stuff of dreams....3000 classical records inbound.

Mike Lavigne · Nov 26, 2021

jazdoc said:
“If I never bought another classical record I’m good.” You are so funny.

ok.

but before i buy more classical i will be looking at my stash to find the equivalent and listening. no reason to buy more classical unless it's compelling. and i have a lifetime of listening choices. i did give my KLaudio RCM a workout yesterday and it was singing along.

before the family arrived for dinner i did load all the shelves (had to sort a bit the mix ups with the order)......my body went into shut down. then food coma. recovery will be slow. but i'm done. ahhhhhh.

melomane99 · Dec 24, 2021

Less is more Michael - imho. I have a 6000+ vinyl collection of which 80% are classical. As a collector of 50 years I haven't listening to a lot of them - just collected them along the way as I read their reviews in Gramophone magazine to listen as and when. I am intrigued who the Gramophone reviewer whose collection you bought Michael? Any clues you can reveal - like their initials?

Mike Lavigne · Dec 24, 2021

melomane99 said:
Less is more Michael - imho. I have a 6000+ vinyl collection of which 80% are classical. As a collector of 50 years I haven't listening to a lot of them - just collected them along the way as I read their reviews in Gramophone magazine to listen as and when. I am intrigued who the Gramophone reviewer whose collection you bought Michael? Any clues you can reveal - like their initials?

i never asked......meant to, but thanks for the push and i think will. been busy. good idea.

so far i've cleaned and listened to about 100 pressings and box sets. they are dusty, but the pressings are pretty much perfect (as most classical collections tend to be). happy with the mix, lots of "new to me" music. the 100 i've cleaned are sitting on my sofa and i keep dipping into them to spend more time with them.

the last week or so taken a break with other system distractions and Holiday life intrusions....

it's nice knowing all that fresh ground is waiting for me when i get around to it. and i will.

SeagoatLeo · Dec 26, 2021

Mike, looks/sounds like a fine classical collection. Your listening room and equipment deserve the best, more records. I have 28,500 LPs, 7,000 78s and 7,000 CDs and am nearly 66. I've sold or donated 18,000 78s and LPs in the past 30 years. I do not consider myself a collector but primarily a listener. I made a rule for myself, if I don't desire to play a recording 3 times a year, out it goes. I still have about 3,000 too many opera recordings (duplicates donated to me by my high school teacher and a synagogue member when they passed on). My recordings are about 25% classical vocal/opera, 45% classical, 20% pop/jazz from 1920s to 1970s and 10% ethnic music. No complete operas on 78s any longer-too much trouble/weight/time lost. Enjoy!

Mike Lavigne · Nov 10, 2022

-----a year later........

tonight played that Elliot Carter String Quartet........again, Nonesuch, R. Ludwig mastered. referenced last year in post #37 above.

double wow!!!! on the NVS/FCL/Etsuro Gold/EMIA/LFD phono cable. last year used the Tosca and dart phono. this was a few levels beyond. i was riveted to my chair for an hour. the FCL takes things much further.....and the EMIA too. the DS Audio Ion anti-static adds degrees of vividness and micro dynamics.

if you like this music, this will push out all the bad vibes and take you to a good place. turn off your phone and close the door. turn down the lights. stages like a champ, wonderful tone and very sonorous.

and it's cheap, cheap and if you are open to dissonance in String Quartets (not everyone's cup of tea) this is a must have. buy it.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=371405&ev=mb

SeagoatLeo · Nov 10, 2022

Mike Lavigne said:
-----a year later........

tonight played that Elliot Carter String Quartet........again, Nonesuch, R. Ludwig mastered. referenced last year in post #37 above.

double wow!!!! on the NVS/FCL/Etsuro Gold/EMIA/LFD phono cable. last year used the Tosca and dart phono. this was a few levels beyond. i was riveted to my chair for an hour. the FCL takes things much further.....and the EMIA too. if you like this music, this will push out all the bad vibes and take you to a good place. turn off your phone and close the door. turn down the lights. stages like a champ, wonderful tone and very sonorous.

and it's cheap, cheap and if you are open to dissonance in String Quartets (not everyone's cup of tea) this is a must have. buy it.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=371405&ev=mb

I have the Julliard Quartet version on RCA which is excellent in performance and sound. I should hear the Nonesuch version as Bob Ludwig mastered. Thanks.

melomane99 · Nov 11, 2022

Is there somewhere that says which equipment you use to playback your 60s/70s classical vinyl Mike please?

