What are Your Favorite and Most hated Record Manufacturers

Mike, 

What a great thread!   Thanks for starting it.  I hope you will assemble a summary list.  I don’t know much but hope you all don’t mind if I add some thoughts.  If anyone would like to steer me straight on any of this please post.  I really want to know more on the subject.  

Anyway, seems like there are two questions here: first, favorite and disliked for whatever musical or record-related reason, and; second, which labels are, quality wise, reliable and which are not: and, which are just bound to be bad.  The first involves taste along with quality.  The second not so much.

Here is most of what I know from my own records:

ECM 

My favorite label.  I love this music and I can (nearly always) count on record quality. I have hundreds and I can only think of one that disappointed- it’s just ok. Was supposed to be special on 180 gm but doesn’t sound very good.  

Ume

Resonance Records

Sintra 

Jazz on the above labels is fantastic. 

For classical I have found that the following deliver consistently good experience:

Berliner Philharmoniker (The Orchestra’s own label)

Accentus Music

hyperion 

Lyrita 

Old RCA Victor (Red Labels/Seal)

Old London Records

The Classics Record Library

Sony Classical

Again, YMMV. I don’t know a lot about classical record labels but really want to learn more.  

Then, I have fancy “Audiophile” type records from the following and can’t say anything but good about all of them.   

Impex 

Analogue Productions 

Acoustic Sounds

Tone Poet

MA Recordings

Intervention

ORG (Original Recordings Group)

ORG (the other ORG)

Chesky Records

The MA and Chesky that I have are truly spectacular.  Some of the other fancy expensive labels that are supposed to be special have been hit and miss for me.  The handful of Mofi’s that I have are mostly great.  

Of the relatively larger operation labels, I  feel like I can count of these:

Reprise

Sony Legacy

Chrysallis

Friday Music

Rhino Records

Chrysallis is a favorite I guess because of their catalogue and I generally really like the way they sound.  

Here are a few of my favorite smaller, or what’s called independent, and other labels (some have already been mentioned of course).  

Nettwerk

Sugar Hill Records

Yep Rock Records

Rounder Records

Sub-Pop

Nonesuch 

Blue Corn

Horton Records

37d03d

Craft Recordings

Dualtone 

Glassnote 

Western Vinyl

Vinyl Me Please

Concord 

Dead Oceans

Lifesong 

Kirshner (probably defunct?)

New West is also a favorite of mine.  I have a large handful of newer stuff from them and it’s all very good or great. Maybe they used to have problems but this has not been my experience.  

I get terrific reissues from:

Run Out Groove

Back on Black

My categorical dislikes are few:

Geffin Records has been mostly disappointing, particularly because he had a couple of my favorite artists under contract.  No more fortunately.  

Jazz Wax Records and their ilk.  Shady operators based in Europe take CD’s of music in the open domain and get records pressed in Russia or in other dark recesses of Eastern Europe.  They always sound horrible.  I learned the hard way but apparently the word has been out.

And, of the love hate variety:

Along with Music on Vinyl and Mofi,

I have learned that many records put out by Four Men With Beards (and the other subsidiaries of Runt records in San Francisco) are of atrocious quality but one that I have is great so do the research before purchase.  

I have found the same to be true of Atco. 

I mention these last two because they do have some temptingly great titles.  I just need to remember to watch out.  

Finally, regarding manufacturing, I have learned to avoid anything pressed at United in Texas.