Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MilesSmiles, Jun 13, 2014.

  1. antielectrons

    antielectrons Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
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  2. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Fremer's reviews can sometimes be unreliable. He can be hyperbolic, and retreat simultaneously. For example, even suggests that even if you have an original of Maiden Voyage, you'll want the MM. He later states he has never heard original. His enthusiasm for vinyl is great, and he has opened my eyes to some great pressings, but I don't always agree with him.
     
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  3. mikemoon

    mikemoon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    I will say, fo the most part the MM releases haven't been scuffed but it can and will happen. I know I read somewhere where Joe Harley stated that he never experienced a problem with the sleeves (This is an indirect quote). I believe him and respect his opinion as we know he cares about all around quality but I'm not the first to notice this problem. I think it just increases the chances of scuffing to a degree that it's not worth it. I like how QRP adopted and branded their own Mofi sleeve, RTI could up them one by doing the same with the Sleeve City ultimate inner sleeve.

    I actually recently received Jason Isbell Sirens of the Ditch (New West) and it was cut by KG and pressed at RTI and it has some of these small inaudible scuffs. If there is noise from it, it's minor but still imperfect and VG+ out of the jacket. I'm debating returning it to Amazon but I'm also not trying to psycho picky.
     
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  4. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    I'm also thinking that the scuffs come during shipping, with the LPs sliding around the sleeves. If so, Joe, a listmember, is less likely to see those if his copies are less subject to shipping.
     
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  5. george2210

    george2210 Forum Resident

    Oh boy.
     
  6. mikemoon

    mikemoon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Oh boy...what? I'm too picky?

    Honestly, I always debate these things and typically don't return it unless it's bad. Sometimes I regret it and other times I forget it. My main thing is for it to not interrupt the music and sound, we can get over aesthetics to some degree.
     
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  7. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Well, what do you mean by "minor but imperfect'? Is it truly minor, is it the imperfection to the point of distraction? If it's the latter, it's not minor. A rare and isolated tick or pop is probably not worth the effort of returning. A repetitive tick or pop, particularly if they're loud, is not a minor thing. Is it loud vinyl, that is, is there a constant whooshing or noise in the background? A minor, soft warp is an imperfection, but doesn't affect play is minor. An off-center label, as long as it doesn't run into the groove area (I did receive one once) is a minor imperfection but tolerable. A greatly off-center pressing, so you get a very apparent constant alteration in sustained pitches, is not minor.

    Only you can decide if it's annoying enough to warrant sending back for another copy.
     
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  8. timmikid

    timmikid Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    I agree Mike. I have been very fortunate so far, but I have received more scuffed albums with thick plastic inner sleeves compared to the regular inner sleeves. It's not only MM. Right now I'm spinning The Worst of Jefferson Airplane, also mastered by KG (and Joe Reagoso). A few inaudible scuffs... The point is, if MM wants the best product possible in terms of mastering, pressing, artwork, outer sleeves, etc., the inner sleeves are part of it. Discussing it here is what we have to do to help improve the MM product even further. It's up to them to decide, they are, or should be monitoring these threads. I vote for the Sleeve City Ultimate Inner Sleeve.
     
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  9. BendBound

    BendBound Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bend, OR
    +1
     
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  10. george2210

    george2210 Forum Resident

    I tell you what i mean.

    I have a friend with the same hobby as me, music.
    We both have spent years in search for a great sounding stereo.
    I'm satisfied with mine now and just listened to the music.

    He's never satisfied, there's always something wrong with the sound.
    He don't listened to the music anymore and just keeps on talking what is wrong with
    the sound. He does that every time i see him.
    He can't listening to music in a relaxed way anymore.

    Last days this forum reminds me of him, to much talking about what's wrong, again and again.

    Just my opinion, sorry.
     
  11. e.s.

    e.s. Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Just the last few days?
     
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  12. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    My 33 rpm Out To Lunch has several patches of non-fill on side 2. Loud scratching sounds mostly when Dolphy is hitting quick loud notes :( And surface noise for the first ~ 20 seconds of the opening side.

    The sound quality on side 1 is very good, the tonality of the two pressings is very close. Overall I prefer the 45 rpm for sounding more open and having better imaging and of course no non-fill, surface noise, etc on all four sides.
     
