Santana – Santana III

2023 repress with source information (1/4" 15 IPS Dolby A analog master > DSD 256 > analog console > lathe) added to the lower middle section of the back cover, distinguishing this from the earlier pressing. Needs new entry.

Amazing sounding record. Excellent mastering and quiet pressing. Highly recommended.

This thing sounds marvelous! My copy is dead silent, centered, and flat as well. Don’t miss this one.

I never had an original Columbia pressing of this album but have one of the remastered Columbia Legacy CD copies that I always thought sounded really good for a CD. Picked up the double MOV LP next and was disappointed after just a few minutes into the first song and throughout the album. While the album is very dynamic I found the highs to be bright and almost unlistenable at other than a low to medium volume and my speakers lean more on the warm side. And I even thought the CD sounded better that the MOV LP. Picked up the MoFi LP next and enjoyed it hands down over the MOV LP. While it may not be as dynamic it has a nice warm sound to it while still detailed and is very listenable. Glad I decided to go in for the MoFi version. Just my 2 cents as everyone hears things differently and have different sounding systems.

This is my favorite Santana album and I'm very happy to finally get the chance to compare this release to my original (matrix BL 30595 2AH and P AL 30595 2AH) and to MOV copy. Before getting the MoFi, I used to go back and forth between the original and the MOV, depending on the mood. Those two versions have very different sound signatures. The Mofi is the best version by far and I really doubt that people that say otherways had actually played these three versions back to back. There's no any single detail (not a frequency or instrument) in th original that sounds better than in the MoFi. After listening both back to back you get the feeling that the percussion in the original lacks presence while the mofi is sweeter and punchier. The comparison between the MOV and the mofi is very interesting because during the first minute you get the impression that the MOV has more punch, but after that you see all its flaws. The MOV is a very simple sound with loud highs and lows that manages to have a good soundstage. The MoFi has a similar soundstage but the imaging is way better in the mofi than the MOV. You will identify and position each of the percussion instrument much easier in the MoFi, while the guitar and keyboard sound more natural and more enjoyable. The MOV has boosted lows and highs, but I feel the highs sound a bit too harsh and artificial.

For me, the MOV release trumps this one. The vinyl is quieter and cleaner for starters. The mastering is warm and full blooded on the MOV while maybe sligtly more sterile if accurate here on the mofi. The bonus Lp with the MOV is the icing on the cake. The only thing i prefer about the Mofi is the clearer front artwork and that thick card they use for their jackets. At 30 quid for the MOV vs double or quadruple for the Mofi it is a win in my books for the MOV.

Anybody have comparisons to US original pressings or other reissues like MOV?