Bill Evans... new Boxset from AP

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by abor1g, Dec 5, 2009.

  1. Vibrolux_Reverb

    Vibrolux_Reverb Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    With Village Vanguard, Yes. I agree that the 45 sounds better, it just isn't a huge difference to my ears. I would compare it to listening to a Classic Series Blue Note (assuming it is a flawless pressings) to a Music Matters 45. You have to give the edge to the 45, but any audiophile would be more than happy with the Classic Series.

    The OJC Village Vanguard is very nice imo. It is dynamic and dead quite. You hear all the little details. The 45 offers a bigger sound stage and a little more emphasis to bass and drums, which I like a lot.

    While there is no denying that the 45 is better, the 80s OJC is very very nice.
     
    kt66brooklyn and teag like this.
  2. biodawg

    biodawg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    I feel like it's both. They probably have a limited number of sets still available and are trying to squeeze every penny (or hundred dollar bills) out on the last few.
     
  3. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Yeah, no. The OJCs are very good, but they're not in the same league as the AP 45s. The APs should be MUCH more spacious, with much greater micro-dynamic nuance.
     
  4. I guess "huge" difference is hard to quantify, but I find the AP better in pretty much every way. Soundstage, imaging, clarity, macro and micro dynamics, transients, decay, etc. The AP is 3 dimensional in a way that puts you front and center of the club, which I do not get from the OJC.

    The 80s OJCs are a great value. I have a ton of them. They do vary in SQ a bit IME, and I personally don't find SatVV to be one of their best efforts. There are some I prefer to their more recent audiophile counter parts, but as far as Bill Evans go, the 2 I've compared are not in that conversation.
     
  5. Vibrolux_Reverb

    Vibrolux_Reverb Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    I disagree. It is in fact better, but it isn't this great huge difference that just leaves the OJC in the dust. I would take the AP45 every time over the OJC. It is better to my ears for sure. Not in a totally different league though. Maybe my equipment isn't revealing enough and on another system the differences are more vast, but it is still very nice equipment that sounds very very good. I often times read stuff on here like one pressing just blows the other out of the water, when in fact it is just simply better.

    Now if we were talking a nice modern digital transfer or something like that, then yes. I can see it being in a totally different league from that.
     
    this_machine likes this.
  6. I will also add that the 70's Japanese VMI release of Village Vanguard is excellent and the last time I compared this title I preferred it to the OJC, but still not on par with the AP. YMMV
     
    AaronW likes this.
  7. Hershiser

    Hershiser Forum Resident

    I should know better than to chime in on this, but AS citing “supply and demand” does not seem to applicable in this situation. They are the manufacturer therefore they control the supply. It not is not as if they are trying to secure the product on an open market to then sell to you. The manufacturing and production costs are on them. This sets a precedent that all manufacturers who are also retailers can press up a few at a time and create FOMO, hence artificial demand with a forced limited supply. It just doesn’t seem right but as long as people are willing to pony up the price I guess more power to them.
     
  8. It was mentioned previously, but licensing can limit AP from a supply standpoint. If the label only lets them press x amount, that's all they can do.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  9. Vibrolux_Reverb

    Vibrolux_Reverb Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    Ill put it this way. If I had to assign a number system to the version I have heard of Village Vanguard, it would look something like this

    AP45 95/100
    80's OJC - 90/100
    Modern OJC - 83/100
    Pandora - 65/100

    I definitely agree the AP45 is fantastic, and I would love to hear the One Step one day, but the main point that I was trying to make is that the OJC is a great option that will leave you very satisfied if you can't swing $900 for this box set.
     
  10. Hershiser

    Hershiser Forum Resident

    True, but haven’t they already negotiated that with the licensing fee they can sell x amount of records at y price to make a sizable profit already. If they hadn’t pressed up to the licensing fee on the first or second press.
     
    Greenmonster2420 likes this.
  11. Yeah, one would imagine. I have no idea either way, just speculating.
     
  12. Swordsandchains

    Swordsandchains True metal never rusts

    Location:
    Chicago
    Its greed, plain and simple.
     
  13. topekatj

    topekatj Forum Resident

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Put a RSD sticker on it (the $900 box set) and it’s a wrap.
     
    Swordsandchains likes this.
  14. And I’m sure you have never sold a record for more than you paid for it?
     
    4-2-7 likes this.
  15. Swordsandchains

    Swordsandchains True metal never rusts

    Location:
    Chicago
    Personally purchased items? Yes. My own releases on my label? No. I keep my retail prices fair so everyone can enjoy. Some of my releases have tripled on discogs yet when i found extra copies in the archives, i priced them at normal retail price.

    this has soured me on AP, this is MMJ territory of price raising. Glad there isnt much they have coming that i want, spend my money elsewhere.
     
  16. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    Pretty sure you can listen to all his music for free these days.
    Buying these records are another thing entirely and have a price that not everyone can afford just like many things in life. Just because you would like to own something doesn't mean you're entitled to, or at least at the price you're willing to pay for it.

