Sokogear that’s right the Gaucho uhQr is coming December.
Steely Dan UHQR
There is a great interview with audio engineer Bernie Grundman on the new UHQR album "Aja". At $150 it better be amazing. He talks about how they had to modify the sound of albums in the past so they would play on crappy turntables and how this album, at 45rpm, is designed for the best turntables and cartridges. He also speaks about how the "Dan" gang wanted to use their own speakers to listen to the master and not Bernie's. (Wish he had called out the speakers) But let me ask you this, can a sound engineer with 80 year old ears (born 16 December 1943), have the hearing to engineering a UHQR album to audiophile standards......I know my hearing is shot due to what I did in my 20's with Rock n Roll sound levels....At 70, no way could my ears be trusted for such a task.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGLFTm6jMrY
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I received a copy of the Aja UHQR a couple of weeks ago and while I am generally happy with my purchase, I doubt that this will be the first of many more UHQR pressings purchases on my part. Reviewers like Michael Fremer work audiophiles up into a frenzy who then react by buying the product after reading the article. (Guilty as charged!). Writers (er, lobbyists) contend that; They could sell out quickly!; THIS is the Holy Grail!; Re-engineered by a Legendary Engineer!; BETTER than the copy you currently have! One thing I noted in my first reading of Fremer's article was that the turntable he was using was sold at 15K retail. Oddly, that detail is missing from the article (as of today). You know, a great record on a great turntable is gonna sound sonically superior and 11 out of 11 grade will result, so no one is going to dispute that. My turntable (Rega P6/Ania) is not a 15K turntable. What I get is a better copy from what I had, and as others here have stated, the 2-albums on 45 RPM pretty much always sound better than an original 33 RPM LP. The clarity and the separation of instruments is excellent, but is it worth $150? I would buy more of these type of pressings if they were in the $60 range, but there are a fair amount of new releases in 45 RPM that are priced in the $40 range, so I will simply contend to resist the hype in my future purchases. |
Agree @goodlistening64 - get rid of the extra packaging we don't need and charge $60 like they do for the other 45s on MFSL or Acoustic Sounds. At $150 a pop, these are only going to be bought for my very favorite albums. Acoustic Sounds increases the rip off factor further by charging for shipping for your first UHQR. Also, not sure why they charge $150 for their UHQR vs. $125 for the MFSL Ultra disc one steps (whose packaging I prefer, but they can make them available for the price they charge for Kind of Blue that comes in a box without the extra unnecessary inserts and packaging I think $70). Regardless of Fremer's turntable, his reviews are helpful in that he compares them to other deluxe pressings and influenced me to NOT buy the Pretzel Logic UHQR. Keep in mind that if you have the patience, at some point all of the Steely Dan UHQRs will be released on 45 for $60 (without the clarity vinyl and unnecessary packaging) as soon as all the UHQRs sell out. If they wait for all of them to sell out, that may be a while as CTE, PL and KL I predict will be slower sellers, a must have only for the "collectors" which I don't consider myself. I am an enjoyer who only sells when I get a better pressing. I don't keep multiple copies of the same album. Why would you do that? Just play the best one.... |
@goodlistening64 - + 1; I am very happy with my UHQR of 'Aja', and I've already ordered some in the Atlantic Records 75th Anniversary series (and those are $60). What turntable Fremer uses doesn't bother me; it might make the UHQR sound better, but it would make the others sound better, too, and he also uses a Technics SL-1200G (like I've got). 'Aja' is probably the only one of the UHQR series I'll get, but it's nice to have something special in the collection.... BTW, I also just got a copy of Jethro Tull's 'Stand Up' in 45 rpm ($60); sounds awesome, except that both songs on side 2 have the vocal turned almost all the way to the left channel, not centered. I wrote to Acoustic Sounds a few days ago complaining about this, as this is obviously a mastering or pressing defect, and I'll wait to hear back.
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@larsman I am thrilled that vinyl seems to have made it all the way back to the point that the vultures are back in play as well. I should start being more patient as you stated as the hobby still has some warts. I too have made purchases on new albums only to find issues with them once opened (and un-returnable). A Toto album was warped (how does that happen?), and a Steve Miller album had a skip (no discernable scratch but I have to get up and move it past the skip to continue with the song), so risks abound even for reasonably priced releases. My guess is that there are new players in vinyl creation and most have little time or respect for quality control. As Gerry Rafferty sings, "Can I have my money back, money back, money back? Can I have my money back please sir!?" |
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