What DG's "Original Source" LPs Tell Us About The Classical Marketplace

[@josefkrenshaw179]

I still say compact discs are the format to listen to classical music. It's not a strange sentiment for this channel. I inherited my grandfather's reel-to-reel. Vinyl wasn't king even in the days before CD.

[@geraldmartin7703]

Remember classical on 8-track? There was an abomination.

[@josefkrenshaw179]

@@geraldmartin7703 And 8-track wasn't backward compatible with 4-track. Seriously, what I don't get by reel-to-reel is did it ever sound any good, or did the magnetic tapes degrade over the decades? It doesn't have the major problems with vinyl. We have it pretty good when it comes to recorded music.

[@maxhirsch7035]

While I collect many classical cds and LPs, I'd say that hi-res digital recordings are actually the preferred digital format to listen to classical music.

[@dizwell]

​@maxhirsch7035 Except that anyone with a brain cell knows that "hi-res" digital music is a nonsense. Anything beyond 44.1KHz at 16-bit is inaudible to anyone who isn't 3 years old.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I remember getting together with classical friends in 1984-1985 when we would gather to listen to each others' brand new CDs and marvel at the lack of surface noise, crackle, flutter and all those medium-specific flaws that got between us and the music. This vinyl thing is driven mostly by pop-rock and jazz mavens but I know there are some classical LP collectors. I still have about 100 or so that survived the purges and I've picked up a few at a buck or so as novelties in recent years. They only serve to remind me why I keep going back to my CDs.

[@dmntuba]

A few years later(when the labels were just desperate for product & releasing everything from there catalog came a ton of "budget" classic jazz recordings being reissued. I guess in order to keep prices in the $3.00 to $3.95 range the recordings were issued with no remastering or any attempt to reduce noise. Most people complained about the sonic or lack of sonic quality, but I loved/appreciated them the way they were...noise and all. I felt that over the years (from original release) that the junk in the sound was part of the listening atmosphere. That's just me 😊

[@bobleroe3859]

Not for me; I prefer CDs. I've had vinal and cassettes, and I don't miss them.

[@Ebergerud]

I wouldn't dismiss SACD. I have a Sony SACD spindle that attaches to an Onkyo amp that supports SACD multi-channel. The sound is very rich - very different from standard CDs. Some companies continue to put out SACD discs - I'm very glad.

[@stephend7420]

Archiv LPs (a DG product) captivated me as a teenager in 1960s - mainly for Bach. The quality was there, but also an entrancing mix of high tech (right down to the enclosed technical specifications sheet) and modern design, including folding album cover with full program notes in German, French and English. The Archiv boxed sets of major works like the B Minor Mass, with their distinctively austere calico-covered boxes, were the pinnacle of 'classical' LPs at the time. They featured beautiful 12x12-inch booklets with extensive program notes and full librettos (the latter also in several languages).

[@orthobeat]

Dear Dave, I am an avid fan of your channel. I appreciate your religious love of Music, intimate knowledge of it, delightful showmanship, rich vocabulary and caustic humor... Through your guidance I discovered so many breathtaking gems! May God prolong your active days for our benefit! As to DG OS I hold them in high regard and do own a few. Mostly those performances that I came to love through you, like Kubelik's Bartok Concerto or Barhenboim's Bruckner 4 and they do the sound awesome! What a pleasure to hear an inspired performance in gorgeous sound (even on my modest equipment of AT-120 with Shure head, old Nad and old Infinity speakers off craigslist). I am not an audiophile in the strict sense - performance comes first - but the sound quality does help me to appreciate. There are a few instances when I reversed my attitude to a performance having heard it in audiophile sound quality because I started to pay attention to what was going inside the music so to speak through activated sound stage. Just noticed that the next batch of DG OS is on Amazon already! Will go now and by me Tilson Thomas’ Winter Dream for $38.99 of my hard earned money (not a metaphor). Cheers!

[@jerrykoo8937]

I like your comment under part 2 video of this topic. You mentioned Dave’s EMI SACDs in that comment. I found it disappeared from my end. I can’t locate it anymore. Just wondering if you have deleted it?

