The new audiophile vinyl series The Original Source from Deutsche Grammophon (AAA)

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Yesterday I played three of these lovely DG 'The Original Source' LPs. Just Mahler to play today.

The three I have played are all top notch LPs regarding the great sound (i.e. very life like (like you are there with the performers), fantastic clarity across the complete music frequencies and spectrum, no sibilance, huge sound stage), very low record surface noise (can hardly hear it with my EF1000 & Susvara headphone system), and no pops and clicks (even though I have only used my Keith Monks Classic RCM i.e. no ultrasonic cleaning).

Overall very happy so far with my DG 'The Original Source' LP purchases.

Looking forward to playing Mahler today and receiving the next two released batches (another 10 LPs in total - missed out on Mozart Concertos 25 & 27) I have ordered.

Played my DG 'The Original Source' Mahler / Karajan 5th Symphonie today. Like the other 3 LPs it is exceptional.

To my ears on my UK hifi headphone system set-up, DG have done a solid and fantastic job on the first batch (all 4 LPs) of these 'The Original Source' records. Can't wait now to get the 2nd and 3rd batches, and thereafter other future released batches.

I did however make a stupid mistake when ordering the 2nd and 3rd batches on 17/06 (minus the Mozart LP due to being sold out on 17/06 but have ordered today after it being back in stock today) as I ordered them all together so I will have to now wait longer for the 2nd batch (due to be released first week of August) as they will be delivered with the 3rd batch sometime end of September (according to DG website info). I should have ordered these two batches separately as a DG notice states ! If I knew a way to contact DG direct via email or even call them I would to pay extra shipping costs to have batch 2 and 3 sent separately !
Therefore, does anybody know if it is possible to contact DG direct to discuss an order with them (i.e. for my case, to see if they will send out the 3rd batch in August and not late September) ?

 

[microstrip]

(...) Regarding piano sonata on vinyl already sold out (1st record, Beethoven/Gilels),

Should we regret that? Is piano on vinyl so recommendable? My feeling is that vinyl fails to convey the immediacy of the hammers hitting strings with a speed up to 90m/sec (mechanical limitation of the medium?). I remember I later read somewhere that Peter McGrath (Director of Sales from Wilson Audio) said: "on piano, vinyl sucks".

Well, he did not use the word "sucks" but Peter McGrath told me that a good digital recording sounded much better than the equivalent vinyl and most piano on vinyl sounded really poor. In fact, after we get used to piano sound without added vinyl artifacts it is sometimes hard to listen to some vinyl recordings.

Piano can be beautiful on vinyl, sure. But from my humble experience, it is generally not quite "true-sounding" and sounds slightly soft and rounded (they may be exceptions, but they surely come at a cost - I was indeed impressed by the piano rendition of the Nagra Anniversary turntable sourcing the Nagra HD gear with Wilson speakers at the Brussels NewMusic High End Innovation hifi show 2022).

Very good point. Piano can sound extremely beautiful in recordings, with an apparent fluidity, more body and harmonically enhanced. But not more real than with good digital. My usual examples - the well known Proprius PROP 7793, Käbi Laretei for the beautiful piano and Maurizio Pollini – Three Movements from Stravinsky "Petrushka", DG digital recording for the "hammers immediacy" as you wrote.

In fact the piano sound was one the most agreed positives of digital by professionals and musicians at the early digital (CD) days.

 

[iaxel]

Just received a tracking number from DG.
Last update was on 3rd or June, that the package is being loaded into a container...

DG want me to help file an investigation request for DHL to understand the whereabouts of my package and why is it delayed.

All I wanted was to order a few records..
I’ve asked them to resend me the records and run the investigation in parallel, as it may take weeks/months.
Let’s see how they respond.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Played my DG 'The Original Source' Mahler / Karajan 5th Symphonie today. Like the other 3 LPs it is exceptional.

To my ears on my UK hifi headphone system set-up, DG have done a solid and fantastic job on the first batch (all 4 LPs) of these 'The Original Source' records. Can't wait now to get the 2nd and 3rd batches, and thereafter other future released batches.

I did however make a stupid mistake when ordering the 2nd and 3rd batches on 17/06 (minus the Mozart LP due to being sold out on 17/06 but have ordered today after it being back in stock today) as I ordered them all together so I will have to now wait longer for the 2nd batch (due to be released first week of August) as they will be delivered with the 3rd batch sometime end of September (according to DG website info). I should have ordered these two batches separately as a DG notice states ! If I knew a way to contact DG direct via email or even call them I would to pay extra shipping costs to have batch 2 and 3 sent separately !
Therefore, does anybody know if it is possible to contact DG direct to discuss an order with them (i.e. for my case, to see if they will send out the 3rd batch in August and not late September) ?

they did respond to my email sent late last night inquiring about my Feb order from this email address;

service@bravado.de

i had sent my email to the email address they use for their paypal account;

kundendienst@bravado.de

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

they did respond to my email sent late last night inquiring about my Feb order from this email address;

service@bravado.de

i had sent my email to the email address they use for their paypal account;

kundendienst@bravado.de

Thank you Mike. Very much appreciated.

