old Blue Notes - NYC Lexington Ave - get your checkbook ready
Best sounding VINYL labels?
The only time I've been stunned, speechless and just plain freaked out by reproduced music was listening to Louis Armstrong's "Saint James Infirmary" Classic Records 45speed release at a high-end shop.* This led me to assumed Classic Records was THE standard for audiophile re-releases. Now I've been reading that their offerings are hit and miss.
With the understanding that no label is going to be 100% successful, what labels are the best bet for truly outstanding re-issues?
And it would be helpful to know which labels are best to avoid?
*Just FYI, the shop was in Santa Monica and I went with some fellow goners (such as Dekay...great guy) and others. The setup wasn't in any especially interestingly arranged acoustic room. The amps were two Audio Research VT200s, an Audio Research Ref phonostage, an Oracle MK5 with a Graham (2.2 I think but I don't know the cart) and since it was when I was just getting into all this that's about all I can remember (it was 7 years ago!) Dekay, you there? What were the speakers?? Since then I've heard systems costing several hundred thousand dollars (many just sounded like crap, frankly) but I've never heard anything close to that Satchmo session. The man was in the room. It's what we all dream about. (OK, I usually dream about Ashley Judd being in the room with me but that's a post for another time and another site.)
With the understanding that no label is going to be 100% successful, what labels are the best bet for truly outstanding re-issues?
And it would be helpful to know which labels are best to avoid?
*Just FYI, the shop was in Santa Monica and I went with some fellow goners (such as Dekay...great guy) and others. The setup wasn't in any especially interestingly arranged acoustic room. The amps were two Audio Research VT200s, an Audio Research Ref phonostage, an Oracle MK5 with a Graham (2.2 I think but I don't know the cart) and since it was when I was just getting into all this that's about all I can remember (it was 7 years ago!) Dekay, you there? What were the speakers?? Since then I've heard systems costing several hundred thousand dollars (many just sounded like crap, frankly) but I've never heard anything close to that Satchmo session. The man was in the room. It's what we all dream about. (OK, I usually dream about Ashley Judd being in the room with me but that's a post for another time and another site.)