Any ECM fans here?

I love the ECM sound. Not very familiar with their classical, but I have many of their jazz albums. Lots of Pat Metheny starting in the 70’s.
And I loved when Pat said, please don’t play my albums on smooth jazz radio.

I’ve always preferred the sound of their LP’s over CD. Every recording I own has outstanding SQ.

Just last Friday ECM released 11 of Pat Metheny’s albums remastered in 24/96 hi-res for download or streaming. They are on Qobuz and Tidal. I have streamed several of them on Qobuz and they sound great. I think these are from the same remastering done for SACD in 2018.

https://jazztimes.com/blog/pat-metheny-ecm-catalog-now-available-in-hi-res-audio/

ECM in general, has good but not great sound, IMHO. Of course it varies from album to album. I have some ECM albums that I like a lot.

My favorites are probably among the usual suspects, Pat Metheny, Charles LLoyd, Jan Gabarek. I used to enjoy Keith Jarrett until I watched a video of him. He looked like he was in so much pain while playing, and I can’t get that image out of my mind when I listen to him.

Sorry, but though I like & own a couple ECM LPs (don't ask me which), I just don't like the label in general.  Their releases don't have enough passion for me.  It's not that the music is mechanical, it's just that it doesn't take chances.   The music on the label comes mostly from the fingers, not from the heart.  Sound-wise, ECM releases are clean but they seem a touch compressed.

yes

Thanks for the Jazz Times link. These were great years for Pat Metheny music.
I'm listening to the remasters and guess what... compression. To my ears they were trying to remove the tape hiss and went too heavy.
According to the article, they used 1/2" analogue masters as sources which must have  sounded so good.

Years ago, a lot of studios used to use Ampex 456 2 inch tape for the original recording process.  That was the standard for many years.

They would feed that into big Scully tape machines that would move the tape very fast.

The mix would go down to 1/2 inch masters.

In 1976-77 I went to Record Hunter on 42 and Fifth Avenue NYC twice and bought a total of 50 ECM LPs at $5.99 each. Excellent SQ and fine contemporary jazz! That was for my first high-end system!

@roberjerman those were the days...I lived near the east village and used to love going to the used record stores down there.  I found some real gems.

Killer places in Manhattan then,46,49 st.off Bway .As a young man I loved going through thousands of albums from every where in the world...Didn't really learn till later that the Brill Building on Bway was probably the reason so many record and music places were near buy.

I was fortunate to have been managing a hifi store at the time ECM pressings first appeared. The European pressings were very prized. I was also blessed to have a jazz-fusion bass player as one of my employees. Between us, we managed to afford a few Jarrett, Metheny, Burton and Corea discs. Gary Burton used to give my old Decca cartridge fits!
It helped that Pat Metheny dated my best friend's sister when he was in high school. Didn't really know him personally, sadly, but only because I didn't know he was there. The kids had him cornered in the sun room with his guitar. 
I was gabbing with my best friend's family and you know.

ECM has created audiophiles out of modern jazz fans
AND VICE-VERSA! I'm digital now but an ECM freak from back in the day.

I always thought that ECM stood for "Editions of Contemporary Music."  Anyone hear differently?

You’ve got it right, except it’s Edition, without the s.

Have you listened to any of the Metheny Hi-Res remasters?

Big ECM fan, own a few of their box sets like John Abercrombie and Charles Lloyd. I have discovered so many artists on their label.