Introduction
Beware of Used Record Dealers and "Collectors"

Original Pressings and Reissues
Identical Pressings-The Dirty and Unspoken Secret

THE RECORD LABELS

Decca/London
Decca Vs. London- A Tale of Fantasy, Ego and Greed

EMI

RCA
RCA's "Decline" (The History and the Consequences)

Mercury

Columbia, DGG, Philips, etc.

Reissues

Summary

INTERNAL LINKS

This is the one essay within this website dedicated to musical software - LPs only. I don't enjoy CDs as much, and lack the required experience with them to make a worthwhile contribution to what has already been written.

This essay is concerned with purchasing LPs, new and used, of Classical Music and will focus on record labels, pressings etc. The information, experiences and advice you will read here are generalizations only. Specific LP recommendations are detailed in an extensive list discussed below.

This website also includes another huge section with the title: The Supreme Recordings.

This is an extensive listing of the finest sounding records I've ever heard, primarily (though not exclusively) of classical music. Most of them are not expensive, if you can find them! I also mention and discuss a number of overrated and expensive records to avoid. Each LP on the list has a short description of its sonic qualities and normal price.

While I will rarely comment on matters of musical taste, the performance etc., I do have a great deal of experience concerning the sonics of many well known labels and their different pressings etc. For those of you who know little about the sonics of Classical Music LPs and/or still have an "open mind", I will give you the results of countless hours of listening to, and making comparisons of, all types of LPs on various "state of the art" phono reproduction systems.

Much of what you are about to read will be very controversial in some circles, though it shouldn't be. I will tread on many peoples' biases, egos, reputations, credibility and, most importantly to them, their personal and business financial investments.

The very first Rule you should always remember is:

Some of the very best LPs I own only cost me $5 to $10 dollars, not $50, $100 or more. Those expensive "biggies" have proved to be huge disappointments in my experience, and not just because my expectations were high. In most cases, they weren't even as good as the better $10 LPs that had no hype. (See TAS #103 p.132) (Ironically, one well known dealer uses an old Dual changer to make judgements on used LPs that he sells for $ 1,000 or more!)

Serious music lovers are fortunate that serious "record collectors" have a "habit" which will inevitably disclose their true priorities and deepest desires*. It is their unique language and manner of describing records. In contast, when a music lover, or any ordinary person, wants to describe a particular recording, they will name the composer, performer(s) etc.

That is not true of serious "record collectors". They will almost always name only the record number. This is particularly true if they are only with their fellow "collectors".

Here is just one "Example" of how these two groups describe one famous record:

"Music Lover"- Rimsky-Korsakoff, Scheherazade, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra etc.

"Hard-Core Collector"- 2446, 10S (Please do not ask me to interpret these numbers.)

Could there be more of a contrast?

This means, in effect, that all the effort and unique talent that was required to compose and perform this music has been reduced by (the mentality of) the "collectors" to a couple of numbers.

*Can a "record collector" also be a "music lover"? Yes, but their descriptive language is still the undeniable sign of their first love; And that is "The Record".

In other words...

Music lovers collect music that happens to be in the form of records. The records are irrelevant unto themselves, being just a necessary means to an end. Their ultimate objective is to possess and enjoy the music. Meanwhile...

Record collectors collect records that just happen to have music on them. The music itself is basically irrelevant to them. Their ultimate objective is to possess the record which, from their perspective, is some form of a "trophy".

It is inevitable that there will be disagreements and controversies concerning which records, pressings, labels etc. sound the best. It is unavoidable considering tastes, LP conditions, audio systems, recording philosophies, emotional attachments etc. etc.

The real surprise is the astonishing claim of many reviewers and collectors that none of the "original pressings", many of them manufactured 30 to 45 years ago, have ever been equaled, let alone surpassed, by any of the subsequent "reissues".

These reissues include those either from the distant past (by the original labels) or the recent reissues using the most advanced mastering and pressing equipment, from small, independent companies (Classic Records, Cisco etc).

These people, in effect, do not recognize any technological advancements in mastering or pressing records. They don't even acknowledge any enhanced technical skills (the normal "learning curve") by the mastering engineers, due to their increased knowledge and experience.

With very few exceptions (like RCA-see below), the proponents of original pressings have provided no supporting scientific or technological explanations for their strict, dogmatic beliefs. They have only referred to casual, subjective and haphazard anecdotal comparisons. Further, virtually all of these "comparisons" were made only with fellow collectors who just happened to share their same beliefs. In other words, they will studiously avoid any situation that may cast doubt on their strict doctrine.

For instance, they will never, under any circumstances, agree to a "blind" comparison of LP pressings (when they don't know which of the LPs is the "original"). Why not?

Because when (not if) they eventually admit that even one reissue sounds better, there goes their entire myth of the superiority of all original pressings. That would mean they would then have to actually take the time and effort to listen to all the reissues and make hard judgements, instead of their current, fundamentalist, non-thinking and robotic search for the earliest possible pressing.

To a (true believing) used record dealer, or collector; all rare, old LPs, on all labels, will always sound better than any more common, easier to find, and cheaper reissues. What an incredible coincidence! How fortuitous! How simple life is!

CAVEAT- The above discussion is strictly concerned with Classical Music recordings and pressings. Because of different markets, standards, engineering procedures, economics, history and buyers' expectations, the reissues of NON-Classical recordings are almost always inferior to the original pressings.

Now I must bring up some "bad news" that is rarely shared with the LP buying public...

