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higher end jazz vinyl: where to turn?

I'm a lifelong jazz listener but only new to entry-level hifi, as presently marketed--by which I mean Rega p3-24 turntable, Linn Classik amp, Vienna Acoutics Mozart Grand Speakers, and a lot of heart.

Anyway I have a choice set of old ECM records, Miles Davis records, and so forth, that I bought in the early 1980s. Most of them have some noise and crackle now and again--which I largely discount as the distinguished marks of age and memory. Nonetheless a clean sweet classic jazz LP played at substantial volume, even through a low midfi system like mine, is a beautiful thing. Beauty is a rare thing, I read somewhere. And it makes me wonder about upgrading the vinyl.

So here are questions:
1. Are these $50 classic content and such rereleases of Blue Notes really so good? Including worth the effort of getting up and turning the 45 over in middle of a strong Coltrane solo-a double indignity, to a genius and to the lazy.

2. What to say of all these 180g and 200g re-releases at higher prices versus the $10-20 unopened recent copy meant for mass market (or as massy as the jazz list allowed/allows)?

3. I'm using Disc Doctor record cleaners on my old and newer vinyl, but wonder how great the different is to move to a machine, say vpi 165?

4. I'm just a poor righteous teacher so I'm a bargain hunter: an Inexpensive Audiophile down with the feel of the Expensive Winos aestheticist mentality.

5. Thanks!
paanders

Showing 1 response by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Yep. Your original post indicates that you need a way to deep clean your records.

To answer the second question, I've listened to part of Analogue Productions' reissue of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight," recorded in 1955. It is one of the most stunning "in-the-room" recordings I've ever heard, especially for a 56-year-old recording.

I have jazz reissues from WaxTime, Speakers Corner, ORG, and Classic Records. They've all been good-to-outstanding. I especially like the Speakers Corner reissues for jazz as well as the Diana Krall ones on ORG. As good as they are, I'd put the 45 rpm pressings from Analogue Productions a notch above that.

I need to get a Spin Clean myself. I just played a Buddy Rich album a couple days ago that crackled throughout. For all the things that have been reissued on vinyl, no one has reissued Buddy's six albums recorded on Pacific Jazz from 1966-70. Pacific Jazz is owned by EMI. But then, their record with Beatles reissues isn't that great either.
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