Are 45's really THAT good?


I'm just sitting here enjoying a boatload of LP's I got for Christmas. Good stuff, Coltrane, Rollins, Davis, Krall, Clapton, etc. While listening I was skimming through an Acoustics Sound catalog. I see they sell the same recordings on 45 RPM format. The price is usually around $50 for (2) 45 LP's. I could get the same version on (1) 33 1/3 LP for half the price, sometimes less. My question, to those that have experience is:

Is the sound in 45 RPM format that much better? Good enough to pay twice as much and get up and change sides twice as often?

Happy Holidays,
John
128x128jmcgrogan2

Showing 2 responses by letch

I can't comment on the Acoustic Sounds stuff but my copy of Public Image Limited's "Metal Box" (3 x 45rpm EP's) blows away "Second Edition" (the 33 1/3 LP version). From my experience with that, if I was gonna buy some of those records you are talking about then I would definitely at least, TRY one of them.
I guess since I have tons of 7" singles and have had people over for sesssions where I play nothing but singles (and have been doing this for decades) I don't see the problem. In fact, in some way, when playing singles, attention gets devoted to the song in a way that sometimes doesn't happen with an LP. With an LP(or a CD) it's just going on and on so you can read or whatever. With a single, your attention is right there for the next three minutes. When I have people over this is cool because people listen more closely when you are playing them just one song. They'll cut the chatter and listen.
One of the downsides of the fancy-pants turntable that makes me still miss that old Dual I gave up years ago for the "high-end", is that when a record was over that Dual would lift the tonearm and shut off.
So, for your 8 minute sides, well in my world of 45's that an awfully Extended Play.......

Chris