Anyone with extensive experience dealing with (and comparing) particular pressings of a particular recording will eventually come to a very distressing realization: Not only do the different pressings sound different (as can be expected), so may IDENTICAL PRESSINGS!

Identical pressings (the same mother, stamper etc.) may sound different depending on a variety of (unknowable) factors:

1. The manner in which it was played and stored (if it was used),

2. How (and when) it was pressed (at the beginning, middle or end of "the run")

3. The length of time it was in the stamping machine, and

4. The quality of the vinyl

How can you tell which pressing sounds the best? That's easy.

The Inevitable Moral- If sonics are the priority, never purchase a truly expensive record without recourse, no matter what the stamper number is claimed to be, or the "reputation" of the seller.

One (well known) LP 'collector/reviewer/dealer' visited a friend of mine a few years ago to make LP comparisons. He was a real, hard-line Original Pressing-Fundamentalist; He firmly believed it is essentially "impossible" for any reissue to ever sound as good as any original. Upon arriving, he immediately announced that he would never participate in any blind comparisons of LPs.

The actual listening comparisons were both funny and sad. My friend put on a large variety of pressings, including some excellent reissues, but no matter what the famous collector heard, he always preferred the original. If the original was cleaner and more transparent, he would say "See, I told you so", but if the reissue, instead, was similarly cleaner and more transparent, he would then say "The reissue must have been 'goosed up'!".

In other words, under absolutely no circumstances would this collector ever knowingly admit that any reissue was superior in any manner to an original. (A "blind test", of course, would be unknowingly.)

In this instance, he even refused to recognize and believe what he was actually hearing with his own ears. That is the classic description of a "true believer", and also of psychotics.

The more complex reality is as follows:

As for the sonic generalities on labels; below will be the actual truth, which readers will very rarely, if ever, hear from used record dealers and, especially, "collectors", because they have too much $$$, or "prestige", at stake in keeping up the status quo.

DECCA/LONDON (ARGO ETC.) - BRITISH AND DUTCH PRESSINGS

Most of the very best orchestral and (especially) opera recordings I have ever heard are from the Decca label, but their overall sonics are very variable. This is in contrast with their rival EMI, which are more uniformly excellent (though not reaching the highest standards of Decca).

Even worse, their pressings are also very variable, so what I have written below are true generalizations. The best pressings, in descending order, are:

1. Late British - Middle 1970's to 1979 - These pressings are almost always your best and safest choice. They have the important advantage of rarely having a serious sonic problem.

These records are difficult to distinguish from the other Decca/London's. However, they do have a shinier, darker vinyl compared to the earlier pressings. The record labels also look a little more "modern" and the printing appears in better "focus". They almost always combine an "immediate" and "clean" sound, with excellent dynamics and bass.

Unfortunately, these pressings are somewhat rare, not because of the demand, but rather there were never many of them pressed in the first place. Sadly, only a small part of the London/Decca catalogue was mastered and pressed during this period but, fortunately, the Dutch pressings (at least partially) came to the rescue.

Yes:

1. They used superior cutting heads and mastering amplifiers during this period (see TAS #102 p.133).
2. The engineers also had more accumulated experience by this time (I do recognize "the learning curve").
3. They used purer and quieter vinyl.
4. The inner sleeves used rice paper instead of the earlier (sticky and noisy) plastic which could bond to the vinyl.

(Important Note- "Collectors" have NEVER acknowledged any technological advancements in the production of records after around 1965.)

2. Dutch- Most Dutch pressings will rival the finest Late British and, in a few rare instances, are "The Best". The Dutch pressings, which were actually mastered in England, almost always equal, or prove superior to, the Late British in immediacy, purity and transparency. Their sonic advantages over the even earlier pressings are that much more pronounced.

However, some Dutch pressings are "dry" and/or have weak and rolled-off bass. In some instances, considering the music, audio system and listening tastes, these problem(s) are serious enough to be disqualifying.

Dutch pressings replaced the Late British during 1979. Since they were still available when the "great record panic" started in the early 1980's, the used record dealers dumped on these cheap competitors for obvious financial reasons. I must admit to also falling for this propaganda at the time, and I only bought a few Dutch pressings out of sheer desperation. Eventually, I found some "good original pressings" to replace the so-called "Dutch junk".

It is an understatement to say I was shocked when I discovered that the Dutch were better in most instances. It was these specific experiences that forced me, and my audiophile friends, to make our own comparisons. (It is also the reason that I no longer trust "collectors" and "dealers".) Today, I actually look for Dutch (or Late English) pressings, mainly to compare with my earlier British equivalents.

3. Middle British - Pressings between 1968 until the Middle 1970's. These are the easiest to find. They were mastered using cutting heads that were a noticeable improvement* over the cutting heads used in the earliest pressings, but they are still not as clean sounding as the late British or Dutch (which used further improved mastering equipment and probably superior vinyl).

However, they are still better than the earliest Londons (the Bluebacks) or the equivalent Deccas. Because they are the most common, they sell for a lot less than the earliest pressings.

Some of the problems with these pressings, and also the earliest British, seem to be caused by the sticky, plastic inner sleeves, that sometimes even bind directly to the record. The late British and Dutch pressings used a different, non-sticky sleeve. (I advise changing these sleeves immediately after purchase.)

The vinyl also looks inferior on these earlier pressings, it's not quite as black, as though the vinyl wasn't as pure. In any event, the later pressings, both the British and Dutch, are generally much quieter and allow more low-level musical information to be heard.