[@orthobeat]

@@jerrykoo8937no I didn’t delete anything. I see it on my end

[@dariunz1]

Another awesome video from Dave. Looking forward to Bitchfest, KOLA, and ALDA 2024!? Also thank you for saying this because quality is such an issue nowadays. Why should something that is a crappy recording be sold for outrageous prices? I feel that there’s not as much attention to recordings as there should be. Sonic wise, my favorite example is Artur Rodzinski because you’re talking about a conductor in an era where recordings were mono and didn’t sound well. I wish we would give recordings the same quality attention to this prime example.

[@michaelgray3643]

I have collected classical recordings for nearly 50 years. Your perspective on this issue is 100% on target!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

You are absolutely right that DG were always pooh-poohed by the audiophile community, and this series will probably remedy that bad reputation. Which is great, because I always found it absurd on audiophiles' part to neglect a catalogue of tremendous artistic quality just because of "soundstage" or whatever. But in this case DG did everything right, they hired a great external team that has deep historic ties to DG's past, and that team has managed to splendidly communicate what they're trying to achieve.

[@brianwilliams9408]

With historical reissues, the technology has definitely improved by leaps and bounds. The original CD issues of recordings in the twenties, thirties, forties, especially the jazz recordings, sound incredible now, thanks to new remastering technology. So, in most cases, the historical reissues most definitely benefit from new remastering. Comparing the old issues to the new ones, it's like night and day. It's pretty amazing how well the remasters sound. Now, have there been mis-steps? Absolutely. But on the whole, the new remasters of historical recordings definitely benefit from the new technology.

[@dmntuba]

A few years ago a close friend of mine (we are both children of the 60's and 70's) was given a turn table. That Christmas I bought her a group of 23 LP'S from Goodwill for .10 cents a piece...and they were all in great condition. She bought 3 "new" LP reissues at Walmart for $27.00 a pop & they had only original notes without being remastered. It's enough to make you pull your hair out 😮

[@Ldlax40]

I moved to the other end of the spectrum. Purchase (or stream) FLAC files at lower cost; no packaging just the music.

[@damianthompson703]

Glad to see people pointing out that the best of these Original Source LPs sound quite stunning compared to previous incarnations of these recordings. As I understand it, Emil Berliner Studios have been able to capture more information from multi-track tapes than was possible at the time; it's worth reading the details of the process, which involved building new machines. A direct comparison of the Karajan Mahler 5th or Four Last Songs suggests that for the first time we're hearing the sound that DG's sound engineers aspired to. The problem is that occasionally they screw up quality control at the final stage, sending out scratched records, just like the good old days.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Ah, but that's the issue: "compared to...." How is the comparison being made, by whom, on what equipment, in what room, in real time, etc, etc? I'm not saying there aren't differences, or even that some of the vinyls can be made to sound better than the CDs under certain circumstances, but I don't trust anyone's opinion about it because there are simply too many variables and absolutely no objective facts, unlike discussion of performance details.

[@anton88ist]

"... for the first time we're hearing the sound that DG's sound engineers aspired to." I am just wondering why did they not give us this (sound) quality before? They certainly could have done so, because listening to transfers of some of these "Original Source" LPs, they (the digital transfers) do sound exactly like the LP, when played back to back (even when downsampled to 16bit - 44,1kHz). I did the listening tests.

[@TheJFGB93]

@@anton88ist The differences, as told by the people doing the remastering, are, first, that they don't have to do limiting to account for different pressing plants' limitations, since they are producing in just one place. The second is that the sound is not going through many tapes before being copied, so the base noise being transferred should be less. I haven't listened to old DG vinyl nor new, so I can't say if all that is just hot air, but I would wish that they had taken the opportunity to get high-res digital masters at the same time, because they _did_ use high quality tape machines to run them.

[@anton88ist]

@@TheJFGB93 You are absolutely right, that is what I would have liked, too: Hi-Res files of this stuff!

[@markusberzborn6346]

@@anton88ist This is very easy to answer. In the old days the dynamic range and frequency range of the tape recordings was often deliberately reduced in the LP mastering process out of consideration for the poor quality playback systems most customers used back then. Today the target audience for LP pressings is completely different. It is not the ordinary music listener any more but the audiophile listener.

