Definitive Audiophile pressings

[MikeH]

I'm not sure if it is shadiness, or more a case of buyer beware and get informed before buying. Big box online retailers like AS and MD have warehouses full of deadstock from returns, and no outlets to shift them out and recoup on the wholesale cost. They have to go somewhere. I would think it fairly rare that they would simply trash a return.

There is no way they would be able to catalog and individually identify the specific defects on every one of (at least) hundreds or thousands of returns. Some, probably a fair proportion, may have no defects at all - just sent back by some asshole with a shitty or badly calibrated setup, or some visual defect that an obsessive type trumped up into something major, or a bent corner. l bet a record someone returns claiming pops and clicks on their Crossley may well be flawless on a decent setup. You take your chances - that's why they are discounted.

Amazon does this too - those 'warehouse deals'. Buyer beware. They are cheaper for a reason, or often, several reasons.

Personally, I would not save a few bucks to end up with someone else's problem, or take my chances rolling the dice on getting lucky that it was a return without justification and not strike out.

The AS stuff on discogs is mostly returns or some warehouse finds it seems. They posted quite a lot of albums with a slight seam split with NM vinyl. The AP Waltz for Debby I got is exactly that. The Cisco American Woman I got is because Cisco had some issues with weird discoloration on some vinyl that DNAP at all. It sounds awesome. Keep in mind--AS's discogs items are actually properly graded from what I've experienced--even on the side of conservative, plus they are cleaned and sent in nice inners and behind the sleeve in an outer. I have paid less on the few i bought than they have been listed anywhere else. I get that it's shady sometimes (especially when it's an AS pressed item that's on backorder or available on their site new for less...) but I just avoid those.

The Hobson stuff was a shitshow though...

 

[TransformerMan]

I'm not sure if it is shadiness, or more a case of buyer beware and get informed before buying. Big box online retailers like AS and MD have warehouses full of deadstock from returns, and no outlets to shift them out and recoup on the wholesale cost. They have to go somewhere. I would think it fairly rare that they would simply trash a return.

There is no way they would be able to catalog and individually identify the specific defects on every one of (at least) hundreds or thousands of returns. Some, probably a fair proportion, may have no defects at all - just sent back by some asshole with a shitty or badly calibrated setup, or some visual defect that an obsessive type trumped up into something major, or a bent corner. l bet a record someone returns claiming pops and clicks on their Crossley may well be flawless on a decent setup. You take your chances - that's why they are discounted.

Amazon does this too - those 'warehouse deals'. Buyer beware. They are cheaper for a reason, or often, several reasons.

Personally, I would not save a few bucks to end up with someone else's problem, or take my chances rolling the dice on getting lucky that it was a return without justification and not strike out.

I don't think anyone is expecting AS or any company to trash a return, and I would guess they are using discogs because their own site cannot handle this stock well (i.e. the Hobson shitshow). I call shadiness because my assumption is that most buyers on discogs aren't as informed as we are on this forum and that is likely what they are capitalizing off of. And to @MikeH 's point about when its an AS pressed item. Gets into the MD territory of hoarding final copies of a MoFi final pressing just to jack up the price by 3 times the retail price.

And yeah amazon does this but prices at a discount of the retail price. They even post well OOP items in this way for the most part. Easier risks to take and returns are really simple.

In the end companies are going to make the business decisions they need to and it won't always match my moral compass and that's fine, its just bugs me when I see it and I'm glad I'm informed, which I have you all to thank.

 

[RHANDMJ]

I don't think anyone is expecting AS or any company to trash a return, and I would guess they are using discogs because their own site cannot handle this stock well (i.e. the Hobson shitshow). I call shadiness because my assumption is that most buyers on discogs aren't as informed as we are on this forum and that is likely what they are capitalizing off of. And to @MikeH 's point about when its an AS pressed item. Gets into the MD territory of hoarding final copies of a MoFi final pressing just to jack up the price by 3 times the retail price.

