Thread: My first Classical on vinyl!

Listened to Classical on vinyl for the first time last night! I purchased a used box set of some Mozart (one of my favorites) a couple of weeks ago.
Over the years many have told me that there is nothing like Classical on vinyl. I was not so sure about that, but I remained open to it, hoping someday I would try it. My thing though is that for me to listen to and enjoy Classical music it must be absolutely noiseless, not so much as a crackle. So I always listened to it on CD. However, I also always thought that while depending on the production Classical on CD sounded quite good, but at the same time somewhat a little sterile.
So last night, I take one of the records from the box (They happen to be what could be described as near pristine somehow). I only cleaned them with MoFi Super Wash as I did not feel they needed my usual arsenal. I put the first record on my vintage system (where I normally play my records. It’s in the bedroom where there is not sweet listening spot available, but it is what it is). The system partial config is currently my Marantz 2250 receiver(we don’t need no stinkin phono preamps with that baby! 70’s receivers generally have great phono stages), Pioneer PL-510 w/ AT95E cart, driving a pair of Polk Monitor 7s.
I put the record on and was floored! Full sounding, warm,feeling the instruments and no noise! Just amazing! Nicer sounding than CD in a few respects. Now I’m imagining it with better speakers I have on hand. I’m using the Polks with the Marantz due to better synergy than my DCM speakers with the receiver. I’m taking my Sansui 8080db into shop for a complete overhaul so I can enjoy it for 20 more years if I’m still around, but when it comes back I’m going to swap the Marantz out for it, hook up the DCMs and really get blown away. Next, I’ll get that Denon sitting in the other system with my Paradigms going and see what happens there. ~Eric

Originally Posted by NorthStar

Classical Music is the higher (highest) echelon of the entire music repertoire (chain gang).

Wow! That sounds like my first music appreciation class in back in college with that statement! If I can recall, I found out with study that while Classical music is certainly and unarguably a higher echelon in the music repertoire, it is not "THE" highest. There is no "THE" highest in music at it's core. The nature of music shows us that. Believe it or not, if one were to do a timeline of music it would show that Folk predates Classical. Does that mean that Folk is on a higher level? Not in the least. All it does is show the age of one genre to another. Now when one applies complexity and other factors, that's when things change. The complexity of Classical is rivaled only by that of Jazz in some respects, but none is really higher than the other in it's core nature. It might also be interesting to note that there are some sub-genres of Rock that are structurally heavily based on Classical and/or Jazz. A couple of examples would be Metal: While I personally can't stand the stuff, a good portion of it is based on Classical. One sampling of that would be Metallica when you look at the structure it's astonishingly based on Classical. Progressive Rock (which I do enjoy) is interesting because some of it is based on Classical and some is based on Jazz. Some samples of it based on Classical would be say, the groups Kansas and Yes. A good example of the Jazz based version would be Rush. So really, music at it's core is the highest echelon in and of itself. While in complexity and other factors of genres could be ranked according to those factors and all of them require an astute practitioner to play it and make it sound pleasurable and appealing, but one is no higher than the other by it's nature, only by us beings who listen to it and feel the effects. The moral of the story is to just enjoy it all in all it's beauty!

Originally Posted by ohbythebay

That is awesome...I recently just purchased 34 new albums in a week !!! Very cool...

But if you like Classical, you HAVE TO buy a Sheffield DTD (direct to disk) mastered vinyl. Its as close to live as can be and mastered unbelievable...They are a cut above ANYTHING....Here is an example...

Prokofiev Excerpts from The Ballet "Romeo and Juliet" Sheffield Lab 8 UNPLAYED | eBay

Lincoln Mayorga Piano Brahms Handel Sheffield Lab 4 Audiophile Stereo Gate | eBay

Stravinsky Firebird Suite Erich Leinsdorf Debussy Sheffield Lab Audiophile | eBay

No thank you. I did not even bother to look because 1) I never go to ebay for anything and 2) I don't want to see the price. I admit that I do not know what good pressings are in Classical music, but I'm also not after musical nirvana. I figure I got lucky with the one box set I got. Now I have to learn what the good pressings are for future purchases of classical on vinyl, but I only buy used records and will not pay more than $5 unless it's a box set. Besides having heard many of the classics for some time I am now partial to Mozart and Beethoven symphonies. I got rid of many other classical CDs I had of other composers and don't want them back.

Originally Posted by NorthStar

There is no other style of music as sophisticated as Classical Music. ...This is the abso!ute grandeur of all the mother load of grandiosity.

* Jazz is a dance music, a trance.
- And Blues is the dechirement of life's experience, with all the broken hearts, and harsh stories, and all that jazz ....

I was also speaking from being a musician and also being in the industry and the study is what brought me into it. It's all science at it's base anyway. The classical and jazz greats were and are all math majors really, they just don't know it. For us it's all subjective and opinions really. I personally, don't see Jazz as dance music (I don't think you can dance to the Jazz style I listen to) and it sure as hell is not Trance! To me personally, Blues sings depending on the style. If you want broken hearts and harsh stories that have a trance like sound and all the same try most Country & Western. "My woman left me for my Horse and then it died and my truck broke down and I had to shoot it and then my dog ran away"...and on and on. Of course it's said that if you play the record backwards his dog comes back, his truck gets fixed his woman returns and gives him a new horse..... again, it's all subjective and geared to each person's likes and dislikes. That's one of the great things about the variety of music we have! It's all good to the beholder! Music is the most powerful force there is equal to a nuke, but the difference is that while a nuke will kill and destroy tens of thousands at once, that's all it can do and who wants that? Music on the other hand can unite tens of thousands at once, convey a message to the same number, heal the same number, give good feelings and memories to the same number and just speak to the same number and can be used on-going as needed individually as well! To me, that's what makes it so important!

Originally Posted by f1 fan

I love classical music

Dave

I love music point blank. (I also admit that I do not listen to rap/hiphop, Trance and the like, opera, metal or modern country or pop. Just not suited to my taste these days. I used to listen to some in that short list many moons ago). I didn't like Classic until all of the sudden about 27 years ago I developed a sudden appreciation for it. Perhaps a couple of music appreciation courses in college had something to do with it along with just my own thing.

Originally Posted by ohbythebay

Okay so everyone EXCEPT Eric can check the links I posted...LOL

Really, it is irrelevant where purchased, my point being, you must own at least 1 Sheffield...I am fortunate to have the King James album (Harry James) ...amazing...like being there...wish every album was mastered that way...

LOL! I hear ya. I clicked out of curiosity and I was right. No record is worth $100, I don't care what it is. To me, records have zero monetary value. I stay right in the $1 to $3 range (box sets are the exception). I just start to hesitate even at $3. It can be a one time pressing autographed everywhere or that famous Beatles butcher cover or what have you and it would still be worth zero to me. For me, records are for playing and just like CDs, why would I want to pay three digits for it? I like Classical and lots of other genres, but not enough to want to spend that kind of money. I'm sure I can get the same nice sound from lots of other labels. If I run across a Sheffield pressing of one of my favorites for a reasonable price I'll pick it up though.