[@IanShapiro-om2ob]

Hi Dave, is there a playback system that you recommend - integrated amplifier, cd player, speakers, that is excellent for classical music?

[@TheJFGB93]

[I was writing a mammoth of a comment and backtracked] Hi, Dave. I've been watching and listening to many of your videos the past couple of weeks, and they've been valuable in my recent return to listening to more classical music. If I may offer my two cents here: - Part of the recent fascination with vinyl comes from those of us who suffered through the "Loudness Wars", specially for those of us who like rock, metal and some form of pop. Vinyls offered (at the time, at least), an alternative that had much better dynamics, and weren't headache inducing. I feel like some of my peers (including those who have gotten more confortable with classical in the meantime), haven't moved on from that. - The other part is closer with what you say: some of us who buy vinyl can recognize that the format is _not_ better than CD, but are OK with having an "inferior" product because of the tactility of it, the "experience", so to speak. [This is why I also collect some In my case, I still listen to my music mostly in digital (portable and mostly better quality), but if I get it physically depends on a case by case basis, where price is also a factor. Speaking of this collection, I'll probably get the Dvorak 9th soonish since it's one of my favorites (and one I have in a crappy 1973 vinyl), but I plan mostly on getting CDs in the next couple of years (already starting with some Claudio Arrau).

[@barrybrennan2135]

Well, I'm just the wrong side of 40, a relatively recent subscriber here and the Debussy/ Ravel release is my first ever classical purchase. Indeed, amongst my first forays into classical. Honestly, I'm format agnostic - truthfully, I spend most of my time streaming contemporary electronic stuff - but these releases are a fantastic product. The few I've bought have been silent, fanatsically dynamic masterings, nice jackets and packaged with care, etc. I suspect they've given me the bug...

[@daigreatcoat44]

This reminds me of a ludicrous story from a few years back. There was a jazz record shop in London which imported, from Japan, reissues of American LPs. The Japanese product, apart from a line in minute Japanese script, were indistinguishable from the US originals, and sold in England for high prices to collectors who would trade in their fairly battered originals in part-exchange. The shop published lists of rarities for sale, including the battered originals, which would be bought, at great expense, by Japanese collectors whose fetish was to acquire the now scarce originals. The shop-owners must have enjoyed the irony as well as the income.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Delightful!

[@daigreatcoat44]

@@goonbelly5841 Yes, they were vastly superior - which is why it seems so absurd for the Japanese to buy the originals.

[@robhaynes4410]

It's not ironic that DG is doing this in light of its reputation for not having great-sounding vinyl in the past. It's actually the stated purpose of this series. Like you, I think it's a pretty smart move on DG's part. They managed to snag a market that they ignored for a whole century. I've bought three or four of these. They're expensive, but they look & feel like premium, luxury products. The Originals vinyl of the Kubelik Ma vlàst indeed sounds superior to the original issue (which I purchased sealed & pristine). That said, there's a limit to how many of these I'm going to buy. I suspect many people who do buy these won't be purchasing the whole series. I still have a mortgage, after all.

[@davidstrumsky7012]

And soon, if we wait long enough, the producers will lower the price to fit larger niches/segments of the marketplace. Let's just hope there will be ways (better streaming?) for the rest of us to "hear" what you're talking about.

[@davidstrumsky7012]

Thanks for bringing this topic up on your platform. I can always count on you to bring to light and discuss what "new fashions" The Emperors are selling us. Love thinking about perspectives, and thanks for keeping our eyes (and ears) on the ball itself, examining what is to be learned objectively and what we can be taught to appreciate subjectively. We consumers consume because that's how they (the producers) think of us, and so few do things for the love of it but we count on you to unearth them for us.

