Zero Distortion: Tango Time

Ked, do you have an autographed (by Jimmy Page) Led Zeppelin's album cover?

* Tango, your tube music videos are excellent, including Paganini by Rabin, thank you.
I slept well.

High Regards,
 
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Ked, classical has only really been a big interest to me in the last 10 years. So I'm where you are re putting up w hyperinflation.

For me it was prog, fusion, electronic, modern jazz.

I started sniffing out the best Japanese and original US and UK pressings on my genres 20 years ago. Max spend per lp, £15, 80s/90s era collecting.

I have 150 Japanese, and first pressings US and UK for Miles Davis Classic Quintet mid 60s onwards and 70s fusion/electric jazz period, and Coltrane 60s Atlantic and Impulse labels period incl his late 60s free jazz madness, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy etc. Almost all of these beat the UK reissues from 90s hands down.

Plus a ton of first and max second pressings for Hendrix, Santana, prog legends, Mahavishnu, Weather Report etc.

My Led Zep Japan pressings are special sonically, esp LZ3.

In hindsight, yes, more attention to classical would have made sense.
No shame in not being into classical Marc, it seems like there is a lot of
forcing yourself into liking music for the sake of the recording quality these days.
Eat your broccoli it’s good for you ;)
There is so much great music out there, some of my favorite artist have barely
made a decent recording, i still listen to it and enjoy It.
 
Ked, do you have an autographed (by Jimmy Page) Led Zeppelin's album cover?

* Tango, your tube music videos are excellent, including Paganini by Rabin, thank you.
I slept well.

High Regards,

No Lee has many he was a roadie with Led Zep when I was not even born. And Page does not sign anything any more even if you ask him and does not allow pics.
 
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So is your's Ked. I'm glad I'm not feeling like the only way to get good performances and sonics is to pay eye watering amounts of cash.

You must be kicking yself you didn't get into vinyl when it wasn't simply a rich man's obsession when only the best will do. As it seems to be now.

Marc you are back to cash again. I just told you in the last post that it still isn’t about that - it is about knowledge. There are thousands of fantastic pressings and performances (jazz and classical) to be had <£50. That being said, if you look at the cold hard *large amounts* of cash that us audiophiles can often squander on ancillaries (luxury cables, grounding, isolation paraphernalia then it is a mere excuse imho. If you look at financial investment in your own system, and this is not a criticism because you can do as you wish, then the money spent on just Entreq would afford a really high spec record collection. People prioritise and apportion their finances in the way that they see it fit and that is right. But I do think audiophiles as an entity could often do with re-evaluating their spending patterns and ask how much they care for the software versus hardware - please note I am talking about analogue audiophiles not those who solely stream.
 
Marc you are back to cash again. I just told you in the last post that it still isn’t about that - it is about knowledge. There are thousands of fantastic pressings and performances (jazz and classical) to be had <£50. That being said, if you look at the cold hard *large amounts* of cash that us audiophiles can often squander on ancillaries (luxury cables, grounding, isolation paraphernalia then it is a mere excuse imho. If you look at financial investment in your own system, and this is not a criticism because you can do as you wish, then the money spent on just Entreq would afford a really high spec record collection. People prioritise and apportion their finances in the way that they see it fit and that is right. But I do think audiophiles as an entity could often do with re-evaluating their spending patterns and ask how much they care for the software versus hardware - please note I am talking about analogue audiophiles not those who solely stream.

I think he will get to LPs but first he has to demo those dozen HRS Damping Plates he picked up when he went for an Aries Cerat demo
 
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Ked, classical has only really been a big interest to me in the last 10 years. So I'm where you are re putting up w hyperinflation.

For me it was prog, fusion, electronic, modern jazz.

I started sniffing out the best Japanese and original US and UK pressings on my genres 20 years ago. Max spend per lp, £15, 80s/90s era collecting.

I have 150 Japanese, and first pressings US and UK for Miles Davis Classic Quintet mid 60s onwards and 70s fusion/electric jazz period, and Coltrane 60s Atlantic and Impulse labels period incl his late 60s free jazz madness, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy etc. Almost all of these beat the UK reissues from 90s hands down.

Plus a ton of first and max second pressings for Hendrix, Santana, prog legends, Mahavishnu, Weather Report etc.

My Led Zep Japan pressings are special sonically, esp LZ3.

