Esoteric Blue Note SACD's

jfrech · Aug 29, 2015

I couldn't decide where to post this, in the music forum or in the digital audio forum. I choose digital audio, if the moderators want to move it, I understand.

I am a HUGE SACD fan. But also think my vinyl is damn good too. Anyone try this Esoteric Blue Note SACD box set? I have all the titles on vinyl...curious if it's worth duplicating titles due to the SACD format and the Esoteric mastering...Thanks !!

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/107075/Various_Artists-Blue_Note_6_Great_Jazz-Hybrid_SACD%20?keywords=NL071315&utm_source=NL071315&utm_medium=005B_Esoteric&utm_campaign=AS_NL

LL21 · Aug 30, 2015

I have the Mahler 5th Barbirolli remastered by Esoteric, and can honestly say there is something about that CD which really got me hooked on Mahler in a way i still dont understand. I am SURE that much of it is Barbirolli and the music, but as an audiophile, i also have to say that there are certain crescendos that are fun to enjoy that i suspect are about Esoteric's work.

No, i have not compared with the regular Barbirolli CD, but i do really enjoy the Esoteric CD. I have read on other forums good things about some of the other Esoteric remasters...not universally good, but almost.

marslo · Aug 30, 2015

J

LL21 said:
I have the Mahler 5th Barbirolli remastered by Esoteric, and can honestly say there is something about that CD which really got me hooked on Mahler in a way i still dont understand. I am SURE that much of it is Barbirolli and the music, but as an audiophile, i also have to say that there are certain crescendos that are fun to enjoy that i suspect are about Esoteric's work.

No, i have not compared with the regular Barbirolli CD, but i do really enjoy the Esoteric CD. I have read on other forums good things about some of the other Esoteric remasters...not universally good, but almost.

I have it too, also ripped to dsd 64. Altouhg is hard to consider which one is better: sacd played with La Fontaine or dsd file played with Lampi B7 , there is clear that channelclassics release of Mahler's no 2 under Ivan Fisher outoperforms both in dynamics and soundstage.

https://channelclassics.nativedsd.com/albums/symphony-no-2-in-cminor-resurrection

LL21 · Aug 30, 2015

marslo said:
J

I have it too, also ripped to dsd 64. Altouhg is hard to consider which one is better: sacd playd with La Fontaine or dsd file played with Lampi B7 , there is clear that channelclassics release of Mahler's no 2 under Ivan Fisher outoperforms both in dynamics and soundstage.

https://channelclassics.nativedsd.com/albums/symphony-no-2-in-cminor-resurrection

Funny that you should say that...i agree! I have searched high and low and listened to loads of different Mahlers for the rest of the symphonic works...I ended up getting Fischer 1, 2, 4 and 9!

LL21 · Oct 25, 2015

jfrech said:
I couldn't decide where to post this, in the music forum or in the digital audio forum. I choose digital audio, if the moderators want to move it, I understand.

I am a HUGE SACD fan. But also think my vinyl is damn good too. Anyone try this Esoteric Blue Note SACD box set? I have all the titles on vinyl...curious if it's worth duplicating titles due to the SACD format and the Esoteric mastering...Thanks !!

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/107075/Various_Artists-Blue_Note_6_Great_Jazz-Hybrid_SACD%20?keywords=NL071315&utm_source=NL071315&utm_medium=005B_Esoteric&utm_campaign=AS_NL

Wow...just saw this again! I posted someplace recently around here a comparison between this set (which i just got) and the Analogue Productions and RVG versions. So far, my favorite is the Esoteric set. Fortunately, 3 are ones i have long contemplated getting (but never did) so no duplication which i generally do not like. But the 3 i do have are surpassed by Esoteric so go for it if you wish. i am glad i did.

Keith_W · Oct 25, 2015

I have been collecting the Esoteric remasters for quite a while. What I found is that the improvements can be quite variable.

For example, this is a very rare Esoteric remaster of Solti's famous performance of Wagner's complete Ring cycle. You can see in my collection, I have: the original vinyl pressing, the Esoteric SACD remaster, and the Decca remaster from 1984 (the original remaster, not the 2012 remaster which I have not heard). The 1984 remaster is well known for all the sonic sins of the period - the treble is almost painful to listen to, and it sounds scrappy and coarse. The vinyl pressing is nowhere near as sibilant and bright as the 1984 CD version, and sounds much more natural. The Esoteric SACD comes very close to vinyl, with plenty of instrumental texture that is missing from the CD version. I can't really compare the Esoteric to the vinyl in other respects because of other variables (e.g. the quality of my turntable, cartridge, etc) but it is a definite improvement over the CD.

However, this is not to say that the Esoteric SACD remaster is better than modern digital recordings. Modern RBCD recordings (2005 onwards) by Deutsche Grammofon are actually quite good.

If you want an excellent digital version of a classic recording, the Esoteric SACD's are the way to go.

LL21 · Oct 25, 2015

Keith_W said:
I have been collecting the Esoteric remasters for quite a while. What I found is that the improvements can be quite variable.

