Definitive Audiophile pressings

MikeH said:
There reaches a certain level of audiophileness where stuff like that doesn't really make the price worth it for me. I like my rig, but it's not so expensive that it would likely pick up differences on something like this. It's all about the mastering and sourcing for me. If there's an album available at 33 and 45 and has the same mastering engineer and same original source, I'll go for the 33 every time. Those clarity box sets are also CRAZY expensive now on discogs and secondhand markets.
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I didn't think I'd be able to tell the difference between 33 and 45 remasters, Mofi specifically, but it's pretty apparent on my rig so despite the flipping I go 45 every time now. I can't help it, the sound is otherworldly.
 
Mather said:
I didn't think I'd be able to tell the difference between 33 and 45 remasters, Mofi specifically, but it's pretty apparent on my rig so despite the flipping I go 45 every time now. I can't help it, the sound is otherworldly.
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Yea--WMD sounds awesome--I have the 45 of that one. I ended up going Rhino on Blues for Allah and American Beauty and From Mars on 33 MoFi because I got them for really great deals (each one was $30 USD or under).
 
MikeH said:
There reaches a certain level of audiophileness where stuff like that doesn't really make the price worth it for me. I like my rig, but it's not so expensive that it would likely pick up differences on something like this. It's all about the mastering and sourcing for me. If there's an album available at 33 and 45 and has the same mastering engineer and same original source, I'll go for the 33 every time. Those clarity box sets are also CRAZY expensive now on discogs and secondhand markets.
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Couldnt agree more. Perhaps if I had a mega high-end set-up I would be able to hear these subtle changes, but to drop a few hundred quid on a record when I could get a much much cheaper pressing thats still considered good for less is crazy.
 
Selaws said:
Couldnt agree more. Perhaps if I had a mega high-end set-up I would be able to hear these subtle changes, but to drop a few hundred quid on a record when I could get a much much cheaper pressing thats still considered good for less is crazy.
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Agree completely, and then I think about the things I've said this about in the past that I eventually changed my mind about LOL. So much of this hobby/addiction is all about the rationalizations!
 
Russ I said:
Agree completely, and then I think about the things I've said this about in the past that I eventually changed my mind about LOL. So much of this hobby/addiction is all about the rationalizations!
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Blood on the Tracks One Step changed my mind about some of those really expensive releases. It's incredible. I have definitely rationalized some big purchases lately and have been mostly buying MoFi records to replace older copies of things I had. I've also been selling a bunch of bigger ticket items though to subsidize my buying.
 
MikeH said:
There reaches a certain level of audiophileness where stuff like that doesn't really make the price worth it for me. I like my rig, but it's not so expensive that it would likely pick up differences on something like this. It's all about the mastering and sourcing for me. If there's an album available at 33 and 45 and has the same mastering engineer and same original source, I'll go for the 33 every time. Those clarity box sets are also CRAZY expensive now on discogs and secondhand markets.
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I have a fairly high end system... GoldenEar Triton 3+ speakers, HINT 6 receiver, 1200G TT with a Zu DL-103 currently mounted.... and honestly, this is 100% right. At a certain point, the returns are pretty small, and how much does it REALLY matter? Like do you really want to swap out a record every 15 minutes?

I think you're totally right that the difference between a well mastered and well pressed 33RPM vs a well mastered and well pressed 45RPM really isn't going to be that life altering. If a record's recorded and mastered for vinyl and pressed at a decent plant, more often than not it's going to sound pretty good.

I'm still tempted by these ultra high end records though. Can't help myself.... I'm just so curious about what makes one better than others. I have records that really do sound just so much better... like I have the Japanese version of Shorter's ETC, I forget the name of it off the top of my head, but it blows the Kevin Gray version out of the water.

So I don't know. I'm at the point where if there's a newer high quality / audiophile version available, I'll go new every time over the originals... and those 1-steps and super ultra whatevers are gonna tempt me, whether they'll really sound all that much better or not.
 
botherly said:
I have a fairly high end system... GoldenEar Triton 3+ speakers, HINT 6 receiver, 1200G TT with a Zu DL-103 currently mounted.... and honestly, this is 100% right. At a certain point, the returns are pretty small, and how much does it REALLY matter? Like do you really want to swap out a record every 15 minutes?

I think you're totally right that the difference between a well mastered and well pressed 33RPM vs a well mastered and well pressed 45RPM really isn't going to be that life altering. If a record's recorded and mastered for vinyl and pressed at a decent plant, more often than not it's going to sound pretty good.

