UPDATE: Steely Dan - Aja - LP Review And Comparison Including the New 2023 UHQR & 33rpm 

I bought the UHQR version, AJA is sentimental to me. My first UHQR purchase. Honestly, cannot tell much of a difference over my AB-1006. That one was and is still my Grail.

I haven’t seen Mike this excited about a new pressing in quite some time. I am very lucky and fortunate to be a Steely Dan fan since I first heard Can’t Buy a Thrill. Aja is one of my all time favorite albums. I think I have close to 20 different pressings and, IMHO, the Analogue Productions UHQR is the best.

This is the first time I've spent this much on a vinyl but I love this album and this beautiful recording was worth it!

I enjoy Steely Dan have the MoFi and A/B but this UHQR is amazing. I demo this for friends and it blows their minds. I got lucky on the A/B unknowing what I had until you covered it here thanks Mike.

The Aja UHQR trounces the previous ones for Steely Dan thus far. You may as well just have purchased the $29 Universal releases from CBAT to PL as they were similar. The UHQR Aja is a HUGE difference this time around. Hopefully the Gaucho UHQR will be as good as Aja. I think Mike almost had a nervous break down after hearing the Aja UHQR : )

Am a huge fan of Steely Dan and got the AB 1006 and AAB 1006 on your recommendation and it is amazing and the uhqr is very much an upgrade it is so good

Flashback to 1979 I walk into my local hifi shop and they put Aja and crime of the century on! History does repeat itself.

Thank you for this shootout, Mike. I don't have the Cisco, but the original AB1006 and the UHQR. On my rig (MoFi Studiodeck, Nagaoka MP300, Graham Slee Reflex M, Cardas cables) I didn't hear that much of a difference between the AB1006 and the UHQR. I think I keep listening to the original to not too often stand up and flip the record😂

Excellent review Mike The UHQR Aja is not torture I used to hate Peg and I am a Dan fanatic

Comparing, I put my AB-1006 3rd, 2023 reissue 2nd and UHQR first

Lol. You are going to have to listen to Steely Dan forever. 😀 I understand that it's in your best interest to sell records but I think you have proven that the reputation you have for being honest matters more. Happy Thanksgiving.

Yeah this is a fantastic version. Especially after the Pretzel logic tragedy ✌🏻

The video I saw of Bernie explaining his master on the AB1006 is he had to do very little to the master because the mix was done so well by Donald and Walter. So i can't imagine any other version being hundreds of dollars better!

Really funny at the end Mike…..I guess that’s just one of the perils of your profession. Thanks for the great review update.

Interesting and helpful information. Thank you. After listening to the MFSL pressing last night at a friend's home, I decided to do a search to see what might be new and found your review. In the deadwax of the copy I purchased new many years ago was the following: • AB 1006 (RE-3) - A {1A scratched out} 1B • AB 1006 (RE-3) - B 1A Why 1B is inscribed on side A, and 1A on side B seems a bit odd, too. Your enthusiasm surrounding the UHQR pressing has resulted in a debate between my ears and wallet.

Aja on those Wilson's must be killer I bet Mike. The sound must envelope you from what I picked up from your UHQR45 review. Your going to convince many to buy the UHQR Mike. From your recommendation and that free contest for a Steely Dan cruise offering, I'm game. Ha

Yes, it's hard to listen to Aja again, but wow this UHQR is amazing!

The UHQR rocks. Amazing it’s cut from a safety. I had no idea the CISCO was cut from a 3rd gen copy.

Im now totally hyped to own a copy..... Of the upcoming AP SACD 😂

🎶 Aja Now all my dime dancin' is through I spent them all on you...

Loved the review Michael! I don’t have Sledgehammer but I do have Kind of Blue UHQR and it matches your description. Dig Dig Dig! 😎

I'm not an audiophile but find it so interesting how these kinds of UHQR are analysed. Enjoyed watching thanks!

Thanks for this update video, the first video I watched just a few days ago. I’ve been in the process of buying ABC pressings of steely Dan and I’ve been so curious about the UHQR Steely Dan pressings. Thanks Mike!

Disclaimer--I bought my UHQR Aja from The 'In' Groove. 😉 I think the UHQR is good, but not $150 good. As much as some in the audiophile press (*cough* Fremer *cough*) seem to think this is like the Best Record Ever Made in the History of All Records, I'm...underwhelmed, I guess? I just feel as though it's a flawless, pristine pressing of what it essentially a 46 year old safety copy of a 46 year old master tape. I find the "AB" pressing has slightly more details in the highs. The UHQR isn't bad by any means, but it wasn't the revelation all the press claims it is. But while listening to the album, I had a revelation. As I was listening to the fourth side of the UHQR, I must have gotten mentally sidetracked. As the record faded out, I realized I'd forgot I was listening to a UHQR or any "special" pressing--I was paying attention to the *music* which is what we should all be doing anyway. (So yes...I'm a Dan fan, but not a rabid one.) Seeing that the SACDs of the previous Steely Dan UHQR titles sound nearly identical to the vinyl UHQRs, I likely will hang onto those and sell the UHQRs. (Sad thing is, it cost me a small fortune to make my digital playback sound as good as it does...so while I can say I'd be happier with the SACDs, I can't recommend others do so unless they have a system to do them justice.) Given how disappointing the recent Face Value 45 RPM was, it's once again making me doubt what Analogue Productions is putting out.

