1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 199003-213362

Chesky RCA Living Stereo Reissues vs. Analogue Productions Reissues

I’ve got a handful of Chesky RCA Living Stereo Reissues from the ’80s/’90s and they sound terrific.  I only wish Chesky had been able to license the original covers and shaded dog labels. 

I’ve been tempted to pick up some of the Analogue Productions reissues, mostly because they use the original covers/labels, and wonder how they compare sonically to the Chesky LPs.   The ones I’m particularly interested in are the reissues of LSC-2150 (Prokofieff "Lt. Kije"/Stravinsky "Song of the NIghtingale") and LSC-2436 (Respighi Pines/Foundtains of Rome).

If anyone has both the Chesky and AP reissues, could you provide your opinions on the sonic differences between them?  I’m trying to convince myself that it’s worth owning both wink 

lpluvr
billstevenson
1,269 posts
 

I have originals of pretty much all of the Living Stereo series.  I wonder how they compare to any of the reissues.  Same with the Mercury and London releases from the same era.

lpluvr OP
114 posts
 

@billstevenson I have quite a few originals as well, definitely not the whole series, though.  I was trying to avoid buying reissues of originals (or other reissues) I already have so I have no basis for comparison, although I was thinking of making an exception for the two I mentioned. 

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
8,209 posts
 

I have several AP Living Stereo reissues (Scheherezade, Heifetz, Mahler). Out of these I only have the Mahler 4  original. The AP vinyl is quieter and sounds a bit fuller and more dynamic. I don’t listen to the original as I prefer the AP.
The other albums I listed above all sound great.
Never heard the Chesky pressings. 

kevemaher's avatar
kevemaher
433 posts
 

The Chesky LPs are uniformly fantastic. They have a way of expressing classical music that is the closest I've ever heard to the sound you'll get from a warm sounding opera or symphony house. Too bad they've stopped making these.

The AP issues may sound a bit better than the originals, but are beset with numerous pressing issues - off center spindle holes, terribly noisy vinyl, monstrously loud pops, extreme warps. On one test LP I have, the hole was so off-center that you could hear the once around warble in the 1 KHz test tone. Just plain awful. Straight to the bin.

The only really good LP from AP that I have is Beethoven's sixth, by Bruno Walter. I don't play the rest.

London and Decca LPs of classical repertoire from the 50s through the 80s are the best bet for great sound, especially those mastered by "G" (in the dead wax portion of the LP).

More to discover