The Cure – Faith

I have had this record for many years and I agree with the comments made by Mystagogiasonora as below. No issues at all with the quality of vinyl/sound. A good addition to any Cure collection. IMHO.

I've acquired this edition mainly for its additional material, which makes it particularly appealing to many. Nevertheless, I did so with some hesitation due to the negative reviews I had read about it. Luckily, I had the chance to test it before purchasing, and after a preliminary listen, I found it acceptable enough to take home. Once there, I proceeded with a more attentive and critical listening session. I don't own an original period edition or a contemporary reissue from Fiction Records for a thorough sonic comparison. However, I do possess several CD editions of the album: the first edition (1985), Happily Ever After (1987), and the Deluxe Remaster Edition (2005). Therefore, I conducted comparisons with these, taking into the differences in format and mastering.

Firstly, the record exhibits no surface noise or crackling; the hissing is minimal, within acceptable parameters, making it a relatively quiet record. If one were to be extremely meticulous, some occasional clicks might be noticeable, particularly in tracks like "The Funeral Party," given the quiet nature of the piece, which could be bothersome for more discerning listeners. In my opinion, a thorough cleaning of the record would likely eliminate these minor flaws.

Having addressed these technical details, I'll now move on to the sound quality. The record’s cut is well-executed. While the album's sound may come off as slightly flat at times, there is a clear and well-defined separation of instruments within the stereo field; the bass is well-defined and controlled. As for the higher frequencies, they are also properly managed, though a bit bright for my taste. One might argue there are certain deficiencies in the midrange, but only if one is particularly fastidious about it. It's worth noting that the album itself doesn't prioritize these frequencies. What truly stands out about this edition is its broad dynamic range (which I estimate to be below -20dBFS).

Compared to the previously mentioned CD versions, this edition excels in both its dynamic range and in a particular detail: it lacks the high-frequency distortion that plagues the CD editions. While the Deluxe Remaster Edition partially rectified this issue, it remains noticeable at certain peaks, such as at the 50-second mark of the track "Doubt," and something similar occurs with "Other Voices." In this vinyl edition, those issues are absent, which is noteworthy, as I initially suspected the mastering might have originated from a CD, specifically the Deluxe Remaster Edition. For this reason and its dynamic range, I consider this vinyl edition superior to the CD versions.

Ultimately, I recommend this edition, especially for the additional material it offers. If you have the opportunity to listen to it before purchasing, do so. I reiterate that finding high-quality vinyl records remains a matter of chance today; quality control is virtually non-existent, which explains the disparity in opinions.

EQUIPMENT USED:

- Acoustically Treated Listening Room
- Rega Planar 3 Turntable (fully upgraded)
- Ortofon 2M Blue
- IFI Zen Phono Preamp
- Marantz PM750DC Amplifier
- Pioneer CS-F700 Speakers

You people either need better record players or need to simply, clean your vinyl. Mine's fine.

The copy I bought was less than worthless. Hyper hissing/popping throughout. Maybe it was just a bad copy, but was sold as new so have to wonder about the "Vinyl Lovers" quality.

IMO the reason to get this release is to have Carnage Visors on vinyl, period.

I A/B tested with the current standard-issue reissue. This release is flat and lifeless, compared to the standard electra/rhino version. But it’s great to have Carnage Visors on vinyl, so I guess I’ll keep both.

not too sure what some people are hearing wrong with this issue,i have a basis/sme/ortofon turntable and the sound is pretty close to my original copy (maybe the bass is a shade lighter).plus its worth the money for carnage visors

What a pitty that the label design is not matching the artwork and the sound doesn't seam to be appealing either

I have a first UK vinyl pressing, the original cassette with Carnage Visors, and the version that came in "Happily Ever After" and they all sound so much better than this. I ordered this for the bonus LP but even Carnage Visors sounds better on the original cassette. Oh well. This is the only way to get a lot of these tracks on vinyl so I'll keep it but it's pretty disappointing for $42.99

is this pressing any good?