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Vinyl Asylum: Classical records for which there was fantastic improvement, and some disappointments still by jdaniel@jps.net Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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In Reply to: Mint lp Protractor arrived today. Four 1/2 hours later.... posted by jdaniel@jps.net on March 31, 2009 at 00:04:22:
Had a chance to do some serious, but infinitely more relaxed listening this morning. I've picked some records that hopefully many will have picked up over the years.Kubelik's Janacek Gagolitic Mass on DGG. The final two sections, one with a pretty "nasal" organ solo and the other containing some extremely raucous music for fluttering, delightfully-grotesque and playful trumpets and all sorts of other hee-hawing...the improvement was incredible: I could hear all kinds of extra detail and the instruments maintained their "roundness" and individual tonalities. It was just a mess before.
Arnold's Lyrita Cornish Dances: my system used to lose a little bit of its composure during the brass chorale in the very last dance, (end of side two). This time around it remained absolutely clear and didn't thin.
MTT's Orff Carmina Burana: the two last big choral sections--this is a great but perhaps unfair test piece, as the record is a little too stuffed with music and you've got a big, slow repetitive choral section (Ave forsissima) holding its chords while high unison strings comment, right at the very end of the record. Again, fantastically better separation of strings and choir with both maintaining their timbres and textures and space.
Some disappointments:
Haitink Debussy's Jeux: spectacular recording in the quiet sections but the louder sections still cause the cart to lose composure; the sound thins and gets crass. I don't know if it's a bad record or saturation on the recording.
Argerich's Chopin Sonata #3/DGG, the last pages of the final mov't: I still get a complete loss of sparkle and separation of the notes. If your system can handle this, my hat's off to you.
The TAS-listed Mercury Rodrigo Guitar Concerto, second mov't big string theme: strings are still thin and dry as can be.
In any case, I'm going to do a little more listening, but the improvement has been big enough for me to consider shelving my plans for a cart upgrade and I may go for a phono-stage in its place.
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Topic - Mint lp Protractor arrived today. Four 1/2 hours later.... - jdaniel@jps.net 00:04:22 03/31/09 ( 36)
- Do you have to go through this same process to check alilgnment of your cart from time to time? - rich121 22:40:35 03/31/09 ( 1)
- I'm good for awhile. : ) - jdaniel@jps.net 22:49:58 03/31/09 ( 0)
Records not improved. - docw 10:05:47 03/31/09 ( 2)
- Dyna 20xl, but I should clarify, hoping to tame Bernstein's strings in 60's Columbia recordings, for example - jdaniel@jps.net 15:17:03 03/31/09 ( 1)
- try Szell's - docw 16:32:59 03/31/09 ( 0)
Classical records for which there was fantastic improvement, and some disappointments still - jdaniel@jps.net 03/31/09 09:30:23 03/31/09 ( 4)
- RE: Classical records for which there was fantastic improvement, and some disappointments still - Dave Pogue 12:38:13 03/31/09 ( 3)
- RE: Classical records for which there was fantastic improvement, and some disappointments still - jdaniel@jps.net 15:15:39 03/31/09 ( 2)
- RE: Classical records for which there was fantastic improvement, and some disappointments still - Dave Pogue 08:18:28 04/1/09 ( 1)
- I only have two Lp's which sound suspiciously "dull" all the way through: - jdaniel@jps.net 09:28:46 04/1/09 ( 0)
Excellent review and comments. Thanks for posting. nt - Maniac 07:35:43 03/31/09 ( 0)
Maybe I'm the exception - Biff 07:19:13 03/31/09 ( 4)
- Good argument for replaceable styli... - Bry 05:22:17 04/2/09 ( 0)
Alignment induced fatigue - jsusky 07:56:01 04/1/09 ( 0)
RE: Maybe I'm the exception - jdaniel@jps.net 09:44:15 03/31/09 ( 0)
Everyones life is short! Exactly why it's... - VynylTap 08:04:55 03/31/09 ( 0)
Great review. Here's my take... - wgallupe 06:14:06 03/31/09 ( 6)
- LOL, yes I've got some nose-prints (oils) on my platter and melted my hair at one point getting too close to - jdaniel@jps.net 09:48:26 03/31/09 ( 2)
- Ya, I used a halogen light too. I think I got sunburn on one side of my face ;)......nt - wgallupe 15:00:06 03/31/09 ( 1)
- Use LED lighting as it is bright and cool! (nt) - vinyl survivor 19:55:58 03/31/09 ( 0)
RE: Great review. Here's my take... - John Elison 07:30:05 03/31/09 ( 2)
- RE: Great review. Here's my take... - wgallupe 15:06:15 03/31/09 ( 1)
- RE: Great review. Here's my take... - John Elison 17:22:18 03/31/09 ( 0)
Similar experience... - VynylTap 05:15:46 03/31/09 ( 4)
- Dyna 20xl and the phono stage within the Musical Fidelity A308 - jdaniel@jps.net 09:52:29 03/31/09 ( 3)
- RE: Dyna 20xl and the phono stage within the Musical Fidelity A308 - DocSamG 10:43:04 03/31/09 ( 2)
- I don't think so at all, though I look forward to a stand-alone. (nt) - jdaniel@jps.net 15:18:06 03/31/09 ( 1)
- RE: I don't think so at all, though I look forward to a stand-alone. (nt) - DocSamG 16:29:03 03/31/09 ( 0)
RE: Mint lp Protractor arrived today. Four 1/2 hours later.... - John Elison 00:24:34 03/31/09 ( 4)
- I asked Yip about this and it varies depending upon the table... - VynylTap 07:13:15 03/31/09 ( 3)
- College Daze - jsusky 07:42:49 04/1/09 ( 0)
- RE: I asked Yip about this and it varies depending upon the table... - John Elison 07:32:55 03/31/09 ( 1)
- I've actually thought about buying a 2nd "custom" - VynylTap 08:07:05 03/31/09 ( 0)
RE: Mint lp Protractor arrived today. Four 1/2 hours later.... - AlbumAddictED 00:18:00 03/31/09 ( 2)
- Thank you, but I'm hardly an expert! (nt) - jdaniel@jps.net 09:53:15 03/31/09 ( 1)
- Few of us are, but COLLECTIVELY, we are experts - Muzikmike 11:20:18 03/31/09 ( 0)