I respect the dedication even though you don't consider yourself much of a Dan fan. I am not a huge fan myself, although I really enjoy some of their stuff. Plus the stories of studio perfectionism are fun. I was looking at my copy of Aja (that I got from my friend's dad when I was 8) the other day. It is one of those with AB scratched out in the deadwax. (AA appears everywhere else.) Pressed at Columbia's Pitman plant. Runouts end in P4/P4, so not sure if it's still a Grundman cut. Once it gets the cleaning it desperately needs, I will give it a listen.

Yes I have the AB. But here’s a strange thought. I listen for the music. Weird isn’t it! 🤔😳

Thanks for the review! You’re going to need a bigger demo room!!

Spare a thought for your friends in Ireland. You need to shell out $250 for a copy over here! Nuts.

My dad has an AB or Aa copy from the 70s and it sounds amazing. I personally cannot bring myself to pay hundreds of dollars for a single album these days. The UHQRs do sound absolutely fantastic mind blowing for sure.

Thanks for the last two minutes of this Mike! That's hilarious!! "PEEEEEEEGGGGG will come back to you." 😮

Mike how about a video on top 10 or 25 albums to Demo equipment? Don’t recall if you have made anything like that. Another great video as always. From Pensacola Jim…

Really helpful. Thanks for the clarity!

I'm a Dan fan and I just order it. So now I just have to wait.

Oooo that thumbnail ! Great and fair review Mike.

I just picked up an AB-1006 copy yesterday for $5. The outer jacket is pretty worn, and the record itself is in not super bad shape, but no real problems with playing other than a couple slightly noisy spots. Sounds really good overall! Love this album very much.

The master tape on this was very likely lost in the fire that took out a TON of master tapes some, like five to ten years back? There have been way too many SoCal fires. One of them took out a HUGE catalog of masters.

Got it! Sounds great, cost a lot, but not as much as #2, and you have to get off your butt to flip more often. Thank you Mike for the shoot out!

I've Jelly Cleaver, Forever Presence. All analogue. The separation of the instruments is astounding too. The mastering of an album is everything.

Mike, yes this UHQR has created a problem, it raised the bar too far. When I first played it, I almost jumped in my seat, the sound was not coming from 2 channels, it felt as if I had a full range surround sound. I think Bernie gave us his legacy masterpiece in his UHQR

i have an AB pressing and bought the umg reissue. my ears must not work correctly, because i thought the new reissue sounded amazing. my system didn’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so i wonder if i’d even hear the difference on the uhqr.

Thanks! I look forward to recieving mine soon

Hey Mike, Just to parrot what you, and so many others have already said, the UHQR absolutely runs circles around all my other pressings, and that includes my Cisco. There is so much more space around the individual players and so much more detail, to risk sounding cliche, it's almost like hearing this album for the first time again forty-some years later. I guess my first thought would be that they were able to greatly lower the noise floor, but who really knows. I was thinking I'd see about selling my Cisco copy that's been played all of five times, but I doubt anybody would want it. Spot-on review, Mike. And thanks for the time you spend making videos.

After watching your video, I had to check my copy. I have an AA! Kind of thought it might be as I lived in southern Calif and was a huge Steely Dan fan. So as soon as it came out I bought it. I would really like tp have the UHQR but my copy is near mint and not sure if the difference is worth $150. But I really enjoyed your video!

hi Mike, can you share which version of Sledgehammer you're referring at the end of video? Thanks for great content!!!

I feel your pain,😞 I'm same with my Minty PF albums of Dark Side....it hurts, but ...A man's gotta do what a Man's gotta do...lol Great Video Mike!!

I agree, UHQR ST Aja is amazing, especially on a system with high sonic resolution capabilities.

