Definitive Audiophile pressings

See, that is what I thought but then I read that it also depends on the runout. Someone said that if the matrix matches up with the 2012 40th anniversary pressing than it would be the AAA. Like they initially used the same plate but at some point in the run replaced it with a digital remaster.

Honestly am not sure. My matrix runout matches up with this one…


But I have the sleeve with the little blurb about the digital remaster on it too. So either they stamped some with the AAA 40th anniversary plate before switching em out for the digital remaster and then just used the same jacket for all of them or they used the exact same matrix runout on both the AAA and Digital Remaster. Either way, it sounds pretty good to my ears so I am not overly worried about it.
Yeah both of these I got are the new runout, not the AAA...
 
Well that's... Interesting.... Because the single disc 2016 reissue apparently doesn't? Or no one on cogs had mentioned it.

My matrix definitely matches the 2016 and it's for sure not the 2020 since I've had it for at least 4-5 years... and it has the "digital remaster" thingy on the back. Plot thickening?
 
Yeah I'm gunna have to go searching I guess, I'm not sure if the earlier individual one would be better but this 2020 is worse than listening on Spotify

This is the Japanese copy I got, which sounds great. reasonable priced copies come up from time to time

 
Fucking NOPE.
The sheer number of complaints about noisy pressings from these $700.00 records is hilarious. What a joke.

And they recently released a mono mix that was an effing fold down! That too, shockingly, did not get good reviews...
 
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Yeah I know, but it's impossible to find because it's the same barcode as the new digital press from 2020. And almost every single sale listing on Cogs for the 2016 issue were added in the last year, so those are all going to be the 2020. And the only ones that weren't are about $80 shipped from the UK...

Someone has now created a new listing for the '2016' digital press. I think a lot of the sealed will be the wrong ones, but you could message the sellers and ask them to check the dead wax to see if they have the title listed correctly.

2016 (with 2012 run out groove markings)


2016 (with Optimal markings)

 
It doesn’t have a great reputation. Clean and well pressed and all that but supposedly the EQ is off in comparison to what it should be, boosts the highs and lows and the expense of the mids is what I have heard.
Okay thanks, I thought I had remembered something along those lines being said but I couldn't find anything...
 
Someone has now created a new listing for the '2016' digital press. I think a lot of the sealed will be the wrong ones, but you could message the sellers and ask them to check the dead wax to see if they have the title listed correctly.

2016 (with 2012 run out groove markings)


2016 (with Optimal markings)

Thanks, yeah I saw this when I got my copy in and checked all the sales listings for the ROG markings and all but about five of the 166 for sale were added in the past 12 months. So those are almost certainly the digital. And the only ones that were added earlier are about $80 shipped for the POSSIBILITY that they are the right one. I think I'm either going to have to find a Japanese press or just wait for another repress...
 
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The one thing to remember with Ziggy is that it was not a really well recorded album. It has a lot of high end and lot of low end with not much in the middle. That is why the MoFi is not well regarded. You slap a bit of 80s smiley face eq on it and it sounds terrible.
I absolutely got that impression just from this pressing. I mean to be honest maybe I'm expecting too much but I really do think this digital is a step down. All the other Bowie reissues I have sound great. This is digitally crunchy beyond what feels like an iffy recording would present...
 
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