*As stated in "The Audiophiles Guide to London Bluebacks" written by Robert Moon & Michael Gray (on page 20):

"...there is a harsh brightness to the Decca-London early stereo records because the disc cutters were weak in reproducing frequencies above 10khz. The pressings made after 1968--to my knowledge all FFRR--were made with the Neumann SX-68 helium-cooled disc cutter which could reveal the sweet high frequenices on the original tape. It's for that reason that the later FFRR pressings are often superior to the early FFSS pressings."

4. Early British (1958 to 1968) - These are the rarest and most expensive pressings. In addition, they are also the poorest sounding and usually in the worst condition. This was not caused by any lack of effort or incompetence, but the engineers back then simply had relatively poor quality mastering equipment to work with (see above), at least compared to the equipment that was available in the later years.

I always think of the classic children's fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" when contemplating people collecting these records, at sometimes ridiculously high prices. Many people hear what they want to hear. They remind me of the (OJ) Simpson jurors in their denial of the obvious reality. In this instance, an inferior product in virtually every way, except some of the fascinating original covers.

Now that the recent 180 gram reissues have come out, most of the "originals" have even less going for them. The recent reissues almost all sound much better, plus they are new and they even have the desirable original covers. Now there are no reasons, except nostalgia and "prestige", to buy virtually any of the originals that have been reissued. The only early pressings that are true "must buys" are those very few that have never been reissued. Those records are real "collector's items".

The one thing to remember is: don't automatically associate sonic excellence with rarity or "collectibility". Sometimes they're synonymous, but mostly they are not.

London "Stereo Treasury Series"- These (budget) records from this label, which were made in England, and not the United States, have the same amount of variability as all the other pressings from England. This means that the LPs from this series are usually as desirable as any others from this company, and the prices are usually much cheaper. This is also true of the (rarer) English Decca reissues ("Jubilee" etc.).

The one problem I have noticed, over time, is that there is generally more "background noise" with these pressings. It sounds like either inferior vinyl was used, or they are the final pressings of a particular stamper. This problem is not always obvious on any particular record, but it is noticeable when listening to an assortment of them and making the comparisons to the earlier equivalents. The U.S. pressings are to be avoided.

North American Pressings - Some U.S. pressings sound quite decent, but they are always worse than the British and Dutch. Avoid them if you can.

Canadian pressings, specifically from Montreal, are better than the U.S., but they are still not the equal of the Late British or Dutch. Some of them are very impressive. Only a few titles were pressed and they are cheap.

This essay would be incomplete if I didn't address this Issue: Are Deccas better than Londons?

The short answer is;

It all depends on when and where they were mastered and pressed, as described above. When the respective LPs are both mastered and pressed at exactly the same time and place, then they will usually sound the same. In other words, identical pressings, with different labels, almost always sound exactly the same.

However, there is one "Caveat" to the above statement, and also one "Exception".

The CAVEAT- Even "Identical Pressings" may sound different, as previously discussed above.

The EXCEPTION- Decca and London Phase Four records did have different masterings. That is a documented fact.

The monetary premium you pay for DECCA is for the relative rarity of the Decca "brand name" on the jacket and on the inner label, and the subsequent extra demand for them. This "extra demand" is due to the hype and nonsense (discussed below) of the used record dealers and "collectors", who are usually the same people. It is not based, in any manner, on the superior technical quality of the Decca record.

The only practical advantage Decca has is in their (later) box sets, where the records can be played in chronological order, without constantly changing LPs, in contrast to their London equivalents, which were meant to be used with "automatic" turntables, which had records "stacked" above the platter.

Of course, the "collectors" and the dealers will tell you that Deccas, all of them, are consistently superior to Londons and, further, that the earliest pressed Deccas are "the best of them all". The fact that both the Deccas, and the earliest pressings, are also the rarest and most difficult to find, is just another "unfortunate (and innocent) coincidence", of course.

This "conventional wisdom" that first;

"All the Deccas are better", and second:
"The earliest pressings are always the best of the bunch",

is absurd, irrational and just plain ignorant, and it's extremely dishonest as well, as I will demonstrate just below.

We are now going to closely examine the many implications of this First "Rule": that Deccas are always better than Londons, and later their Second "Rule": that the earliest pressings, of either label, are always superior to the later pressings.

Caution- The reader is now going to enter a bizarre world of fantasy, paranoia, ego, greed and wishful thinking. (Don't get caught up in it. Rational thought and a sense of humor are your best defenses.)

Let us start with some historical facts, first- All of the Decca and London records we are discussing were pressed in England for around 25 years, and then for around 5 years after that in Holland. Further...

The Deccas and Londons both used:

1. The exact same master tapes and
2. Were pressed at the exact same time;
3. Within the exact same plants
4. Used the exact same vinyl and
5. Were mastered by the exact same engineers (around 10 of them), during the entire 30 year period we are focusing on.

What does this all mean?

Well, if Deccas were actually better than Londons, All of the below events would have had to have happened. (Now is the time to put your adult and serious "thinking caps" on.)

1. There would have had to have been a policy decision, at the highest corporate level, to deliberately sabotage (degrade) the sonic quality of every single London Classical LP during this entire 30 year period, from around 1955 to 1985. Why?

2. This decision would have had to have been known to the North American Importers of the London label, for the entire 30 year period. Further, they would have had to have acquiesced in this policy, if not actually requested it.