Hi Mike....Thanks a lot for your review. I have no doubt now this Aja is the best of all time. I saw other reviews where they mentioned not have the Cisco..but basically all of them reached to the same conclusion but your review 100% confirms how good this UHQR is. I am a Steely Dan fan :) and already bought Cant Buy a Thrill....next on my list is Royal Scam...I love Gaucho but I need to wait for your review to see if the UHQR it is better than the original which honestly is very hard to beat. Royal Scam I hope they can improve the sound quality and I think there is a lot room for improvement on that album. On the new digital version of Aja it could be the digital file was not really ready for vinyl mastering and the cutting engineer needed to do more than just a simple direct transfer. Bernie should know. By the way...I have question...yo mentioned Sledgehammer 45 RPM. Which edition are you referring here....Is the 2 x 45 RPM Peter Gabriel SO album? Or are you referring to the 12 Inch Singles of Sledgehammer in 45 RPM from 1986? Thanks a lot

After being disappointed with the sound on the "Pretzel Logic" UHQR, I was reluctant to spend the $150 on the "Aja" UHQR. So instead, I bought the $29 digital copy. Now that everyone is raving about it, I'm going to have to spend the money and get it. Hopefully, the rest of the Steely Dan releases on UHQR will be of equal quality as "Aja".

Recently found an AB 1006 vg+ for 10$

Great review, I wasn't going to buy the UHQR Aja, but I did because of the great reviews . I think UHQR Miles Davis is the best so far, Aja is very good !!!!!

I have the AA-1006 copy. Got it for 12 bucks. I'd like to buy a better version at some point on vinyl, but I guess until then I will listen to what I have on Vinyl CD, and the 24 bit 192 kHz digital.

I have the AB & the Cisco…and also think the Cisco was the best. Looking forward to hearing this one. Hopefully you’ll ship these out soon.

Mike describes obscure mineral that can never be discovered. Unabtanium. 9:30

I wasn’t gonna get it cuz I have ab-1006 but if you say this is mind blowing I believe you cuz you’ve never been wrong to my ears this far- so check your order in box- you see me in there- thanks Mike😎

Not a Steely Dan fan either, but Peter Gabriel I love. Is this a particular pressing of "Sledgehammer" you're talking about?

Makes me want to upgrade my turntable! Great review!

Aja is a great album. I met and he became a friend Chuck Rainey who played bass on that album. Of course he has played on many records. I asked him to sign on the or the front of all my Steely Dan albums that he played on. Great story and great for me. I have gone to many of their concerts. I remember the first was they opened for Elton John

I am not a steely Dan fan but this is obviously by far the best 😁 . Great video Michael 💯

"Does this make me a Steely Dan fan"? LOL! I hear you! I've a got a couple NM real ABs and a few more ABs with the B scratched out. I still struggle though with the band and I don't think I've listened to any of the copies all the way through! I'm definitely not going to pop for the UHQR--besides I'm lazy and hate 45 rpm sets!

I have 2 Aja LPs- the UHQR and at scratch out AB on the dead wax. The AB is quite good; the UHQR is better- the vinyl on the UHQR is notably quieter. If there were no UHQR version or if I could not swing the UHQR, the AB is still considerably more than satisfactory,

Me a Dan fan. Fantastic addition to my collection.

The problem I heard with the Cisco was tape-source related: you hear the strike on the cymbal but there's no ring and decay thereafter to speak of. The album ends up sounding a little closed-in as a result. Of course the UHQR will sound more open, it's 45rpm AND a better tape source.

I feel with you man. Not my bag at all but im also almost on the fence of getting one just for the demo purposes. Here in Sweden with shipping and all its more a 200 dollar record so even more over here. Thanks for the video! //Jonas

Outstanding review Mike! Thank you.

those 'in' groove shirts would look mighty fine with a collar in polo style and the logo style reduced to a 3" top left ;)

Great review, Mike! I'd add the White Stripes' "Elephant" to the UHQR pantheon.

I have loved Steely Dan since I first heard Do It Again on AM radio when I was a kid. I love AJA. Adore it even. But, I am more about Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied I think...probably more Pretzel Logic. But, AJA is an all encompassing experience. You cannot deny it. They do things musically on that album that are sooooo precise. Every beat and every note has ITS PLACE. And its beautiful to listen to. I would love to have the UHQR and maybe one day when groceries aren't more important I will get it. Choices and priorities you know...:)

I have an AB VG+ copy and I think I'll leave it at that. $150 is just too steep. Thanks for the entertaining review.

"I don't want to listen to the record that blows people people's mind" - a passion of intensity!

somehow I've missed any previous mention of a 45rpm Sledgehammer being a demo. Can you be specific on which pressing? The US or UK - 12 or 7"? thanks.

I am waiting for the UHQR to go on sale at the INN Groove this Black Friday. Until then, my recent 33 RPM sounds great to me - LOL

I *still* like the Cisco & the AB 1006 better so go figure! Great review nonetheless Mike!

If I had a heart I would feel for you

Nah. No more 45rpm albums for me. The need to get up too many times to change sides to listen to a whole LP. Negates any incremental sonic improvement I may be able hear. I’ve heard enough stacked Michael McDonald harmonies on Peg to last a lifetime.