    Do you also think his live shows where affordable to everyone? or maybe they just where for the elite.
     
  17. vinylshadow

    vinylshadow Forum Resident

    Location:
    The south
    Is that the new nickname for the AP Miles UHQR?
     
    ETSEQ, Fizzle, jo66hn and 1 other person like this.
  18. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    I always like your outlook in your post, just thought I'd let you know that.....:righton:
     
    Jellis77 likes this.
  19. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    I still have my front row ticket to see Bill Evans in the months before his death in an exotic 1920's theater.

    It was $6.50.

    The minimum wage at the time here was $6 per hour.

    So, one hour pay for a minimum wage worker. Front row, too.

    Bill played for almost two hours.

    It was affordable and not for the elite.
     
  20. audiotom

    audiotom I can not hear a single sound as you scream

    Location:
    New Orleans La USA
    22 records $900
    That is $41 a slab for lush music in a lavish presentation.
    And it is already backordered


    Yes - it cost more than it was 5 years ago
    So is everything else
    Hats off to Acoustic Sounds for re-releasing this
    It is quite an undertaking
    You can’t blame Acoustic Sounds for not wanting to take a loss on it

    Chad Kassem is very aware of prices on the secondary market

    Going 200 gram was a poor mistake
    Has anybody bought this here?
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2021
    ssmith3046 and 4-2-7 like this.
  21. Swordsandchains

    Swordsandchains True metal never rusts

    Location:
    Chicago
    i think the problem we have is the ridiculous price increase in a short amount of time. This price was $600 and all of a sudden in a week its $900 with 0 warning.

    not to mention AP/AS was a little misleading about their price increases. They went out of their way to say all $35 LPs are going up to $40 and $55 lps up to $60. Yet they raised the price of all their LPs by $5. Why didnt they just say all their LP releases were going up by $5?

    it made sense when this box went up from $600 to $660, $5 a 45 album. So even that made sense but then a couple days after that price increase, BAM $300 total price increase. Ridiculous.
     
  22. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    I remembered when people squawked about paying $90 for a MFSL One Step.
    Now they order two @ $125 each.

    I remember when buying OOP Classic Record, MFSL, DCC and other titles for $50 - $100 seemed like a lot of money for a record. Clarity Test pressing boxes and the 45 RPM Series for $150-$300 seemed like a lot of doe for a title.

    Now brand new titles and box sets cost this and more, making old prices look reasonable. BTW there are many old OOP records from the above manufacturers that are cream of the crop in the audiophile record world, many of them are still sitting at these old prices. They are off the radar for many that have just gotten into records.

    Everyone should be prepared that everything is going to start costing a lot more due to inflation and supply chain troubles. If you're having a hard time keeping up with the Joneses the past year or so, it's only going to get worse in all aspects of lifes needs the next coming years.

    You don't have to get every record, you can always, listen to the music some other way that's just as enjoyable, or on another pressing.
     
    Greenmonster2420 likes this.
  23. For labels like AP and MMJ, keeping it at retail doesn't help "everyone enjoy". They get bought up by flippers who charge even more on the secondary market. In some sense, you could argue the price increase actually helps real fans get access to the music. The $900 sets might force flippers to pass and people who really want it that may have been forced to pay the $1300 secondary market price get it for $900.

    Just playing devils advocate here. I'm not a fan of this increase and think it's quite high. But at the same time, I've had some albums in my collection that I bought for $50 and wanted to get rid of them. Come to find they are worth $200. Maybe it's greedy of me to sell for $200, but guess what? If I list them for $50 there's a good chance someone will scoop them up solely to go sell them for $200.

    I think to write off MMJ or AP entirely because of their pricing games is throwing the baby out with the bath water. These labels have some of the absolute finest audiophile reissues in existence. I totally get a certain release being too expensive and passing, but to write off the whole label for principle seems a bit silly to me.
     
    NorthNY Mark likes this.
  24. 4-2-7

    4-2-7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Peninsula
    First off I wanted to ask someone with an AP preorder if you might be able to do this, since I'v never preordered from them.

    You said you have had a preorder in for a long time, your card is not charged and they haven't even started to fill your order. I wounded if it would be possible for you to change the quantity of your preorder on their site? Your preorder is dated and the price is locked in, but the quantity and modifying it may not be, just thought I might mention that...:whistle:

    Not that I want one or anything just saying and thinking out loud:confused:
     
  25. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    I had the box once but sold it. I sold all my albums before a move out of state. It's a beautiful set and sounds excellent. $300 is a bunch but everything that's used to make records and cardboard is going up in price fast. Just getting everything you need to make records and covers to where they're going for manufacturing cost a lot more. Have seen the price of beef lately? Five dollar gas on both coasts in certain areas. Three hundred is a lot though.
     
    4-2-7 and Greenmonster2420 like this.

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