Dvorak Symphony No. 2 Classic records excellent

I have to admit that I am not hearing that hardness or pushed highs. The horns sound like they have body, and so do the strings. The clarinet sounds wonderful on this reissue. I like the way it sounds. I was actually very suprised upon first hearing it. What is your tracking force set at? Could they be better? Yes, definitely, Do I prefer it to CD? Absolutely. They were better on 180 gram, not sure why, but to my ears they are. The record has depth and better mids a hundred times over than my Cds. Some of the older records sound much more compressed and have more surface noise than this record.

If you mean me: VTF is 1.74g for my AT33PTG (AT specifies 1.6-2.0g with 1.8g "standard".) Why I arrived at that particular number is lost in the mists of time.

My VTA is set to be neutral on a typical Lp. I didn't bother adjusting VTA for the 180g thickness. Too much of a pain with the SME309.

I have to admit that after listening to side 2 the brightness is much more apparent. I prefer the smoother sounding CD layer of the SACD (or rather the rip to FLAC played via Squeezebox and my Neko DAC).

To get back to the original topic, I also played my London STS copy of Monteux's Dvorak 7 this morning, and it's an excellent sounding Lp, though I don't have the original RCA to compare it to. This pressing should go for a few bucks at most at Amoeba or Record Surplus.

Tzh21y - to which reissue are you referring when you say you hear no hardness?  I may have confused things by referencing LSC-1934 in your post about the Dvorak.

In terms of my tracking force, I don't recall the number exactly, but it's within the range specified by Lyra.  But my setup isn't the problem.  The original LSC-1934, which I'm now playing, sounds delightful, with no hardness problem.  And the horns show no sign of hardness either with the original (and they sound spectacular!)

I should also point out that that the hardness was also evident with other cartridges I've owned (Clearaudio Sigma, Clearaudio Victory, Lyra Helikon).

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was originally impressed with the Classics, but their flaws became more apparent as my system improved.  Also, the originals showed me how far the Classics strayed. Once you hear how the strings are supposed to sound on these - especially on a system that does a great job of reproducing tone colors, it's really tough to tolerate the Classics.

I love the old originals but still like what I hear on this reissue. Most of the originals sound compressed and although the tone can be very nice on many of the originals, I find myself listening to more reissues than the older records lately. The Classic reissues are very good for the most part, there quality control is often lacking IME.

The newer Mobile Fidelity reissues are a different story. They sound very digital and forward. I prefer many of the originals to them.

The Chesky reissues are nice. They sound closer to the original and are more dynamic and quiet. Better quality vinyl as well. I like the Cheskys very much. I like the Cheskys much better than the Classics for the most part.

I do not like all of the Classics but many of them are pretty good and this one in particular is very quiet and dynamic. It sounds great. I am going to listen to it again and see if I hear what you are talking about.

As far as tone goes, I have never heard violins sound like they do on the old RCA's and Londons. I used to have season tickets to the orchestra. If I had to say what records actually sound closest to what I hear at the music hall, I would say the Living Presence Mercurys come the closest. Of course, I am not up on stage either, I was 12 rows from the pit in the center. The violins always sounded kind of dull and rolled off. They never sounded like they do on record or CD. They always sound overdone on record to my ears, but I don't mind it.

I agree with you on Mercury Living Presence. If you want to hear what really good reissues sound like, check out the Speakers Corner Mercurys. These are absolutely stunning.