[@leegerstmann]

I used to be someone who had a ton of records. That would be approximately 20 or more years ago. I have no need to get new vinyl releases of things I used to have. Streaming services are quite great things, in my opinion though I do know people who prefer getting physical product. Well, if they have the room for it, that’s on them. I do occasionally buy CDs, especially if I see a performer live and can meet the performer after the show and buy merch and talk to the performer for the moment but even then I will usually hear the streaming version of something first because I don’t need to take out the CD and fool with the physicalities of handling a CD. I love being able to go to a streaming service and quickly pick something and hear it right away. Also, the lack of skips on the recording from streaming is also a nice thing.

[@allthisuselessbeauty-kr7]

I think the inherent danger in 'audiophilia' is this illusory pusuit of 'pefection' in sound reproduction at all costs. Ultimately, it misses point that any sound carrier medium (CD, Streaming, LP, etc) and the equipment it's reproduced on have limitations (no matter how much you spend); they are just a means to an end - the emotional, intellectual enjoyment of a fleeting performance of a piece of music, which is a miracle in itself. Don't get me wrong, a well recorded, musically rewarding performance is absolutely thrilling, but I equally enjoy Duke Ellington recorded in the 1930's because there's enough information there to appreciate the quality of the music making. That's the point!

[@geraldmartin7703]

Decades ago I read that D.G. L.P.s were mastered for the European market where most listening was on cheap record players.

[@dannycarrington1601]

Just as current Pop music is mastered with car stereos and other cheap playback methods in mind.

[@michelangelomulieri5134]

Wonderful and insightful video! Thanks Dave!

[@darmokt]

I picked up the Kubelik Bartók “Original Source” reissue on a recent sale and it is a magnificent sounding release. Wouldn’t have done so at the original price or for a performance I don’t care for, but it’s a fun little experience that I found worthwhile. Can’t say I’ll be replacing my CDs and SACDs any time soon though!

[@untoa]

But Dave, I listen to your recommendations on spotify. I could not obtain recordings like Stanislaw Skrowaczewski's Bruckner (which is magnificent) except on a streaming service

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

So use streaming--whatever works!

[@williamsu5552]

"How much time can you remaster the same music?" is a very good question!!

[@retohofmann5878]

The tubes were warming up since the sixties...made my day😅

[@richardsandmeyer4431]

I still have some LPs of music not yet reissued on CD, but I haven't added any new LPs to my collection since the 1980s with one category of exceptions. That exception is to get librettos. So many CD reissues of operas no longer include librettos that I have on multiple occasions resorted to buying a cheap 2nd hand LP box of the opera to get the libretto. Actually even the librettos in those rare CD sets that include them are usually inferior (in paper quality, size of print, photos, etc.) to those that were with the LPs. I sometimes wonder whether someone could make a successful small business out of reprinting (under license, of course) the librettos from some of the LP opera boxes and offering them at a reasonable price -- probably too much of a niche market to make a go of it. BTW, I will admit that the 2nd hand LPs I acquire for this purpose mostly sound decent, but I still prefer the CDs for both sound and convenience. I certainly wouldn't pay the high prices asked for some of the new LP releases, but if they help increase the interest in classical music I won't "dis" those who buy them.

[@lordsoulis]

I like my LPs and my cd's and my cassette tapes. No fuss.

[@johnhoie-hj7cg]

I have a lot of DGG vinyl from the 1960s and early 1970s. Yes, the artists were first rate, but the sound was not as good as RCA, Mercury or Decca. At least that’s what my ears told me. They lack sonic depth and, to a lesser extent, warmth. Most of what I listen to now is on Qobuz, obviously digital, and it sounds great. But vinyl is still slightly better. Edit: After reading some of the comments, I’ll have to go on the hunt for the DGG Carmina Burana, if that has been reissued. I loved the original, even though it was seriously lacking in bass.

[@jbbevan]

Some of these DGG vinyl reissues aren't AAA....They are DDA...i.e. digital recordings presented in an analog format. That makes no sense to me at all. I bought one two disc set of the new vinyls "just to see...or hear". It was nicely presented and was like the best of the original LP era version. But it wasn't good enough to bring me back for another vinyl buy. I still have the 1977 Karajan Beethoven 9 in leather signed by HvK...and the discs may have been played a total of three times since I dubbed tapes of them early on so I wouldn't have to wear out the LP's. The quality of those (technically) is about the same as the new pressings. Actually, I think we wouldn't be here right now if the CD had been originally 48Khz @ 24 Bit. The 41Khz always seemed technically marginal to me. These days I have downloaded some HDTT remasterings at 24/96 which really do a good job giving me everything that was on the master tape. In the free market, let DGG sell what they can sell...but I think high resolution downloads (24/96K or above) are where it's at for me. My late wife wouldn't agree...she was a connoisseur of album artwork...and NOBODY is producing that any more.