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  13. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Maybe there IS something wrong with his sound. There are stereo systems I just can't listen to. They're unmusical. He's right to listen to his instincts. Now if he just complains and takes no action to figure out what can be improved, then he's complaining for complaining's sake. And nobody likes a whiner. But if you can help him get into action, to try some things to get his system to be a more satisfying conduit of great music, you'd be a good friend.
     
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  14. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Yes, that non-fill sound is loud and annoying.

    Regarding preferring the 45rpm, the more open midband is something that is a big advantage to that version, all other things being equal. The overall balance to MM's reissues seems to have been improved with the 33 series, so you have to weigh the pros and cons of each. But there's no doubt that subtlety and openness of the midrange is something that is a lovely characteristic of 45rpm pressings.
     
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  15. PauGasmall

    PauGasmall Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Hey does anyone have a recommendation of a good book that could help me understand some of the history and context of all these awesome Blue Note releases? Unfortunately I was born a few decades too late to witness most of this history being made and would love to get myself up to speed...

    Also, my first MM order is en route! Page One and Idle Moments. Listening to Idle Moments has really gotten me interested in Grant Green. Too bad his early records are so pricey on Discogs....
     
  16. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Sleeve City Ultimate Inner Sleeves. What is the advantage of additional paper support around the rice paper vs. merely a rice paper sleeve? I mean, unless you're leaving the records lying around, why the need for the extra stiffener or protection? It seems as if having a rice paper sleeve is the most important criterion. Looking at their selection, the Diskeeper Sleeves seem perfectly good (similar to the VRP or MoFi sleeves).
     
  17. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    I take it on a case by case basis, in my experience there is no hard rule with how the 33 sound vs the 45. For example I greatly prefer Midnight Blue and Maiden Voyage 33 rpm which do sound more open in the midrange than the 45s.
     
  18. PauGasmall

    PauGasmall Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
  19. googlymoogly

    googlymoogly Forum Resident

    The Ultimate sleeves don't crumple up at the edges like the thinner QRP or Mobile Fidelity ones do when sliding an LP in or out of the jacket. That's their main advantage.
     
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  20. googlymoogly

    googlymoogly Forum Resident

    And if anyone from Music Matters is in fact reading this thread...Lou Donaldson for the 33 series! :thumbsup:
     
  21. george2210

    george2210 Forum Resident

    Maybe you should try to get the Toshiba Japan pressing, i have it, sounds great.
    I look for it on Discogs, it's not there, you could try Ebay.
     
  22. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    But does that add further protection? I do understand that when the sleeves bunch a bit, it's a bit more annoying getting them into the outer jacket. But I don't get the part of about the better protection.

    They also sell a double-pocketed inner sleeve for those AP one opening outer jackets. That doesn't seem the most safe. Not only would I potentially rub one record against another when inserting (though with a surface between them, but I have to take both records out to access one. Certain "advancements" don't seem like advancements to me. Hello compact discs?
     
  23. george2210

    george2210 Forum Resident

    I tried to help him for many years. He has an all Quad stereo with ESL speakers. After years of problems he is now going to get rit of it.
    I have see him struggle for years, up to a point of not being capable of listening to music in a natural relaxed way.
    If i read some of here i get the feeling that the same problem exist by some other people here at the forum.
    It's normal if something is wrong with the pressing we discuss that, but not over and over again.

    I never in my life heard of non fill and now i read about it all the time.
    Inner sleeves are no problem, you can buy them very cheap.
    A few pops, no problem, it's vinyl you know, same about a few soft ticks.

    I mean talk about the pressing problems, no problem, but not to much and over and over again.
    Just my opinion.
     
  24. antielectrons

    antielectrons Well-Known Member

    Location:
    UK
    And they are nice and thick. Do not create static and provide wonderful lasting record protection. The best I have come across.
     
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  25. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Well, as some have said here, you can skip over those particular comments. Many think it important to know whether issues are an anomaly or a consistent problem. It's possible you don't have as discerning a system or as discerning an ear, or perhaps your tolerance is higher. But you shouldn't lay your preferences on someone else's.

    BTW, someone might want to do a needle drop on some non-fill to show those who have never heard it before what it sounds like. It's quite loud and distracting when it occurs.

    Regarding your friend, it could be his sources. Is he listening to LPs? On what? System matching throughout is important to having a musical system. Certainly Quad puts out quality equipment, but it's not to everyone's taste. If he hasn't experimented with swapping out, or visited a purveyor of high fidelity playback equipment, he'll have no idea what the problem is.
     
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