Recommendations for Audiophiles
McCartney & Ram: Paul McCartney Digital Sound Quality Guide
Picking the best-sounding CD & hi-res versions isn’t as easy as you might think
Welcome to my ongoing research on the best sounding Paul McCartney CDs and high resolution downloads. You will either find this a tedious journey that you wish to skip or a fascinating take on the CDs and hi-res downloads of titles in McCartney’s classic period.
I judged these different versions by doing a/b comparisons of multiple tracks to determine which ones sound the best to me. I also took dynamic range readings (DR) of all of them so that you can take that into account as one of the factors in deciding which version you want, if that matters to you.
I have only compared the digital versions I own, which is to say this is not an exhaustive list and there is a possibility that there is one or more that I haven’t heard that could be a “winner.” If you have a version that isn’t included here, I’d love your feedback if you’ve done any comparisons of your own.
Most of these are out of print. However, they all can be found used from websites like Discogs, eBay, or Amazon. Some of them are more scarce and expensive than others. But there are some surprises here: expensive doesn’t always mean better. I have linked the titles to their Discogs counterparts, so you can get more information on whichever ones you like.
McCartney (1970)
Comparison of 6 Different Digital Releases of McCartney (excluding bonus tracks):
- 1993, EMI-Odeon TOCP-7617 Japan for Japan (Dynamic Range 11)
- Capitol US 1988, CDP 7 46611 2 (Dynamic Range 11)
- UK Original CD Parlophone CDP 7 46611 2 (Dynamic Range 11)
- DCC GZS-1029 DCC Gold CD (Dynamic Range 11)
- HRM-32799–00 Deluxe Archive Edition CD Version (Dynamic Range 11)
- Hear Music 2011 High Resolution 24/96 Unlimited Version (Dynamic Range 12)
* Winner: Hear Music 2011 High Resolution 24/96 Unlimited Version
The high resolution version I am referring to is the unlimited version, not the limited version — these 2 different masterings were released in 2011 as downloads from McCartney’s official website, and the limited version is, well, limited resulting in a more compressed sound that is not as dynamic.
The high resolution version is reportedly a flat transfer of the master tape. It has more presence and sounds more natural than the CDs. It doesn’t win by a huge margin over most of the other CDs (barring the DCC), but I would definitely recommend it if you’re able to find it.
Almost all of the other masterings here share a certain tonality and none of them are to be avoided, except for one: The DCC gold CD stands out from the rest and not in a good way. It is EQ’d in a way that the highs seem to be shaved off, resulting in a duller sound. The drums don’t have the snap or decay of the others. Some describe or perceive this to result in a “warmer” sound, but I find it less engaging.
The Deluxe Archive CD DR11 has the same tonality as the high resolution download and sounds very similar, but compression was used, the waveform is “thicker” than any of the others and there is less headroom. Because compression was used (but not an extreme amount and there’s no clipping) I prefer the high resolution download, but if listener fatigue is not something you experience, either would be a good choice.
The Toshiba and Capitol US contain the same mastering DR11 (waveforms line up when normalized); however they are not clones, since the Toshiba has a greater amount of headroom than the Capitol CD. If you are obsessive like me and want to collect all the different masterings, you’ll only “need” the Toshiba or the Capitol US. Since the Capitol US can be found much more cheaply than the scarce Toshiba, go for that one if you want it.
There is another mastering that I didn’t include here because I don’t own it, which is the UK CD from 1993 on the Parlophone label released as part of the Paul McCartney Collection campaign. Those 16 CDs contain an audio processing known as noise reduction.
Noise reduction removes hiss, but it also affects the sound in a negative way. There is a distracting pumping sound that can be heard on CDs with NR to a greater or lesser extent. If you’re looking for a given CD and you have the choice between one with NR and one without it, I would always recommend the one without it.
NR is no longer standard on newer digital releases because it has become recognized industry-wide as affecting the sound negatively. Unfortunately, many of the most recent masterings and remasterings typically suffer from other issues that are just as problematic, but we’ll get into that a little later.
Ram (Paul and Linda McCartney, 1971)
Comparison of 5 Different Digital Releases of Ram (excluding bonus tracks):
- Parlophone — 0777 7 89139 2 4 The Paul McCartney Collection 1993 UK (DR11)
- 33450–00 Paul McCartney Archive Collection (2012 Concord/MPL) CD Version (DR9)
- Hear Music Special Edition 2012 (Unlimited Version 24–96) High Resolution Download (DR10)
- DCC Gold CD GZS-1037 (DR11)
- Capitol CDP 7 46612 2 US (DR11)
* 1. Winner: Hear Music Special Edition 2012 (Unlimited Version 24–96) High Resolution Download
* 2. Runner Up: DCC Gold CD GZS-1037
All of these are unique, different masterings. As with McCartney, the high resolution version I’m referring to for Ram is the unlimited version. I found the high resolution version to sound the best even though it has a lower DR than 3 of the other CDs (but higher than another).
It sounds like the Archive Edition CD originated from the same mastering as the high resolution version, but it suffers from clipping, over-compression and a lower dynamic range. The drums don’t sound as natural as the high resolution version. If you don’t mind your music being LOUD, the Archive Edition CD isn’t a bad choice, as it contains the same tonality as the preferred high resolution version. If you want a more natural sound, however, I would avoid the Archive Edition.
In a surprise, given that the DCC McCartney suffered from a weird coloration, here it sounds very good, nearly as good as the download. No weird EQ, but just a tad more veiled which is why I didn’t rate it as a “winner.” Since DCC gold CDs command high prices and I think the high resolution version is a better choice anyway, you might want to skip the DCC even though it sounds very good.
Avoid the Paul McCartney Collection CD (Parlophone — 0777 7 89139 2 4 1993) at all costs. It has noise reduction.
The Capitol silver CD sounds fine. Meaning, no NR, good dynamic range, and doesn’t sound a million miles from the high resolution unlimited version. If you’re looking for a cheap option, then this would be a good choice.
As always, your ears, and your mileage may vary (YMMV).
