Cannonball Adderley – Somethin' Else

COMPARISON TIME!

2009 AP SACD (Kevin Gray & Steve Hoffman)
2024 MoFi SACD (Shawn R. Britton)
2024 BN85th UHQCD (Kevin Gray)

Gosh where to begin with this one.... all three have their merits and downsides. No one single release wins in all areas of fidelity. Which version is best is going to be as much down to individuals and their tastes and the type of system used for playback. I shall also add i am in the process of rebuilding my system and ive tested these discs on said system currently comprising a Marantz SA12SE, going into an Icon Audio Stereo 845pp parallel single ended integrated amp and completing in....... a £300 pair of heavily discounted stop gap Wharfedale Diamond 12.3's!! Yep, speakers 1/20th of the amp alone and 1/10th of the disc player. Albeit their performance (Fink team and Comeau played a blinder here) per pound is the highest ive come across in HiFi. Ever. At some point the Wharfedales will make way for the new Quad Revela 2's which will complete the system.

Anyway..... to start, anyone who doesnt have an SACD player or setup capable of presenting DSD without manipulation should just get the UHQCD as it outperforms the redbook layers on both the MoFi and AP discs. It is arguably the best balanced of the three and KPG has done a great job. I think its actually better than the BN Classic vinyl. However those able to access the MoFi and AP DSD layers will find strengths the UHQCD cant match. The weakness of the UHQCD is soundstage expanse. It is much flatter in depth than the SACD's. If it could match them it could probably be my pick of the three. The AP is the darkest and comes up as the lowest volume wise but once matched its sounds smooth, natural and expansive. The UHQCD sounds tonally very similar with a little extra and welcome brightness and life but sadly has that typical CD esque soundstage flatness. The MoFi is the odd one out.... its FULL ON DETAIL time here and it mercilessly thrusts the musicians out and right into your face and ears. Its the liveliest of the three and makes the AP sound shy and quiet. Its got the biggest most textured bass and the hottest, brightest highs but the mids arent sucked out for the sake of it. The clarity and soundstage are also the biggest. BUT...... that clarity does often border on being too hot and unnatural. I find myself almost wincing on some brief moments of trumpet and regular cymbals. This onc aspect does hold it back from also being the ultimate best. With the incoming Quad loudspeakers and an expected uptick in both sonic clarity and refinement its going to be a case of revisiting these three to see if i swing a different way. Through the surprisingly clear and neutral but musical Wharfedales (Diamond series are usually too safe and devoid of life albeit inexpensive) i really am struggling to say which one i would keep if a gun was pointed at my head. Ideally i want the tonal balance of the UHQCD (or the MoFi upto 4khz) with 5% more bass and the soundstage of either AP or MoFi (probably just the MoFi) but alas it evades these particular ears right now. I hope the Quads will settle the fight on the sound front for me.

In of packaging i definately like the AP most. Its got the best case and notes. The UHQCD is a bog standard jewel case and does the job. The MoFi design tries too hard and is annoying.... they are frustrating to store and a faff to get the disc in and out of quickly. They also come with the highest risk of dropping. If i wanted the vinyl tactility experience i will turn to actual vinyl thx! Yeah, I wish they came in super jewel cases tbh like i feel all discs should.

And thats about it really.... YMMV as we are all different but i hope this review helps even just one person decide which version is likely to suit them best!