Mike Lavigne · Nov 11, 2022

melomane99 said:
Is there somewhere that says which equipment you use to playback your 60s/70s classical vinyl Mike please?

this thread describes what i've changed this year with my vinyl playback. i ordered some upgrades early in the year (including the DaVa) and they started arriving months later. the last few pages of the thread explain about how i liked the upgrades.

at the bottom of my posts is a link to my system page on Audiogon, which does show my whole system and room, but the pictures and gear list has not been updated in the last 18 months or so. for instance it does not show my turntable upgrades or my much loved Wadax digital.....yet. i keep meaning to get around to doing that. i do have a major system change pending, 2 actually, so i'm kinda waiting for those to happen to mess with picture and gear list changes.

i now play my classical equally on all three turntables; prior to my vinyl upgrades i mostly played my classical only on my CS Port turntable. that was one of my important goals of my upgrades, to bring more firepower to my classical. and i've absolutely hit it out of the park on that goal. i'm thrilled with how my classical sounds on all three set-ups (and love classical on my Wadax much more too, than on my previous digital, for that matter).

melomane99 · Nov 11, 2022

Thanks Mike. Just trying to get a feel for your playback preferences and whether you were into older gear for older records a la Art Dudley? But obviously not as you seem to have all bases covered using modern playback equipment.

Mike Lavigne · Nov 11, 2022

melomane99 said:
Thanks Mike. Just trying to get a feel for your playback preferences and whether you were into older gear for older records a la Art Dudley? But obviously not as you seem to have all bases covered using modern playback equipment.

to me current build gear can produce all the musical goodness one could ask for.....tonal density, timbral rightness, full bottom end with smooth and extended highs. a sense of realism. enveloping, grain less and flowing sound.

my idler Saskia could be viewed as having a bit of vintage flavor, but i don't see it quite in that light. my EMIA phono w/SUT would be 'Art Dudley' approved i think, but he might have preferred copper wound transformers.

maybe you are referring to a Garrard 301 + Ortofon SPU cartridge. i had a Steve Dobbins Garrard 301 back in the day, as well as a Koetsu RSP cartridge which might be more like the SPU. personally i prefer my DaVa (Art would approve i suspect) and my Etsuro Gold. and the Saskia is a whole different level of performance from my much loved Garrard.

wil · Nov 11, 2022

Mike Lavigne said:
-----a year later........

tonight played that Elliot Carter String Quartet........again, Nonesuch, R. Ludwig mastered. referenced last year in post #37 above.

double wow!!!! on the NVS/FCL/Etsuro Gold/EMIA/LFD phono cable. last year used the Tosca and dart phono. this was a few levels beyond. i was riveted to my chair for an hour. the FCL takes things much further.....and the EMIA too. the DS Audio Ion anti-static adds degrees of vividness and micro dynamics.

if you like this music, this will push out all the bad vibes and take you to a good place. turn off your phone and close the door. turn down the lights. stages like a champ, wonderful tone and very sonorous.

and it's cheap, cheap and if you are open to dissonance in String Quartets (not everyone's cup of tea) this is a must have. buy it.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=371405&ev=mb

That’s a really great recording that I’ve listened to quite a bit. Only via streaming. I wish there were more a few hundred more Bob Ludwigs out there…

oldvinyl · Nov 11, 2022

Mike Lavigne said:
-----a year later........

tonight played that Elliot Carter String Quartet........again, Nonesuch, R. Ludwig mastered. referenced last year in post #37 above.

double wow!!!! on the NVS/FCL/Etsuro Gold/EMIA/LFD phono cable. last year used the Tosca and dart phono. this was a few levels beyond. i was riveted to my chair for an hour. the FCL takes things much further.....and the EMIA too. the DS Audio Ion anti-static adds degrees of vividness and micro dynamics.

if you like this music, this will push out all the bad vibes and take you to a good place. turn off your phone and close the door. turn down the lights. stages like a champ, wonderful tone and very sonorous.

and it's cheap, cheap and if you are open to dissonance in String Quartets (not everyone's cup of tea) this is a must have. buy it.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=371405&ev=mb

Turns out I have 2 copies of the Nonesuch The Composers Quartet and also have a copy of the Columbia Julliard Quartet.

If you like this kind of music, then I highly recommend the Schoenberg, Berg and Webern quartets with the LaSalle Quartet.

