• Welcome to The Audio Annex! If you have any trouble logging in or signing up, please contact 'admin - at - theaudioannex.com'. Enjoy!
  • HTTPS (secure web browser connection) has been enabled - just add "https://" to the start of the URL in your address bar, e.g. "https://theaudioannex.com/forum/"
  • Congratulations! If you're seeing this notice, it means you're connected to the new server. Go ahead and post as usual, enjoy!
  • I've just upgraded the forum software to Xenforo 2.0. Please let me know if you have any problems with it. I'm still working on installing styles... coming soon.

Turntable action

malsackj said:
So What is the speakers your running in the Mid-Century Modern ? VOT?
Click to expand...

That'd be nice? Or a pair of Heresy speakers from Klipsch? Maybe a pair of those cool Altec Lansing home speakers from the day.

No, it is my SVS speakers (as listed in the original post here).
 
In the process of swapping out the cartridges I found the model if the Shire. It is a DJ model, which explains the punchy bass and apparent lack of midrange clarity. Oh well.
 
And what is the opinions on 1/2 speed records. Cut at half speed into heavier vinyl.

I have one such record and really enjoyed it. Boston first album.
 
malsackj said:
And what is the opinions on 1/2 speed records. Cut at half speed into heavier vinyl.

I have one such record and really enjoyed it. Boston first album.
Click to expand...
So while you're talking about the low-fi version of a great album, that got me to thinking: has there ever been a hi-def (ie. beyond CD) version of Boston's first?

It looks like back in 2000 there was a single layer DSD 2.0 SACD release.

Copies are selling for $200 from Amazon resellers - so my guess is that not very many were bought at the time.

Other than SACD, I don't see any DVD-A releases, nor any recent Blu-ray Audio.

Anyone know of any?

Jeff
 
malsackj said:
And what is the opinions on 1/2 speed records. Cut at half speed into heavier vinyl.

I have one such record and really enjoyed it. Boston first album.
Click to expand...
I have a couple of those and honestly they're neither better or worse sounding than the normal speed cuts. In general, vinyl today is far better quality than it was when it was the default medium in the 70s. The best I have heard is records cut at 45 RPM, so that a normal album is distributed across 4 sides. The faster speed coupled with higher quality and thicker vinyl really does make a huge difference. Surface noise like ticks and pops are essentially non existent.
 
JeffMackwood said:
So while you're talking about the low-fi version of a great album, that got me to thinking: has there ever been a hi-def (ie. beyond CD) version of Boston's first?

It looks like back in 2000 there was a single layer DSD 2.0 SACD release.

Copies are selling for $200 from Amazon resellers - so my guess is that not very many were bought at the time.

Other than SACD, I don't see any DVD-A releases, nor any recent Blu-ray Audio.

Anyone know of any?

Jeff
Click to expand...

I've read several interviews with Tom Scholz and others involved in the recording of that album. They did a LOT of overdubs, takes, retakes and more retakes, and this was on analog tape. I'd wonder if a high-res copy of those original tapes would actually buy you much.
 
Botch said:
I've read several interviews with Tom Scholz and others involved in the recording of that album. They did a LOT of overdubs, takes, retakes and more retakes, and this was on analog tape. I'd wonder if a high-res copy of those original tapes would actually buy you much.
Click to expand...
Me too. So as I am inclined to do on occasion (in the interest of research)...

Last night I decided to grab the hi-def tracks for the album and check it out.

It took but a little searching until I found a full DSD ISO rip from the SACD. Foobar2000 allowed me to play it on my computer and listen with my Denon D5000 headphones. Did not hear anything more revealing compared to the CD playing through the same computer.

That download also included FLAC 24/88.2 files for all of the tracks. Since I have no (convenient) way of playing the ISO rip in either of my HTs, I put the FLAC tracks on a stick and played them through my Sony BD player. I again compared it to the CD and could detect no difference. However in all listening cases my impression was that, overall, the tracks sounded very "thin" compared to a lot of music I listen to nowadays. I guess that was the nature of the beast back then.

However one huge thought kept coming to mind: if ever there was an album that cried out for a full Steven Wilson 5.1 makeover, this is it! Just switching from stereo to PLIIx-Music mode yielded a massive improvement in listening enjoyment. I can only imagine what a native 5.1 remix would sound like.

Jeff
 
JeffMackwood said:
Hmmm... Are they worth that price? I would have thought $200 max (or perhaps much less) - but maybe there's something special about them?
Click to expand...
The only thing special about them is that they would sound crappy. I would steer clear of any Altec home speaker which uses a horn, as it will almost positively "sound like a horn" in the pejorative sense unless you are prepared to do some pretty serious crossover network modifications or go the fully active route with some relatively elaborate EQ. Actually, that particular horn is just a generic design not manufactured by Altec; I have a horn just like it which RadioShack sold in primitive times. If the cost was more like $200 or less, it might be worth it as a very casual system in the garage or something like that.
 
rammisframmis said:
The only thing special about them is that they would sound crappy. I would steer clear of any Altec home speaker which uses a horn, as it will almost positively "sound like a horn" in the pejorative sense unless you are prepared to do some pretty serious crossover network modifications or go the fully active route with some relatively elaborate EQ. Actually, that particular horn is just a generic design not manufactured by Altec; I have a horn just like it which RadioShack sold in primitive times. If the cost was more like $200 or less, it might be worth it as a very casual system in the garage or something like that.
Click to expand...
You have confirmed what I intuitively should have known. Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top