To commemorate what would have been Leslie Cheung’s 70th birthday, Capital Artists released the high-spec remastered vinyl Leslie Cheung ETERNAL. Last Friday, Capital Artists held a listening session for this double-disc vinyl box set at the Richcoln Wan Chai showroom, with special guest Tak Gor (Hi Fi Tak) sharing anecdotes behind the making of the double-LP album and his journey through its remastering. The event opened with music and applause.

The audio demonstration equipment for this listening session was provided by Richcoln:

Turntable: SME Model 35
Tube phono stage: Octave Phono Module
Tube preamplifier: Octave HP 700 SE
Tube power amplifiers: a pair of MRE 220 SE
Speakers: PEAK El-Diablo
Cables: Siltech Double Crown, Single Crown
Hi-Fi Rack: HRS SXR

This combination was complementary in its matching. The SME turntable provided a precise, neutral signal source; the modular phono stage and preamplifier delivered extremely quiet, high-dynamic amplification; the high-power MRE 220 SE power amplifiers, with adjustable damping, then perfectly drove the PEAK speakers, which weigh as much as 90 kg; finally, Siltech S10 monocrystal silver cables connected the signals. With its neutral performance, the system endowed vinyl playback with an incomparably noble feel, astonishing detail rendering, and an open, deep soundstage, faithfully presenting the creative intent of the Leslie Cheung ETERNAL vinyl album.

Speaking of the origins, it all began with the original recordings sent over by the record company, and the fateful connection started when he listened to the song “The Wind Continues to Blow.” At the time, Capital Artists had him in mind to be the person in charge of this remastering project. He said that this project in October last year was a very important one for him: “I felt it was a mission.” He had not expected Capital Artists to approach him and ask whether he was interested in joining the project. After hearing this song, he gladly accepted the challenge.

Tak Gor admitted that when he first joined the project, he was in two minds. The Capital Artists-era recordings were not bad in themselves, but there may have been some minor mistakes during production; in addition, the master tapes were old and had passed through different hands, while the company’s personnel changed frequently, so those who took over might not have fully understood them. As a result, the final sound might not meet the high expectations of audiophiles. He worried that if he took part and the result was not particularly good, it would be embarrassing. However, everything went very smoothly afterwards, and he was very grateful.

This double-disc album was co-produced by Lau Yin-tak (Hi Fi Tak) and Tommy Chui (Sai Fei), combining Zeal Studio’s analog and DSD remastering techniques. It was sent to the United States for precise tuning and master processing by Sangwook Sunny Nam of Jacob’s Well Mastering, with Bernie Grundman personally cutting the lacquer, and finally pressed on 180g vinyl in Germany. Every step was intended to return the purest musical texture and the most moving soul to listeners once again.

At the listening session, the vinyl presented many different Leslie Cheung songs, both fast and slow, faithfully recreating the warmth and detail in Leslie’s voice. While the remastering retained the flavour of those years, it also restored many details that should originally have been there, allowing the audience to once again feel Leslie’s stage charisma and musical soul. This is not merely an album, but the deepest and most eternal tribute to Leslie.