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Crappy sounding "audiophile" LP's?

Hi,
Now that my system configuration is stable (for the time being, anyway) I've been dusting off music I haven't played in awhile, or in some cases, bought years ago but rarely or even never played. In the latter category are a group of audiophile LP's I bought in the mid to late 1980's, usually because TAS raved about them, they weren't that expensive back then, and I didn't know any better. :-)
So I finally listened to the Chesky LP reissue of "Scheherezade" by Reiner and the Chicago Symphony, and to the Chesky LP of a Sibelius Symphony (can't remember which one right now). These two, plus an LP on the Lyrita label of a composition by the British composer William Allwyn ("The Magic Island," I think) sound glorious, i.e., equal to the TAS hype. Great performances, too, of course.
I then dusted off a Sheffield Labs direct-to-disc LP called "Tower Of Power Direct." To my ears, it sounds lousy: bright, congealed, airless sound.
So I'm wondering if you folks have encountered "audiophile" recordings that didn't sound good to your ears, either.
rebbi

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syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
The majority of these audiophiles Pressings are dead, awful and a waste of time for a listener. I think, these are made for review believers and for those they are ok. I know a lot of wealthy Audiophiles, they don't care for anything. They feel absolutely no pain (when it is expensive enough).
Your example with Chesky: These are an exception, very seriously made, same with the first batch of Classic Records LSC (and their 4 Mercuries).
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