Hi Chris,
Thanks for nor banishing me from the thread. Perhaps it's just coincidence but my go to LP for set up has long been a Keith Jarrett on ECM. It is an all analog fine European pressing. Problem is it is just trio music and doesn't present the full spectrum. In my recent saga, as soon as the needle hit the RCA LSC Shaded Dog, large orchestral it was obvious something was very wrong. Just ear splitting strings and brass. I just started dialing down the VTA and everything smoothed out. In addition the low frequency foundation of the music appeared. Once I had it "right" on this LP I did some fine tuning with the ECM disc. My poor Delos must have been standing on its nose. 😩 I guess the silver lining is that the nose of my diamond took all the wear and the part that now hits the record is still mint.😅
Not only has the top smoothed out without the loss of any detail, it was like I had been missing the entire bottom half of the scale. I now have that magic "bloom" so many of us chase.
Like you, I buy almost no new music. I don't find much of it matches my taste (Diana Krall excepted). I do buy some reissue 180 gm stuff, but a lot of that is trash and, contrary to claims, are not done from original master tapes. I think Chad Kasem at Analog Productions does a terrific job, albeit he is pricing himself out of my market. Rumor has it Pure Pleasure also does nice work. I have one on order. I'll let you know how it sounds.
Thanks for your patience. Lord knows without your suggestions and encouragement my poor Delos might still be standing on its nose.
Harry
Thanks for nor banishing me from the thread. Perhaps it's just coincidence but my go to LP for set up has long been a Keith Jarrett on ECM. It is an all analog fine European pressing. Problem is it is just trio music and doesn't present the full spectrum. In my recent saga, as soon as the needle hit the RCA LSC Shaded Dog, large orchestral it was obvious something was very wrong. Just ear splitting strings and brass. I just started dialing down the VTA and everything smoothed out. In addition the low frequency foundation of the music appeared. Once I had it "right" on this LP I did some fine tuning with the ECM disc. My poor Delos must have been standing on its nose. 😩 I guess the silver lining is that the nose of my diamond took all the wear and the part that now hits the record is still mint.😅
Not only has the top smoothed out without the loss of any detail, it was like I had been missing the entire bottom half of the scale. I now have that magic "bloom" so many of us chase.
Like you, I buy almost no new music. I don't find much of it matches my taste (Diana Krall excepted). I do buy some reissue 180 gm stuff, but a lot of that is trash and, contrary to claims, are not done from original master tapes. I think Chad Kasem at Analog Productions does a terrific job, albeit he is pricing himself out of my market. Rumor has it Pure Pleasure also does nice work. I have one on order. I'll let you know how it sounds.
Thanks for your patience. Lord knows without your suggestions and encouragement my poor Delos might still be standing on its nose.
Harry