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higher end jazz vinyl: where to turn?

I'm a lifelong jazz listener but only new to entry-level hifi, as presently marketed--by which I mean Rega p3-24 turntable, Linn Classik amp, Vienna Acoutics Mozart Grand Speakers, and a lot of heart.

Anyway I have a choice set of old ECM records, Miles Davis records, and so forth, that I bought in the early 1980s. Most of them have some noise and crackle now and again--which I largely discount as the distinguished marks of age and memory. Nonetheless a clean sweet classic jazz LP played at substantial volume, even through a low midfi system like mine, is a beautiful thing. Beauty is a rare thing, I read somewhere. And it makes me wonder about upgrading the vinyl.

So here are questions:
1. Are these $50 classic content and such rereleases of Blue Notes really so good? Including worth the effort of getting up and turning the 45 over in middle of a strong Coltrane solo-a double indignity, to a genius and to the lazy.

2. What to say of all these 180g and 200g re-releases at higher prices versus the $10-20 unopened recent copy meant for mass market (or as massy as the jazz list allowed/allows)?

3. I'm using Disc Doctor record cleaners on my old and newer vinyl, but wonder how great the different is to move to a machine, say vpi 165?

4. I'm just a poor righteous teacher so I'm a bargain hunter: an Inexpensive Audiophile down with the feel of the Expensive Winos aestheticist mentality.

5. Thanks!
paanders
topoxforddoc's avatar
topoxforddoc
353 posts
 
The best investment you can make is a proper wet vacuum record cleaning machine. It's a must if you buy used vinyl. You will abolish almost all of the crackle and pop. Suddenly all of your old 50s and 60s recordings will sound much better.

I love jazz too and watch live jazz at least once a month (you can see some of my jazz photos on my website). You will be very surprised how good your old LPs will be with a proper wash. Buy any one of the following VPI 16.5, Okki Nokki, Moth. Beware they are noisy, but you only have to turn the vacuum on for about 20 secs at a time. The high end cleaners are great as they're quieter, but their cleaning abilities are not much better than the cheap ones.

Good luck,

Charlie
www.charlie-chan.co.uk
jyprez's avatar
jyprez
241 posts
 
If you plan on doing any significant amount of Jazz record collecting, a record vac is the difference between the annoying crackle and dead silent or near dead silent records. You don't need to go crazy spending money on this. While I have a Loricraft today (and that makes sense given the size and value of my collection) I started with a homemade vac which could do a significant portion of what the Loricraft can do and cost almost nothing. If you are interested, let me know I will give you details or search the web for many plans. VPI is a good choise as well but more expensive.
If you are near central CT, I can give you the names of some excellent used jazz record shops.
rockitman's avatar
rockitman
417 posts
 
I agree with Topoxforddoc. If your old vinyl isn't scratched and just snapping and crackling, a proper record cleaning will solve that issue for you. If a semi auto RCM is out of the question $$$ wise, get a manual Spin Clean kit for $75.00. Using that device alone will make a great improvement in your old vinyl. You can also get the Disk Doctor brushes with a good record cleaning solution and manually scrub them and use the Spin Clean as a rinser. (Fill it with distilled water). You would then dry off the records with a micro-fibre cloth and let them sit out in the air for 30 minutes so that they are completely dry before putting them back in a "New" inner sleeve.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Yep. Your original post indicates that you need a way to deep clean your records.

To answer the second question, I've listened to part of Analogue Productions' reissue of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight," recorded in 1955. It is one of the most stunning "in-the-room" recordings I've ever heard, especially for a 56-year-old recording.

I have jazz reissues from WaxTime, Speakers Corner, ORG, and Classic Records. They've all been good-to-outstanding. I especially like the Speakers Corner reissues for jazz as well as the Diana Krall ones on ORG. As good as they are, I'd put the 45 rpm pressings from Analogue Productions a notch above that.

I need to get a Spin Clean myself. I just played a Buddy Rich album a couple days ago that crackled throughout. For all the things that have been reissued on vinyl, no one has reissued Buddy's six albums recorded on Pacific Jazz from 1966-70. Pacific Jazz is owned by EMI. But then, their record with Beatles reissues isn't that great either.
salectric
753 posts
 
I have had the best luck buying jazz LPs from used record stores and on Ebay. In my experience, early releases of jazz LPs (not limited to the original pressings) almost always sound better than recent reissues, and I am including the "audiophile" pressings that are the rage these days. The new reissues certainly sound cleaner and there isn't the inner groove distortion that you often find with used records, but they just aren't as much fun to listen to. For whatever reason. Other folks have strong feelings on the opposite side so ultimately you have to make up your own mind. Just buy a few reissues and a few older copies, and decide for yourself.
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