![]() In short, these early pressings almost always sound exactly like what they actually are: "Old Records". And the above even assumes that the record will be in mint (undamaged) condition, which is a rare, "best-case" scenario. Relentless "background" surface noises andĪre all far too noticeable and obtrusive compared to the finest of the modern pressings on this list. Rolled-off bass and highs, * (which usually causes a)Ħ. Compression * of the the recorded dynamics,Ĥ. Now, I freely admit that the finest of them do have some excellent qualities, but their:ģ. This is not the place to discuss (in depth) their numerous sonic shortcomings. Not one Original Mercury "Living Presence", RCA "Shaded Dog", Columbia "Six-eye", Decca "Wide-Band 2000" or London "Blueback" pressing has made this list, so far. They have constituted the largest single disappointment I have had in my audio/musical life. They are not here because they don't deserve to be here. I have owned a large number of these records. Not even one "famous original pressing" is on this list. What could have happened that would mask the previously obvious qualitative differences between them? (And to such an extent that their qualitative rankings were reversed?) The respective sonics were now the same as when I originally played the two LPs on my own system (where almost all of the posted LP evaluations were made) the Klemmer was still excellent, but the Saudades was simply incredible a great record. ![]() How could the Klemmer LP, which I had placed in "The Honorable Mentions" (the lowest category of my record list, The Supreme Recordings) sound better than the Romao LP, which I had placed in "The Divinity" (the highest category)? My personal thoughts at the time were "What the hell is going on here? How could I have been so wrong in assessing both LPs?" Then we played both of the LPs again, back to back, using the Coincident amplifiers.īoth of the records sounded better, but this time the Saudades LP "wiped the floor" with the Klemmer. It all started innocently.īoth records sounded predictably excellent on the Stromberg-Carlsons, but I was immediately faced with a serious dilemma because, in a number of ways, the Klemmer/MFSL sounded better than the Romao/WL. Also, I didn't intend to compare the recording quality of these two records, it just ended up happening because of the totally unexpected initial results. It must be first noted that neither of these LPs is "demanding", in the sense that a Mahler symphony would be, since they're both "light Jazz", so the difference in power of the two amps was irrelevant. That is why a typical recording, which must sound at least somewhat "different" from the others, is interesting, while a system with that exact same "difference", which would be audible on every single recording, will be the formula for an inevitable and profound discontent.ġ. In effect, there is a major difference how a critical listener relates to something that lasts only 20 to 50 minutes, and something that is "permanent".Īnalogy- The taste of curry, weak or strong, is natural in an Indian restaurant, and something to look forward to, but what if (even a little) curry was in everything, all the time? A person may eventually curse the day they first tasted it. The resulting sound will eventually become predictable and monotonous, which are the deadly "enemies" of the appreciation and enjoyment of music. This circumstance will mean that every single piece of music played through that system will contain that same alteration, or "coloration". However, a noticeable tonal alteration within a component or a system has very different implications. So when (not if) it is altered, slightly, in a recording, it is still well within the realm of normal, or "natural", and shouldn't draw attention to itself. There is no "absolutely correct tonal balance", it changes depending on where, and even when, the instrument, including a voice, is recorded. IMPORTANT DISTINCTION ABOUT "TONAL BALANCE"ĭespite what has been written and proclaimed for years by others, to the point of nausea, the correct tonal balance of a recording is not as important as the correct tonal balance of an audio component or "system".
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