SRX Vinyl 2019 Blue Note Reissues, total Audiophile P.O.SHIT!!

[ddk]

Just got the full 2019 Blue Note SRX series and they're HORRIBLE! They're dead quiet as advertised but the operating word is DEAD here! Yes there's boom and there's fizz but Kevin Gray must be a succubus he's sucked the life out of these recordings. There's not a hint of ambience, atmosphere, air or any environmental cues left on them it's as if they were all recorded in an anechoic chamber. Of course with this kind of heavy handed EQ every horn, double bass or drum sounds exactly the same across the twelve LPs too! Another POS audiophile pressing!

david

 

[ack]

Ouch, had high expectations for these SRX reissues

 

[ddk]

Ouch, had high expectations for these SRX reissues

I don't have the older 45 reissues but according to a friend who has both the 45's are far better.

david

 

[dan31]

I did not double dip so I only picked up a few for the SRX titles that I did I not have. I am enjoying them but I can see where ddk is coming from. I have no hope of an original pressing so these MM reissues will have to do.

 

[Tango]

Just got the full 2019 Blue Note SRX series and they're HORRIBLE! They're dead quiet as advertised but the operating word is DEAD here! Yes there's boom and there's fizz but Kevin Gray must be a succubus he's sucked the life out of these recordings. There's not a hint of ambience, atmosphere, air or any environmental cues left on them it's as if they were all recorded in an anechoic chamber. Of course with this kind of heavy handed EQ every horn, double bass or drum sounds exactly the same across the twelve LPs too! Another POS audiophile pressing!

david

They could be good learning tools Khun David. You could give away these lp's to your customers and point where to listen to see distinction b/w hifi and natural.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[dminches]

I have 4 of the new issues and completely disagree with DDK’s assessment. He hasn’t even heard any of the monos and he’s making this claim.

Someone please buy Introducing Johnny Griffin and and tell me that they sound like crap.

Really, ddk, to say they are a piece of shit is just ridiculous, especially since you haven’t heard all of them.

I have a lot of Blue Note reisssues and some originals. The MM series is high quality.

 

[dminches]

I did not double dip so I only picked up a few for the SRX titles that I did I not have. I am enjoying them but I can see where ddk is coming from. I have no hope of an original pressing so these MM reissues will have to do.

Which titles did you get and which do you feel are “dead?”

 

[ddk]

They could be good learning tools Khun David. You could give away these lp's to your customers and point where to listen to see distinction b/w hifi and natural.

Kind regards,
Tang

The reason that I haven't dumped them yet!

david

 

[ddk]

I have 4 of the new issues and completely disagree with DDK’s assessment. He hasn’t even heard any of the monos and he’s making this claim.

Someone please buy Introducing Johnny Griffin and and tell me that they sound like crap.

Really, ddk, to say they are a piece of shit is just ridiculous, especially since you haven’t heard all of them.

I have a lot of Blue Note reisssues and some originals. The MM series is high quality.

Well David, I can say what I want it's my opinion and it's not going to change just because you like some shit!

david

 

[dminches]

Well David, I can say what I want it's my opinion and it's not going to change just because you like shit!

david

Yes, it is just your opinion.

Tell me, how many original Blue notes and reissues have you owned or heard? What’s your frame of reference?

I would say I own 250-300 and have heard more than that. I own originals, Classic, Analogue Productions, Music Matters and OJC.

Joe Harley knows Blue note recordings as well as any one still alive. He would never allow stuff to be released that sounds like shit.

Really, it is weak of you to make these extreme comments given you haven’t heard the entire box and you don’t own the original set.

Of course, just my opinion.

 

[ALF]

Yes, it is just your opinion.

Tell me, how many original Blue notes and reissues have you owned or heard? What’s your frame of reference?

I would say I own 250-300 and have heard more than that. I own originals, Classic, Analogue Productions, Music Matters and OJC.

Joe Harley knows Blue note recordings as well as any one still alive. He would never allow stuff to be released that sounds like shit.

Really, it is weak of you to make these extreme comments given you haven’t heard the entire box and you don’t own the original set.

Of course, just my opinion.

It’s okay; DDK, he’s my dear friend and can sometimes fall into a complex, he believes that self-report is the best kind .

Cheers!
ALF

 

[ddk]

Yes, it is just your opinion.

Tell me, how many original Blue notes and reissues have you owned or heard? What’s your frame of reference?

I would say I own 250-300 and have heard more than that. I own originals, Classic, Analogue Productions, Music Matters and OJC.

Joe Harley knows Blue note recordings as well as any one still alive. He would never allow stuff to be released that sounds like shit.

Really, it is weak of you to make these extreme comments given you haven’t heard the entire box and you don’t own the original set.

Of course, just my opinion.

You're welcome to your opinion about the records but not not what I can or can't say. As I mentioned to you in the other forum I went through the 6 stereo albums and they sucked, I'll listen to the on you're so hot about when I get around to it but I don't see why it should be any different, I'll be happy to be wrong and not wasted all my money.

As far as frame of reference is years and decades of listening and knowing what should be on the recording, I know when there's no life and the mastering has stolen all ambient cues without having to compare anything else. My comments stand because of what I don't hear from these LPs and not how they compare to anything else.

david

 

[dminches]

You're welcome to your opinion about the records but not not what I can or can't say. As I mentioned to you in the other forum I went through the 6 stereo albums and they sucked, I'll listen to the on you're so hot about when I get around to it but I don't see why it should be any different, I'll be happy to be wrong and not wasted all my money.