And yeah amazon does this but prices at a discount of the retail price. They even post well OOP items in this way for the most part. Easier risks to take and returns are really simple.

In the end companies are going to make the business decisions they need to and it won't always match my moral compass and that's fine, its just bugs me when I see it and I'm glad I'm informed, which I have you all to thank.

Lol. The Hobson stuff was a shitshow because he dumped all his return stock and other assorted crap on Chad, and Chad fell for it.

Hobson did a massive service to vinyl and music overall. I have many Classic pressings and prize them.

Unfortunately, as things went sour for Classic, Hobson engaged in some dubious practices - some with licenses, which got him into the jam in the first place (teachable moment - don't fuck around with Led Zeppelin on pressing numbers), and then shifting pressing from RTI to a substandard little plant. And pumping out product there to flood the market in the hopes of finding salvation.

Another issue was hanging on to 200g way fast the point when it was clear the defect rate was not fixable. Chad ended up with all that crap and still has a lot of it.

 

[Portland Sheriff]

Lol. The Hobson stuff was a shitshow because he dumped all his return stock and other assorted crap on Chad, and Chad fell for it.

Another issue was hanging on to 200g way fast the point when it was clear the defect rate was not fixable. Chad ended up with all that crap and still has a lot of it.

Not doubting anything you've said b/c I know almost nothing about it, but, based on this 90-minute video, it appears Chad isn't too bent out of shape about whatever happened. I suppose it's possible Chad did this to grease the sales wheels, but that's a long time to spend w/ someone you don't genuinely feel good about.

 

[MikeH]

Lol. The Hobson stuff was a shitshow because he dumped all his return stock and other assorted crap on Chad, and Chad fell for it.

Hobson did a massive service to vinyl and music overall. I have many Classic pressings and prize them.

Unfortunately, as things went sour for Classic, Hobson engaged in some dubious practices - some with licenses, which got him into the jam in the first place (teachable moment - don't fuck around with Led Zeppelin on pressing numbers), and then shifting pressing from RTI to a substandard little plant. And pumping out product there to flood the market in the hopes of finding salvation.

Another issue was hanging on to 200g way fast the point when it was clear the defect rate was not fixable. Chad ended up with all that crap and still has a lot of it.

The shitshow is referring to how they posted a ton of the Hobson stuff two days ago and only posted one copy of each album. their website couldn’t handle real-time inventory updates so they ended up with tons of people buying the same album and then AS had to cancel lots or orders. It happened with the MoFi Jack Johnson a few weeks back too. Someone found what must have been a handful of copies of it on their site and posted it to Reddit and the site couldn’t handle the real-time inventory. Lots of people thought they got a copy and I don’t know if more than 2 people actually ended up with a copy.

 

[MikeH]

Ornette Coleman-The Shape Of Jazz To Come-180 Gram Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records

store.acousticsounds.com

New SC preorder for you jazz fans

 

[keylime_5]

Kevin Gray does most of Speakers Corners' Warner Records stuff too, so pretty decent chance that is cut by him.

 

[MikeH]

Kevin Gray does most of Speakers Corners' Warner Records stuff too, so pretty decent chance that is cut by him.

 

[RHANDMJ]

Not doubting anything you've said b/c I know almost nothing about it, but, based on this 90-minute video, it appears Chad isn't too bent out of shape about whatever happened. I suppose it's possible Chad did this to grease the sales wheels, but that's a long time to spend w/ someone you don't genuinely feel good about.

It was a relatively long time ago - around 10 years now I guess. And I never said Chad holds a grudge! I have no idea what he paid for the remnants of Classic, but it was likely a shrewd deal on Chad's part.

Now, Chad has got hold of Hobson's personal stash, so he has good reason to bring Hobson in to help promote it.

 

[Sonicpharmacist]

Ornette Coleman-The Shape Of Jazz To Come-180 Gram Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records

store.acousticsounds.com

New SC preorder for you jazz fans

I’ve been curious about this album forever, what better reason to make this my first Speaker’s Corner album.