[@classicallpvault]

Yeah, plus, analog recording on high end reel to reel tape machines is superior to CD quality. Electronic music producers like Robert Babicz even record separate mixer tracks on reel to reel and then back onto their computers to improve the sound quality. This sounds counter-intuitive at first but these machines have all kinds of electrical components that affect a signal being fed into them and even make electronically generated music sound beefier. However, some of the best LPs in terms of sound quality were released by Orfeo in Germany starting in the late 1970s and they were all DDA as well.

[@markusberzborn6346]

You are probably confounding the Original Source series with the regular DGG vinyl reissues. As far as I can see it, the Original Source are all purely analog. And "wearing out" LPs is just a myth, by the way.

[@strqrt70]

@@markusberzborn6346LPs most certainly do wear out over time. However, the number of plays before it becomes audibly deteriorated is quite high I’d imagine.

[@davidjanero3110]

@@classicallpvault Absoultely... a recording on a ReVox R-toR run at 7 1/2 ips-- not even 15 ips-- with premium Maxell tape and dbx noise-reduction is still amazing, and an amazingly satisfying audio experience.

[@markusberzborn6346]

@@strqrt70 This number of plays is so high that no normal listener will ever reach it. A guy in Germany made a test some years ago playing the same record all over and over again - not only listening to it but also measuring it. A noticeable loss of quality was only detected after 900 playbacks. To be quite honest, I have never even listened more than 20 times to any record, and most of them even much less often.

[@robertbubeck9194]

Dave, you did not say whether or not you had a chance to listen to a few of the DG OS reissues on a good rig and compare them to the presssings from the 1970's and the CD reissues. A personal opinion one way of the other would be OK as long as one has sampled the media to make a judgment. As always, thanks for your reviews and insights.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

You missed the point entirely. I have no opinion on whether the LPs are any good or not. I am simply talking about DG's smarts in making and selling a product for a niche market, and good for them. The audio loonies hear what they want to hear and get defensive for no reason I can see.

[@robertbubeck9194]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I do not believe that I missed your point. You correctly contend that the DG OS LPs are a marketing niche, but if one is to claim the prices are ridiculous (or not) one should first listen to and experience the product. Thanks for listening and take care.

[@erikjohnson1137]

Vinyl has become an easy sell to people who have recently been surrounded by compressed audio mp3. Without some technical knowledge, the common person may think the digital audio on a CD and the compressed digital audio on their ipod, streaming service, or burned disc is the same. It isn't. When they hear vinyl they will immediately know it sounds better than the last 3 mentioned formats, but the possibility of CD audio being this higher quality doesn't cross their mind.

[@maxhirsch7035]

I have a high-end system (in both the digital and analog domains) and frequently listen to SACDs and hi-res digital streams as well as great audio-quality classical cds, and nevertheless still often prefer great vinyl pressings of classical recordings.

[@TheJFGB93]

@@erikjohnson1137 It also depends a lot on the kind of music they're listening. For classical music, there's no doubt that you're mostly getting the better product on CD, SACD or digital lossless files. For a lot of other genres, though, the digital versions are a mess: loud, with no dynamic range, hyper compressed, and varying amounts of clipping. Their vinyls, though, since the format can't stand that kind of abuse, have none of those problems, which makes them less headache-inducing.

[@greyhoundude6112]

Vinyl buyers just want the "thing".... The piece of plastic with the album cover because it carries a certain amount of hipness and prestige these days. I see it every day. People spend 30 to 45 dollars on records that they'll play perhaps one time and then file it away on a shelf and that is where it will sit. But hey, it's cool...right? "Look at all my vinyls! Aren't my vinyls cool? Please tell me you love seeing all of my vinyls!!" Sound quality is not a factor. The noise as the needle drags through the plastic is not a factor. Clicks and pops don't matter. It's the cool factor of having the vinyl.

