American Sound AS-2000 Installations- Far East (Tango)

[Audiophile Bill]

i Bill

Truth be told I am quite ignorant when it comes to classical music. I know what I like and what I don't. Having said that I can attest to the fact that hearing Ed's tapes (and there are many) that they are so well recorded that on some of them the hair on my arms stood up. IOW for me, Ed's tapes generated a true interest in classical music, something which I never really expected. Perhaps the same might occur for Tang was my only point

Hey fair enough, Steve.

 

[asiufy]

I'm having limited luck procuring original pressings in 60s and 70s prog and fusion, without copious surface noise.

£150 spent on Pink Swirl label Charisma Genesis "Trespass", plus a whole bunch of other Genesis and Yes purchases have had to go back for refunds.

A lot of NM or EX+/++ rock vinyl looks pristine, but plays poorly at best, abysmally at worst.

Is it any better in the classical collectors world?

My temptation is just to go for cheaper NM/EX £10 titles on Ebay, buy in bulk, and unearth some gems.

In my experience, classical is much better than old rock, and jazz is right in the middle. I've bought like 3 Yes "Album" originals at "NM" that click and pop all the way through. Not to mention that ones that DO look NM, they when you go and play it, all the high frequencies are MIA... Sucks... But in the store, we have a lot of classical LPs that do not look a day old, fresh from the factory, yet they are 60s/70s pressings.
For some reason, classical listeners tended (tend) to preserve their LPs better...

 

[Tango]

Tang if you want to hear Chopin well recorded I suggest you contact Ed Pong here from Ultraanalogue Recordings. If memory serves me he has several Chopin recordings on R2R and looking through my library, I have them

The recordings by Ed are always superior to anything else I have found in Classical. I found these 2 samplers below to give me a flavor of Chopin

Chopin – Andante Spinato Grand Polonaise Brilliante & Saint Saens – Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso & Sarasate – Introduction & Tarantella (Live)

$275.00

Chopin Ballade No.1 and Liszt Venezia e Napoli
$275.00

Yun-Yang Lee, piano

Hi Steve,

I have a few of Ed's tapes. I dont remember if I have Chopin.

I havent hooked up tape machine to LL1.1. Which input do you connect your tape machine to the pre.

Best,
Tang

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Steve,

I have a few of Ed's tapes. I dont remember if I have Chopin.

I havent hooked up tape machine to LL1.1. Which input do you connect your tape machine to the pre.

Best,
Tang

I use the Tape Input Tang

I use the Direct input for my turntable and the Line in for my digital

 

[Steve Williams]

One thing I have learned in music Tang is one man's passion is another man's poison. Like you I know what I like when it comes to classical but I also know that Ed's tapes stimulated my interest. That was my only point

 

[Tango]

I use the Tape Input Tang

I use the Direct input for my turntable and the Line in for my digital

Currently I am using Line 1 for phono. I will try Tape for tape and direct for phono like you. How are you finding the differences anyway.

Thanks,
Tang

 

[spiritofmusic]

In my experience, classical is much better than old rock, and jazz is right in the middle. I've bought like 3 Yes "Album" originals at "NM" that click and pop all the way through. Not to mention that ones that DO look NM, they when you go and play it, all the high frequencies are MIA... Sucks... But in the store, we have a lot of classical LPs that do not look a day old, fresh from the factory, yet they are 60s/70s pressings.
For some reason, classical listeners tended (tend) to preserve their LPs better...

Alex, I'm gonna seriously pull out of the Holy Grail of pricey original pressings. There's more joy to be had raiding my reasonably priced local record stores, and empty their shelves of affordable classical vinyl.

Having a lot of fun here at Blue58's listening to his exemplary SGM/Aqua Formula XHD. I tortured him w some Roon located Japanese Zeuhl on an allied Brand X search. He hated it, I loved it.

I think I'm starting to get the Joy Of Stream more and more.

FWIW, more and more I'm realising I can't be without streaming indefinitely, but w SQ of prog and fusion not digital's strong point, it'll be just for finding genre gems not on disc, and discovering classical.

 

[Steve Williams]

Currently I am using Line 1 for phono. I will try Tape for tape and direct for phono like you. How are you finding the differences anyway.

Thanks,
Tang

Vlad's instructions is to use Direct for your best source as it somehow bypasses a lot of things that otherwise go through Line


IMO the best sound s through the Direct input

 

[Folsom]

Nope. They are mostly bad and no point buying imo except because it feels addictive to keep searching till you unearth something

Hm, I don't care about digital really. Some of the fun is I discover good albums for cheap, too.

What I hate is the people who comb these boards and raise the prices on stuff. It's not a guess, you can watch prices increase whenever audiophiles talk about albums. I'm not saying I would never pay $130 for an album, because I have and will continue to do so but... I do end up buying less out of a little dismay with the situation. I'll put great recordings to the back of my "wish list" that grows faster than I buy. I'll forget about albums I've added when I see sellers wishful pricing that I won't touch.

