I never understood why people like Speakers Corner reissues cause they’re pure garbage. Extremely bad reissues with tipped highs and lacking life. I always had a feeling that there is something wrong with them. I don’t remember any SC reissue that I don’t regret buying, especially jazz titles. Only exception is Decca reissues, they might be pressed from original metal works.
I co-hosted a classical radio program earlier in the year, when we played everything from LPs (and tape). The studio had just been rebuilt with a very good sound system. I brought the Starker Bach cello suites and played the reissue and then the original in tandem. My co-host commented that with the original, the sound was very realistic, as if Starker was playing in front of us. The SC reissue sounds as if our head is inside Starker's cello. Even some of my friends commented on it after hearing it on the radio. When I only had the reissue, I thought the bass sounded so bloated because Bob Fine put a cardiod microphone too close to the cello causing proximity effect. But that would have been a very elementary mistake. The originals sound excellent with very balanced sound. I still don't understand why the mastering engineer for SC did such a poor job. The only good thing about this set is the box, which I used with the original LPs since the original box has deteriorated badly.
Not only one but many great mastering engineers listed for SC reissues. They are still sounding garbage while those engineers’ works for other labels sounding great. The only explanation is bad source material and something about the disc processing cause pressing plant (Pallas/Germany) is not bad, mediocre but not bad.