Mike Lavigne · Jul 8, 2024

almost 3 years ago now i purchased this 3000 pressing classical collection. my plan was that this would be a retirement project. when i first got it i did sample 60-70 pressings, was happy with my keeper ratio, and enjoyed the process. back then i realized if i was going to find 25% to 30%+ keepers, i needed more shelving logistically......25 or so more feet of space. and of course, in the normal process since 3 years ago i acquired even more Lp's.

i've had a real mess in my barn these last 3 years as i've been at 'hording stage 11' with no place to put Lp's.

a year ago when i retired, i ordered additional shelving from New England as i could not find anything locally here in Seattle; thinking 90 days. sigh. finally the last of my order arrived this weekend, and they are unpacked and in place. spent this morning just unburying myself and getting stuff set up. an hour ago i went upstairs to the racks, to the 'A's, and selected 10 Lp's. there were a couple 'digital' rejects. but now i'm off and listening to fresh meat......i get to read the jackets and look up the pressings, and learn and enjoy. ahhhhhhh.

finally. a year late, i get to start my retirement project/musical immersion and there is no time limit or hurry.

and all my system upgrades and tweaks take a back seat, other than delivering on their promise.

Mike Lavigne · Jul 8, 2024

my first 2 are winners.....both play 'excellent'.....the cover on the Mercury is split.

https://www.discogs.com/release/6963710-Albinoni-Kammerorchester-Berlin-Vittorio-Negri-Hans-Werner-W%C3%A4tzig-J%C3%BCrgen-Abel-Heinz-Helmut-Klinge-

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/5041649?ev=rb

SeagoatLeo · Jul 8, 2024

I'm 68 and never plan to retire. Self-employed businessman. Wow, I posted 2 years ago and my collection has sprouted.

I currently have 31,100 LPs, 7,000 78s, 16,000 CDs. I've sold/disposed of 18,000 records (78s and LPs) over 4 decades. I have to cull 1000's of LPs and CDs.
I listen 2 hours per night.

Storage is a problem for me as well. In the past four years, I acquired by inheritance from late friends over 5,000 LPs, by purchase of Japanese pressed Jazz and 200+ 45 rpm LPs, another 1,100 LPS and from other deceased friends of friends, another 1,400 LPs. My storage room adjacent to my listening room is lined with floor to ceiling custom built record shelving (the center has steel drawer cabinets for CDs). It has 17,500 LPs/78s/CDs.

I installed a large Boltz CD rack in the rear corner of my listening room. It stores about 3,000 CDs, mostly in box sets.

I also doubled my CD collection with 3,750 from an unfortunately stroke victim who probably was the world expert on classical piano recorded performances and another 4,500 from a elderly gentleman who needed the cash for medical reasons and kept about 400 copies, CDs and 3,000 LPs.

I constructed a Tuff Shed with built-in record storage in a corner of my rear yard with 5,000 LPs and 78s. I also have about 5,000 LPs and CDs stored in two single garages.
The remaining 5,000 or so LPs and 3,800 CDs are located in my vacant parent's home 1 mile away.

Let's not forget books. I have two libraries in my home with a total of about 3,000 books and 1,000 periodicals.

Very classy and neat though. DVDs to 4k discs, about 700 located in pull-out shelving holds a max of 1100 DVDs I designed and had constructed where a former 40" tube TV was located by the previous owner. Photos attached. (I did not install the brass ring on plate pulls yet)

The video tapes and in a closet. My own 150+ recordings are in my fire vault.

Barry2013 · Jul 8, 2024

Mike Lavigne said:
almost 3 years ago now i purchased this 3000 pressing classical collection. my plan was that this would be a retirement project. when i first got it i did sample 60-70 pressings, was happy with my keeper ratio, and enjoyed the process. back then i realized if i was going to find 25% to 30%+ keepers, i needed more shelving logistically......25 or so more feet of space. and of course, in the normal process since 3 years ago i acquired even more Lp's.

i've had a real mess in my barn these last 3 years as i've been at 'hording stage 11' with no place to put Lp's.

a year ago when i retired, i ordered additional shelving from New England as i could not find anything locally here in Seattle; thinking 90 days. sigh. finally the last of my order arrived this weekend, and they are unpacked and in place. spent this morning just unburying myself and getting stuff set up. an hour ago i went upstairs to the racks, to the 'A's, and selected 10 Lp's. there were a couple 'digital' rejects. but now i'm off and listening to fresh meat......i get to read the jackets and look up the pressings, and learn and enjoy. ahhhhhhh.

finally. a year late, i get to start my retirement project/musical immersion and there is no time limit or hurry.

and all my system upgrades and tweaks take a back seat, other than delivering on their promise.

Enjoy and keep us posted

Mike Lavigne · Jul 8, 2024

SeagoatLeo said:
I'm 68 and never plan to retire. Self-employed businessman. Wow, I posted 2 years ago and my collection has sprouted.