One good thing is that there's almost always some great classical recording no one is familiar with, and you stumble onto. For example I have a "Decca Gold" that's a promo press (pink label) and it sounds darn good, yet Decca Gold's are usually noisy lo-fi and only worth it for really good pieces (they are not the same vinyl mixture, it's obvious).

 

[rockitman]

Vlad's instructions is to use Direct for your best source as it somehow bypasses a lot of things that otherwise go through Line


IMO the best sound s through the Direct input

That shouldn’t be. If it’s true, that’s a design compromise I don’t understand. All pre inputs should sound the same. That would be my preference.

 

[Steve Williams]

Well we will have to agree to disagree

From the Lamm manual

DIRECT. Through this input an audio signal is transmitted directly into POTENTIOMETER, OUTPUT LEVEL bypassing the MONITOR and Selector switches.

To me this is a good thing for sure

 

[kodomo]

Tang, have you heard or do you have the Itzhak Perlman rendition of Chaconne. It is more romantic and less baroque sounding but I really like it. I like Kogan and love this piece, so I will be looking for it.

 

[Tango]

Tang, have you heard or do you have the Itzhak Perlman rendition of Chaconne. It is more romantic and less baroque sounding but I really like it. I like Kogan and love this piece, so I will be looking for it.

Yes I have. The Perlman's interpretation is very different imo. I like the Kogan one because it sounds more tragic more sacrifice. It feels like you are a hero who have to take the blame that you cant say for the greater good. But yet you still stay strong walking the street in a sunshine day.

Coincidentally, What I described above is what Bonzo delusionally think of himself while walking the street in London puting his ear phone on listening to this tune. And It would really be a tragic if he daydreamed walking and got hit buy a car.

Tang

 

[JackD201]

Khun Tang, you and Ked are HILARIOUS! Hahahaha!

 

[kodomo]

the

Yes I have. The Perlman's interpretation is very different imo. I like the Kogan one because it sounds more tragic more sacrifice. It feels like you are a hero who have to take the blame that you cant say for the greater good. But yet you still stay strong walking the street in a sunshine day.

Coincidentally, What I described above is what Bonzo delusionally think of himself while walking the street in London puting his ear phone on listening to this tune. And It would really be a tragic if he daydreamed walking and got hit buy a car.

Tang

Tang, your tragic hero theme is spot on!

 

[bonzo75]

Yes I have. The Perlman's interpretation is very different imo. I like the Kogan one because it sounds more tragic more sacrifice. It feels like you are a hero who have to take the blame that you cant say for the greater good. But yet you still stay strong walking the street in a sunshine day.

Coincidentally, What I described above is what Bonzo delusionally think of himself while walking the street in London puting his ear phone on listening to this tune. And It would really be a tragic if he daydreamed walking and got hit buy a car.

Tang

Tang, do you have the Perlman chaconne too? I know you have his Pagannini caprices. Apologies if it makes it sound as if I think you do not know the difference between Bach and paganini. But then I don't think of you in heroic terms

 

[microstrip]

(...)
DIRECT. Through this input an audio signal is transmitted directly into POTENTIOMETER, OUTPUT LEVEL bypassing the MONITOR and Selector switches.

To me this is a good thing for sure

Surely - I connect the Vivaldi DAC directly to it!
Although the difference is mainly academic - monitor just adds another high quality switch.

 

[bonzo75]

Tang, have you heard or do you have the Itzhak Perlman rendition of Chaconne. It is more romantic and less baroque sounding but I really like it. I like Kogan and love this piece, so I will be looking for it.

The Perlman play is a bit too non-virtuouso for this piece which requires that.

 

[bonzo75]

From my article on the General's system

"Roy Gregory did a write up comparing Coup Darchet (CD) and Electric Recording Co. (ERC) reissues of Joanna Martzy. http://www.theaudiobeat.com/blog/martzy.htm

Roy has rated the CD pressing superior to the ERC. Both Bill and I got to compare the ERC to the CDs at the General’s place. The CD sounded underwater and muffled compared to the ERC. Bill also compared the original mono (I was not present), and he ranked it in between the two. But Martzy’s performance is nowhere the best, though priced so high. The General later played us a rare edition of Chaconne, which is the best violin I have heard at his place. In fact, that haunted me so much, that for the next few mornings, I would wake up and play Chaconne on my mobile in bed…one of those things that began to play in my mind the first thing I woke up. In fact, one day at work I walked down, went to a quiet corner of the road, and played Chaconne to put myself as ease. After much deliberation, I decided to buy it from him, and also bought a Szigeti 3-LP Vanguard of Bach’s Partitas. The Devy Erlih might be better in many ways but I am priced out. "

 

[kodomo]

The Perlman play is a bit too non-virtuouso for this piece which requires that.

which calls for an even more virtuoso talent! His playing to give the feeling may give that idea but his incredible intonation would remind you that you are listening to him.