Why would they do this? (If not, they were all undeniably grossly negligent, or incompetent, during this entire 30 year period.) They have also never acknowledged this policy, at the time, or since then. Why?

3. The chief engineer, and every one of the 10 or so mastering engineers, would have had to have carried out this odious task of deliberate and consistent degradation and sabotage, for 30 years. They must have performed these duties without complaints or any type of notice (even confidential) to the classical music and/or audio press, or to the buying public. Why?

4. These same engineers would have had to:

A. Invent a method to deliberately degrade the sound on a consistent basis, and

B. Take the necessary precautions to separate the numerous masterings of the Deccas from the even more numerous sabotaged Londons, so that they wouldn't be confused with each other within the pressing and packaging plants (if not, they would be defeating all the efforts of #A).

Achieving task #B was even more difficult when you consider...

They did not have the practical benefit of any visible, engraved indication on any of the thousands of stampers they used. (Even the "collectors" have admitted that the engraved, stamper information is identical for both labels, and absolutely indistinguishable from each other.)

This means that it would be essentially impossible to identify a Decca stamper from a London stamper once they were inadvertently disordered.

Collectors, in effect, have made the miraculous claim that not even one "mix-up" ever occurred during the entire 30 year period, despite the multiple handling of many thousands of indistinguishable stampers by hundreds of employees. (Not even one of the hundreds of Decca employees has ever come forward to verify the collectors' version of the events during this 30 year period.)

5. The recording artists, conductors and orchestras, and even some (then living) composers, would have had to have been:

A. Kept totally "in the dark" about the sabotage over the entire 30 years, or have been...
B. Totally unconcerned about the degradation of their whole-hearted efforts, or
C. Have unanimously agreed to it, and then kept it secret over all these years. Why?

I would like to ask two simple questions to the readers of this essay:

1. Why would Decca ever agree to this sabotage in the first place, since there could have been no cost savings to complete the degradation process?

In fact, it would have cost Decca more money to go to all the trouble of making two completely separate mastering and pressing processes that still had to appear identical to the buying public.

2. Since Decca only used the name "London" because they couldn't legally use the name "Decca" in the North American marketplace, did they actually then take some advantage of this legal scenario to produce inferior records for this market?

Or was it their plan to sell inferior products to the North American market from the beginning? If so, how would they have then distinguished the two different products using the exact same name?

This isn't all though...

Unlike RCA and Mercury, amongst others, Decca had virtually the same engineers mastering their records over a long period of time. You can check this out by looking at the inner label where you will see their designations: "G", "W", "Y", etc. What does this mean?

If the collectors and dealers are correct about their "rule" of: The earlier the pressing, the better the sound, this would mean all of the following events would also have had to have occurred during a 30 year period:

1. The engineers, every one of them, would have had to have made their one and only "best effort" to master a particular recording the first time they attempted to master it, and even then, only when they knew, for certain, that it would be a Decca LP. After that, to a man, they would have all agreed to never again attempt to improve on that first effort. This would be the case even when superior technology became available at a later date.

2. During each subsequent re-mastering, they would have had to deliberately degrade the sound a little more than the most recent mastering of that same recording.

3. To ensure that the degradation became consistently worse with each re-mastering, they would have had to have kept detailed notes, specifications and instructions, so that they, or their replacement engineers, wouldn't "screw-up" and actually improve the sound by "mistake".

4. To make these degradations, in measurable increments and on a consistent basis, they would have had to invent, and build, some type of "degradation device", or a foolproof "degradation procedure", which they could then rely on to make their degradations; without any unusual difficulty or any possibility of "failure".

5. Meanwhile, don't forget that the engineers would also have had to made sure that this deliberate degradation of the Deccas was not as great as the deliberate degradation of the Londons, or else the Londons would actually sound better than the Deccas. This would contradict the "official corporate policy" that Deccas must always sound better than Londons, and waste all their efforts previously discussed above. This extra consideration would have required even more extensive notes and instructions.

6. All of the above degradation would have been accomplished despite the many technical improvements* in mastering equipment (both cutting heads and amplifiers), mastering techniques**, pressing equipment, pressing techniques and vinyl formulations discovered and acquired over the entire 30 year period.

*See discussion of both "Late" and "Middle British" Decca/London pressings above.
**Collectors don't even admit that these engineers had a "learning curve".

If this is all true, what does it say about these engineers...

7. During this entire 30 year period, not even one of the engineers had the courage and integrity to inform the public and the press as to the deliberate sonic sabotage of the records being sold to the public. That's not all...

During this same period, not even one engineer had the curiosity and spirit to use the improved mastering tools and produce a superior mastering. This means that...

In effect, the "collectors" (and dealers) are claiming that these engineers, all of them, lived a fraudulent professional life.

They allege that these engineers promoted and discussed technological improvements in the mastering process, while either knowing these "improvements" weren't real, or went to great lengths to make sure that the public would never hear these potential improvements.

I truly pity any reader who actually believes that these "events" could have actually occurred in real life. Such "true believers" do exist; just subscribe to "Phonogram" and you will find out who some of them are. They include well-known "record reviewers", who haven't made the effort (or lack the intellectual ability) to think out the full implications of their crackpot "theories".

Some of them are "believers" strictly out of greed; others need to believe this nonsense to justify their financial (and emotional) investments, and some of them, the most pathetic of the lot, must believe in these fantasies because they feel their record collections, and their esoteric knowledge concerning these early pressings, actually make them "special" and reflect their worth as human beings. Some fit into more than one of these categories.

