porcy62

Van Morrison - HIS BAND AND THE STREET CHOIR - WB.

Dire Straits - COMMUNIQUE - Vertigo. I admit I like them

Jackie McLean - SWING SWANG SWINGIN' - BN, mono (Classic reissue)

from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound In 1958 the first group of stereo two-channel records were issued – by Audio Fidelity in the USA and Pye in Britain, using the Westrex "45/45" single-groove system. While the stylus moves horizontally when reproducing a monophonic disk recording, on stereo records the stylus moves vertically as well as horizontally. One could envision a system in which the left channel was recorded laterally, as on a monophonic recording, with the right channel information recorded with a "hill-and-dale" vertical motion; such systems were proposed but not adopted, due to their incompatibility with existing phono pickup designs (see below). In the Westrex system, each channel drives the cutting head at a 45 degree angle to the vertical. During playback the combined signal is sensed by a left channel coil mounted diagonally opposite the inner side of the groove, and a right channel coil mounted diagonally opposite the outer side of the groove.[9] The combined stylus motion in terms of the vector sum and difference of the two stereo channels. Effectively, all horizontal stylus motion conveys the L+R sum signal, and vertical stylus motion carries the L-R difference signal. The advantages of the 45/45 system are that it has greater compatibility with monophonic recording and playback systems. A monophonic cartridge will reproduce an equal blend of the left and right channels instead of reproducing only one channel. Conversely, a stereo cartridge reproduces the lateral grooves of monophonic recording equally through both channels, rather than one channel. As well, it gives a more balanced sound, because the two channels have equal fidelity (rather than providing one higher-fidelity laterally recorded channel and one lower-fidelity vertically recorded channel). Overall, this approach may give higher fidelity, because the "difference" signal is usually of low power and thus less affected by the intrinsic distortion of "hill-and-dale"-style recording. In my experience an optimized modern mono cart enhances the dynamic and reduces the background noise, because it will pick up only the horizontal stylus motion (L+R sum signal), and avoid every phase problems from the blend of both channels of the stereo cart, since there should be no L-R difference signal on a mono record cutted with 45/45 system. Mono records cutted with true mono machine should have only a lateral movement, again the mono cart will pick up that signal only, avoiding all the useless vertical modulation. I am sure Chuck will knows when the mono cutting machine were phased out in the industry. TTK, maybe this is an answer to your question too.

Sorry man, I probably missed it, what do you mean with 'three phases of mono microgroove records?'. I thought that there were some major improvement in the 50 's with frequency response, due both by recording equipments and cutting technique, but, not 'three phase'.

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Late String Quartets - Amadeus Quartet, DG box set, stereo.

I don't think so, phono equalisation stages are improved, probably, since LPs are hip now, the manufactures put more effort on the engineering of phono stages. BTW Marantz were sonically superior to Pioneer, even 10 years ago, IMHO.

Post 1968 mono records were usually cutted on stereo machine, I play them with my stereo cart. Somewhere in SHF, SH says that 'true' mono carts could damage mono records cutted on stereo cutting machine. I missed the specs of a 'true' mono carts: different suspensions, bigger stylus, etc, I presume. Since the mono 'revival', lots of manufacturers has 'mono' versions into their catalogues. If they are 'true' mono...or simply a stereo with the horizontal modulation splitted on both channels, who knows?

Ludwig Van - String Quartet Op. 131 - Amadeus Quartet, DG box set. Definitely not among the best performances of late Ludwig Van's quartets, though I hardly dismiss any performances of the late quartets, such a huge masterpieces they are.

It's definitely less obscene that some of the stuff (and prices) exposed at CES.

Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No.9 'From The New World' - LSO/Rowicki, Philips box sets. Interesting fact about from wiki http://kmh.yeungnam-c.ac.kr/composers/09_N...nin_Dvorak.html From 1892 to 1895, Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. The Conservatory was founded by a wealthy socialite, Jeannette Thurber, who wanted a well-known composer as director in order to lend prestige to her institution. She wrote to Dvořák, asking him to accept the position and he agreed, providing that she were willing to meet his conditions: talented Native American and African American students, who could not afford the tuition, had to be admitted for free—an early example of need-based financial aid. She agreed to his conditions, and he sailed to America. And he was judged the musical 'conservative' opposed to the 'progressist' Wagner.

Thelonious Monk - THELONIOUS IN ACTION! - Analogue reissue.

Thelonious Monk - WITH JOHN COLTRANE - Analogue reissue.

Keith Jarrett - SUN BEAR CONCERTS - ECM, record One.

Jimi Hendrix - SOUTH SATURN DELTA - MCA

Jimi Hendrix Experience - ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? - Track, mono. Unfortunately (?) the wheater is awful, a big rainy storm is going to break up over Roma, so the only chance I have is staying at home listening records.

Keith Jarrett - THE KOLN CONCERT - ECM.

Horace Silver - SONG FOR MY FATHER - BN, NY stereo.

John Martyn - SOLID AIR - Island.

Beatles - LET IT BE - Apple.

Lou Reed/John Cale - SONGS FOR DRELLA - Sire

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS - Stumm/Mute

Original creosote pressing ? (or whatever they used - acetate?) Polystyrene Yup. Got $1000 from a Japanese dealer and was happy to see it go. So, Transition's originals are a truly 'awful sounding' collector's items. Definitely not my stuff.

No, the floral blouse.

I hope you use one of these for flip the record, otherwise...