As far as frame of reference is years and decades of listening and knowing what should be on the recording, I know when there's no life and the mastering has stolen all ambient cues without having to compare anything else. My comments stand because of what I don't hear from these LPs and not how they compare to anything else.

david

If you haven't heard other versions of these recordings how do you know it isn't the recording? That's my point about frame of reference.

For example, the common opinion is that RVG did not go a good job recording piano. So, if you hear a pressing that has poor sonics from the piano it is likely in the original recording.

Don't listen to anything on my behalf. I just think, based on my Blue Note listening experience, that call these pressing "a piece of shit" is extreme and a disservice to the work that Joe Harley has done to bring good, quality recordings of this music to analog lovers. Unfortunately the stock of originals, which by the way are almost all monos, is low and expensive so all that's really available are reissues.

 

[ddk]

If you haven't heard other versions of these recordings how do you know it isn't the recording? That's my point about frame of reference.

For example, the common opinion is that RVG did not go a good job recording piano. So, if you hear a pressing that has poor sonics from the piano it is likely in the original recording.

Don't listen to anything on my behalf. I just think, based on my Blue Note listening experience, that call these pressing "a piece of shit" is extreme and a disservice to the work that Joe Harley has done to bring good, quality recordings of this music to analog lovers. Unfortunately the stock of originals, which by the way are almost all monos, is low and expensive so all that's really available are reissues.

If you read my comments on both forums I was very specific about what I don't like about these recordings and it has nothing to do wether they caught the piano well or not on the originals, it's what's wrong with these SRX pressings, removal of all ambient cues and eq'd and homogenized to death!

david

 

[kodomo]

I have all the music matters 45 rpm blue note reissues (more than 120 titles), about 20 of the AP 45rpm reissues and few of the first pressings of these titles. My favourites are absolutely the music matters 45rpm reissues. I haven't heard the SRX series but not worth dipping in for me anymore as I have nearly all the titles I am interested in. I am just chiming in, if you are interested in Blue Note titles I recommend mm 45rpm pressing for best quality for sound and for jackets too!

 

[ddk]

I have 4 of the new issues and completely disagree with DDK’s assessment. He hasn’t even heard any of the monos and he’s making this claim.

Someone please buy Introducing Johnny Griffin and and tell me that they sound like crap.

Really, ddk, to say they are a piece of shit is just ridiculous, especially since you haven’t heard all of them.

I have a lot of Blue Note reisssues and some originals. The MM series is high quality.

I listened to the JG lp and it's the same issue. It's not totally as flat as some of the others but it's also missing very important ambience and spacial cues. No matter how hard I listen I can't pick up anything related to the venue, there's nothing! I can't tell if it was recorded in a studio, club, hall, etc., etc. there's only a veil of something shrouding the music and in the background. The EQ is the same as others too, very polite and rounded off around Johnny's polite saxophone. This is supposed to be a painting instead it's like a children's coloring book with all coloring cleaned up inside the lines. These synthetic characteristics come from the mastering and maybe combination of the pressing and vinyl formulation too but I don't know enough about that and given the hype behind the issue I am very disappointed hence my strong pushback on the hype.

david

 

[dminches]

I listened to the JG lp and it's the same issue. It's not totally as flat as some of the others but it's also missing very important ambience and spacial cues. No matter how hard I listen I can't pick up anything related to the venue, there's nothing! I can't tell if it was recorded in a studio, club, hall, etc., etc. there's only a veil of something shrouding the music and in the background. The EQ is the same as others too, very polite and rounded off around Johnny's polite saxophone. This is supposed to be a painting instead it's like a children's coloring book with all coloring cleaned up inside the lines. These synthetic characteristics come from the mastering and maybe combination of the pressing and vinyl formulation too but I don't know enough about that and given the hype behind the issue I am very disappointed hence my strong pushback on the hype.

david

Can you point to a different pressing of ones of these SRX releases that I can listen to to hear what you are hearing?

 

[dan31]

Which titles did you get and which do you feel are “dead?”

I never said they are dead. They are very clean, perhaps to clean for some listeners. I would think these are very much like the tape. I don't know if there are many ambient cue's missing per ddk, but there is a very low noise floor and great definition of the instruments. If you love the originals these may not be your cup of tea. I personally like them and will pick up a few more. I have the four titles listed below.

Blues Walk
Adam's Apple
Song for My Father
Inner Urge

 

[ddk]

Can you point to a different pressing of ones of these SRX releases that I can listen to to hear what you are hearing?

Try any of the 6 stereo ones they all have the same synthetic veiled background with any spacial cues from the venue, background instruments are too polite with homogenized volume and scale and instruments share near identical tonality across all of them.

david

Edit- What I also hear on the JG lp is a moderately goosed top and goosed bottom with recessed mids, lower mids and upper bass range. There's nothing there of a tenor sax and the double bass has no range and no body just the bottom end boom boom with no tone or timbre. From the drums all you get is disconnected ting ting and always in the distance. When the pressing is proper my system is very capable of recovering spacial cues and allowing the instruments play over each other and have their corresponding dimensionality, individual volume and natural decay which is clearly lacking in even this record that find acceptable or even very good.

Edit 2- The way it's Eq'd is more reminiscent of a bad multitrack assembly to me than a mono recording!

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Where is the General when you need him? I am sure he’ll have a very solid perspective being that he must own the whole Blue Note catalogue several times over.