To actually believe that all these above imaginary, degenerate, malicious actions and conspiracies are real historical events and truths (and which form the underlying foundation that the Decca/Early pressings have real sonic advantages) is beyond my comprehension.

If this isn't a moronic belief process, I don't know how else to describe it.

Always remember...

The collectors and the dealers have provided NONE.

The most accurate and straightforward term I can think of when describing these particular "collectors" is: "Labelists". This reflects their combined prejudice, insecurity, ignorance and snobbery.

I have finally (and reluctantly) decided to "spill the beans". Anyone who has read this far will now know what took me years to learn: the real, secret method to find the best pressings of the Decca/London/Argo LPs. It's very simple: Look for a "G" pressing in the "dead wax". "G" stands for Ted Burkett, a Decca mastering engineer.

Burkett's masterings are virtually ALWAYS superior to the others, though "W" (Harry Fisher) and "K" (Tony Hawkins) are (sometimes) almost as good. I don't know why, though I assume he had superior mastering equipment, because skill alone, even if he was a "genius", can not account for all the sonic improvements I have consistently experienced with his masterings. (Greater purity, transparency and detail, plus a more extended high-end, a lower sound-floor etc.).

Bottom Line- If there is a choice, always get the G, if not, get the W or K. After that, it's a crap shoot.

I just received this letter from a reader concerning British Decca Pressings. Here it is, slightly edited:

"On your website you write about late British Deccas:
These records are difficult to distinguish from the other Decca/London's. However, they do have a shinier, darker vinyl compared to the earlier pressings. The record labels also look a little more 'modern' and the printing appears in better 'focus'.

I was just checking two of these (box sets 85d and 156d), and noticed that the date is printed on the lower corner of the inner sleeve. The 85 is of 1977 and the sleve states 1-78 and the 156d, 9-79. This seems credible to me, since on the later is even handwriten the date 25/3/1980." (8/05)

Personal Note- I have now checked a few of my own Deccas, and found that the relevant dating information is indeed on the BACK of their familiar inner sleeve, in the bottom left hand corner, though ONLY on the later pressings. This is also true for the Argo, London etc. pressings that I checked out. Many thanks to this helpful reader.

For more than 10 years now, I have made the "controversial" claim that Decca and London Classical Records were manufactured to the exact same high standards*. Meanwhile, almost all classical record collectors and used record establishments have claimed, in stark contrast, that the Londons, all of them, were deliberately sabotaged to sound worse than the Deccas, despite the firm denials by all of the actual Decca engineers and marketing executives. Since most people still believe in this "London sabotage conspiracy", the Deccas are much more valued by "serious collectors", and, of course, sell for a much higher price.

(*With the important exception of the "Phase 4" series.)

Recently, I received an e-mail from a reader in Europe. Here it is, with only the grammar slightly changed:

"I have an original Decca factory sample LP of SXL 6036, dated October 9th 1962, which includes the actual approval sheet from Decca, stating which labels are to be printed from this master; those being Londons and Deccas, both in stereo and mono. This is the ultimate proof on your thoughts that Londons and Deccas are the same.

I have closed many disputes over this issue, even to very hardcore Decca collectors, some of which also have offered me substantial amounts of money to buy this proof (some of them were dealers of classical records, so I think they had destruction in mind)."

Personal Notes- I have seen this document, but I'm not sure what I saw was totally definitive. I'm not able to post this (or any) document at this time, due to my lack of computer skills. However, the reader has given me permission to forward it to others, which I will do upon request.

EMI - ENGLISH PRESSINGS AND OTHERS

1. Middle to Late Pressings- Pressings from around 1970 to the end. There is less variability with EMIs than Londons. Sometimes the 1970's pressings (postage stamps) are a little warmer and more full-bodied than the late pressings (large Nippers), particularly if they have thicker vinyl, but the late EMIs usually sound more immediate, cleaner etc.

The "collectors" always prefer the earliest pressings, but that's just their predictable bias. Remember, like the Dutch London's, the large Nippers were still available in the 1980's and you know the rest by now. Don't fall for it.

2. Early pressings- from the late 50's to the late 60's. These records are very rare and expensive, and don't sound very good. They are (like the early London's) veiled, distorted and lack bloom, inner detail and dynamic shading. Any middle to late pressing will sound much better.

However, unlike London/Decca, only some were reissued so the originals may be all you can find (if you can!) in many instances. They are fun to hold and look at, even to play, at least until you hear a superior later pressing your friend bought for 20% of the price you paid.

Note- Many of the original EMIs were marketed under the Columbia label, using a "SAX" prefix. They are actually EMI recordings, regardless of the name used then.

3. Non-English Pressings- The first and most important rule is to avoid all North American Pressings (Angels) with the exception of those that are digital. The Angels used inferior (regenerated) mastering tapes and mastering equipment, and inferior, noisy vinyl. The North American budget label (Seraphim) was even worse than the Angels.

German pressings can be as good as the English if the original recording was made in Germany. They can be almost as good when recorded elsewhere, with a further advantage that they may have quieter pressings. Unfortunately, their notes and libretto's are rarely in English.

French pressings can also be quite good, but are usually somewhat veiled and colored compared to either the English or German. They are still far preferable to those from North America.

RCA NORTH AMERICAN PRESSINGS

1. Early Pressings- This time the dealers and collectors are right! The earliest pressings are the best, and the earlier the better most of the time. That is if you can find them in good condition.