[@dannycarrington1601]

I've heard of fans of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, et al, purchasing every format of physical media - even if they don't own the equipment to play it on. People are purchasing LPs for the packaging; in the case of reissues, they're also purchasing it out of nostalgia (even if they weren't alive when the original was released).

[@atane-ofiaja]

Cool factor? Give me a break. There’s no social appeal or cool points for having Ozawa or Abbado records. You’re not getting hot women or hipness points for this. I know this might sound crazy to you, but maybe, just maybe, the buyers like the music and want it in the best possible fidelity and have the means to pay top dollar for it. I know! That’s crazy! Imagine wanting classical music in high quality. The horror!

[@r.handerlie9607]

@@atane-ofiaja Then the best fidelity is on CD, SACD or digital download that don't have any of the limitations of vinyl like inferior sonics after the half to 2/3 mark of an LP side often where the highest dynamic range is on a symphonic piece

[@atane-ofiaja]

@@r.handerlie9607I have hundreds of SACDs and love the format, so it’s all good. I also stream via Tidal, so I’m certainly not exclusive to vinyl.

[@pauldavidartistclub6723]

Hey I grew up with vinyl LP’s, and hated to see them go…in fact I didn’t make the switch to CD until The Beatles catalogue was at last authorized to make it onto that format. And I quickly realized how superior they were to LP’s in every way EXCEPT for the presentation (cover art, larger print liner notes, inner sleeves with advertising…at least when I was young). And CD’s sounded great without hyper expensive and extensive equipment (though that was still out there), or the need for bizarrely extreme special handling of the platters. As one who generally cares for vintage things (I use fountain pens, and I paint/teach/admire pre-Modern art styles…both fields of which are going through rebirths akin to LP’s), I have to say however that the return of records* is quite reactionary, and makes no sense. LP’s are great if they are the original objects of their period of release…they carry much weight historically and culturally, but to rerelease them, regardless of the care in remastering (or even remixing such as with Beatles albums) is just nonsensical to me. Add in the absurd prices and it becomes a weird cultural phenomenon. But the labels shot themselves from the beginning, with bad CD repackaging for the first decade or more, forcing lousy jewel cases on us, and also at prices that were way too high (I worked for a wholesale distributor/indie label so knew what the manufacturing costs generally were…peanuts by the late 1980’s). What the state of the classical segment became is a whole different subject, but for sure classical had always been the driving force of technical and format innovation until recent times, and even into the mid 1970’s had a quite large and secure percentage of the sales pie, even in the US. Along with jazz it just evaporated over time, although in the crazy 80’s that was offset for fans by the new CD format and the opening of the vaults, by the period movement, and by the indie explosion (Hyperion, Chandos, and all the rest). Tower Records (and to a lesser extent Virgin and HMV in the States), followed by the demise of the music clubs really spelled the end for classical in particular but reflected and contributed to the downfall of CD. Thanks for your time (* oh, I had a friend who was a great collector of 78’s, with one of the country’s best collections probably, who refused to acknowledge even 33’s as being called “records”…to him that signified the older format only…so any niche can have their superiority complex. So no, modern day, nor elite first pressings are not superior ways to listen to music over CD…though physical product certainly has it all over in every category over today’s streaming blitzkrieg).

[@bchristian85]

Vinyl isn't a good format for classical. I say that as a vinyl collector myself. Most of my records are pop, rock, and jazz records from when LP was the dominant format (1950s-1980s). CD was invented with classical in mind and that is still the best format for classical.

[@geraldmartin7703]

CD length was dictated by Beethoven's ninth symphony. I read L.P. length was dictated by Beethoven's "Eroica" which always puzzled me since the slow movement required a turnover to side B.