The UHQR has a superior soundstage. The music fills the room this is the ultimate LP.

I’m guessing the tape Bernie used would have been an “engineers copy” and thank god for that

I’m betting the $30 version by Alex Abrash is not a simple flat transfer of Bernie’s to cut the lacquer. There is a compression in dynamic range and a boost to loudness that I don’t think could be in the original work of Bernie. That’s been my experience with the 3 of the 4 Steely Dan reissues done by AA Mastering. P.S. For me, the Can’t Buy A Thrill had a near same improvement impact to me.

You say you filmed this video. Did you get the newly released Kodak camera? Oppenheimer was shot on film too. Maybe film will come back like vinyl.

Happy to know that my ears are still fine. I bought the hi-res 96/24 file of the new Aja reissue and I am (still) underwhelmed. Sounds really flat to me.

Man, someone's excited! ❤

A reminder that in the UK this a $250 record, I have seen it at $298……waaaaaay too expensive.

Many thanks for this shootout for Aja. Whats your opinion/ review on the first Japanese pressing with the obi in 1977?

The definitive review. Nice work.

my scratched out AB for AA I disc-goged for $40 hangs in there! (I bought the $30 new one and immediately was disappointed btw)

Great review, really enjoyed this one. Thanks

Stayed til the end. 😅 Thanks, Mike.

Great job on the review. I want four. Two for myself (one a “safety”), one for my son as a present, and one for my toddler grandson, who I’m certain will be an audiophile one day. And I’m not a Steely Dan fan either - and didn’t like them when I saw them live in the 70’s. (I was there to see the ‘other’ band).

Mike, the digital version by universal is not the same mastering, they did not do a flat cut of Bernies UHQR mastering. This was identified on earlier UHQR vs Universal comparisons as they clearly compressed and touched Bernies work in other ways, Im pretty sure its happened here again.

d***, I'm a Dan fan. Big one. I resisted this one because here in Europe, it's not $150, it's 200 ******** euros. I've been resisting because a reissue, as audiophile as it maybe, cannot be that expensive. It just goes against my principles. But looks like I'll need to pony up......

Thanks Mike 😂

Hi Mike arrived today- so I listened twice - sound stage is amazing and I did hear nuances that were intriguing and fun- then put on the AB1006- sound stage is good on that too just not to the degree of the Uhqr - I did notice a slight richer and punchier bass on the AB1006 which I like because that is what I’ve been used to- then went back to Uhqr and again sound stage is so life like it’s crazy- but am I wrong about the bass being spaced out more that it kinda loses a tiny bit of punch? Glad to have both no regrets but after all these years the AB from 1977 still kicks a lot of butt! No denying the expanded range of the Uhqr though… for sure.

You have to do it, Mike!

Before seeing your initial shoot out video I had the AA with the B etched out and A etched in. At the time, I couldn't believe how amazing the album sounded compared to all of my other albums. Then I watched the Aja video. I bought a Cisco copy, it came directy from Michael Fremer. I was curious why he sold it based on what you said about it in your video? I listened to it a number of times really trying to like it but in my opinion, the AB-1006 is the better sounding pressing. Perhaps Fremer thought that as well and then decided to sell his copy on Discogs. We agreed on a price that was much less than what he had it advertised for. He said that he got it directly from a manufacturing executive. He also told me that not all of the albums had the same inner sleeve your's had. The copy he sold to me had the original manufacturer inner sleeve which consisted of a paper sleeve that was poly lined. I ended up giving the Cisco copy to a buddy who's given me a lot of NM classic rock and jazz albums over the last couple of years, one of which was a NM AB-1006 copy of Aja. You've spoken with my buddy, he's the guy that told you about the tone arm issue with the AMG TT you both have. I'm on the fence about getting the Aja UHQR. I do have the Can't Buy a Thrill UHQR, mostly because I don't have an original copy of that one and heard the original pressing wasn't that great anyway...

I’m interested in the SACD, I have a feeling it might get close enough to the UHQR

I would ve curious to compare the better vinyl versions with my MFSL Gold CD copy

Thanks for crystallising my thinking, Michael! Your comments are sincere and honest. Sadly there are several RU-vid specialist, who quite frankly come across as if they’ve sponsored to give positive rather than accurate comments . …

To make 30K all analog copies of Aja, how many times did they have to run that tape??

Was waiting for this video!

Mike is honest. Fantastic is fantastic..,

We have no idea re the 33 1/3 $30 version being cut flat with no processing whatsoever. This has been a trend with the other previous releases in the series, where the standard version from Universal is quite a bit different, more than having digital in the chain should ever be responsible for in and of itself. When the engineer who cut these was asked questions about this before, he really didn't comment.