I'm still tempted by these ultra high end records though. Can't help myself.... I'm just so curious about what makes one better than others. I have records that really do sound just so much better... like I have the Japanese version of Shorter's ETC, I forget the name of it off the top of my head, but it blows the Kevin Gray version out of the water.

So I don't know. I'm at the point where if there's a newer high quality / audiophile version available, I'll go new every time over the originals... and those 1-steps and super ultra whatevers are gonna tempt me, whether they'll really sound all that much better or not.
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I have started replacing older pressings with newer reissues if they are AAA or remastered by someone like Kevin Gray. And if I'm buying an older album, I'll typically go remaster over OG if there's a new AAA reissue that's around a similar price point. I have 3 of the One Steps now (didn't pay full price on any) but they all sound pretty incredible to me. I have an clean OG Blood on the Tracks and the One Step absolutely blows it out of the water.

If I have a remastered 33 RPM, I won't go for a remastered 45 RPM. And I prefer 33 over 45 most of the time just out of my own laziness and I don't think I notice enough of a difference between the 2 if the mastering engineer is the same.
 
Has anyone heard anything on VMP doing more AP releases? They are way cheaper through VMP for me, no import duty or shipping. It would be great if they continued adding to the AP stock,
 
Andy said:
Has anyone heard anything on VMP doing more AP releases? They are way cheaper through VMP for me, no import duty or shipping. It would be great if they continued adding to the AP stock,
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I asked CS a few weeks ago and they said they didnt have any plans to. I wish I'd have picked up some of the early ones they had to be honest.
 
For those interested in the One Steps... Mingus Ah Um has officially sold out from Music Direct/MoFi. They haven’t even pressed the second half of the pressing yet and they are all spoken for. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get it from a local shop or online at some places but no additional wholesale or personal orders from MoFi or MD will be happening. If you wanted it, might want to try to get a preorder in at a local if they are getting it in.
 
MikeH said:
For those interested in the One Steps... Mingus Ah Um has officially sold out from Music Direct/MoFi. They haven’t even pressed the second half of the pressing yet and they are all spoken for. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get it from a local shop or online at some places but no additional wholesale or personal orders from MoFi or MD will be happening. If you wanted it, might want to try to get a preorder in at a local if they are getting it in.
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Thanks for the heads-up! A few current options (online):
elusivedisc.com

Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um Numbered Limited Edition 180g 45rpm SuperVinyl 2LP Box Set

Elusive Disc, Inc., Features Only The Best In Audiophile Hardware, Accessories and Music. We Offer a Wide Variety Of Audiophile Turntables, Cartridges, Phono Stages, Record Cleaners, SACD Players, Speakers, Headphones, Pre-Amps, LP Cleaning Fluids, Cables, Vibration Control, Record Brushes &...
elusivedisc.com elusivedisc.com

Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records
store.acousticsounds.com
Target
 
I've almost bit at that T-Rex Electric Warrior 2x45 RPM MoFi release.

I have the recent Kevin Gray cut...which is hyped to be cut from the original masters....so I'm wondering what happened to them from when Gray cut from them and Mofi releasing their version that aren't from the original masters.

It's only been 3 years. I suppose they could have been in really bad shape after Gray was done with them.

The 1 LP Gray cut sounds pretty good to me, so I doubt I'll get the Mofi, but I am interested in why they didn't use the original master for their release.
 
LeeVing said:
I've almost bit at that T-Rex Electric Warrior 2x45 RPM MoFi release.

I have the recent Kevin Gray cut...which is hyped to be cut from the original masters....so I'm wondering what happened to them from when Gray cut from them and Mofi releasing their version that aren't from the original masters.

It's only been 3 years. I suppose they could have been in really bad shape after Gray was done with them.

The 1 LP Gray cut sounds pretty good to me, so I doubt I'll get the Mofi, but I am interested in why they didn't use the original master for their release.
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I read that they couldn't confirm that it was the original masters they used, so thats why it has the alternative heading
 
wmeugene said:
I read that they couldn't confirm that it was the original masters they used, so thats why it has the alternative heading
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Same. Some places play fast and loose with the whole “original master tapes”. I think MoFi is more conservative about it. With that said, if I had the KG cut, I wouldn’t be getting the MoFi but the KG cut is more expensive than MoFi is now crazy enough. I think in the next few weeks I’ll grab copies of some of the other KG mastered albums that came out in the past few years.
 
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