SACD vs ANALOG

Jim: Well, it sure isn't your system, unless it's too revealing! I must admit having similar feelings about both the Brahms and parts of the Nature's Realm discs as you, although my characterization of them, as I mentioned before, is congested. Sometimes when the tonal balance of a disc is tilted towards the bass as it is at times in those recordings I feel, when the whole orchestra is playing at a loud level, as if everything is congealing and becoming more opaque. However, I can also get that experience with analog as well, though perhaps not to the same extent. Maybe both of us are showing our age? I do suggest you bring that Florestan Trio disc with you if you trek to Nashville, it is a treat on SACD in the smoothness of the strings and the richness of the piano; I'm not sure SACD will help that much on the WLA, though, as it is such a dry recording venue you may be disappointed. See if they have the Delos, it's a showpiece sonically and very natural sounding, particularly in its ambience retrieval. And thanks for the Eroica Trio reference, I don't have enough of them and am going to have to get some of their records. Good luck!

Rcprince--- I guess "congested" (constipated? heh,heh) is a good characterization regarding the WLA disc. I have no sense of air or imaging with the disc---almost as if I had a single Patrician, or Voice of the Theatre, sitting in front of me (Those go back a few years, eh?).

My other hybrid SACD is the Vanguard Stokowski/Virgil Thompson, and I really enjoy it. It's amazing for a 40 year
old recording to have the soundstage/imaging it has. It does sound a bit artificial in places,however, at least on my rig, what with some percussion and banjo sounding as if they were spotlighted at the front of the stage. Of course, with Leopold's reputation for the spectacular, he may well have placed them there. I never would have thought He would have allowed anyone to upstage Him, however! 8^)
Jim

I now have three of the four, I think, Eroica's. I've got several analog and digital recordings of the same pieces they've done, including four versions of the Shostakovick Piano Trio #2, but when I see those lovely gals on the jewel case, I can't resist buying (what a sexist thing to say!). As far as I'm concerned, they are top-notch musicians, regardless of the bad press they received in one of the audio rags recently---the guy must be the prototype
male chauvinist pig!. I think it proves the paraphrase: those who can play, play/those who can't play, criticize those who can!

914nut--You're showing your age with those old speakers! With respect to the Thompson, Analogue Productions has re-released it on vinyl, tube remastering so it sounds quite nice. Definitely spotlighted some of the instruments, that's clear, and I don't doubt the esteemed conductor had something to do with that. The other Vanguard SACDs sound quite good too; while SACD sounds its best for demonstrations with DSD masters, good analog recordings (and not all of the old Columbias that have been released fall into that category) can also sound excellent. I would say that I could live happily with either the vinyl or SACD versions I've got of the Vanguards, which says a lot for the SACDs. As far as the WLA disc goes, it does have quite good string sound, and I'm willing to take their word for it that the hall sounds like that, and I do like the Dvorak performances (I prefer Kertesz on Decca, though), but I just don't enjoy listening to it that much. Much too dry an acoustic. I don't need overly reverberant recordings either, but I would like a little more than what's on that disc.

I invited two audio-dry-files to grab a listen to my most enjoyable system. Opened with cd's. They sat. Crouched forward. Looked for something. Politely asked "Where's the body? Where's the bottom end?" It's there You analytical dip. Why don't you just enjoy the music. These words I mused, but irrepressibly stated "It's offering fine music". Bach's Suite for Cello, no.5; "Shalom Alechem" from Statman/Grisman; Prince's power driven "There Is Lonely" from the Vault cd; their own selections. They knew this system should kick, but no label or genre was scratching their itch. Neither had heard sacd. "Want to hear it?" They figured what the hell, it can't be more disappointing and I is here already. Threw on Hancock's "Headhunter". A little boot shaking goin' on. Spun cuts off of Sony's sampler. They were definitely more responsive. Drawn in to the emotion of the music. After listening to the first cut on Ellington's "Blues In Orbit" I offered to run the same on my Clearaudio TT. As open and extended as the sacd presentation was it was levels below the vinyl. Can't say it any plainer. When convenience(as eloquently stated by others)is desired cd, or better sacd is fine; but when involvement is required, vinyl is to be played.

Rcprince---- I manage to learn something new everyday, in spite of myself! Case in point:

Tonight I picked up the lengthy booklet that accompanied the WLA "Nature's Realm" hybrid and actually read the blurb (by none other than the Robert E. Greene I mentioned previously).
Turns out that the recording was made using the Blumlein mike method, in which two mikes are used, with one directly facing the orchestra (M),the other facing away by 90 degrees(S). Left signal is derived as M+S, right as M-S. The angle established by the listener to the speakers must then be 90 degrees. A-3s being rather hard to move, as suggested in the booklet I simply repositioned myself to establish that angularity, and the soundstage/imaging opened up rather nicely. It's a new experience, listening in the nearfield---some 3 ft. from the line of the speaker fronts!---but it's the best I can do with my present arrangement. I imagine it would be pretty good with a room big enough to establish the proper relationship at a normal distance.

I never thought I'd again see the necessity of reading instructions for playing a record! Reminds me of the old (here I go again, showing my age!) Cook recordings, especially the VERY early stereo jobs with a complete track for left, and another one for right, and a special tone arm with two cartridges, which were the very devil to synchronize!

Anyhoo----I now have more respect for the WLA recording, and I also know why Greene is so high on it----he was instrumental in making the damned thing!

Live and learn.
Jim