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hockman

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Everything posted by hockman

  1. I have found cd rot in many of my cds. These were mostly (if not all) classical cds, and generally can be traced to a polygram-related pressing plant in Germany in the 1980s (e.g. for London/Decca, DG, etc.). This is apparently a documented case, and Polygram was willing to entertain a replacement for faulty cds. Shit, despite the advertising, CDs aren't really perfect sound forever. My LPs from further back are still in fine condition, provided they haven't been abused. Hock
  2. I've been pleased with some of my Classic Records reissues (strong praise indeed since I don't normally like audiophile vinyl reissues), but I'm talking about some of the Sonny Rollins RCA albums on 180gm. My few samples of the 200gm reissues have been disappointing. I have the JR Monterose one and it doesn't sound all that great. Finally I don't see the point in doing 200gm vinyl. Vinyl quality matters more than weight. The thickness is just a false marketing point and an excuse to charge more. I have plenty of 120 gm or less pressings which sound great. The only other "audiophile" reissue house that I like is Speakers Corner of Germany. Hockman
  3. Although the curves were standardized in the late 50s, many recording companies continued to use their own settings. This sometimes explain why certain LPs do not sound right or good. I have a phono preamp that allows adjustment to the curves. It does make a significant difference -- it works like a "tone" control. This adjustment is almost non existent on preamps these days. They are all usually based on the standard RIAA curve.
  4. Chuck: I often feel your comments are a bit harsh or confrontational, but in this case you are right on the mark! I have a high end cd player and record deck. Most of the time I find cd and lp comparisons to be pointless (variations in pressings, condition, remastering, etc.). I don't believe one can make definitive statements about which is better. IT ALL DEPENDS. Hockman
  5. Audiophilia is a dangerous disease if advanced and soon you'll be listening to different pressings of Jazz at the Pawnshop instead of exploring new music if you're not careful. By all means buy and read the book if you want to learn a bit more about the technical side of audio. I would take everything that Harley says with a big pinch of salt though. Either he is deaf or on the take, but his reviews of equipment usually do not conform to my opinion. I usually hate the stuff that he "likes". Also if you read his past reviews in Stereophile and other hi fi comics, he uses audiophile crap instead of "real" world albums in auditioning gear. Don't forget that it's about the music, not the gear.
  6. Sorry but I'm cynical about efforts like these. Why not take some chances and attempt to create something new and original?
  7. The main advantage of belt drive as I understand it is that the belt acts as a "filter" for noise and rumble from the motor. The platter is isolated from the motor noise. Belt or direct, the quality of engineering is paramount -- the devil is in the details of execution. However, a lot of the high end turntables, e.g. Basis, Linn, Clearaudio, etc. utilize belt drive, which maybe tells you which is considered superior in the audiophile world. Or perhaps it is easier to successfully engineer a good belt drive turntable than a direct drive one. Hock
  8. Can't agree on the latest 2 cd version of this album. The extra materials are unedited takes and broken down takes, and I'm sure Mingus never meant for them to be issued in this way. I'm sure they are useful for those who take an academic interest in jazz, but I much prefer the original version. Don't know about the sonics of the Classic version, but if their other reissues are any indication, it should be good. The newer 2cd version actually sounds worse than the late 80s cd reissue. Hock
  9. I try not to buy new remasterings of old albums. I've found them to sound no better (sometimes different) than the old cds, and sometimes, worse! Undoubtedly, they are compressing a lot of the sound which happens to be the fashion these days. Sometimes, I suppose the master tape has also deteriorated due to a variety of reasons. For example, the latest 2 disk set of Mingus' Tijuana Moods actually sounds worse than the late 1980s cd version. Furthermore, the extra disk of music is also not worth listening to, unless you happen to be an academic. If Mingus were still alive, he would probably have ripped RCA apart for putting it out. Ironically, I now try to locate the vinyl versions of old jazz albums. You may not find exactly what you want at a reasonable price, but there's plenty out there to keep you busy and entertained. Nowadays, I only buy new music on cd. Even then I've found that the sound has deteriorated (probably due to compression or copy protection) compared to stuff put out, say, 5-10 years ago. Rgds Hock
  10. Is it possible that the poor sound quality may be due to copy protection on the disk??
  11. I can highly recommend the Naim phono stages either the stage line or the prefix (more expensive). Both of them come with power supply options, which can be upgraded (the most expensive is about US$3500 for the power supply alone!). However, with the cheapest ps option, they should be within your price range. They also come in different versions depending on your cartidge loading. I'm using the prefix with the supercap power supply on my Linn LP12. The prefix is a tiny box smaller than a cigarette box which screwed into the bottom of the TT. This shortens the lead from the tone arm, which is supposedly a good thing because the signal is very low level and can easily pick up interference and noise. There are also cheaper versions like the Rega Fono. Rgds
  12. Ornette Coleman's Beauty is a Rare Thing box, new, for $ 11!!!! And the girl at the counter even gave me a discount!!!
  13. If I had this set, I would rate it very highly as the music is fabulous. I have, on LP, all the non-trio sides like Speakin' my Piece, Up and Down, Back from the Gig and On the Spur of the Moment. The Turrentine bros. work very well with Parlan as does Ervin. For me, these albums rank easily with the best BN sides. However, they are not that easily obtained elsewhere as single albums. I am most surprised that this set is not mentioned more often.
  14. Rather than any specific records, I usually play a variety of music and recording quality. I like to know whether the system can handle both simple acoustic music and complex stuff with lots going on. I play music which I love and also music which I don't really "get" or care for. In this way, I hope to see if the system will reveal stuff that have been missed in lesser systems, which may lead me to appreciate the music more. I always use "average" quality recordings, because that will constitute the bulk of my listening diet. Finally, I will also throw some "bad" recordings at the system to see how it handles them. It is pointless if the system only sounds good with audiophile recordings. Hockman
  15. Thanks for the welcome, Mark. I used to post on the old BN forum til it got yanked. Another thing to add about recent cd versions, and this has probably been discussed before -- the inconsistent sonics of the JRVGs. I have very few of these (they are expensive!) but among the half dozen which I own, I had to end up with a disproportionate number of duds -- Lee Morgan's LeeWay and G Green's I Want to Hold Your Hand. These two are bad enough for me to avoid JRVGs; they are just too expensive to take a crap shoot. I do however have a little confession to make. Whenever I see a good vinyl copy of a cd that I already have, I'm sorely tempted to pick it up. For instance, recently I bought a Japanese pressing of Maiden Voyage even though I own the original cd (not RVG, TOCJ or JRVG). New cd remasterings don't do it for me (unless it contains material which I really want, or if the original cd is especially bad), but somehow I love the vinyl version (this goes beyond the sonics). Hockman
  16. I hardly "upgrade" my cds when a new remastering comes out. I find the older BN cds to be quite decent even thru' many, many upgrades in my hi fi hardware. Occasionally, I'll give a new version a try if the older CD is especially bad. It is not a given that newer remasterings are better. Often they just different or sometimes actually worse. For instance, the latest iteration of Waltz for Debby is different rather than better than the 1980s remastering. On the other hand, the new 2 disc set of Tijuana Moods sounds worse to my ears than the mid 1980s cd. Additionally, the second disc is full of alternate and incomplete takes that would only be of academic interest. There is a tendency for overcompression nowadays and the gradual deterioration in the master tape can sometimes be heard. I'd rather buy new music, than to have the music companies extract another ounce of blood from me by selling me yet another version of the same thing.
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