[@maxhirsch7035]

I partially agree with you- my preference for analog is much more frequent with genres other than classical, but in my case it's because while I generally prefer the overall sonic aspects of good vinyl to good digital recordings, the greater ambient noise of vinyl vs digital (even on a high-end system) is much more of a liability for classical recordings, which much more frequently have extended quiet passages or frequent quieter interludes, vs what's typical in the music of other genres. Also, while I typically hear substantially greater/deeper soundstages and timbral realism on good vinyl pressings than from digital recordings, I do think that the considerably greater sonic complexity of a full orchestral presentation is often better served by digital than analog (maybe due to the former's lower noise floors?), whereas in other genres it's essentially a non-issue to my ears.

[@fnd111]

The industry made a huge mistake by not getting behind SA-CD. This was the sound that was promised back in the early '80s-a lost opportunity. It is good to see these LPs being produced by DG. Anything that advances/keeps alive classical music is a win.

[@ilunga146]

I tried listening to records again in the late 1990s. I had a reasonably decent, Stereophile-approved setup, but buying classical records was a horrible experience. Even when the records looked brand-new, they had so much surface noise, I hated myself for having dropped around $3000 for such a crapulent listening experience. The worst were 1) a Columbia Masterworks box set of Bernstein's Mahler Symphonies; all of Brendel's Schubert, a box on Angel of Barenboim's Mozart PCs, and finally, Solti's Mahler 3. I ended up getting rid of it all, and have been listening to CDs ever since. I've ripped most of my music to external hard drives, and listen to it that way most of the time, mainly because I spend that much time at my computer.

[@harrymcfann6853]

I'm looking forward to Poetry on Plastic doing a reaction video to this.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I really don't understand why this should be in any way controversial.

[@paulyoung9279]

Then there's the cost of a decent stylus / cartridge, that also needs proper alignment...and of course they wear out! Given that millions of music consumers already have, or had, DVD and Blu ray players it seems extraordinary how little music has been released in these formats, to this day!

[@campbellfulton5602]

I’m so happy not to have audiophile ears and can enjoy the music in the simplest way.

[@barrysaines254]

All Well Said Dave!!!

[@davidgow9457]

Dave the Original Source vinyl is excellent - produced with care and respect for the music. I bought the BIS CD set of the Tubin symphonies recently which comes in a little plastic box which can only be opened at the risk of injuring yourself. The music is good and should have been sold with greater respect. Consumers look at the product and decide whether it is a quality product or not. If the record company does not care why should the consumer? DG are setting new standards and these come at a price.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No, they are setting an old standard, and making you pay through the nose for it. Good for them!

[@steven4570]

Hmmmm I see the other replies have been deleted

[@ConorHanley]

Astute observation of the market is a bit of an exaggeration given its taken years of selling Vinyl at extortionate prices to Jazz and popular music 'audiophiles' before DG , and probably others, began to release Classical Vinyl at extortionate prices. Not sure how long this Vinyl Resurgence is going to last as signs of a downturn are evident while labels try to gauge 'fans' with ever steeper prices. Think it weird myself but I do wonder how well off you have to be to amass even a small collection of whatever musics you are into. Bad enough buying normal CDs.

[@matematic-gn6il]

DG original source is the best thing in couple years of vinyl revival... great performances on beautiful sounding records... completely worth of price... keep them coming...just preorder Ozawa Ravel boxsex... great, great thing

[@markusberzborn6346]

Yes, I am very much looking forward to the Ravel box set and to comparing it to my other sonic favourites Cluytens and Skrowaczewski.

[@JK-rt2jj]

I think the hifi equipment industry almost killed itself too by causing the same sort of trust crisis.

[@ModusVivendiMedia]

Analog vs digital is a little like 24fps vs 60fps video. 60fps is, of course, objectively and measurably better, but it looks horrible and I would never want to watch a 60fps movie or TV show (except sports). (I'm not saying I prefer vinyl; I'm saying the reason that people prefer vinyl, or analog in general, is not because it is "better" in any sense of accuracy or clarity, but rather because it modifies the sound in often-pleasing ways.) As for mastering, of course there is much better technology today, all of which would be eschewed by "AAA" releases like these, since said technology is digital, and for analog, "vintage" equipment (such as would have been available in the 1950s) is the sh*t. But really, mastering is an artistic endeavor involving taste and choices and personal preferences, just as performing and interpreting music is. So it's entirely possible for different masters to bring out different aspects of the recording or give it varying sonic characters. Also, in the past, mastering was considered a basic, routine task given to junior engineers, whereas today it is a black art we pay gurus large sums to add their magic touch to.

