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Living Stereo SACD Releases

I just bought all of the latest SACD releases from RCA Living Stereo. They are all recordings off of the original 2 and 3 channel master tapes. I am just floored by the quality of the sound from these discs. Nothing fancy. No 5 channel reinterpretations. No compression, or "remixes." Just the original sound as originally recorded in the mid '50s early 60's. The Van Cliburn Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff and Heifetz Beethoven/Mendelssohn are particularly noteworthy.

There are about ten titles out so far. At about $10 each, some being two record sets on a disc, I have to say these are some of the best recordings I have ever heard out of my rig. I love my L.P. collection of the same titles but these just blow away the originals on my system.

Thought you all would like to know. Anyone else heard these yet?
eddaytona
gaudio_eek
312 posts
 
If you are floored by these, you will be even more so with the Mercury Living Presence SACD's.
rcprince
3,059 posts
 
While I agree that the RCAs are quite good (I haven't compared them with the Classic re-issues yet), I echo Gaudio eek's post. I played the Morning Noon and Night in Vienna cut from the Mercury Suppe/Auber Overtures SACD for the NJ Audio Society meeting at my home on Sunday and actually got a big round of applause at the end of the piece. The edginess and stridency on big climaxes of the CD are gone, and you're left with music, and a lot of fun as well. Worth getting the whole set, even at a higher price than the RCAs.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Let's keep the hype about these recordings under control! These were, in their time, state of the art recordings, but that was about fifty years ago. Folks should know that they will hear tape/tube hiss and/or AC rumble on many of the discs (all I have to date). I would not discourage people from buying these historic discs, but if they want an audiophile demo disc they will be disappointed.
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