Establishing a common analog listening bias

Dear Axel, I love "Graceland"!!
Haven't listened to "So" for more than 15 years.
Graceland does indeed have an excellent wide range of very different tracks and Ladysmith Black Mazambo's two pieces do add extra spice and most impressive a capella.
A landmark record.
Cheers,
D.

Daniel:It does not sense to drive a Ferrari in a " road "/record where you have to stop every 30-60 seconds because the " road " have tiny imperfections where the " Ferrari can't go on ", it seems to me that is better ( for the day by day music enjoyement. ) to drive an all purpose VW that can go on and on and left the Ferrari only for especial " times/ocasions ".

A Ferrari demands not only a skill driver but an almost and especial " road/track ", well in audio world and especially on the quality of the records everything is almost a " disaster ": no perfect world here.

I always look for " perfection " where I know for sure that I can reach it or where I have the control but in a " road/record track " where you can't be sure in which right conditions was made ( cut. ) and where the " things " change almost every track , why to use a Ferrari that can't " move on "?

Anyway if " drive " ( because you almost can't advance. ) a day by day Ferrari makes you happy go a head, I already pass for that step in my audio learning curve and now I'm learning and enjoying new experiences: the world has to move on!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Raul, this is news for me, I thought your position was that you said we should always strive for the best e.g. with 0.01dB RIAA deviations?

Henry, No sir you did not offend me, if that's what you hear from your pressing then that's what you hear.

As you know what Dertnarm is after is current and readily available pressings for anyone interested in participating.

My RCA pressings of Belafonte Live are not. The most recent being Classic Records 45 RPM single side box set from a couple of years back and a fairly decent early original pressing.

None of what you and Axel heard on your copies exist on mine.
The opening introduction that leads into Darlin'Cora the audience clapping is distinct and well rendered you immediately get a sense of the size of Cargenie.

The horn section puts a quick end to the clapping then the concert begins.
No where from the intro to the final of the concert do I hear anything remotely to which you described.
All and all the music is vibrant and entertaining

There are many things to be heard that the mics picked up during this concert, from the guy near the stage with some sort of bronchial problems ,subway to a transport outside going through his gears.
Its all there whether you want to hear it or not, it's live.

The current and still available double Lp re-issued by Classic Records is a fairly decent copy.
Compared to a very good pressing on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this currently available copy a 6.5 out of 10.Ten being the good pressing.

The intro is a bit washy,the horn section is a tad bright.
Belafontes vocals lack dynamics through out.
More so apparent on the track "John Henry" also there are portions where his voice is a tad harsh on this particular track.

Over all the musical flow of things are a little dull compared to a good pressing.
I borrowed this current issue yesterday to bring this information here.

For decades it's pretty much common knowledge this rare live RCA Victor recording is superb through and through.
However this is not what this thread is about.

Yes Perrew but there ( RIAA ) I have the control on it through our phonolinepreamp design and in the other side you can have a near " perfect "cartrdge/tonearm/record set-up and enjoy more time the music that every 30-60 seconds stand up and fine tunning the set up " again and again " ( to " mantain " the " perfect " set up ).

I do that perfect set up when I need it: tests/comparisons on audio items, my main target is try to have the more time I have hearing and enjoying the music.

I already pass the " stage " where we are " fighting " with the hardware, I learn how o do it for I can enjoy the music like ever: this is part of us each audio learning curve, there are people that are where I'm and there are other people that are down stairs.

The audio and especially the each one targets are unique to each one person, each one of us have/has different priorities and different music/sound reproduction perception in a global target: music/sound reproduction in audio home systems, and due to those different priorities exist different quality performance levels. There are no especial rules here, only what we want and how we want it.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.