How is the quality of the A&M audiophile series LPs?

I have no experience with any of these pressings and I was wondering what the quality is like. Specifically the Supertramp albums Crisis, What Crisis, and Even in the Quietest Moments.
Feedback appreciated.

John

 

Most people seem to hate them.

I have just one: Supertramp's "Crime of the Century", and I like it *a lot*. I like it better than the MoFi cd, even better than Tom Port's fabled Speakers Corner LP version.

 

I bought a couple of the Supertramp albums and they are non too bad - it's just that the domestic copies I picked up are a little bit special and were much cheaper and easier to get hold of for me

All the best - Andrew

 

I found a mint Audiophile copy of "Quietest Moments" in the .99 bin at the thrift store.

I like it a lot!

Ray

 

I've got Crime, Quietest Moments and Breakfast in America, and I like all of them. Nice, quiet vinyl-and the high end is far smoother than on any CD issue of these albums (especially Breakfast).

 

I have the Audiophile Series of Crime Of The Century and Breakfast In America. They are clean sounding, for sure, but I prefer the UK, Canadian and US STERLING originals of Crime. More open and airy. I don't have another version of Breakfast to compare. Also have Styx Equinox and Nazareth's Greatest Hits. Again, the original Canadian Equinox sounds better to me.

 

Any opinions on these? I picked up Zenyatta Mondatta today. Sounds great to my ears, though I have nothing to compare it with (the 8-track I had as a kid is long gone).

There is a listing of other LPs in the series here:

http://www.amcorner.com/features/feature_view.php?fetchtopic=40

 

I have never heard these.

However, the A&M stock copy I have of this Police title sounds excellent, mastered at Sterling by Ted Jensen, I think. Used copies are relatively cheap and plentiful. It's hard to imagine anyone besting it.

later, chris

 

I got Tea for the Tillerman back in 1980, nice quiet pressing, nothing special in the sound dept.

I took it back and got the MFSL pressing, I am happier.

 

Many of the old A & Ms originals sound excellent. Be hard to beat the sound of those. Especially the tan labels. I've noticed that the later white (lighter) ones often don't sound as good as an earlier tan pressing of the same material.

 

The copy I bought today was $7.50, so I can't complain.

 

You're funny. The stock A&M 'Tea for the Tillerman' trounces the MFSL for SQ.
Just ask Tom Port.

I have the Audiophile Masters pressings of 'Breakfast In America' and 'Regatta De Blanc'.
They do indeed sound great.

 

You're too funny, no really!

 

They're pretty good. They're on that lovely JVC Supervinyl that MFSL uses to use. Unfortunately not all the copies I have are in pristine condition, but they're decent enough. However I think that the Speakers Corner "Crime of the Century" knocks the socks off the A&M Audiophile series pressing...

 

It's in quadraphonic?

 

I have a bunch of these. They are actually pretty well done one for the most part.

One that is great is Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis?

Hey, Tom likes it too. And you know what? He's right.

 

The A&M audiophile series is the only way I know to get an audiophile label pressing of the Police debut Outlandos d'Amour. It's got one of my favorite tracks, So Lonely, and Roxanne is on that one too.

I haven't A/B'd this with anything, but I recall it sounding quite good. Is anyone aware of something better out there?

 

The A&M Audiophile Series were available through A&M Records of Canada. They were half speed mastered at JVC Cutting Center and pressed by JVC Japan on Super Vinyl. They were imported to the USA by several Import distributors and excellent LP pressings in sound and surfaces. They are cut at lower level and very dynamic so crank up.

 

I have 2 of them, one Canadian pressing, Supertramp Crime of the century, and one West German copy of Stix The Grand illusion.
They sounds fantastic and they are cheap, I paid less than $10 for the Supertramp and less than $5 for the Styx

 

I had the Styx Equinox A&M Audiophile Series LP and got rid of it real quick.

That thing was way too bright and the stock A&M is way more tonally correct.

 

I liked The Grand Illusion one. It's different from the normal version as it has an abrupt ending on "Man in the Wilderness" instead of the usual fade-out.

 

I remember these albums when they came out.
That's the one had, too. But the version I wanted(but never heard) was the Nautilus pressing and it was pretty expensive at the time.

 

I have the Equinox one but have not listened to it yet.

Pat

 

I have a couple - Carpenters "The Singles 1969-73" and a Gino Vanelli one. I used to have a Cat Stevens one, but foolishly gave it awa when I bought the CD.

 

Which Gino title came out?