Thanks for responses, folks! Lots of good food for thought here. And I can afford to do research.
I am really struck by the general enthusiasm for record vacuum cleaners like the vpi 16.5, but I'm curious if there's a useful mid-point between those big machines and my non-mechanical method with the disc doctor cleaner and brushes, very soft towels, and tlc. And, of course, there's nowhere to 'test-drive' these units near me (in Ann Arbor Michigan: home of great Encore Records), so far as I know.
On the issue of identifying the better (even the best) pressings of ECM: are there easy markers for this on the jacket or LP? I find myself buying these on ebay and all I have to go on are distant pictures of cover (for condition) and a claim about vg, nm, and m.
On the issue of 180g reissues: I feel kind of burned, as I bought an Impulse 180g Coltrane BALLADS last week and it was, um, not a truly flat record. It plays fine, but there is an up and down wave to the motion. (Hypnotic in the right state, perhaps.) I contacted the seller and they haven't written back (perhaps because I didn't demand a refund, which they probably would have given). Moreover, there were a few crackles and pops on this brand new album! Right out of the gate you must color me cautious about guaranteed quality of 180g or 200g reissues. Then I find the $40-50 versions from some sellers (twice the price of general 180g vinyl) and wonder what that mark-up signifies regarding quality. |
I wonder though about the record cleaning machines and quality-price ratio amidst an entry-level hifi setup like mine (rega p3-24, elys 2 cart, linn amp, vienna speakers, audioquest cables, cambridge audio 640p preamp).
I worry about overkill (having a RCM that outruns my other gear), but I wonder about potential quantum leaps for a reasonable price.
One would think that moving up the food and price chain of gear gets to higher level of sonic desirability (certainly the on-the-take audio press would have us think that, along with the manufacturers of course). And that at some point one reaches the point of diminishing returns (in terms of quality-price ratio).
One of my favorite ideas here is to carefully buy cheap copies of popular blue note, OJC, ECM, Columbia reissues (or whatever I can find and afford) and look and listen for the best ones. At this point I'm more interesting in listening and learning than in finding pristine covers and originals. Though the piano on the Blue Notes I have is usually thin, and as a pianist I lament that. Perhaps Rudy didn't make the piano so "hot" as a rule? I suppose this is part of the long-lost sonic magic recovered by the "music matters" 45 versions.
I'm happy to hear some distrust of the 180g reissues, since I'd rather not overpay for flimsy warped records. I will approach those tentatively.
I'm desirous of the $50 deluxe classics, but not there yet (my wife would freak at those prices, and rightly so, in a household of teachers). One doesn't find them on used market much. And hot stampers I'll leave for the tycoons.
Above all, I've been enjoying the sonic power of Miles Davis reissues from mid-1960s, like NEFERTITI and MILES SMILES. These are stunning works of art, beautifully recorded. I feel that I am doing right by these great artists to play them on a decent rig at last. After upgrading to a Rega Apollo cd player a while back, I thought I could hold off on the return to vinyl--but I got hooked anyway. And of course ECM in the 1970s and 1980s is a garden of delight for audiophiles with a taste for that singular mix of AACM frothiness (think Lester Bowie) and frosty Northern delight (think Steve Tibbets), as long as one can countenance the cathedral-style reverb that add considerable wetness (perhaps counteracted by extremely close miking). |
Following up on Ghosthouse's suggestion above, does anyone have experience with KAB Electro Acoustic's EV-1.
Their website says the product is Nitty Gritty type (Lexan top plate) with manual record turning attached to your own external home vacuum cleaner hose. I like the $160 price tag a lot. |
Pregnant pause during conversation...
"A shop vac with a modified crevice tool? Against these delicate vinyl platters?"
After the shock wears off, allow the thought-experiment to continue. Where might one find or how to make a modified crevice tool?
That's what gets me, there is nothing particularly complex about the idea of vacuuming cleaning liquid, dirt, and dust from a vinyl record except for needing to have right amount of suction.
Meanwhile, can we spend some time vetting used record shops that sell jazz vinyl over internet?
For example, I bought a handful of lps super-cheap from Dusty Grooves America in Chicago--old stuff like Betty Carter and James Moody for $3 or less (!)--and they ALL sounded great. Minimal snap, crackle, pop, even before cleaning. I'm impressed at price and quality!
By contrast, I just bought a handful of records from Wattsjazz (via ebay) and they were 3x (or more) the prices I paid from Dusty Groove and are ALL noisy as hell from track one on. I'm cleaning and double-cleaning, but will then have to ask for refund, considering they were rated as VG and VG++ and they're not even close to that. What a disappointment. Maybe this was an anomalous situation; I hope so.
And finally, my local record shop--Encore Records in Ann Arbor--does a little bit on online sales, though I buy there in person. I'm shocked at how good their stuff and the prices are always at or lower than ebay stores. Kudos!
Who are the online sellers who simply won't sell "good" (noisy) records because they find that to be in bad taste?
Any internet sellers of jazz vinyl (original, reissue, contemporary) to run to or run away from? I will pay extra to deal with nice people who love and support this art form and take it seriously! |
Thanks, and I was further wondering what blogs or chat sites jazz-listening audiogoners give four or five stars to.
I've found this community very well-informed about gear and used jazz vinyl, though rockers seem to dominate the music discussions.
I wish I could learn of a site where jazz folks did little reviews of cd/new vinyl comparisons. For example, Herbie Hancock's fairly recent RIVER: THE JONI LETTERS is available on cd (of course) and also vinyl (not a cheapie, though). I'm curious if anyone's heard the vinyl and can compare |
Well I guess now I will be writing to any potential internet seller for clarification on cosmetic condition versus playback condition.
This is ridiculous: what's the point of staring at an lp to see if it provides the nicest reflection, as in a black pond, and calling that a condition (other than narcissistic personality disorder or NPD)? Any of those sellers I will presume is a joker and not to be taken seriously by music-lovers.
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Are there any internet sellers y'all can recommend who do "play ratings" of used jazz vinyl (without going into budget-buster territory, which for me is a mere $50)?
Meanwhile, I guess everything depends on satisfaction guaranteed policies and the like.
It's funny being a neophyte getting his overdue sentimental education here. I buy used books online all the time, and the sellers always open the book and look through the pages for marks, marginalia, stains, even at the meagre $3 price point. Yes, it easy to do.
I very naively figured used record salespeople would do the same (perhaps beginning at $10 price point), otherwise these "condition ratings" really are only somewhat useful.
And to think that we are to trust NM and Mint ratings (and pay accordingly higher prices) on the precariousness of someone eyeballing a record for five seconds.
And the new 180g Coltrane lp I bought was slightly warped and with some telling crackles. Should I translate that crackling code into English as... "sucker! We pulled you back into vinyl with the sweet sounds of today's analog playback systems, and once you were up and ready, we brought back the noise...again."
So I guess this secondary theme regarding used vinyl and ratings folds back into the master theme of the necessity of vacuum RCMs and the invisible logic of luck.
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Robob queried what cartridge and stylus I'm using for used jazz vinyl. It's a newish Elys 2 cartridge and stylus attached to Rega 301 on a p3-24 turntable. I was under impression this was a good entry-level midfi cartridge.
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I should that I think that Hancock record sounds pretty stunning on cd, already This was a first-class recording of a great set of musicians. Hancock and Shorter are really smoothing into interestingly different late styles, with Hancock moving toward well-perfumed and ornamental dramas and Shorter paring things down into angular haiku. Or at least it sounds so to me. |