 

[Zeotrope]

I think for all you US and other overseas countries way outside of Europe, shipping from DG could potentially be a nightmare !

Indeed it IS a nightmare!

You have to *love* it, Bravado (which handles order fulfillment for DG.com) is refusing to admit any wrongdoing from the fact that they selected sea shipping instead of air shipping. 60EUR for shipping and it went out by boat to N America...!

Here's the reply from Bravado - got to love it. Someone selected "sea" instead of "air", it was not DHL!

thank you for your message.
Unfortunately we have no influence on the way DHL ships the orders.
We can only deal with the safety of the products and if there is any issue with the order itself.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Liebe Grüße vom Bravado.de Support Team

 

[Zeotrope]

Well, he did not use the word "sucks" but Peter McGrath told me that a good digital recording sounded much better than the equivalent vinyl and most piano on vinyl sounded really poor. In fact, after we get used to piano sound without added vinyl artifacts it is sometimes hard to listen to some vinyl recordings.



Very good point. Piano can sound extremely beautiful in recordings, with an apparent fluidity, more body and harmonically enhanced. But not more real than with good digital. My usual examples - the well known Proprius PROP 7793, Käbi Laretei for the beautiful piano and Maurizio Pollini – Three Movements from Stravinsky "Petrushka", DG digital recording for the "hammers immediacy" as you wrote.

In fact the piano sound was one the most agreed positives of digital by professionals and musicians at the early digital (CD) days.

With my setup at least, there is no comparison between how piano sounds with digital and vinyl - vinyl sounds much better. It's not even close.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

With my setup at least, there is no comparison between how piano sounds with digital and vinyl - vinyl sounds much better. It's not even close.

Same here 'Zeotrope'.
I hardly use my Chord Blu CD Transporter and Chord Dave DAC now as I am totally addicted to vinyl listening with my TT set-up.
And if all of my record collection was like the DG 'The Original Source' LPs recently bought, I would most probably sell all my CDs and my digital source equipment !

 

[Zeotrope]

Same here 'Zeotrope'.
I hardly use my Chord Blu CD Transporter and Chord Dave DAC now as I am totally addicted to vinyl listening with my TT set-up.
And if all of my record collection was like the DG 'The Original Source' LPs recently bought, I would most probably sell all my CDs and my digital source equipment !

Not sure if I will ever get mine... remind us where you purchased them from and if you are in N America?

 

[Zeotrope]

they did respond to my email sent late last night inquiring about my Feb order from this email address;

service@bravado.de

i had sent my email to the email address they use for their paypal account;

kundendienst@bravado.de

Unfortunately, neither Acoustic Sounds nor Music Direct have all 11 albums available. They don't even have all 7 from the upcoming September release... so as much as I would love to find an alternative to DG.com, I don't see one... if you're interested in the full set, that is.

 

[Zeotrope]

Yes, 12 in total. Looks like the releases of four titles at a time are getting more frequent.

To clarify, I was wrong, there are 11 titles in total, thus far, not 12.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Not sure if I will ever get mine... remind us where you purchased them from and if you are in N America?

I purchased all of the current 3 batches direct from DG and paid for them with PayPal. My delivery address for all 3 batches is in the UK.

 

[bonzo75]

With my setup at least, there is no comparison between how piano sounds with digital and vinyl - vinyl sounds much better. It's not even close.

Peter McGrath and microstrip listen through Wilson and possibly SS equipment. Wilson crossovers are massively incoherent for piano. two negatives might make a positive.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I purchased all of the current 3 batches direct from DG and paid for them with PayPal. My delivery address for all 3 batches is in the UK.

Forgot to mention 'Zeotrope' that I never received any email notifications from DG of my purchases, nor any shipping & delivery info from them or any Courier / Postal Service company. They just turned up one day in first week of June !

 

[Mike Lavigne]

View attachment 112078

Just received my Esoteric pressings of the Dvorak/Kertesz and Swan Lake. i have the Speakers Corner Dvorak incoming.

 

[bonzo75]

Let us know how esoteric compares to SC

 

[bonzo75]

one of the best DG's and the best of this performance. Seen many do it live including Perahia and Schiff (multiple times including with fortepiano)

 

[bonzo75]

Many good pianos. The DGG original source Schubert Emil Gilels that I posted earlier itself was very good, so relevant to the thread. If micro and Peter McGrath have good digital piano recordings, they should post the videos.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Let us know how esoteric compares to SC

i was very impressed by the first playing of the Dvorak, did not sound in any way not all analog, lots of air, rich tonality, textured bass, and sexyness. but until the SC arrives for a direct compare who knows?

 

[iaxel]

Just received my Esoteric pressings of the Dvorak/Kertesz and Swan Lake. i have the Speakers Corner Dvorak incoming.

View attachment 112139

I have both and they are very well done.
Pressing is excellent as well.
Did not compare to my Speakers Corner 9th (yet).