Excellent sounding LPs


To follow up on my post about “ Playable LPs” is a question I was really trying to get at.  I used the wrong term in “Playable.”   What I’m really trying to ascertain is what percentage of LPs sound really good on your system? I have 2000-3000 LPs but they vary widely in SQ.  I’m sure you would agree 90% is not the case.

So, to rephrase my question, what percentage of your records are near or at audiophile quality?

 

rvpiano

good question. I have to say I am very happy with the reissues and D2D I have purchased - mostly from AP, Chesky, Classic, Testament, Super Analogue Disc, Umbrella, Sheffield Labs, M&K, Crystal Clear, MoFi, and a few others. I have to say the ones that impress me most are classical recordings from the late 1950's- early 1960's. Sound is incredible - even the original discs sound good. Vinyl from 80's - 90's not so great. So out of 1500-2000 albums, maybe 50%? Dunno - I never counted and probably won't. I really just listen to the music and let it wash over me with my eyes closed.

For those with any interest, just finished a great book about music and the brain by Daniel Levitin. Very enlightening.

Being I've spent the majority of my time seeking out the best versions for most releases I'd say the majority of my LPs sound very good, but still I probably have 10-15% that are merely OK. 

Working my way through a lot of inherited classical LPs, I have been impressed with the budget Nonesuch label. I don't have any of their modern releases, but I haven't fond a bad one yet from the 60's and 70's.

I guess it depends on how you define "audiophile."  I'm inclined to define it as meaning the ambience of the recording venue is well-preserved, so that would eliminate most rock recordings, since they are generally close-miked and generally speaking only live recordings have mics for picking up the ambient sounds.

So using that definition, I'd make a rough guess that half of my moderate collection (less than 1000 LPs) are close to audiophile--mostly classical recordings and some jazz and ambient/new age recordings.  Interestingly, many ambient/space music recordings have false ambience added (through artificial reverb) that conveys the illusion of a two-dimensional soundstage.  I'm not sure whether those should count as audiophile, but many sound as realistic as a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments can sound.

Simplified by percentage, a 20-60-20 Bell Curve (great-average-poor) with audiophile quality being in the first group.