Of all the thousands of classical and orchestral pressings auditioned to date, we have identified only about 180 that offer the serious audiophile what we would deem to be the greatest performances of those works, coupled with the highest quality sound.
Click on the link above to see the records currently making the list in 2024. In the coming years we expect to find many more of what we like to call “the best of the best,” so stay tuned if classical and orchestral vinyl with top quality sound interests you.
These are top quality records not widely appreciated by audiophiles for their superior sound quality.
We know exactly how good sounding they are. We’ve done the work — the process is called “doing record shootouts” — for practically all of them, and heard for ourselves just how good the best pressings can sound.
Further Reading
The sonic signature of the modern Heavy Vinyl Classical Reissue in Four Words: diffuse, washed out, veiled, and vague.
Bernie Grundman’s Work for Classic Records, also in Four Words: hard, sour, colored and crude