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

Ah, interesting topic. From experience, certain labels / recording engineers could be relied on for Hi Fi sound. Blue Note, Mercury Living Presence to name a few. That said in my collection many Pop and Rock records were crap shoots. I found first press UK for the UK artists "generally best" also German Pressings. But not all the time! I own a David B record US dyna flex that sounds GREAT. Go figure. Reissues? Touch and go; although I do like quite a few of Kevin Gray's offerings (although not all) 

To be honest, I’m too much of an audiophile to ignore the SQ of the recordings completely.  A combination of listening for music and sound is, for better or worse, my quest.  Of course, extraordinary performances in not so good sound demand attention.

However done buying vinyl now. Lucky I started decades ago, prices have gone through the roof.

this is incorrect. Adjusted for inflation, new releases are no more expensive than they were 50-60 years ago.

this is incorrect. Adjusted for inflation, new releases are no more expensive than they were 50-60 years ago.

True, but for some of the boutique audiophile reissues (UHQR, One-Step, ERC, etc) the prices are really kinda nuts. Standard reissues like Tone Poet Blue Note, Craft OJC, DG The Original Source series, etc are more reasonable. 

I can buy nearly 5 Tone Poet releases for the cost of a UHQR 45 shipped from Acoustic Sounds (and I prefer 33 RPM anyway).