I have had the best luck buying jazz LPs from used record stores and on Ebay. In my experience, early releases of jazz LPs (not limited to the original pressings) almost always sound better than recent reissues, and I am including the "audiophile" pressings that are the rage these days. The new reissues certainly sound cleaner and there isn't the inner groove distortion that you often find with used records, but they just aren't as much fun to listen to. For whatever reason. Other folks have strong feelings on the opposite side so ultimately you have to make up your own mind. Just buy a few reissues and a few older copies, and decide for yourself.
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!
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!