And now this, again the DGM reissue remixed by Steve Wilson.

Comparison with a 1980 purchase of the Polydor issue, It's all there and maybe a bit more but it doesn't quite join up as well as the original mix and therefore doesn't quite engage as much.

Nice quiet background, none of my KC polydor pressings have had that even when new let alone after 30+ years.

It would be interesting to hear if anyone agrees with this verdict and whether they're using an Aro or another arm.

yeti,

What's the spec on your LP12?

Interesting notion that the outcome could be different depending on an arm on a turntable.

Plausable I guess?

Not an LP12, I run my Aro on a MK 2 Townshend Rock, I don't use the trough of silicon fluid and paddle at the cartridge end that was beneficial when I had a Rega arm, the Aro is more dynamic and has richer harmonic retrieval without it. At the time I bought the Rock the Valhalla was the latest thing for the LP12 but I couldn't get on with the thick upper bass and the requirement for regular fettling.

I heard a fully Naimed LP12 at the local Superline launch (with 552/3X500s/DBLs) and it was interesting what it did and what it missed. I'd taken a couple of LPs along, the Schubert quartet (in G) stopped all conversation in the shop for 10 minutes but the 1st Shadowfax LP (watercoure way, on passport) has a track at the start of side 2 that relies on an interplay between the bass and trebble and the system missed it entirely. The Aro was a step (one of many) towards getting some of the magic of that Schubert without losing the latter.

I posted in Hifi corner about a recent change in armboard and experimenting with a tiger paw elevator, though, the post sank like a stone as I don't think there's any frequent visitor with a Rock and none that run an Aro on it. With the old perspex one I prefered the Wilson remix of Lizard, the original was too strident but with the new board the Polydor pressing doesn't grate anymore as turns out to be the livelier of the two.

yeti,

ah ok. I am not at all familiar with your deck.

btw, Which Schubert quartet LP?

I do not have above two LP you've listed either so hope someone would chime in.

The rules of thumb is that the remix rarely is better than the original, so I am not surprised what you have experienced.

The Schubert was the quartet in G opus 161 Quartetto Italiano on Philips 9500 409

Thanks yeti.

I am not familiar with them. I need to keep my eyes on that.

The Band - Last Waltz

I got the Record Store Day release this spring and was very excited.  Result, however, was disappointment.  I saw this was re-issued in wider release and thought I'd write a quick comment.

I only listened to it once initially, and I'm not really motivated to give it a closer listen to report back here. That about sums it up.

Maybe its the original recording quality? Anyone want to comment on that?  I recently read some that several of the instruments were dubbed back in.  I'm a huge fan of The Band, and am really looking forward to getting around to the MOFI reissues, and most of all the live Dylan and the Band "Before The Flood" (announced by MOFI, but not date yet) which is probably my favorite Dylan album. But, this one didn't do it for me:

mutterback,

Who's the record lable for this vinyl?

Amigo: Santana

Label: Speakers Corner
180g Vinyl/ Stereo/ Germany/Columbia PC 33576
Re-Mastering by: Willem Mckkee? ( WM initial on dead wax )
Pressed at: Pallas Germany
Release Date: October 7 2013


Sound Quality: 
My well loved US original copy (Columbia PC 33576) is clean & flat  but self noise is higher than I would like. Plus, there are several hot spots particularly in highly charged high register guitar riffs making the tunes harder to enjoy. So hoping that this latest Speakers Corner reissue would retain what’s good on original but fix a few troubled spots.

The first listen in my office rig, I thought, was excellent. Dead quiet background and it seems bass extended a little and had a very nice warm organic midrange. Record is flat and no off center hole problem.

The screaming guitar solo on the back end of Dance Sister Dance or rather busy but lovely Tom Coster’s keyboard work in Take Me with you are much easy to listen to due to lower distortion. Europa’s howling crying guitar also is much easier on ears.

The downside is the remastering engineer ( I am guessing done by Willem Makkee ) smoothed out a bit of transients in percussions. So the kick drums or rim shots sound softer and rounded off. Slightly less dynamic than the original pressing.

However, the positives outweighs the negatives in my office rig consist of a med.- spec LP12 ( non Cirkus/Lingo I/Ortofon Royal N/Linto ). The Royal N can track the reissue much better without much distortions than the original pressing. A lower background noise is much welcome, too.

Played, in the main rig downstairs, OTOH, the lack of transient bite and rounding of notes are much more pronounced. Kleos SL has an exceptional noise rejection on records plus the rest of better spec. hardware (Cirkus/Superline/Z-plug etc… ) bring the surface noise down further.

I think over all, re-mastering engineer mostly did a good job of balancing between keeping what’s good and fixing some rough spots. There are no out of place EQ like the old MOFI reissues or even the Chesky reissues. Fixes are pretty subtle. But I would have liked to have a bit more dynamics preserved from the original pressing. Textures of percussive instruments are too smoothed out for my main system in that make it a bit less involving.