 

[debar22]

Here's a great one that I don't think I've seen mentioned on here before.

The 2018 and 2019 Run Out Groove reissues of Baby Huey "The Living Legend".

Mastered and cut by Chris Bellman and AAA from what I understand. Pressed at Record Industry. There's a RSD version with the instrumentals as extras and a later issue without. I have the 2019 issue without the extras and it sounds fantastic. I don't know what others who have this think, but I would recommend if you come across a copy.

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2019 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

I love this album! I have a crummy reissue from when we didn't have many options. Damn you spoiled kids and your Chris Bellmans and Boom Booms and whatnot!

 

[yukbon]

the one dumb april fool's thing that's made me laugh today:

 

[Russ I]

Ornette Coleman-The Shape Of Jazz To Come-180 Gram Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records

store.acousticsounds.com

New SC preorder for you jazz fans

I'm guessing this is a repress? I have an ORG 2LP 45RPM of this from 2013, cut by Grundman and Bellman and mastered by Grundman.

Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2013 Vinyl release of "The Shape Of Jazz To Come" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

EDIT: I should learn to read more carefully. This (linked by @MikeH) is from Speakers Corner, not ORG. So now I'm curious to know more about this: "This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head."

 

[keylime_5]

Not a repress, new release by Speakers Corner.

 

[Mr Moustache]

Here's a great one that I don't think I've seen mentioned on here before.

The 2018 and 2019 Run Out Groove reissues of Baby Huey "The Living Legend".

Mastered and cut by Chris Bellman and AAA from what I understand. Pressed at Record Industry. There's a RSD version with the instrumentals as extras and a later issue without. I have the 2019 issue without the extras and it sounds fantastic. I don't know what others who have this think, but I would recommend if you come across a copy.

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2019 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Available here

Baby Huey-The Baby Huey Story The Living Legend-Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Records

store.acousticsounds.com

 

[mitchwagz]

I'm guessing this is a repress? I have an ORG 2LP 45RPM of this from 2013, cut by Grundman and Bellman and mastered by Grundman.

Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2013 Vinyl release of "The Shape Of Jazz To Come" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

EDIT: I should learn to read more carefully. This (linked by @MikeH) is from Speakers Corner, not ORG. So now I'm curious to know more about this: "This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head."

I have the 45 and it’s pretty great. I’m not sure it can sound better than that. It is an Atlantic recording though so not the best fidelity in the world. I’m curious about the Speakers Corner too though. Report back here whenever someone here gets it!

 

[Andy]

Here's a great one that I don't think I've seen mentioned on here before.

The 2018 and 2019 Run Out Groove reissues of Baby Huey "The Living Legend".

Mastered and cut by Chris Bellman and AAA from what I understand. Pressed at Record Industry. There's a RSD version with the instrumentals as extras and a later issue without. I have the 2019 issue without the extras and it sounds fantastic. I don't know what others who have this think, but I would recommend if you come across a copy.

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2019 Vinyl release of "The Baby Huey Story / The Living Legend" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

I paid a bunch to get the RSD edition shipped across to the Uk & it does indeed sound fantastic. So much so, I ended up getting a second copy for my brother.

 

[Andy]

I love this album! I have a crummy reissue from when we didn't have many options. Damn you spoiled kids and your Chris Bellmans and Boom Booms and whatnot!

Me too. I bought a re-issue on the late 90's or early 00's. If you love the album (and who doesn't), I would hunt out a copy of the Bellman cut, it totally smokes my older version.

 

[debar22]

Me too. I bought a re-issue on the late 90's or early 00's. If you love the album (and who doesn't), I would hunt out a copy of the Bellman cut, it totally smokes my older version.

I just grabbed a copy of the 1LP on Acoustic Sounds. Would love the instrumentals disc though, but I think I can find those digitally until I can track down the 2LP at a decent price.

 

[Mather]

Here's a new one... HHV just sent this to me from Germany, and they didn't tape it down, in any way... Just this little flap holding the whole thing together. It's a miracle it showed up at all...