Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[Laika2]

There are plenty of cheap SACD players, I picked up a used Sony BD player with SACD capability for $30, and that even included a stack of movies.
I only use it to rip SACDs to DSD files, but it will otherwise output the SACD layer over HDMI to my AVR.

The Oppos are very well built and have a good DAC but are demanding exorbitant prices now.

Thanks, did not know some Sony blu did SACD, got two Sony blu and a Sony 4k, may already have one, will check, thanks.

 

[Laika2]

Yes, it left all the juicy stuff out.

I got a kick out of "forklift fuel" purchases.

 

[Laika2]

I've got a used, cheap Sony Blu-Ray player that also can play SACDs, multichannel via HDMI. The real problem will be finding the Avalon SACD:

Avalon by Roxy Music (Super Audio CD (SACD), 2003) Brand New Factory Sealed NM 724358387124| eBay

We are located in Lexington, SC. Where did we acquire this item?.

www.ebay.com

Cheapest I saw was $70, including shipping.

Yikes, something to put on my ebay list and wait. Sooner or latter someone will just list one without even scanning Ebays prices. Just picked up oop Hole Celebrity Skin on vinyl. Watched it for two years, all used, cheapest has been about $350. Last week one in supposedly great condition showed up for $40, good feedback and a shocking make a offer. We shall see when it shows.

 

[EJ3]

I was in charge of the Classical music cassette department at Tower Records, Berkeley, in the mid-1980s. I'd say this was when cassettes peaked for music distribution. A lot of people didn't want to deal with the downsides of LPs at the time, mainly the high incidence of defective pressings/and/or misaligned turntables circa 1985. I can attest that I encountered lots of people who bought and played plenty of commercial cassettes, myself included.

Pre-recorded cassettes was never a thing that I am aware of in the Charleston, SC area. I have one or 2 & have no idea of how I acquired them. But I also have never bought any classical music or own any classical music. Although I did some recording for the Charleston Community band (a subset of the Charleston Symphony). And I have attended events of both (& like some of the Classical music that I have heard live). But I own none, (in spite of having been born concieved in Charleston, SC & born in 1957 in Salzburg, Austria).
Perhaps I'll inherit some, listen to it & find something I like that I might keep.
I really don't see adding any to my collection these days (& I do not/cannot stream due to were I live [I'm the last person on the power grid in my area]).
For the 2010 Census there were 19,901 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.3/km2). That's about as dense as I what I want to live in.
I don't mind going to big cities (the biggest I've been to is Chongqing, China with about 38 million in a city that is 355 square miles).
I was done with being there after about 10 days.

 

[EJ3]

Completely understandable.

Traditionally, most females would take a can of mace sprayed in their face over listening to Rush. But Lee’s voice is the sonic equivalent of anchovies, you’re either OK with it or you’re not. And even many dudes can’t stand his voice.

Please: I'll take the mace spayed to the face, as long as I don't have to listen to that singing.
Or, maybe we can just listen to the music without his voice?

 

[EJ3]

There are plenty of cheap SACD players, I picked up a used Sony BD player with SACD capability for $30, and that even included a stack of movies.
I only use it to rip SACDs to DSD files, but it will otherwise output the SACD layer over HDMI to my AVR.

The Oppos are very well built and have a good DAC but are demanding exorbitant prices now.

I bought mine (205 UDP) new near the end, it has region free for DVD in it.

 

[Robin L]

Pre-recorded cassettes was never a thing that I am aware of in the Charleston, SC area. I have one or 2 & have no idea of how I acquired them. But I also have never bought any classical music or own any classical music. Although I did some recording for the Charleston Community band (a subset of the Charleston Symphony). And I have attended events of both (& like some of the Classical music that I have heard live). But I own none, (in spite of having been born concieved in Charleston, SC & born in 1957 in Salzburg, Austria).
Perhaps I'll inherit some, listen to it & find something I like that I might keep.
I really don't see adding any to my collection these days (& I do not/cannot stream due to were I live [I'm the last person on the power grid in my area]).
For the 2010 Census there were 19,901 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.3/km2). That's about as dense as I what I want to live in.
I don't mind going to big cities (the biggest I've been to is Chongqing, China with about 38 million in a city that is 355 square miles).
I was done with being there after about 10 days.

I obsessively collect classical music. Have owned thousands of LPs and CDs of classical music. Cassettes were a short-term stopgap, so I've only had, at most, about 50. As I mentioned before, cassettes are quite limited in potential fidelity. I've also recorded many classical music ensembles in the San Francisco Bay area, a region with a lot of interest in classical music and a lot of performing ensembles, soloists and promoters/presenters of such music. Right now, I've got over 1600 CDs and most of it is classical. I've owned more in the past. Where I now live has plenty of internet access, so streaming music here is easy. The prerecorded music outlets in Olympia focus on LPs, so there's not much I can buy at the "record" stores, though I have access to plenty of classical CDs by other means.