I currently have 31,100 LPs, 7,000 78s, 16,000 CDs. I've sold/disposed of 18,000 records (78s and LPs) over 4 decades. I have to cull 1000's of LPs and CDs.
I listen 2 hours per night.

Storage is a problem for me as well. In the past four years, I acquired by inheritance from late friends over 5,000 LPs, by purchase of Japanese pressed Jazz and 200+ 45 rpm LPs, another 1,100 LPS and from other deceased friends of friends, another 1,400 LPs. My storage room adjacent to my listening room is lined with floor to ceiling custom built record shelving (the center has steel drawer cabinets for CDs). It has 17,500 LPs/78s/CDs.

I installed a large Boltz CD rack in the rear corner of my listening room. It stores about 3,000 CDs, mostly in box sets.

I also doubled my CD collection with 3,750 from an unfortunately stroke victim who probably was the world expert on classical piano recorded performances and another 4,500 from a elderly gentleman who needed the cash for medical reasons and kept about 400 copies, CDs and 3,000 LPs.

I constructed a Tuff Shed with built-in record storage in a corner of my rear yard with 5,000 LPs and 78s. I also have about 5,000 LPs and CDs stored in two single garages.
The remaining 5,000 or so LPs and 3,800 CDs are located in my vacant parent's home 1 mile away.

Let's not forget books. I have two libraries in my home with a total of about 3,000 books and 1,000 periodicals.

Very classy and neat though. DVDs to 4k discs, about 700 located in pull-out shelving I designed and had constructed where a former 40" tube TV was located by the previous owner. Photos attached. (I did not install the brass ring on plate pulls yet)

The video tapes and in a closet. My own 150+ recordings are in my fire vault.

wow Leo, i'm just a small time piker compared to you, with only 12,000 Lps, 4000 CD's, 250 tapes, and 20 Tb of files.

my challenge is my wife won't allow any storage in my house, and my upstairs barn rec room is the rest of my man-cave/barn where i have my workout gear, sports/football watching, pool table and photo processing place. those 3000 extra Lp's are crimping my style and making a mess up there. i need the good one's downstairs neat and tidy while a few of the 'ok' one's can stay upstairs. so i have to sort, clean, listen, learn and then put them away.

you are way out ahead of me on the volume. hard to even imagine it. at 2 hours a night, you will need at least 2 lifetimes to hear them all, even if it's only one side each.

SeagoatLeo · Jul 8, 2024

Mike Lavigne said:
wow Leo, i'm just a small time piker compared to you, with only 12,000 Lps, 4000 CD's, 250 tapes, and 20 Tb of files.

my challenge is my wife won't allow any storage in my house, and my upstairs barn rec room is the rest of my man-cave/barn where i have my workout gear, sports/football watching, pool table and photo processing place. those 3000 extra Lp's are crimping my style and making a mess up there. i need the good one's downstairs neat and tidy while a few of the 'ok' one's can stay upstairs. so i have to sort, clean, listen, learn and then put them away.

you are way out ahead of me on the volume. hard to even imagine it. at 2 hours a night, you will need at least 2 lifetimes to hear them all, even if it's only one side each.

Yes, my friends have enjoyed your listening room and company over the years. (I'm the Seagoat-Capricorn, my wife's the Leo-Leo).

I'm a piker too! Back 40 to 50 years ago, I was friends with Thomas Chandler/Chandler's wind up, a former Cal-Tech engineer who acquired 1.5 million recordings (30,000 cylinders-he wanted to pay me to organize the classical recordings but he was 90 miles from me and I was in law school). Another was Music Man Murray with 1 million records (maybe, but a lot). Both collections were purchased by Zero Freitas in Brasil. He also purchased the non-Judaic portion of over 150,000 records from the Jack Saul collection in Cleveland (a friend of my best friend). Locally, Tom Null, producer of Varese Sarabande, Boston Classics and many other great recordings, left about 225,000 LPs and CDs in 2020 (I bought 800 LPs) which several of my friends purchased (especially the rare jazz). Tom was taken advantage of by stores who knew he was coming to purchase rare and expensive LPs. They didn't care whether they were clean sounding pressings, just that they looked clean. Half didn't we found out. I even sold him several rare reel to reel late 1950s stereo tapes (perfect condition).

