Yes, there is that, but I've seen some pretty sad looking 598s, too. I think a lot of it depends on owner care and maintenance. And you can see the difference with the 698: The plastic tone arm support and/or the plastic head shell are often broken on these today.
IIRC, I noticed the name Benz in that link as the buyer of Empire assets. I wonder if that is the same company that markets the Benz Glider line of phono cartridges. I believe it is a Swiss company and its phono cartridges are quite pricey.
I don't know, but that would make sense as they continued to produce Empire cartridges for a while after discontinuing turntable production.
Now listening to a 24/96 FLAC version--way better than the Qobuz stream, which sounded pretty good. The playing is phenomenal.
My absolute favorite. I've got other Messiahs but after years of listening this is the only one I still want to listen to.
Gustav Holst was born 145 years ago yesterday (Sept. 21). Playing his The Planets, performed by the VPO under Karajan. Originally recorded in the early '60s by Decca, this is a London Records "Jubilee" line re-release from 1981.
Listening to CD 10 from "Emma Kirkby - The Complete Recitals" on L'Oiseau-Lyre. Handel - Cantatas - Italian Cantatas, Duets and Trio Haydn - Arias from The Creation Emma Kirkby, Judith Nelson (sopranos) David Thomas (bass) Christopher Hogwood and The Academy Of Ancient Music
Now playing CD1 from the following twofer from my JS Bach collection. Susan Sheppard was the principal cellist of the AAM under Christopher Hogwood during the golden years ...
First listen to CDs 10 & 11 from "Cecilia Bartoli - Rossini Edition" on Decca. "La Cenerentola" - Coro e Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna led by Riccardo Chailly.
Anything on Caro Mitis is stunning!! The most natural sounding SACDs I've heard! Oh ya......C.P.E. Bach rocks!
Listening to music of Georg Philipp Telemann: Four Cantatas From "Harmonischer Gottesdienst" (1725/26). Performed by The New York Chamber Soloists with Charles Bressler, tenor. Sung in German; album liner notes provide English translation. Nonesuch Records, 1967.
From the biggest box set I have — DG Archiv’s analog-era (1959-81) collection of 50 CDs ... Telemann’s magazine series “The Constant Music Master.”
Yes, it’s true. In Germany, the inner sleeves were individually sealed by the record store with a little piece of paper at the inner sleeve opening. When you bought it they wrote the purchase date on it and you could return it within 14 days if unopened. Many of my 1960s records have that seal. I don’t know what they did in the 70s. I recently bought a still-in-shrinkwrap record—it was from the early 1980s.
I want to thank you for calling the Hogwood recordings back to my attention. Just played the First Symphony on Spotify and got tons more pleasure from the experience than when I first heard the AAM recording (on a library CD) 25 years ago. Shouldn’t have taken it for granted back then — this was great.
Its funny how the aproach of Beethoven's 250th anniversary had brought is music more often to this thread lately than was usual. Guilty me also.