Everyone have their RCA LIVING STEREO SACDs yet? Better grab 'em! Leontyne Price...

Please excuse the pedantry but referring to the SACDs as three track mixes is an error of terms as the modus of these recordings is that nothing was mixed - the SACDs present the three track original recordings (when available) as rigged, which is one mic per track.

And they are indeed very very wonderful.

 

It may be a bit nit-picky, but I do think your point is something that at least on this forum will be important to many.

 

This is exactly the case. I regularly go through the following link (http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-SACD-RCA-Living-Stereo-Collection-1-40/lm/R2K0CI5EA9VA64) and the companion list to look for bargains. I have indeed found three occasions where a like-new disc sold at ~$6 (including shipping) and bought them. But, they are used and the jewel cases don't shut cleanly and so on. I would love to buy as many discs as possible at $5.99 with free shipping from BN.

 

Well, I just read through the whole thread, and though I have original shaded dogs and Classics 33 and 45 series, all the praise for the SACDs got me excited, so I ordered four titles
Pictures
Blue album
Scheherazade
Concerto for Orchestra

from Barnes and Noble. The Concerto was a little higher, I hope that it's actually available, but I'm not sure yet.
Most were 9.97, Concerto was 11.97.
I didn't get to the info about the annual sale until after I pulled the trigger, so I will be waiting for Sept 2015 to order everything else. The out of print titles are the least interesting to me anyway, and I'll probably skip the opera sets that are still available. I haven't bought digital media in years, but on the string recommendations and love for these recordings, I'll give it a try.

 

Update! B&N shipped all four titles next day, including the Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra, which some in this thread said was hard to get. In case you are missing that title, it's priced a little higher than the others, $11. IIRC.

Was curious to hear if anyone can comment on thr SQ of Pops Caviar or Fiedler in Hi Fi.

 

I bought 10 of these, and discovered one small problem... I live in an apt, with neighbors above and below, as well as next door.The dynamic range of the recordings is so HUGE, especially Leontyne Price, that I can't even play them at NIGHT, and during the day its LOUD crescendos are 'scaring the pets' Its pretty much headphones only for many of these, and Leontyne Price will melt your face off. For apartment dwellers, the Julian Breem is quiet and easy on the neighbors, but the rest might peel the paint off the walls. Still amazing recordings, very reasonable prices, and priceless historical recordings, master engineers recording some legendary performances. A thank you to Mr Hoffman, as a low budget audiophile, these are as good as it gets for under 10$.

 

I have both of those titles and they're outstanding.
My favorite, in terms of both the sound quality and the music, is the "Grand Canyon Suite / Billy The Kid Rodeo" SACD. It's really amazing.
The "Madam Butterfly" SACD with Richard Tucker and Leontyne Pryce also gets a lot of play.

 

+1

Jaw-droppingly great performance and sonics.

 

Reminds me of this discussion:
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...r-otherwise-cant-crank-your-system-up.125870/

 

I just got my first four titles, and three have 'Disc Made In Austria" on the sealing tape. The one that doesn't is Concerto for Orchestra. Have others encountered this? I don't think I have read where the discs are manufactured. These came from a US Barnes and Noble.

 

Actually, the Bartok has the same style artwork with the record spines in the background as the rest of the series but the jewel case is square rather than rounded and there is no mention of SACD anywhere! Did I get duped? I haven't opened any of them yet.

 

Pictures at an Exhibition/Night on Bald Mountain gives me the willies!

 

It DOES say remastered at Soundmirror. The catalog number is 82876 61390 2.

 

Mine does look almost identical to this but it DOES NOThave the SACD emblem on the I upper right, no mention of anything on the rear panel.

 

It is possible that B&N shipped you a regular CD of this title because that is all they had. If there is no sacd marking on the case it is likely the disc inside is not sacd. As long as you don't unwrap the disc I'm sure you could have your money refunded. I have no idea how rare the Bartok sacd is - I'd be surprised if you can't locate one somewhere along the line...........good luck! And enjoy the music - great stuff! Cheers!
---------- Chris

 

Thanks for your reply. To my knowledge, the series cover design was specific to the SACD series. But I think you may be right, especially where the case is different, and it doesn't bear the Made in Austria seal or the SACD hype sticker that is on all the others.
I was very surprised this disc was available, because no one else had it new. It's known to be hard to get or expensive. Maybe this is a gray market item that arrived to fill the demand? Maybe B&N don't realize it.

 

I agree - it is NOT an SACD

 

Let me add though that the non-SACDs do sound quite good.

 

So, buyer beware. There is at least one example of a title that looks like the SACD but on close examination it is not, but it apparently was done at Soundmirror in DSD. It is Concerto for Orchestra. I'm sure it's a great CD, but I wanted the SACD, so I'm returning it I guess.
However, if the SACD of Concerto is unavailable, maybe this is an upgrade from the red book CD since it was done at Soundmirror.
Had anyone compared the original Living Stereo CD to the CD layer of the SACD?

 

Are you aware of the Soundmirror titles being available as a CD only in almost identical packaging?

 

As an aside, all the Living Stereo transfers to DSD (stereo and 3 channel) were done by Soundmirror.

 

Not really; the non-SACDs state they're mastered using the (then new) 20-bit UV22 technology, which they probably felt / hoped would benefit 8-10 years later by being released as SACDs. At this point, I've limited myself to getting new music rather than the same title in "better-sounding" versions. Whatever marginal improvement my old ears might notice is - for me - not worth the additional expense.

Edit: and then there are the latest AP LP and SACDs of many of these same titles. Out of curiosity I did purchase the LP of the AP Scheherazade, which I already had on (non-AP) SACD. Very nice version, but I likely won't go further with LPs, unless it's something I do not have in any format.

 

Yeah, I think I've bought Scheherazade enough:
4 track tape
Shaded Dog (several)
.5 Series
Chesky
RCA LS CD
Classic 33, 180g
Classic 45, 180g
BMG SACD

I just purchased the SACD after reading the thread in the Soundmirror series.
I don't even have an SACD player!

My favorite for vinyl is the Classic 45!

 

Well I couldn't help opening it, so this is the deal. Apparently this title has been issued as a CD only release, and is a DSD remaster done by Soundmirror, and issued with virtually the same artwork as the SACD series (original cover design against a section of LP spines with a Living Stereo banner across the top. It could easily be mistaken for the SACD if you don't look closely. Are all the Soundmirror titles available as individual CDs? I can't imagine why they would bother when the Hybrid disc has a CD layer. Perhaps the titles that sold out are being replaced by these. Barnes and Noble have this listed as an SACD, so I don't think they even realize it isn't.

 

Interesting. This is the first I've heard of this. Like you, I was under the assumption that the LP spine artwork (and Soundmirror credit) was only used for the SACDs. I can only assume you're right about them perhaps beginning to reissue them as regular CDs, kind of like what was done with the Rolling Stones SACDs.