I am overwhelmed at the CDs though. So many extremely obscure composers and works. However, there are such a treasure trove of fabulous performances and sonic delectables in classical music. Among them are the Ohlsson playing Debussy, Prokofiev & Bartok Etudes (slower but what impact and beauty), Grant Johannesen playing Russian Repertoire (ending with Prokofiev's Sonata No.7 slower paced but wow, every note counts in the first movement-no reverb in the piano sound) or those great late in their career recordings of Darre, Dohnanyi, Balsam, Wild in their 80s doing unusual repertoire in fabulous sound (all classical pianists). I have to remove at least 3,500 of the CDs as I don't need 35 Symphonie Fantastiques, 40 Handel Water Music (2 of the elderly gentleman's favorite works) or boring music (to me).

While I don't share your fantastic room or collection of equipment to play them on, my new Poseidon DAC/Pre, Jay's Audio CDt3 Mk3, Westminster Lab REI amps and Von Schweikert VR9 SE MK2 upgraded are immensely pleasurable, even listening to my acoustic/electric 78s and their great remastered CD counterpart collections (most by Ward Marston for vocal/piano and Contemporary & Capitol engineers for jazz).

Mike Lavigne · Jul 8, 2024

SeagoatLeo said:
Yes, my friends have enjoyed your listening room and company over the years.

cool. love listening visitors. if you are ever in the neighborhood you would be welcome anytime.

SeagoatLeo said:
(I'm the Seagoat-Capricorn, my wife's the Leo-Leo).

oops.

SeagoatLeo said:
I'm a piker too! Back 40 to 50 years ago, I was friends with Thomas Chandler/Chandler's wind up, a former Cal-Tech engineer who acquired 1.5 million recordings (30,000 cylinders-he wanted to pay me to organize the classical recordings but he was 90 miles from me and I was in law school). Another was Music Man Murray with 1 million records (maybe, but a lot). Both collections were purchased by Zero Freitas in Brasil. He also purchased the non-Judaic portion of over 150,000 records from the Jack Saul collection in Cleveland (a friend of my best friend). Locally, Tom Null, producer of Varese Sarabande, Boston Classics and many other great recordings, left about 225,000 LPs and CDs in 2020 (I bought 800 LPs) which several of my friends purchased (especially the rare jazz). Tom was taken advantage of by stores who knew he was coming to purchase rare and expensive LPs. They didn't care whether they were clean sounding pressings, just that they looked clean. Half didn't we found out. I even sold him several rare reel to reel late 1950s stereo tapes (perfect condition).

OMG!!! fun to read about, thanks.

SeagoatLeo said:
I am overwhelmed at the CDs though. So many extremely obscure composers and works. However, there are such a treasure trove of fabulous performances and sonic delectables in classical music. Among them are the Ohlsson playing Debussy, Prokofiev & Bartok Etudes (slower but what impact and beauty), Grant Johannesen playing Russian Repertoire (ending with Prokofiev's Sonata No.7 slower paced but wow, every note counts in the first movement-no reverb in the piano sound) or those great late in their career recordings of Darre, Dohnanyi, Balsam, Wild in their 80s doing unusual repertoire in fabulous sound (all classical pianists). I have to remove at least 3,500 of the CDs as I don't need 35 Symphonie Fantastiques, 40 Handel Water Music (2 of the elderly gentleman's favorite works) or boring music (to me).

music is wonderful, and a magical journey.

SeagoatLeo said:
While I don't share your fantastic room or collection of equipment to play them on, my new Poseidon DAC/Pre, Jay's Audio CDt3 Mk3, Westminster Lab REI amps and Von Schweikert VR9 SE MK2 upgraded are immensely pleasurable, even listening to my acoustic/electric 78s and their great remastered CD counterpart collections (most by Ward Marston for vocal/piano and Contemporary & Capitol engineers for jazz).

very nice system. btw, back 18 years ago i owned and loved VR9SE's and even wrote a review on them. which convinced me not to ever be a reviewer again.

SeagoatLeo · Jul 8, 2024

Mike Lavigne said:
cool. love listening visitors.

oops.

OMG!!!

music is wonderful, and a magical journey.

very nice system. btw, back 18 years ago i owned and loved VR9SE's and even wrote a review on them. which convinced me not to ever be a reviewer again.

Oh, I read every review I could about Von Schweikert speakers and my best friend has a pair of VR35 Exports (the one's used at shows). Your review actually made me worry about all the adjustments-no problem, once they were dialed in for my room, they are set. My room is only 20X15X10 but you can read about the 16-17" thick multi-layered walls/doors, built-in activated carbon bass traps, 12" 3000 psi steel reinforced floor, etc. and all the other details at Audiogon under Fleschler. My speakers were the last pair Albert designed or built around 2016. i thought about Evolution Acoustics from your choice but decided I wanted great dispersion for 4 to 5 listeners/guests in a row. Yes, I'm satisfied!

stuff of dreams....3000 classical records inbound.

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