Hot Stamper Classical and Orchestral Pressings Available Now
Some person on some audiophile forum might feel obligated at some point to explain to you, benighted soul that you are, that the old classical records you — and other audiophiles like you — revere so highly have to be recognized these days for what they are: drastically compromised by the limits of their old technology.
Simply put, there’s just no way they can sound good.
It’s just a fact. It’s science. Technology marches on and those old records belong on the ash heap of history collecting dust, not sitting on the platter of a modern turntable.
That’s why the audio world was crying out for Bernie Grundman to recut those Living Stereo recordings from the 50s and 60s on his modern transistorized cutting equipment and have RTI press them on quiet, flat, high-resolution 180 gram vinyl, following the best practices of an industry that everybody knows has been constantly improving for decades.
Right?
For those of us who actually play these records, there is little evidence to support this narrative.
It’s a story made up mostly of assertions, along with an unhealthy amount of faith in so-called experts. [1]
Note that Bernie had no experience cutting classical music. He was a rock, pop and jazz guy. Robert Ludwig was the classical guy, cutting hundreds of albums for labels like Nonesuch in the 60s. What a different world it would be if he was the guy who cut for Classic Records! This review gets to the heart of the matter.
However, the contrarian view outlined above only really holds true for a very small minority of audiophiles of the analog persuasion: those given to empirical testing of such propositions. [2]
For an audiophile to compare the new pressings to the old ones, proper testing requires that the following four conditions can are met:
- He or she has a revealing, accurate stereo,
- A good record cleaning system, and
- Knows how to do shootouts using his or her
- Well-developed critical listening skills
If you’ve spent much time on this blog, you’ve probably read by now that the first three on this list are what allow you to achieve the fourth.
Compromises?
The best classical recordings of the 50s, 60s and 70s were compromised in every imaginable way, yet still they sound amazing.