The differences between the early pressings are normally small, and are greatly exaggerated by the collectors and dealers. Sometimes though, the differences are large, even with identical pressings. The later pressings became progressively worse. The recent reissues (from Classic), discussed below, are the real competition.

2. Later Pressings- Late 1960's until the 1980's. Big disappointments. Very few sound excellent. The recent reissues from Classic Records make these pressings obsolete, unless you're really on a tight budget, or don't care about sonics. But then, if that were the case, you wouldn't be reading essay this in the first place.

3. Victrola Budget Reissues- These were the budget reissues made by RCA themselves that came out shortly after the "Shaded Dog" originals. A rare few of them are also "originals". They have a good reputation with the "collector crowd", who are easily impressed by anything that is "old". I've owned a large number of them, and I found them to be noisy and distorted compared to the full priced Shaded Dogs. If I had to guess the technical reasons for this, I would say the use of inferior and noisy vinyl plus the use of worn and/or inferior stampers. I would avoid them if possible.

It is a historical fact that RCA, through a publicized corporate policy, both cheapened and altered their records (all for the worse) from the Late 1960's and on.

First it was Dynagroove, which was a process that added an unnatural equalization to the sound, that was supposed to compensate for listening at "average volumes".

Then came Dynaflex, which were records pressed with the least amount of vinyl in history. The resulting number of warped and noisy LPs was unprecedented, at least for Classical Music records.

At the time, RCA actually stated that these two alterations were "improvements". No one believed them, especially after hearing the miserable, audible results of these two changes; which were obvious to any objective listener. Since then, even RCA has acknowledged that both of these "innovations" were mistakes.

Taking an unscrupulous advantage of this undeniable reality, concerning just one label, used record dealers and collectors proclaimed that all classical record reissues, on all labels, were inferior to the early and original pressings, despite absolutely no technical evidence to support their all-inclusive "theory". (There is evidence that some other labels, Everest, Mercury etc. also decided to compromise their sonics for various reasons, but there is a huge difference between "some" and "all".)

Audiophiles and novice record collectors bought into these "observations", because, at the time they were published (20 years ago), the audiophile community believed everything it read, to the degree of ignoring what they actually heard with their own ears.

In this case, the originals were so rare, that extremely few people, with an objective perspective, had the opportunity to make actual comparisons, which would have verified (or disproved) the supposed superiority of all the originals. When no challenges were made, or at least printed, the observations became "conventional wisdom", and finally, "undisputed laws".

As far as I am aware, this essay and website are the first, and only, challenge to these "laws". It will remain so because I have made the comparisons and I now know that these "laws" have absolutely no foundation in reality. In other words, they are a "big lie". As the Nazi propaganda master, Joseph Goebbels, once said, and I paraphrase;

The people who proclaim and propagate these "laws" are the true enemies of both the many, maligned recording and mastering engineers, who made real, unrecognized, sonic improvements over a two decade period, and also the numerous audiophiles and music lovers, who are not enjoying the results of these engineers' superior equipment and efforts, based on only self-serving lies, greed and prejudice.

MERCURY - U.S. PRESSINGS AND DUTCH

1. "Golden Import/Series" from Holland and Canada- There is no greater misinformation concerning pressings than that about the Mercurys. After around 25 comparisons with early originals, reissues and then the final Dutch pressings, I've come to the conclusion that, in about 75% of the time, the Dutch sound best overall.

However, there are two potential problems with the Dutch pressings; in some instances they put too much music on one side, which severely compresses dynamics and also increases distortion. The other problem is that many have rolled off bass. Finally, some original Mercurys were never reissued.

In general though, just like the Decca/London's described above, the Dutch Mercurys are cleaner, more transparent, less noisy and have considerably more low-level information; air, ambiance, decay etc. This only makes sense, since they used superior cutting amplifiers than those available 20 years earlier, plus much purer and cleaner vinyl. The newer pressings are also much quieter and don't have that "old record" sound.

The rare English Mercurys are even better in some ways, but only a few were ever issued, and some with Philips covers. The Canadian pressings (Golden Series) were presumably mastered with tube amplifiers and are also excellent, and even cheaper (and rarer).

How people can truly believe there can be progress in only the playback of records and not in their mastering and pressing remains a total mystery to me. This manner of thinking is completely irrational, if not degenerative.

2. Earliest pressings- These are probably the most overrated records of all time. In fact they're the "Linn Sondek" of software, but the dealers and collectors are correct when they state that the earliest U.S. pressings are superior to the later ones. It's very similar to the RCA situation, if you ignore the Dutch and Canadian (and the very rare English) Mercurys in the mix.

The originals do have some excellent things going for them; they have outstanding bass and dynamics, mainly due to their laudable efforts and the short times on the sides. They also have a large and focused soundstage. If there was a method to combine the strengths of the Dutch and the early "originals", you would have some of the finest LPs ever made.

However, the earliest pressings will usually be in questionable condition, and remember that they used inferior vinyl and were noisy to begin with. What a dilemma! It was all supposed to be solved with the new reissues from Classic Records, but only 6 ever came out.

3. Late U.S. pressings- The dealers and collectors are correct in this instance; the later the pressings the worse they sound. I don't know why (to reduce tracking problems?) or how (there must be a technical reason), but it's true and there is anecdotal evidence that supports this account. Our best hope is that the Mercury reissues start up again sometime soon.

