What LP shows what analog can do?

Matt,

Lot's of responses but few if any classical, which you were "sort of" looking for. Arthur Salvatore has a pretty mammoth list of LP's he thinks are worthy. I haven't heard but a handful of them, but every one I have listened to has been a killer. Check out his list at:

http://www.high-endaudio.com/SR-DIVINITY.html

Doug

Eldartford,
I fully understand the greater challenge presented by the wide dynamic range of classical, since that's all I listen to. Matt clearly understands this too, that's why he's looking for suggestions and not just buying anything. Since that's what he asked for I thought I'd try to respond.

In my experience most well-treated and properly cleaned LP's are reasonably quite, though there are obviously some exceptions. The new audiophile grade LPs (eg, Classic Records) are better and the newest 200gm stuff is ghostly quiet. Highly recommended.

Totally agree with your view on recording techniques. The superiority of two-track, tubed recording is obvious even on CD reissues of Living Stereo recordings (compared with newer recordings on CD). After we played our first one of these and picked our jaws off the floor, my partner asked, "The last recordings like this were made in the early '60's? What happened?!" Everything went to hell when they invented the transistor, multi-track mixdowns and (shudder) digital. The first two can never be overcome. Digital has only started to become listenable in the last few years, sort of.

Dekay recommended 45 rpm LP's
Rcprince recommended Firebird/Dorati/Mercury/Classic Records

The 45rpm version of this reissue demonstrates what vinyl is capable of as well as anything I've heard. It's glorious, although the break between sides 1 and 2 is distracting. If you can't stomach $95 for the 45rpm you can get the same reissue on 33 1/3 180g vinyl for "only" $85. That's an outlandish tariff but you'll forget that once the music starts.

rcprince,
Acoustic Sounds has the Chesky/Petroushka on 180g vinyl, unless the one I got last month was the last copy .

It's almost as good as the Firebird we've been discussing.

Rcprince wrote, "I still can't figure how Classic mixed up the right and left channels on the DADs, even within the same piece, such as the Gershwin Concerto in F."

I have a Smithsonian recording of Bach's Brandenburg #5 that does the same thing in MID-MOVEMENT! The harpsichord begins in a continuo role and is placed right rear. Halfway in there's an extended cadenza for solo harpsichord, the first such in musical history BTW. Just as its solo begins the harpsichord, all 500 lbs. of it, suddenly leaps to center stage front! Once the solo is finished this amazing harpsichord retreats to right rear to resume its continuo role.

What an amazing combination of athleticism and musicianship! Wish I'd been there to see it live. :)