Wilson LPs

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
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Manila, Philippines
Hi,

Does anyone own Wilson LPs? I bought a lot of their titles in the 80s but somehow I did not get to like them enough, after a while, I sold them all. I have a few friends who feel the same way too. They usually sounded dull and lifeless, except maybe for the Razmatazz Vol. 1, but the prices of their 2 full symphony titles, Center Stage and Winds of War and Peace always go in the range of $150-$200 of late. I wonder if they would sound better on Wilson speakers?
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Portugal
The Francesco Trio version of Dvorak Trio Op. 90, is one of my excellent sounding LPs of chamber music.
I also own two other Wilson LPs including Bartok compositions - they sound so good that some non audiophile friends bought the CD version after listening to my LPs. BTW, the CDs also sound great.
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,451
5,564
2,810
Manila, Philippines
The Francesco Trio version of Dvorak Trio Op. 90, is one of my excellent sounding LPs of chamber music.
I also own two other Wilson LPs including Bartok compositions - they sound so good that some non audiophile friends bought the CD version after listening to my LPs. BTW, the CDs also sound great.


Thanks for the feedback, microstrip. Oh, I remember there was an Ed Graham album called "S'Wonderful" that's not bad and I heard it over a friend's WATT Puppy 6 or 7 and it actually sounded great. But somehow in my system it didn't sound that way.
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Just looked at recent completed eBay deals at eBay - there are still good deals to be found in NY:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130561871973

In Europe this Analog Productions sealed LP easily sells for three times this price.

Myles, were you the happy bidder?:)
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
Hi,

Does anyone own Wilson LPs? I bought a lot of their titles in the 80s but somehow I did not get to like them enough, after a while, I sold them all. I have a few friends who feel the same way too. They usually sounded dull and lifeless, except maybe for the Razmatazz Vol. 1, but the prices of their 2 full symphony titles, Center Stage and Winds of War and Peace always go in the range of $150-$200 of late. I wonder if they would sound better on Wilson speakers?

I was never a huge fan of the Wilson Recordings as a whole. One series that stands out: Ragtime Razzamatazz v.1-3. The others series that you should definitely check out (if you like the music) are all the James Welch organ recordings. They will test the mettle of all high-end audio system! The other that I liked, probably a little more from the musical than sonic POV, was Hyperion Knight's Gershwin arrangements. But then again, I might be prejudiced being a friend of Hyperions :)

But I was (and still am) clueless what people liked about War and Peace and Center Stage. One theory proferred to explain this disagreement over these two albums is that HP heard a test pressing and not the final version. In my investigations, it turns out that Doug Sax used two cutting lathes, one better than the other (as the P17 lathe is the better sounding Mercury pressing--not to mention it turned out better masters just before it was going to break down ;) ) and CS and WWP final versions were cut on the inferior lathe. (I'd have to check matrices to remember which was the better lathe).

Oh and yes, I've see those prices and have been considering selling my sealed dupe Wilson Recordings on eBay :)
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,451
5,564
2,810
Manila, Philippines
But I was (and still am) clueless what people liked about War and Peace and Center Stage. :)

I heard Wilson himself played these 2 classical pieces on the WAMM way back in the first HK Hifi show and I couldn't hear what's so great about the recording, or the music.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
I heard Wilson himself played these 2 classical pieces on the WAMM way back in the first HK Hifi show and I couldn't hear what's so great about the recording, or the music.

I haven't heard those LPs in over a decade, but if memory serves me right, they were amorphous and wispy sounding.
 

jadis

Well-Known Member
Apr 28, 2010
12,451
5,564
2,810
Manila, Philippines

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
what was his motive in producing these albums if they were so poor. Doesn't seem like Dave

Good question Steve :)

You also remember what happened when Dave reissued Walton's Belshazzars Feast (EMI) too? Dave was prepared to do more LPs from the EMI catalog but after the response to his first offering, he cancelled the series -- and in fact, stopped producing LPs totally--and sold the JC modded monster :(
 

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