Hi-End HiFi in Ireland
https://tirnahifi.org/forum/
Cyndale wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:54 pmI don't know about others but I definitely had an epiphanic moment way back in the 1980s. I used to go over to a guy's house to listen to familiar music and enjoyed the occasion. This particular time he played me Deep Purple's Machine Head and I was TOTALLY blown away by the experience and I said to him that I have that LP but I wasn't hearing it with the same impact. When I got home I played it and yes it sounded good but it just didn't have the same impact or slam of his. I used to get disillusioned with the sound I was hearing on my system.cybot wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:35 amMine's a 1979 US Stax pressing. I've just binned it.
Seriously....I have to, at least, acknowledge your knowledge. I think it would be safe to ascertain (that word again) that you know your dead wax from your, er, dud wax. I would love to learn more as it makes perfect sense to 'upgrade' your system's sonics by the simply hunting out the right pressing or at least as near as dammit to the original release date. You must have had some epiphanic moment in the distant past when you realised that. I know I did when I heard a Doors compilation (Weird Scenes....) and I was aghast at the poor quality in comparison to original tracks I had already. I feel a story coming on here. All it needs is someone to tell it. How about it? We can't leave a lost art gathering dust......in the dead wax 😱
I spent years upgrading the system, because I wasn't happy with the sound I was getting compared to other systems I had heard. Anyway, I came across an article in one of the hi-fi magazines about vinyl pressings, the article wasn't about the quality of the vinyl pressings. It was all about the different masterings of the same LP. One example was David Bowie's Let's Dance, the LP was mastered from the original tapes at Masterdisk, New York, it pointed out that the US LP was pressed from Masterdisk lacquers, but that the UK original LP wasn't. The UK LP was mastered in the UK at the Penthouse (part of Abbey Road mastering). Whether it was cut from the original US tapes or a copy of the original US tapes I don't actually know. So I went about buying both the UK pressing and the US pressing and it was a no brainer. The US pressing was much more dynamic, punchy and detailed.
This sent me down the path of looking at the credit notes on album sleeves to see who cut the LP. I began to understand all the markings in the runout grooves and thankfully in those days vinyl wasn't sealed so I would ask at the counter could I have a look at the LP (which the staff thought was odd, ha! Did I care, hell no!). It was very easy to recognise if the LP had the information I was looking for and over the years I replaced LPs and managed to get the correct one with the relevant mastering.
I finally came across a UK copy of Machine Head and now knowing what to look for, I jumped at it in a flash. When I played it alongside the copy I already had I couldn't believe the difference. I now had the sound of the pressing I heard in my friend's house. Going down this route saved me an awful lot of money, because for the first time I realised that a particular pressing of an LP could transform the sound of my system without me having to upgrade. I kept a good few examples of the same LP that had different masterings and nearly everybody who listened to the comparisons picked the right one every time, the difference was that obvious!
Over the years I have upgraded my system and this made the comparisons between albums even more obvious!
I hear you, but it is not obsessive/compulsive for me, because I have been aware of what to look for since 1985. It is just routine for me now and it is not a big issue if I don't get exactly what I want, there is always another day.
Nice one Shane 🎸tweber wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:10 pm
This is nice, some old school type blues. Apparently in the vaults since 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
Includes a cover of Stone Free for the Jimi fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM5Xy0wiyvQ
On vinyl?tweber wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:10 pm
This is nice, some old school type blues. Apparently in the vaults since 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
Includes a cover of Stone Free for the Jimi fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM5Xy0wiyvQ
Ah no, I don't think I'll be going for it Dermot...still haven't the last one opened yet.Have you opened the Groovy Kids box set yet 🙄
Finally have you heard that another Live triple Jimi set is being readied for release sometime in November I think. A little friend told me that. He was right! I already have other releases from that set but not the full set. Christmas can take a running jump 😊
Here's the link : https://www.jimihendrix.com/music/music ... x-in-maui/
No Cyndale, there were only 2 cd copies in my local shop so I went for it before they were gone. I'm actually not sure if it is available on vinyl tbh.