UPDATE 2026
In 2007 we raved about this title, writing:
Outstanding! Sounds just like the already very good shaded dog, in many ways better. (I don’t have that one around to compare anymore but this LP has that same natural, smooth sound, while being cut a bit cleaner.)
We have two copies of this Victrola, both with the same stamper numbers, and this is definitely the better of the two sonically. It has more presence, more transparency and better dynamics.
In preparation for our latest big shootout, we decided to give the Victrola another listen, and the one copy we had on hand was not impressive to say the least. It was dark, thin and flat.
Three strikes and it was out. Seems as though we were wrong.
Did we have better copies in 2007? Perhaps, but not likely. We just didn’t know what we were doing when it came to this piece of music. Our advice in 2026: skip it. If you do buy one, buy it for cheap.
Our favorite for sound and performance is the Janis conducted by Dorati on Mercury.
Lately we have been writing quite a bit about how good pianos are for testing all aspects of your system, room, tweaks, electricity and the rest, not to mention turntable setup and adjustment.
- We like our pianos to sound natural (however one chooses to define the term).
- We like them to be solidly weighted.
- We like them to be free of smear, a quality that for some reason is rarely mentioned in most audiophile reviews.
Our twenty or so of our favorite piano concerto recordings with top quality sound can be found here.
Further Reading