 

[EJ3]

I obsessively collect classical music. Have owned thousands of LPs and CDs of classical music. Cassettes were a short-term stopgap, so I've only had, at most, about 50. As I mentioned before, cassettes are quite limited in potential fidelity. I've also recorded many classical music ensembles in the San Francisco Bay area, a region with a lot of interest in classical music and a lot of performing ensembles, soloists and promoters/presenters of such music. Right now, I've got over 1600 CDs and most of it is classical. I've owned more in the past. Where I now live has plenty of internet access, so streaming music here is easy. The prerecorded music outlets in Olympia focus on LPs, so there's not much I can buy at the "record" stores, though I have access to plenty of classical CDs by other means.

Part of the point of living where I do is to be in nature, I have no desire to watch or listen to something that I can't own (or that can be removed by a service changing or whatever). TV: (I haven't owned one since 2007, when I was living on an Island in the Western Pacific & no longer wanted their cable system).
Because I do not want it to be able to: nothing in my home can communicate with the outside world. (You'll have to go outside & be in a particular spot and maybe you can get the cell phone to work). But, most likely you'll have to get away from the house a few miles to get a cell phone signal.
At any rate, I just have not found any classical music that I would care to own. On the other hand, I haven't looked very hard. When I was younger, I attended many concerts in Salzburg & Vienna and thought hearing the instruments live was cool but did not care for the classical music (I did like the folk music that a lot of the Classical was based on.
But I do have music from 1927 to now in various styles & formats. If I have any classical, opera, or any "music" that has any cursing among my 1000+ things to play (600+ albums, 200+ CD's, 50+ DVD's, 50+ Blue Rays, 20+ 4K, some cassettes & some reel to reel's [one reel to reel is an unopened Houston Space center to the moon conversations of the first moon landing), it is by sheer accident.
I guess it's time to check through and cull such stuff out, if there is any.
My wife does not care for music (at all, really, she doesn't want it on in the house or the car). She's ok with physically being at a live show (because she'll be happy when it ends & we'll get to go do something else). And doesn't like TV either. But she likes her Apple stuff and we know were to be for those things to work. It gets her out of the house so I can blast music.

 

[deweydm]

I think you mean to say that you sometimes prefer the vinyl mastering, as the actual mix of the music is most likely the same between the vinyl release and the digital release. Mastering is when changes are made to the overall sound of the already finished 2-channel mix (unless we are discussing the more modern approach of mastering "stems"). I doubt you mean that the mix is different for the vinyl, as that would indicate that the instruments are panned to different locations in the stereo field.

But with that said, I have never heard the vinyl version of Avalon by Roxy Music, so maybe they made different mixes for the different releases, but I must say I doubt it.

Have Avalon on CD and on LP. Both the original mix and mastering. Maybe I’ll see if I can get the family to try and pick out any differences blind while I switch back and forth. . My recollection is they sound pretty similar, but the last time I listened to the CD was in the car.

Looks like the only remaster on CD was only released in Japan. Remastered with less dynamic range in 2013.

 

[Robin L]

If I have any classical, opera, or any "music" that has any cursing among my 1000+ things to play (600+ albums, 200+ CD's, 50+ DVD's, 50+ Blue Rays, 20+ 4K, some cassettes & some reel to reel's [one reel to reel is an unopened Houston Space center to the moon conversations of the first moon landing), it is by sheer accident.

I guess it's time to check through and cull such stuff out, if there is any.

I've got a DVD of "The Big Lebowski", so I guess I'm covered.

 

[EJ3]

I've got a DVD of "The Big Lebowski", so I guess I'm covered.

Saw it once, it was ok while having a few "adult libations" with friends. But it's not in my collection.
About 10% of mine is historical or travel, another 10% is rock or blues concerts, then things like The Sound of Music (Salzburg is my mother's family home and she was there during that time [some of which we have home movies of before things got bad] {and we were there during it's filming}), other musicals, various thrillers, Westerns, classics, 3 stooges, Laurel & Hardy other slapstick comedies, Sci Fi and or course, the Southern Documentary of the 1970's: Smokey & the Bandit.

 

[deweydm]

Have Avalon on CD and on LP. Both the original mix and mastering. Maybe I’ll see if I can get the family to try and pick out any differences blind while I switch back and forth. . My recollection is they sound pretty similar, but the last time I listened to the CD was in the car.

Looks like the only remaster on CD was only released in Japan. Remastered with less dynamic range in 2013.

Oh, so this, Avalon on CD versus LP, is sort of a thing in audiophile circles. Had no idea.

From Analog Planet, re Avalon:

“The CD version was issued in the fall of 1982—one of the first CDs ever and a sonic abomination that got me started with ‘saving vinyl’ in the first place when I heard a re-release CD demo at an AES meeting in Los Angeles after having spent months with the American and Japanese vinyl pressings.”