There was a thread in Audiogon on this controversial subject in December 2006. As usual, one of the posters wrote that it was "laughable" that I (or anyone) could ever claim than any reissue, such as the Golden Imports, even approached the incredible, and near flawless, sonic standards of the original "Living Presence" Mercurys. So I decided to make another comparison of two Mercurys, with the exact same musical compositions; The very famous "Winds in Hi-Fi":
1. SR90173 (the original, which is also on the TAS/HP "Super Disc" List*) and
2. SRI 75093 (the Golden Imports) Dutch reissue.

The results actually surprised me. I thought it would be closer, but the Golden Imports was so far superior to the Living Presence that I was concerned about how I would concisely describe the full scope of the differences** between them. Well, it's like the differences between the finest moving coil you've ever heard, and a decent $ 50 moving magnet, and that's being kind about the MM. To be frank, and to skip the diplomacy...

When I played the Living Presence, it actually sounded like I had exchanged a component in my system with one that was defective (but still working), and that's not an exaggeration. The differences were not "audiophile" in nature; Your half-deaf neighbor or brother-in-law can easily hear what I'm describing. In my almost 40 years as an audiophile, plus in my two decades of owning an audio store, where I participated in thousands of component comparisons, with every type of audiophile imaginable, I can never remember any time when someone preferred the degree of sonic degradation clearly audible with the Mercury Living Presence.

I've read about the concept of "cognitive dissonance". There's one famous historical example of it, which I don't know for certain actually occured: The island natives, in 1492, apparently weren't able to "see" Christopher Columbus' ships floating in the ocean, because they were so alien to their imagination of what was possible. Anyone who compares these two records***, and actually prefers the Living Presence to the Golden Imports, suffers from the same condition, or worse.

*I'm amazed that Harry Pearson was impressed enough with this record's mediocre sound to actually distinguish it. I couldn't disagree more with his assessment, since I've heard literally thousands of better soundings LPs. In fact, the Golden Imports pressing, with its far superior sonics, doesn't even make my "Honorable Mentions". This one record, on its own, reveals the stark contrast between the respective sonic standards of Pearson and myself.

**The Golden Imports was much more immediate, transparent, natural, cleaner, quieter and had considerably more inner and outer details, greater separation of instruments, plus superior micro-dynamics. The sound-floor was also much lower. The bass, soundstage and macro-dynamics were about the same on both.

***I'm not making a "Rule" about all Mercury pressings because of this one particular comparison. Many of the other Golden Imports reissues have their own problems, mainly because there was too much music mastered on them, so neither of the pressings is always better than the other. The main point I'm making here is simple: Ignoring the technical limitations and the engineering problems of the late 1950's/early 1960's, plus the cheap vinyl used by Mercury back then, is a fool's choice with real-life consequences; wasted money and inferior sonics.

COLUMBIA

1. Early pressings- Once again the earlier pressings do sound better. The differences are noticeable; they are warmer, with more natural body, and have a larger soundstage etc. (Similar to the typical differences between tube and transistor amplifiers from that period.) So it's worth it to search them out, but only if the music and performance are important to you. However, none of the Columbia pressings sound good enough to make it a really big deal. Why?

Not even the finest Columbia records approach the sonics of any high quality RCA or Mercury, let alone the best from Decca and EMI. They're noticeably dirty, noisy and unnatural sounding, especially in the high frequencies, compared to the better recordings, let alone the best.

2. Later Pressings- As mentioned above, they're not quite as good, but, in most instances, it's nothing to worry about. I suspect the reason is simple; the master tapes weren't good enough in the first place to either make a great sounding record or to screw one of them up.

Further- The jazz records by Columbia, Miles Davis etc., are a totally different story. The early pressings are noticeably superior and are worth hunting down and paying the price premium. The recent reissues, by Classic Records, are still preferable (overall) to any pressings I've heard from the past, but my experience in this area is very limited. Many people, who are both objective and with more experience than I have, still prefer the originals.

DGG, PHILIPS ETC.

The best pressings I've heard for DGGs are Canadian, believe it or not! Why? I was told that they were mastered with high-quality tube amplifiers. They're also cheap. Unfortunately, not too many titles were pressed, but don't pass them by if you see them.

Early German pressings are sometimes slightly better (they used thicker vinyl) than the reissues, but the differences are even smaller than with the Columbias. In fact, too small for anyone but the fanatics to care about, mainly because the recordings themselves are almost always mediocre.

REISSUES

RCA (CLASSIC RECORDINGS) - These reissues, on the whole, were a mixed success. While most of them could have been better, we should be grateful for what we did end up getting. I overrated the quality of these reissues when I first wrote and posted this essay 8 years ago. I have now listened to virtually every Classic reissue, and I am not as impressed as I was originally.

The collectors, and the dealers, were closer to the truth than I realized back then. However, their ignorant contention that these records are essentially "worthless", is just more self-serving and egotistical nonsense.

The naked hatred these collectors have for Classis Records all stems from the loss in monetary value of many of the (once expensive) originals, along with the further loss of their once exclusivity of ownership of some of the more ultra-rare titles. These collectors paid big money for some of the originals and assumed they would keep rising in value. That fantasy is over. In fact, some of the Classic reissues are now "collectibles" themselves, and worth considerable money.

The presentations, of course, are far superior; the glossy covers are as good as it gets, the vinyl is virgin and 180 grams. The sound, obviously the most important consideration, is far superior to the originals in many, if not most areas, but not all!