For example, this is a very rare Esoteric remaster of Solti's famous performance of Wagner's complete Ring cycle. You can see in my collection, I have: the original vinyl pressing, the Esoteric SACD remaster, and the Decca remaster from 1984 (the original remaster, not the 2012 remaster which I have not heard). The 1984 remaster is well known for all the sonic sins of the period - the treble is almost painful to listen to, and it sounds scrappy and coarse. The vinyl pressing is nowhere near as sibilant and bright as the 1984 CD version, and sounds much more natural. The Esoteric SACD comes very close to vinyl, with plenty of instrumental texture that is missing from the CD version. I can't really compare the Esoteric to the vinyl in other respects because of other variables (e.g. the quality of my turntable, cartridge, etc) but it is a definite improvement over the CD.

However, this is not to say that the Esoteric SACD remaster is better than modern digital recordings. Modern RBCD recordings (2005 onwards) by Deutsche Grammofon are actually quite good.

If you want an excellent digital version of a classic recording, the Esoteric SACD's are the way to go.

Fantastic post and great to know...i picked up that Solti 1984 version a long time and it has been collecting dust ever since...may give the Esoterics a try. Thanks!

LL21 · Oct 25, 2015

Wow! Amazon has them for $2K! Eeeks...ok, maybe that's a wish list thing!

Keith_W · Oct 25, 2015

I did tell you that they were rare! I think I paid $1k for my set when it was new. It was a limited run of a few hundred copies - they were snapped up very quickly. I hear that the 2012 Decca remaster is much better, so perhaps that's the one you should go for if you want to avoid the awful sound of the 1984 remaster.

As I alluded to earlier, this particular example shows an obvious benefit for the Esoteric remaster because Decca's 1984 remaster was incompetently done.

I have a shelf full of these Esoteric remasters. Unfortunately I can't comment on whether most of the others are better than the CD remasters because I do not own duplicates on CD.

LL21 · Oct 25, 2015

Keith_W said:
I did tell you that they were rare! I think I paid $1k for my set when it was new. It was a limited run of a few hundred copies - they were snapped up very quickly. I hear that the 2012 Decca remaster is much better, so perhaps that's the one you should go for if you want to avoid the awful sound of the 1984 remaster.

As I alluded to earlier, this particular example shows an obvious benefit for the Esoteric remaster because Decca's 1984 remaster was incompetently done.

I have a shelf full of these Esoteric remasters. Unfortunately I can't comment on whether most of the others are better than the CD remasters because I do not own duplicates on CD.

Thanks! i have the CD-Remaster from 2012 on order now (used) from Amazon!...looking forward to 'relistening' to this after quite some time...thanks again!

And BTW, if you EVER decide you wish to sell your Esoteric CDs...i am hereby officially asking for a chance to go thru the collection and make you an offer to buy!!

RBFC · Oct 25, 2015

The recent Blu-ray release of The Ring is much better then the earlier remasters as well, presented in 24-bit version.

Lee

NorthStar · Oct 25, 2015

? Great flick ... DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) audio soundtrack.
Top-notch sound and picture...on Blu.

RBFC · Oct 25, 2015

NorthStar said:
? Great flick ... DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) audio soundtrack.
Top-notch sound and picture...on Blu.

Not the "Ring" under discussion, Bob.

We're talking about Sir George Solti's recording of Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle", (Der Ring des Nibelungens) the four-part opera series. It's one of the most famous recordings of all time.

Lee

NorthStar · Oct 25, 2015

Sorry Lee, ...Sunday morning after an emotionally active Saturday night live. :b

* Still a great flick though on Blu-ray...highly recommended (filmed in 2002).

LL21 · Oct 25, 2015

RBFC said:
The recent Blu-ray release of The Ring is much better then the earlier remasters as well, presented in 24-bit version.

Lee

Thanks...redbook here so will stick to the cd versions.

amirm · Oct 25, 2015

RBFC said:
Not the "Ring" under discussion, Bob.

We're talking about Sir George Solti's recording of Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle", (Der Ring des Nibelungens) the four-part opera series. It's one of the most famous recordings of all time.

Lee

Is this the one Lee? http://www.amazon.com/Ring-Nibelung...&refinements=p_n_format_browse-bin:2650305011

RBFC · Oct 25, 2015

Here's the one, with Sir George Solti conducting:

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Ring-N...=1445819272&sr=8-2&keywords=solti+ring+wagner

Lee

amirm · Oct 25, 2015

Ah thanks. So this is an audio-only BD?

RBFC · Oct 25, 2015

amirm said:
Ah thanks. So this is an audio-only BD?

Yes.

Lee

LL21 · Nov 7, 2015

I got the Ring - Solti Remaster on CD...F-A-R better!!! The other set was sitting on my shelf...not a huge fan of opera in the first place so listening to tin opera was a no-go. Listened to the first 2 CDs already! Great stuff...thanks for bringing this music back into the collection (rather than collecting dust on the shelf)!

Keith_W said:
I did tell you that they were rare! I think I paid $1k for my set when it was new. It was a limited run of a few hundred copies - they were snapped up very quickly. I hear that the 2012 Decca remaster is much better, so perhaps that's the one you should go for if you want to avoid the awful sound of the 1984 remaster.

As I alluded to earlier, this particular example shows an obvious benefit for the Esoteric remaster because Decca's 1984 remaster was incompetently done.

I have a shelf full of these Esoteric remasters. Unfortunately I can't comment on whether most of the others are better than the CD remasters because I do not own duplicates on CD.

Esoteric Blue Note SACD's

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