound!
Is this "worshiping at the alter of Steve"? Yeah, I guess so, but as Mr. Einstein states:
"The DCC Elvis versions are vastly superior in terms of every aspect of their sound to the RCA/BMG versions. I don't understand what jiggering RCA did when they mastered these boxes. Fake digital echo? I don't know."
All I can say is: Thank you Steve. I know that at this very moment you and your co-workers are trying to make nice with BMG so you can't comment here, but we truly do appreciate the efforts you have made to bring us good sound.
Thanks!