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UHQR 45 rpm Vinyl "Kind of Blue"

I got a call from my friend saying his heart sank after hearing this. Utter sadness and disappointment. I didn’t have time to get there since it was late in the evening, so I said I’d come the following morning. Equipment used....

1.Yamaha AS3000 integrated amplifier with an amazing built in phono preamp.

2. Turntable Technics 1200GR2 new

3. Nagaoka MP500 cartridge new

4. Volti Audio Razz speakers

We also have two stereo copies of Kind of Blue on vinyl by Columbia 33 rpm and of course digital using a Denefrips Venus II.

This is the second time I’ve listened to an LP by this company and it will be the last. It amazes me this is $150 plus shipping and sounds absolutely deplorable. All this hype people have made this out to be makes me seriously question the credibility of numerous reviews. Obviously this can’t be returned but this LP isn’t even close to the stereo 33 rpm’s by Columbia when comparing them all. Even the digital was better. There is so much nonsense in this industry about promises of great things.

This was a factory sealed copy from MusicDirect. First off, the album has a grainy floor noise. This album lacks balance, placing Bill Evan’s piano to the back of the soundstage. The bass is also too much and while Jimmy Cobb’s drum symbols sound airy, the rest of the band sounds dull, lifeless and lacks proper dynamics. The ambiances are simply lacking altogether and it astonishes me anyone expresses what a great example this 45 rpm UHQR is. It’s a joke, forgive my frustration. 

Both Columbia versions in just standard 33 rpm were far superior, displaying beautiful balance, airy nuances, richness and sweetness by comparison. Even the digital was superior. Huge disappointment!

rankaudio
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,636 posts
 

OP Musicdirect is good on return.

thebrokenrecord
74 posts
 

I'm glad to know someone else out there ti hearing how bad many of these modern reissues sound.

Maybe we just stop buying them? Perhaps that would push them to start making better sounding records.

connollymj
24 posts
 

I have the 45RPM UHQR version from Acoustic Sounds/Analog Productions/Quality Record Pressings and think it sounds really good. I hear levels of detail that I’d not heard on previous recordings. Things like the saliva in Davis’s reed at times are very present and actually a bit distracting as I’d never heard them in such clarity before. I like the UHQR version far better than the Qobuz streaming version. I will agree, it is very expensive and were it not for the beautiful packaging, I’d be disappointed for the price. Even with the packaging, it’s still very expensive.

I’m running:

Rega P6 with Hana Umami Blue cartridge

Zesto Audio Andros PS1 phono stage

NAD M66 preamp

NAD M23 amp

Focal Sopra No. 2 speakers

dishman442's avatar
dishman442
83 posts
 

Perhaps better systems provide more resolution which reveal details in the UHQR pressing others may miss, dunno.  I know this - that pressing sounds wonderful to me. I don’t buy a lot of those pricier offerings, but this one, to me, on my system, was well worth it. 

Umami Red

VPI Prime

Odyssey phono pre and tube preamp

Pass Labs 260.8 monos

Wilson Shasha DAWs

whart's avatar
whart
3,375 posts
 

I think most sound hounds go for the early 6 eye, and some prefer the mono cut. I have several pressings here, including a Japanese first press stereo, a Classic Records 33 that I must have bought when new, a RSD mono cut from around 2013? that was pretty cheap (and issued as an "unnumbered" pressing after the hype of RSD), as well as a 33 UHQR, which, frankly, I'm surprised I bought. 

The album is a standard and should probably be in every collection. I suspect early 6 eye US pressings fetch real money these days if unmolested. And hard to find in top condition. 

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