Many of the early reissues have a somewhat "cold, analytic" quality. They weren't "sterile", but there is a noticeable lack of natural warmth and bloom. At their worst, some of them sound unnaturally "bright", and even "metallic" at times.

While this is a real problem, the used record dealers have blown it all out of proportion, because in virtually every other way; cleanness, immediacy, precision, dynamics and frequency range etc., the reissues are far superior to the originals. Plus, the reissues are NEW, with all the advantages that entails.

The problems they do have were probably caused by a combination of solid-state mastering, instead of tubes that were used in the original pressings; the (now exposed) weaknesses within the original master tapes; and an inferior vinyl.

The later RCA reissues used both a new vinyl formulation plus tube amplifiers (finally!) in the mastering process. They definitely sound better and should end the controversy for all but the most biased, who will never accept any reissues, no matter how good they sound.

I have to admit that I have never been as impressed with the original RCA LPs, or even the finest Classic Reissues, as much as the best I've heard from the other Classical record labels. I still feel that Decca, EMI and Mercury, produced superior recordings (and eventually records).

That being said, I believe that the finest records, meaning the most "real" and "natural", were made by RCA until the middle to late 1960's. I find their early pressings usually superior to their rivals' equivalents, but they still could not match their rivals' later (and better) pressings mentioned above.

In conclusion: RCA's famous, "Golden Age" recordings, while still excellent or even better, and the finest available at their time of debut, are overrated in the final analysis.

CHESKY- These reissues, around for more than 10 years now, are more variable sonically than the Classic RCAs. Their covers are boring and some of the early titles had noisy surfaces. Their last releases, all using 180 gram vinyl, didn't have that problem. They also used superior mastering amplifiers.

The entire Chesky LP catalogue is now deleted. This is a true tragedy, because some of these later Chesky reissues were sonic masterpieces. In fact, one of them (Petroushka-Danon) may be the finest LP of an orchestra ever made!

DECCA (SPEAKERS CORNER)- These are almost all superb, with the biggest improvements reserved for the earliest recordings. They actually sound "modern" for the first time, in the most positive sense of that word.

However, I have found that the more recent the recording, the smaller the improvement in sound, but then this only makes sense since Decca itself had access to improved mastering equipment as the years went on.

In fact, a number of these reissues, while still excellent, are not the sonic equals of the finest of the original pressings from Decca. Unlike the Classic RCAs, these reissues have no obvious downsides, and the selection is excellent.

DECCA/EMI (ALTO)- They are basically the same in quality as the Speakers Corner. However, two EMI Alto reissues I've heard are on 3 sides, in contrast to the original's two, and they are both stupendous. Both of these albums are in The Supreme Recordings.

EMI TESTAMENT- These reissues are mainly focused on early, EMI violin recordings. They sound decent and have quiet surfaces, but they are a disappointment in the final analysis. They are clean and transparent, but they are also quite dry and analytical. The originals are grossly overrated recordings, and they are usually incredibly over priced, but I still prefer them in sonics.

ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS - There are only a few classical reissues by this label (most are jazz etc.), but these few are superb, and some are outstanding. It's a shame that these, like the Cheskys, didn't sell better. If they did, we would have more titles by now. Instead, audiophiles have been spending their money on overpriced and inferior originals.

KING SUPER ANALOGUE - These are also Decca/London reissues. The now deleted, original Japanese pressings are pricey. They're usually cut at a low level, so you have to turn up the volume a little bit. One other problem; the liner notes are in Japanese only.

The Japanese pressings were uniformly excellent, and competitive with their English and Dutch equivalents. They had advantages with their quiet surfaces, heavy vinyl and large mastering amplifiers. I found some of them to be superior to their English equivalents (Three Cornered Hat-Ansermet and Mahler's 3rd-Mehta), but some of them were veiled in comparison (Russian Music-Ansermet). All of them were at least excellent.

The later (Cisco) pressings, still being made in the U.S., are not as successful as the older Japanese. I don't know why, but with a different pressing plant and vinyl formulation, a good educated guess can be made. On direct comparison, the Speakers Corner reissues are also superior. So these recent pressings are only recommended when there are no alternatives.

MERCURY (CLASSIC RECORDINGS)- Only six of them came out, and it's now doubtful whether any more will ever be made. They were mastered with tubes, just like the originals. The Mercury catalogue is the only one left that has great material that was never realized to its full sonic potential. At least 50 titles are "musts". I'm still hopeful that someone can make a deal with Mercury, and meet their (thank God) stringent standards and conditions.

I have since heard 5 out of the 6 titles. Three of them are stupendous, and two of them are big disappointments. The lengthy details of these auditions are in The Supreme Recordings.

MOBILE FIDELITY - They only made a small number of classical reissues, mainly during the first time around, in the early 1980's. They were usually excellent and very underrated, though a few of them were real "clunkers".

You can still get them for (mainly) reasonable prices. There were two UHQRs, and both are very desirable, and a few others that were also dynamite. The "details" are also in The Supreme Recordings.

Meanwhile, the pop, rock and jazz Mobiles were much more variable. A good number of them were major disappointments.

SUMMARY

I wrote in generalities in this section. I was forced to, because within the subject of record pressings and labels, there are no"absolutes". There are exceptions to virtually everything I wrote within each label and pressing description; some early pressings actually sound excellent, and some of the reissues that I touted above may be inferior.

The only important point is simple:

The Reference Components