The copy I have on CD is a reissue from ‘86 or later. And I have an original US pressing on LP.

Asked my wife which she liked better as I switched back and forth. “The second one has more bass, but they sound very, very similar. They both sound great.” She had no idea if the “second one” was the CD or the LP. (It was the LP.)

Jibed with my opinion, which I didn’t share with her, that they sound pretty similar. Clearly, we’re not audiophiles.

 

[AdrianusG]

I grew up as a Rush fan and I switched over to CD when everybody else did. My interest waned fell after their Signals album.

When CD came my eagerly revisited the Rush albums I loved on CD. But again overtime, although I would still listen to some of those CDs my interest wasn’t what it was.

But then when I got back to records, it was also around the time when Rush had released those old albums remastered on vinyl.

So I bought 2112 to check out and when I put it on…OMG! It just seemed to burst through my speakers with a sort of thickness and energy and in this case…yes warmth… that caught me offguard. It just sounded so fun and so “ right” even though I’d become used to the CD version over all those years.

When I threw on the CD version to compare it just sounded a bit more sterile and “ canned” sounding.

I bought up all the Rush remastered vinyl, and every single one gave me the same “wow” experience on my system. And it completely revitalized my fandom: ever since then I’ve been listening to those Rush albums. (to the chagrin of my wife….)

Hi Matt,

So, which one is your "Ultimate Favorite" it's a difficult choice for sure, but if i really have to, it's Hemispheres, closely followed by either 2112 or Permanent Waves.

I'm also a big time fan since 30+ years

 

[MattHooper]

Hi Matt,

So, which one is your "Ultimate Favorite" it's a difficult choice for sure, but if i really have to, it's Hemispheres, closely followed by either 2112 or Permanent Waves.

I'm also a big time fan since 30+ years

Very hard to pick. I often think of farewell to Kings as my favourite album. It has an It has a very distinct and coherent sound and vibe . And it has probably my favourite rush track of all time Xanadu. But it’s the first side of hemispheres that if I put it on, I inevitably listen to the entire side. It sucks me in every single time. So the first side of hemispheres and Xanadu are my favourite “ rush journeys” to go on.

 

[MatrixS2000]

Xanadu is also my favourite Rush track - and I actually prefer the live version on Rush’s Exit Stage Left album.

Followed closely by Red Barchetta.

 

[MatrixS2000]

This is the live performance of Xanadu from Exit Stage Left - 1981, Montreal, QC, Canada

 

[EJ3]

This is the live performance of Xanadu from Exit Stage Left - 1981, Montreal, QC, Canada

Great rendition, WOW! Even the singing was tolerable to me. The music execution was impeccable.

 

[MattHooper]

This is the live performance of Xanadu from Exit Stage Left - 1981, Montreal, QC, Canada

Yeah, I’ve seen that and it’s a truly amazing recreation of the sound of the record.
Really precise in every way by all three guys.

And while we’re talking about it…

The solo section in this live performance of free will is insane - at 2:55

The most high energy sections of a song I’ve seen, just three guys “soloing” at the same time with manic energy, all of it coordinated:

 

[Laika2]

Oh, so this, Avalon on CD versus LP, is sort of a thing in audiophile circles. Had no idea.

From Analog Planet, re Avalon:

“The CD version was issued in the fall of 1982—one of the first CDs ever and a sonic abomination that got me started with ‘saving vinyl’ in the first place when I heard a re-release CD demo at an AES meeting in Los Angeles after having spent months with the American and Japanese vinyl pressings.”

The copy I have on CD is a reissue from ‘86 or later. And I have an original US pressing on LP.

Asked my wife which she liked better as I switched back and forth. “The second one has more bass, but they sound very, very similar. They both sound great.” She had no idea if the “second one” was the CD or the LP. (It was the LP.)

Jibed with my opinion, which I didn’t share with her, that they sound pretty similar. Clearly, we’re not audiophiles.

My comments would be on the 82 CD version as I was switching from lp to cd and replacing favorite lps with CDs. I have not heard other cd versions. I honestly thought it was just my subjective preference, I don't read the vinyl press, been digital since the Gen 2 CD players came out (83?). For me it was/is the mids and highs, wondering now if the 82 cd was flawed or is Anolog Planet in the everything sounds amazing better on wax camp.

 

[AdrianusG]

Yeah, I’ve seen that and it’s a truly amazing recreation of the sound of the record.
Really precise in every way by all three guys.

And while we’re talking about it…

The solo section in this live performance of free will is insane - at 2:55

The most high energy sections of a song I’ve seen, just three guys “soloing” at the same time with manic energy, all of it coordinated:

Yeah, they were an amazing band, and (in this case) i'm very happy they resisted to carry on with a new drummer, technically it would certainly be possible, there are lots capable drummers around, but come on, these guys were practically family, so a good decision from them to not do it.