In hindsight, yes, more attention to classical would have made sense.

Marc - I am really interested in your original jazz pressings as I have been hard at work building my collection in the last 2 years. Would be keen to see what you have. Could you send a piccie with the best laid on the floor like the General does sometimes? Cheers
 
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Lagonda, I get a bit weary w constant jibes at the sonics and pressings quality of anything other than golden age classical and jazz. I agree w Ked, Audiophile Bill and others that pressings matter, and they even do w pulp titles like early Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. The reissues of these from the last decade are truly appalling, whereas my original Deccas of the first three Lizzy lps are truly stellar.

With classical, I'm an ingenue (LOL, I wish), and I'm happy to log onto Ebay, put in a search for a composer, and refine: Prices - Low To High, to find hidden gems, and diamonds buried amongst the coal.

I have a few reference books to help me w composer searches and favourite recordings, and I'll gradually educate myself to focus my searches more cleverly.

But I've bought boxsets like Bach organ works, collections of R. Strauss, that don't seem to be particularly collectable, and which sound fabulous.

For me, I'd rather buy broadly and cheaply at this moment, and in time become cleverer w my searches.

Getting into streaming could be useful here, I could certainly "try before I buy" cross referencing a desirable performance on lp via Tidal first.
 
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Marc - I am really interested in your original jazz pressings as I have been hard at work building my collection in the last 2 years. Would be keen to see what you have. Could you send a piccie with the best laid on the floor like the General does sometimes? Cheers
Don’t show your hand Marc ! This is high stakes poker:oops:
 
Lagonda, I get a bit weary w constant jibes at the sonics and pressings quality of anything other than golden age classical and jazz. I agree w Ked, Audiophile Bill and others that pressings matter, and they even do w pulp titles like early Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. The reissues of these from the last decade are truly appalling, whereas my original Deccas of the first three Lizzy lps are truly stellar.

With classical, I'm an ingenue (LOL, I wish), and I'm happy to log onto Ebay, put in a search for a composer, and refine: Prices - Low To High, to find hidden gems, and diamonds buried amongst the coal.

I have a few reference books to help me w composer searches and favourite recordings, and I'll gradually educate myself to focus my searches more cleverly.

But I've bought boxsets like Bach organ works, collections of R. Strauss, that don't seem to be particularly collectable, and which sound fabulous.

For me, I'd rather buy broadly and cheaply at this moment, and in time become cleverer w my searches.

Getting into streaming could be useful here, I could certainly "try before I buy" cross referencing a desirable performance on lp via Tidal first.

“buy broadly and cheaply...”

Marc :eek::oops::p
 
(...) The point I am making still though is... Why did audiophiles like you who have been focused on purchase of LPs for four decades miss the big recordings and performers when they were much lower priced and more widely available? With or without the internet, that information system is missing something big. And it is not like there weren't people out there who were sharing the information.

The definition of "big recordings" is something that varies along time and in this place it becomes mixed with collecting and investment. Then the whole system grows like a snow ball. Extremely expensive turntables make it roll faster and bigger. :)

IMHO the high prices are in part due to the chronic impatience of audiophiles, that always want something for yesterday, as we say. Also once people are persuaded they are making a good investment they are more open to paying a lot. And using the benchmark of our hardware price as a justification for vinyl price looks perfect.
 
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“buy broadly and cheaply...”

Marc :eek::oops::p

Being serious for one minute. Let’s take the Testament repress that Tang posted above - not sure whether you like Paganini or not but that exact record can be had for £20...
 
Lagonda, even the winning hand in poker in this game can be the losing hand. I recently spent £600 on UK and US first pressings, and Jap pressings, of classic era Genesis ie Trespass to And Then There Were Three. Two albums were marginally superior to my UK third pressings, three were worse, the much vaunted Classic Records 80s reissues were poor, and most had to be returned for poor surface noise/groove distortion despite being sold as NM.

Not an episode I'll repeat willingly. I'll be highly selective on those albums I'll spend big on getting best pressings on, Black Sabbath and Free being on my radar.
 
The definition of "big recordings" is something that varies along time and in this place it becomes mixed with collecting and investment. Then the whole system grows like a snow ball. Extremely expensive turntables make it roll faster and bigger. :)

IMHO the high prices are in part due to the chronic impatience of audiophiles, that always want something for yesterday, as we say. Also once people are persuaded they are making a good investment they are more open to paying a lot. And using the benchmark of our hardware price as a justification for vinyl price looks perfect.