[@BestRecordShops]

100% True. Great video, Sir!

[@MaximilianHoch1]

What a click bait video! Love your musical taste so much David, you have inspired a generation of listeners. But this video is utter nonsense. comes to show that you have not listened to a single one of these reissues before bashing them blindly - they are unbelievable! I agree with you, most DGs are not great but this is a whole new level! And the part of you talking smack about music fidelity is just hilarious. Don’t understand the point - obviously one can hear a difference in equipment. Anyone can do that. No need to be condescending about an entire genre. Also dangerous: because probably a HUGE percentage of your listeners are the people you make fun of.

[@ferrisburgh802]

Dave, you have done it again!!! The audiophile crowd will be in a tizzy after watching this; get ready for the blowback.. No one want to admit they've been suckered into spending $50 plus for a vinyl disk that doesnt add much to the music quality of a performance.

[@elendil504]

They're usually ~$40 for a single LP. That's about $6 in 1974 dollars. I already have these recordings in digital. I'm buying them for nostalgia, the packaging and because I love the sound of my expensive turntable and cartridge.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Of course. Sadly, we're not living in 1974.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

More power to you! If you enjoy it, than it's worth the money. And yes, I still enjoy my large collection of vinyl.

[@xavierotazu5805]

Paying 50 bucks for a vinyl reissue is nonsense, specially when you can buy the same 60'-70's recording second hand by just 2 or 3 bucks. If it is well preserved, you can hear the same music with the same quality, but much more cheaper!

[@1e9n4i7gma]

As I have said before,I got rid of all my LP's forty years ago and have never regretted this,I would NEVER go back to LP with clicks and pops.These nerds are being conned

[@Jezza-m5k]

DG mention "The original tapes"? Not "original master tapes" Which makes me think that the tapes they are using to master these exorbitantly priced vinyl reissues may well be second or third generation copies of the originals. Whatever, these new vinyl releases are overpriced... the Bruckner/Karajan cycle has been a Deutsche Grammophon "cash cow' for decades.... I have the original LPs, CD box-sets, SHM-CD releases and the Blu-ray set, etc. The same old wine in new bottles! Enough is enough...

[@anton88ist]

Usually the sources for these LPs of the "Original Source" series are the Original 4-track tapes. If they would master from these Original 4-track tapes for SACD or CD with the same care I am sure we would get equal sound quality, or even better. Because cutting a record you have to take care of certain things you do not have to pay attention to when putting it on CD or SACD.

[@Jezza-m5k]

Yes, but which four track tapes and which generation of tape? DG never mentions "original master tapes". Claiming that the new vinyl releases are remastered from the original tapes is disingenuous, in my opinion. Are they the original master tapes or later generation copies of said master tapes? Only Deutsche Grammophon can answer this question...

[@markusberzborn6346]

@@Jezza-m5k Yes, the original master tapes. There are videos about the production process on youtube.

[@Jezza-m5k]

Yes, they are using "master tapes", but which generation? The original master tapes will have deteriorated and will be very fragile... will DG risk using them? Decca told us that the original master tapes for Solti's Ring Cycle were damaged beyond repair and inserted pieces of the recording that were consigned to the cutting room floor by Culshaw and his team into the first remastered box-set of the Ring Cycle with its CEDAR noise reduction that bleaches the sound! Subsequently, Decca with its new releases of Solti's Ring Cycle, claim that they have used the "original master tapes", baking them to make them playable. I'm not convinced that DG are using the original master tapes!

[@markusberzborn6346]

@@Jezza-m5k What makes you think that all tapes deteriorate? This is not the case. There are just problems with some specific tape formulations, but not with all.

[@Madjed2024]

You made me laugh so much talking about Idy Amin Dada and Baby doc 😂😂😂