To be fair, if I did not have the original pressing, I would be thinking this is a nicely done record.

So this is a nice try but not quite from what I have. I would love to see this done by someone else like Impex Record. ( so far no real turkeys from this label )

Packaging Quality:

Laminated heavy cover stock in Gatefold jacket. My original pressing does not have any lamination.
They cheaped out on an inner, however as the record just comes in a poly lined white sleeve. Original album came with a matching Yokoo Tadanori’s illustrated inner. Instead, Speakers Corner reissue catalogue is provided.
Printing on the outer jacket is bright but slightly blurry and smoothed out with no sharp edges. And art work is slightly filled in with loss of details.
Record Labels are sharp and generally close to the original colours. However the Side B green label is much duller than the original.

Rhino record store day edition.  Will try to take another listen this afternoon.

Any production info?

Where did they source the tape? Who did the remastering?

What's wrong with it?

For another topic maybe but how's the SPU experience?

yeti,

Royal N is my favourite moving coil *daily driver*.

I love the sound of it ( old school ). I haven't experienced any of the noise issues I have read here by ex-owners. But the cartridge has developed a skewed cantilever after 1 month of play but Ortofon has repaired it FOC under warranty. so I am pleased with their after service, too.

I just took another listen, confirmed my dislike of it. Sounds compressed, dead, tinny and distant.

This may be a moot point, as this was a special release and most likely sold out on record store day (April?) this year.

I can't find any production info on the album, booklet or online. Has "RI" in the dead wax which, in a very quick search, shows up in other Rhino releases. There's some cryptic comments about it, but no review, here: http://www.analogplanet.com/co...d-edition-releases-0

One unplayed disc has a scratch than runs half way through the 1st song - on both sides.  I don't think I could have done that taking it out of the sleeve for the 1st time.

All very disappointing, for I think close to $50. FWIW, I have the Rhino Grateful Dead box set, and its potentially the most satisfying vinyl reissue I've ever bought. My review of that is earlier in this topic.

mutterback,

I am surprised at your outcome as my rhyno experience was good. ( Joni Mitchel Court & Spark ) albeit very limited.

I'll check the deadwax info later on my Rhyno to see if it's the same.

This is why the vinyl reissue racket is nuts as the sound quality greatly vary by the title!

According to Fremer site:

Chris Bellman cut Song Cycle and The Last Waltz from the analog master tapes.

So that's the same engineer as my Court and Spark.  hmm....

I think it could be a bad pressing - especially given the scratches I found the 1st play. Though, across 3 discs really I struck out ;-0

Let's hope the MOFI release is better, would be great if someone could report back who gets that.  This one deserves a great re-issue.

mutterback,

See link below re: review:-

http://recordgeeks.com/review/..._band/the_last_waltz

Regards,

Roger

Any love for latest Tommy reissue? (THE WHO Tommy - 2013 UK limited edition remastered double LP set pressed on 180gram Vinyl)

Roger,

Thanks for the link. I've browsed through his past reviews and see if I have the same album but all of them are unfamiliar to me so not sure where his sonic bias is at. 

It seems that 'the last waltz' is the only title I am remotely familiar with but personally I do not own a copy.

uros,

Which record label is it?

Blast from the past. I fondly remember went to see the film with my mom.

Tommy [VINYL] [Double LP]

Vinyl (11 Nov 2013)
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Double LP
Label: UMC
ASIN: B00AY0JDW2

Found it on (or got spammed by?) Amazon UK.

And there's another (with the same ASIN) on German Amazon:

Vinyl (8. November 2013)
Anzahl Disks/Tonträger: 2
Format: Import
Label: Polydor (Universal)
ASIN: B00AY0JDW2

And then there is one for US market coming next month.

Wonder if they are all the same thing? This one is Geffen Label.

Italian Quartet are excellent.  Penguin Guide rosette for their Beethoven Quartets - managed to pick up a box set in Harold Moore's two Christmases ago; listening to one last night as a matter of fact.

I have a box of their complete Beethoven quartets and also the op18 ones as single LPs, the single LPs are the more engaging, presumable because they were an earlier pressing, though the box is by no means a dud.

Interesting how one finds variations between different generations of pressings.  There is certainly a hefty price premium on the earlier wide band SXL Deccas.

The only way to know is to listen to them all.

It's very difficult to source teh SXL series Decca locally and I refused to take a bet on costly original on Ebay.

I own just one decent mono original Decca SXL. Self noise is relatively low and pitch stable. Nice natural midrange and the low register keys on the piano have the nice decays and bloom. The clarity can be improved upon but there is no sibilance or hard glazing in upper midrange.

Richard or Jay who are serious collector of old Deccas records would know more how they are compared to others.