Recorded in 2008 to 15ips 2-track analog tape. Transferred to DSD256 from the master tape and released in 2015. A nice set of performances of these works by then then younger Nigel Armstrong. Nigel graduated from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia in 2004, then in CA, then as concert master for the Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2023, and now performs as a soloist in concert tours.
The album opens with a very nice performance of Bartok's very challenging Sonata for Solo Violin. moves to Bach's Violin Sonata No.3 in C Major, BWV 1005, and concludes with Korngold's romantic Violin Concerto with The Coburn Orchestra conducted by Sir Neville Marriner in Royce Hall.
As always, Bob Attiyeh's recording of both the solo instrument performances and the orchestral performance are beautifully done -- very natural sound, perfect positioning of microphones, excellent soundstage capture.
Florilegium, soprano Rowan Pierce, and Jared Sacks in one of Jared’s best recordings. Once again, Jared has found the perfect balance of soloist and ensemble, the perfect blend of direct and reflected sound, the capture of an utterly natural acoustic environment, and an overall recording that demonstrates a mastery of microphone technique that, with only a modicum of suspension of disbelief, allows the listener to close ones eyes and hear the performers live in one’s listening space. This experience is rare. It is to be cherished and celebrated.
And soprano Rowan Pierce is just marvelous. With a light, but richly well rounded, expressive voice, excellent control, and immense expressivity. She is a perfect match to this music.
A longer review will be coming in PF within the next week or so. For a taste, listen to this YT video of the final track:
Album HERE
A marvelous set of performances for piano-four-hands by two master pianists, a generation apart in age. Recorded, mixed and released in Pure DSD256. Recording engineer Gonzalo Noqué knocks this one out of the park in perhaps his best recording to date of solo piano.
NativeDSD has a special early release of this album. The regular release date for other providers will be in October. Review below:
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/eudora-josep-colom-javier-laso/
PSA: NativeDSD is offering 25% Off on any Eudora Records album during the month of September 2025, the new Mozart & Schubert album excluded. There are many WONDERFUL albums in the Eudora Catalog (most in Pure DSD256). I believe I've probably reviewed all of them here at Positive Feedback, just follow this search link: Eudora Records reviews
So, check out this opportunity for a nice discount on some great music.
NativeDSD Eudora Records Catalog
So, check out this opportunity for a nice discount on some great music.
NativeDSD Eudora Records Catalog
Just to follow up... My review of this album is posted today at Positive Feedback for those interested in a bit deeper dive about the music and performance:
Florilegium, soprano Rowan Pierce, and Jared Sacks in one of Jared’s best recordings. Once again, Jared has found the perfect balance of soloist and ensemble, the perfect blend of direct and reflected sound, the capture of an utterly natural acoustic environment, and an overall recording that demonstrates a mastery of microphone technique that, with only a modicum of suspension of disbelief, allows the listener to close ones eyes and hear the performers live in one’s listening space. This experience is rare. It is to be cherished and celebrated.
And soprano Rowan Pierce is just marvelous. With a light, but richly well rounded, expressive voice, excellent control, and immense expressivity. She is a perfect match to this music.
A longer review will be coming in PF within the next week or so. For a taste, listen to this YT video of the final track:
Album HERE
Tra Le fiamme (Among The Flames), Ashley Solomon, Florilegium, Rowan Pierce. Channel Classics
Echoes of Budapest, a homage to three friends, The Hague String Trio. Cobra Records 2025 (DXD, DSD256, Stereo, Binaural, MCh) Album HERE
Another excellent release from The Hague String Trio in a recording by Tom Peeters, Cobra Records. All early 20th Century compositions by Pál Hermann, Zoltán Székely, and Géza Frid - “three young Hungarian-Jewish composers whose lives and friendship unfolded against a backdrop of turbulent and unsettled times.” Available in DXD, DSD256, Stereo, Binaural, MCh.
I will write a review, but it will be another 2-weeks or so before it is posted. This is a an excellent new release by a Trio I have greatly valued over the past 15-20 years. Tom’s recordings are always terrific, and he delivers another great one here.
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Very enjoyable suggestions throughout this thread. And wonderful information coming from multiple sources. Ive been downloading some of the offerings and giving my Lampizator DAC a workout. Delightful playback.
Thanks to all that contributed, and to Rushton for starting the thread.
Thanks to all that contributed, and to Rushton for starting the thread.
Glad you're enjoying the albums and discussion! Please join in to share what you're listening to and finding worthwhile.
This is a saga into great high end audio recording... Tom Peeters, at Cobra Records, has long been one of my favorite recording engineers and producers. This is his 25th Anniversary of Cobra Records. In recognition, Tom has collaborated with Tom Caulfield at NativeDSD to remaster selections from over a dozen albums recorded between 2007 and 2014. Tom went back to his archives and pulled the original DSD64 tracking channels. He then had Tom Caulfield mix them to his specifications in Pure DSD256-Direct Mix using HQPlayer Pro. The results are amazing. I wrote an article about what I heard with the first preview sample track (a movement from the Marttinen Violin Concerto found in track 8 of the sampler) back in August. The final album is now released and demonstrates how truly excellent a Pure DSD mastering process can sound compared to the same track mastered in PCM.
www.nativedsd.com
Note: The remastered files are available in the Producer's Choice album only in Stereo. The original albums are stereo and MCh.
