Aaliyah – Aaliyah

The heavy compression surprisingly doesn't bother me much. It's a pretty enjoyable listen it doesn't feel muddy like many heavily compressed records. Of course, it would be nicer if it WASN'T, but I like it. :-) One or 2 songs did have me turn down my stereo, though.

foobar2000 v2.24.1 / DR Meter v0.7
log date: 2025-05-15 00:04:47

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Analyzed: Aaliyah / Aaliyah
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DR Peak RMS Duration Track
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DR8 -0.10 dBFS -9.74 dBFS 4:03 01-We Need a Resolution
DR8 -0.10 dBFS -8.82 dBFS 3:50 02-Loose Rap
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -7.91 dBFS 4:34 03-Rock the Boat
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -7.76 dBFS 3:50 04-More Than a Woman
DR8 -0.10 dBFS -9.15 dBFS 3:58 05-Never No More
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -9.04 dBFS 4:34 06-I Care 4 U
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -7.30 dBFS 3:55 07-Extra Smooth
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -8.09 dBFS 4:20 08-Read Between the Lines
DR7 -0.10 dBFS -8.78 dBFS 3:43 09-U Got Nerve
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -8.86 dBFS 5:57 10-I Refuse
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -8.72 dBFS 4:08 11-It's Whatever
DR7 -0.10 dBFS -8.66 dBFS 2:59 12-I Can Be
DR6 -0.10 dBFS -7.32 dBFS 3:24 13-Those Were the Days
DR5 -0.10 dBFS -7.42 dBFS 4:25 14-What If
DR5 -0.10 dBFS -6.80 dBFS 3:34 15-Messed Up
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Number of tracks: 15
Official DR value: DR7

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 957 kbps
Codec: FLAC
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This sounds ace… okay, likely from digital sources, but it’s a real clear and punchy sound on my relatively decent set up, really nice… glad to have this, bookending my alphabetically ordered collection!!

Beautiful package, nice sturdy gold hot foil font gatefold with multi-pages booklet and a limited print inside.
Gorgeous transluscent pale red double vinyls.
Nice sounding, great dynamic, strong bass, a little sibilance on side B but the rest is perfect on my copy.

Sounds good no noise no pops no clicks clear and crisp a excellent release as perfect As you can get

Great release, best sounding LP I have by far.
No clicks, no pops.

Perfect!

This pressing starts on a high note, boasting excellent dynamics, punchy bass, and an impressive soundstage. However, it stumbles due to noticeable sibilance, which detracts from the overall listening experience. Despite this flaw, it still earns a solid 4 out of 5.

This is available from Blackground's site. Arrived pretty quickly (I ordered an Aaliyah T-Shirt with it). Sign up for their newsletter as they have coupons there, I had 20% off my order for example.
Anyhow, this version exists for those looking for the best Aaliyah album. Sounds great and looks beautiful as well :)

I finally received it after a 3-month wait. For me, the sound is the same, if not slightly better, except at the beginning and end of the record where the crackling is more noticeable.

What I prefer about the Blackground version:
- The sound quality.
- The vinyl's presentation, which is gorgeous! Mine has more splatters than shown in the photos, and the gold color stands out much more, extending beyond the edges uniformly.

What I prefer about the VMP version:
- The packaging's finish, more which is noticeably higher in quality than the Blackground version. The sleeve is thicker, and there's a glossy gold effect on the "Aaliyah" cover. The red color is less saturated and more pleasing, giving it a classier look (except for the vinyl's red color, which I find rather dull).

I'm thinking of keeping the Blackground vinyl and the VMP sleeve and selling the VMP vinyl in the Blackground sleeve.

Jesus, only just got mine finally. I ordered almost 2 full years ago! It's a beautiful vinyl, but nothing terribly different from the VMP pressing ultimately. This is after my OIAM vinyl got to Ohio from California, got to my local post office....... and then got returned for God knows what reason. ("The address was invalid", they said, on the second delivery of the order that I received the first package for fine)

When is it actually coming out? July has ed a while ago...