I'm seeing five individuals, for whom two are Top Billing not a group of musicians whose names are promoted graphically above the composition that they are performing as if it's about them.
The back of my speaker reads: "Made in the UK by KEF AUDIO (UK) Ltd. Maidstone, ME 15 6QP" (Then there is a little Union Jack flag attached.) Was that an actual factory site 20 years ago?
It certainly gets your attention. I've seen worse. The art director probably hopes to attract a newer generation of buyers who might find the old style "art & nature" covers as stuffy.
Now playing Benjamin Britten's "Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra" with the composer conducting The London Symphony Orchestra. This is a 1967 re-reissue of the 1964 original (also from London).
Talking about KEF, I'm very happy with my LS50 speakers. They're small but excellent monitors, and they do sound better than the various electrostatics I've had over the years, including Quad.
Whilst I live in London, my most consistent source of classical vinyl is a small shop in Manchester which mainly sells rock and pop. I'm always the only guy looking at the classical section which is great for me - most of the records are near mint. Prices normally £1.50 for an LP, no matter what it is! Discogs is expensive on the whole but when I do buy, I generally stick to sellers from Germany and the Netherlands as they tend to be stricter with their grading in my experience.
Now on the turntable, record 2 from "The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book" performed by Christopher Hogwood on L'Oiseau Lyre.
Very nice - I have only heard good things said about these speakers. The active models look interesting too ... How do they handle large scale orchestral music?
On this gray Tuesday afternoon, now playing a favorite... Scriabin Piano Sonatas 1, 6, & 8, plus the Four Pieces, Op.51, on this London LP from 1987. Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano. Looking at this playing and thinking about the conversation earlier regarding "physical media" vs. computer downloads/streaming.... I'm sure it's just me, but I get a great deal of satisfaction from this scene as music fills my room-- a turntable tracking a record and the physical album jacket the recording was issued with. Perhaps this is one reason--however small--that vinyl is seeing some uptick in interest. People, especially the young, may be getting a bit bored staring at computer monitors, iPads & phones all the time, including while music is playing. With a turntable going, you can see something making the music!
I have Quad speakers in my home theater setup. KEF is used for my critical music listening with different gear. Either way, I like the "British" sound!
Really? That would be so cool. So kind of you. What kind of operas ? Do you remember ? I will pay for the shipping of course....even if it's for a few LPs or boxsets at a time. Maybe next year we can talk about. Right now I am still saving for this trip we are undertaking.