Cobra Records Mastering Comparison Pure DSD256 and DXD, with Free Sample Download Included - NativeDSD Music
View Original Tom Peeters is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Cobra Records, which he founded in the fall of 2000. As founder, recording engineer, mastering engineer, and producer of nearly 100 exquisite albums released on the Cobra Records label over these years, Tom has many accomplishments...
www.nativedsd.com
Note: The remastered files are available in the Producer's Choice album only in Stereo. The original albums are stereo and MCh.
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This is a saga into great high end audio recording... Tom Peeters, at Cobra Records, has long been one of my favorite recording engineers and producers. This is his 25th Anniversary of Cobra Records. In recognition, Tom has collaborated with Tom Caulfield at NativeDSD to remaster selections from over a dozen albums recorded between 2007 and 2014. Tom went back to his archives and pulled the original DSD64 tracking channels. He then had Tom Caulfield mix them to his specifications in Pure DSD256-Direct Mix using HQPlayer Pro. The results are amazing. I wrote an article about what I heard with the first preview sample track (a movement from the Marttinen Violin Concerto found in track 8 of the sampler) back in August. The final album is now released and demonstrates how truly excellent a Pure DSD mastering process can sound compared to the same track mastered in PCM.
View attachment 158600
Cobra Records Mastering Comparison Pure DSD256 and DXD, with Free Sample Download Included - NativeDSD Music
View Original Tom Peeters is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Cobra Records, which he founded in the fall of 2000. As founder, recording engineer, mastering engineer, and producer of nearly 100 exquisite albums released on the Cobra Records label over these years, Tom has many accomplishments...
Note: The remastered files are available in the Producer's Choice album only in Stereo. The original albums are stereo and MCh.
Review of this Producer's Choice album now posted. Highly recommended:
Cobra Records 25th Anniversary Producer's Choice Album, an Audio Education - Positive Feedback
Cobra Records 25th Anniversary Producer's Choice Album, an Audio Education
positive-feedback.com
Hello Rushton, do I understand your review correctly that you actually compared the - original - dsd 64 recording in pure dsd to the dsd 256 version in pure dsd and that you - clearly? - prefer the latter to the former?Review of this Producer's Choice album now posted. Highly recommended:
Cobra Records 25th Anniversary Producer's Choice Album, an Audio Education - Positive Feedback
Cobra Records 25th Anniversary Producer's Choice Album, an Audio Education
The original releases were NOT Pure DSD64. They were DSD64 tracks mixed in DXD (PCM) then exported from DXD to DSD64 after mixing. (Bog standard processing in the industry.) The original DSD64 tracks were/are simply microphone tracks, anywhere from 8 to 16 tracks, that have to be mixed* to create the two channel stereo release to which we actually listen.
This new mastering for the Producer's Choice release starts over with those same original DSD64 tracks and mixes them entirely in the DSD domain with no DXD. Don't let the DSD256 confuse the issue. The difference is NO conversion to DXD for mixing. This time we have a true Pure DSD mastering, the DSD tracks remain entirely in the DSD domain throughout the mixing process. And THAT is what makes the reissued tracks so special and sound so good.
Thanks for asking -- it is good to be clear about the two very different processes.
* Mixing includes level balancing, panning, EQ'ing to create the final mix that sounds good to the producer's ears for final release.
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Thanks Rushton. However, it was clear to me that the original dsd 64 recording was originally mixed in dxd. But my question is: does the current pure dsd 256 version really sounds better than the current pure dsd 64 version? Were you able to compare the pure dsd 64 to the pure dsd 256 version ?
Ahhh... Thanks for clarifying. I have not listened to the Pure DSD64 resolution provided as an option in this new remastered Producer's Choice album. So, I cannot answer your question. Tom Caulfield mastered the DSD64 and the DSD256 iterations separately in a full remastering from the original tracks, so one is not derived from the other. Beyond that I can't offer any further information, and, since I've not listened to the DSD64 iteration, I can't offer an opinion.
From a label new to me: Analog Tone Factory. Jerome Slabbagh and his partner record using all vintage tube electronics to a restored Ampex 351 tape deck, entirely on 1/2" tape at 30ips. No editing, no splicing, no post-production futzing about. He has been selling his recordings in transfers to vinyl (cut by Bernie Grundman and pressed at Gotta Groove) or as R2R tape transfers – all analog only. Recently he has transferred five of his albums to Pure DSD256 in flat transfers from the master tapes. The sound quality is just phenomenal in this first album to which I’ve been listening this morning. Four more to go. So far, I’m very excited by what I’m hearing.
This new release in the ongoing series of outstanding organ recordings from APSoon Recordings is their best yet. If you love great organ recordings, just get this now! It will blow you away.
Live recording direct to DSD256, with some of the deepest most powerful bass you will hear in a recording...
See my complete review here:
positive-feedback.com
Live recording direct to DSD256, with some of the deepest most powerful bass you will hear in a recording...
See my complete review here:
apsoon recordings at the organ - Positive Feedback
apsoon recordings at the organ
positive-feedback.com
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