Not at all...this comes from your not knowing the LP buying community but the audiophile community. Larry (Astrotoy) never bought the "big recordings" after they were considered big. He ended up with 15000 Decca and EMI before they became collectible. General knew the performers and performances, and bought out many pressings before they became famous. Of course he like many also collected Decca and EMI back in the day when they were available at 20 quid. If you knew the performers and performances, you would have put your money behind them in your younger days

Many LP collectors are not audiophiles at all.
 
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Here is another thought to ponder for those who are building analogue systems. Would we not all be better with much better vinyl software as the crucial variable in the system even prior to speakers :eek:? Can we derive more pleasure with a fantastic record collection and cheaper gear versus modest to poor collection and expensive gear?
 
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Bill, I've bought some reference books to help me, the Web will point me to fave recordings.

I'm starting at a point of embarassingly poor knowledge on all things classical. Hence my scattergun approach so far.

Re spending on tweaks, guilty as charged. Tbh I could have stayed w my first system from 1997, never spent a dime more on it other than stylus retips, and had 10k moderately pricey stellar additional classical lps by now.
 
Lagonda, I get a bit weary w constant jibes at the sonics and pressings quality of anything other than golden age classical and jazz. I agree w Ked, Audiophile Bill and others that pressings matter, and they even do w pulp titles like early Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. The reissues of these from the last decade are truly appalling, whereas my original Deccas of the first three Lizzy lps are truly stellar.

With classical, I'm an ingenue (LOL, I wish), and I'm happy to log onto Ebay, put in a search for a composer, and refine: Prices - Low To High, to find hidden gems, and diamonds buried amongst the coal.

I have a few reference books to help me w composer searches and favourite recordings, and I'll gradually educate myself to focus my searches more cleverly.

But I've bought boxsets like Bach organ works, collections of R. Strauss, that don't seem to be particularly collectable, and which sound fabulous.

For me, I'd rather buy broadly and cheaply at this moment, and in time become cleverer w my searches.

Getting into streaming could be useful here, I could certainly "try before I buy" cross referencing a desirable performance on lp via Tidal first.
I had those original Lizzy albums to, left them with my brother for safekeeping
when i moved to the States, water damage in his basement destroyed about
300 of my favorite well cared for albums. I only have Philip Lynott’s
“Solo in Soho”left. Shitty sound but great songs, and Mark Knopfler is always
great when he delivers a guitar solo.
 
Bill, I've bought some reference books to help me, the Web will point me to fave recordings.

I'm starting at a point of embarassingly poor knowledge on all things classical. Hence my scattergun approach so far.

Re spending on tweaks, guilty as charged. Tbh I could have stayed w my first system from 1997, never spent a dime more on it other than stylus retips, and had 10k moderately pricey stellar additional classical lps by now.

That's fine. This is hobby is about gear too. More is the point why you were not exposed to that awareness in 80s or 90s - no fault of yours, but the audiophile community does that.
 
Ked, there are plenty of things I wasn't into 20 years ago.

B&W movies, Real Ale, gardening, cooking, walking. But I'm making up for lost time.

Oh, and classical too.
 
Not at all...this comes from your not knowing the LP buying community but the audiophile community. Larry (Astrotoy) never bought the "big recordings" after they were considered big. He ended up with 15000 Decca and EMI before they became collectible. General knew the performers and performances, and bought out many pressings before they became famous. Of course he like many also collected Decca and EMI back in the day when they were available at 20 quid. If you knew the performers and performances, you would have put your money behind them in your younger days, instead of another theory today.

Many LP collectors are not audiophiles at all.

I am just commenting on what I think is the current buying situation and uses, not on the old buying practices of the big WBF collectors or people's sorrows for having missed great deals in the past. There is life outside WBF and many sites devoted to LP collecting ... Many of the recordings you are now referring exist since long in CD format and have been discovered and debated in classical forums more than once.

BTW, I could have bought a local great collection of Decca's, EMI's, Philips and DG classical LP's (around five thousand recordings) for investement a few years ago, but decided I did not want to become rich selling LP's when I will retire - just got those I really enjoy. :)
 
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