BaL 17.02.18 - Haydn: String Quartet in G minor (Op 20 No 3)

[Beef Oven!]

I think I must be the only person on earth who likes the Kodaly Quartet in Haydn, but then although I enjoy string quartets, I have a complete blind spot when it comes to recognising a rose from a thistle. Perhaps ignorance is bliss, after all!

For me the Kodaly Haydn String quartets are a bit of a mixed bag. I've a few CDs and some I like, for example the CD containing 'Emperor' 'Fifths' & 'Sunrise'.

[Bryn]

For me the Kodaly Haydn String quartets are a bit of a mixed bag. I've a few CDs and some I like, for example the CD containing 'Emperor' 'Fifths' & 'Sunrise'.

The Op. 76 set is all I have played by the Kodaly Quartet. I really should give the discs a spin. I recall quite enjoying them, but with so many others to hand, both HIPP and less so, they have remained on a shelf, unplayed for years.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I greatly enjoy the Kodaly recordings - and I'm very grateful to them, as they were the only recordings of these works that I could afford. I still greatly prefer them to many a more famous ensemble, and still listen to them with enormous pleasure.

As BeefO says, some are much more successful than others, and there are other, more recent recordings that are "better" - but the Kodalys remain high in my affections and admiration.

[Beef Oven!]

The Op. 76 set is all I have played by the Kodaly Quartet. I really should give the discs a spin. I recall quite enjoying them, but with so many others to hand, both HIPP and less so, they have remained on a shelf, unplayed for years.

Yes, I think you pretty much sum up my experience. Time has marched on .....

[richardfinegold]

For me the Kodaly Haydn String quartets are a bit of a mixed bag. I've a few CDs and some I like, for example the CD containing 'Emperor' 'Fifths' & 'Sunrise'.

That might have been the first Kodaly Qt disc released here, and was also my first ever disc of Haydn Quartets. There wasn’t much else on CD back then and lps had disappeared, the Internet hadn’t entered my consciousness (I probably didn’t have a PC in those days). I remember being utterly beguiled by the “God Save The Kaiser” tune; the playing is really beautiful. Now it just sounds to heavy.

[BBMmk2]

Another one I'll be missing out on!

[vinteuil]

Another one I'll be missing out on!

... o Brass-band- maestro : sadly, you will be missing out. This is not something you (or anyone) should miss.

To miss out on Haydn! On Haydn quartets!!




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[verismissimo]

With this BAL looming, I've returned to the Op 20 set I first acquired, early in the 1970s - the Tatrai Quartet (nla). They were rather sniffily received at the time, but hearing them again I'm struck by how intimate their playing is - as though they are here in my drawing room playing for each other. Quite unlike their contemporaries, who nearly all sound as though they are projecting to a large audience in a concert hall.

[Bergonzi]

I'll try to come back on this when less whacked out, but I usually put sound quality differences between various digital sources (CD transports, computers, files, streams..) down to jitter: timing errors in the feed of information from transport to DAC (a computer or server may function as a "USB transport") - bitrates may come into it with streams though, even those termed CD or lossless - the Lossless 2017 Proms bitrate was probably averaging at something around 550kbps as this article reveals...http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/blog/2017-04...lity-flac-dash ).... I think Jim LeSurf made some similar measurements too, in HFN or in his blog somewhere... can't locate it now.

The SQ differences between my two transports and the isolated/filtered USB computer feed, all to the same DAC, are demonstrable and repeatable.
But I probably fell back in love (again...) with CD after trialling the latest version of the Marigo CD Mat over Christmas: which had such a startlingly addictive upgrading effect on my vintage Marantz transport I wanted to listen to nothing else for weeks...
Call it a bit of audiophile madness if you like (I won't mind... !), but, on a month's trial SOR... it took only a few days to become devoted to it; I'd find it hard to listen to that transport without it now.

Have a look at these.... (you might want to pour yourself a stiff drink first, or strong coffee at least....)

https://www.stereophile.com/features/368/index.html

https://www.stereophile.com/referenc...ter/index.html

Very interesting (the mat) - but at £179 I will give it a miss. They also quote that it makes it sound like 24bit 96kHz and not like 16 bit 44.1 kHz

24 bit is great for recording and headroom but 96kHz does nothing in my opinion and 16bit 44.1kHz is just as good as a final platform. This is backed up by no end of experts.

[BBMmk2]

... o Brass-band- maestro : sadly, you will be missing out. This is not something you (or anyone) should miss.

To miss out on Haydn! On Haydn quartets!!





.

Hiya Vints! Yes, I love Haydn’s, generally speaking but not his string quartets. I have tried on a few occasions. Believe me, but not for me I guess.

[jayne lee wilson]

Very interesting (the mat) - but at £179 I will give it a miss. They also quote that it makes it sound like 24bit 96kHz and not like 16 bit 44.1 kHz

24 bit is great for recording and headroom but 96kHz does nothing in my opinion and 16bit 44.1kHz is just as good as a final platform. This is backed up by no end of experts.

I wouldn't say the mat "makes it sound like" 24/96; just that - to my ears - any given CD sounds more realistic really, using the Marigo Clear-T Mat improves on the classic hifi qualities of space, imagery, depth, and takes on a striking fluidity or smoothness too.
But it is all very subjective, and will vary according to ears, models, systems, rooms etc....

I'm sure all those experts are very honest about their measurements and observations (if at times exhibiting a scepticism bordering on the ideological rather than the evidential), but perhaps "not everything you hear can be measured, and not everything you measure can be heard..."

All I ever do is keep an open mind, try things out for myself wherever possible, and attempt accuracy in my observations.

[Bergonzi]

I wouldn't say the mat "makes it sound like" 24/96; just that - to my ears - any given CD sounds more realistic really, using the Marigo Clear-T Mat improves on the classic hifi qualities of space, imagery, depth, and takes on a striking fluidity or smoothness too.
But it is all very subjective, and will vary according to ears, models, systems, rooms etc....

I'm sure all those experts are very honest about their measurements and observations (if at times exhibiting a scepticism bordering on the ideological rather than the evidential), but perhaps "not everything you hear can be measured, and not everything you measure can be heard..."

All I ever do is keep an open mind, try things out for myself wherever possible, and attempt accuracy in my observations.

I would agree that there are so many variables that a noticeable improvement in one environment may not happen in another. And yes, it is very subjective. I'm sure you are hearing an improvement, but like many of these gadgets (such as expensive speaker leads for example), many do not hear any improvement. Sometimes we might buy an expensive piece of kit and our brains tell us that it must be an improvement because we have spent so much money. I'm sure this probably won't apply in your case, but I've certainly bought an expensive mic in the past where I've found it hard to be certain that it's better than my other mic's. (Maybe different rather than better?)

[waldo]

All I ever do is keep an open mind, try things out for myself wherever possible, and attempt accuracy in my observations.

Fair enough. I don't have a view one way or the other.........More pressing for me is the time! Many days can go by before I find even ten minutes for listening......

[jayne lee wilson]

I would agree that there are so many variables that a noticeable improvement in one environment may not happen in another. And yes, it is very subjective. I'm sure you are hearing an improvement, but like many of these gadgets (such as expensive speaker leads for example), many do not hear any improvement. Sometimes we might buy an expensive piece of kit and our brains tell us that it must be an improvement because we have spent so much money. I'm sure this probably won't apply in your case, but I've certainly bought an expensive mic in the past where I've found it hard to be certain that it's better than my other mic's. (Maybe different rather than better?)

As I've often said, most good dealers offer Home Trial on almost anything nowadays, so there's no need for any financially-influenced cognitive bias. Just listen, compare and decide (hopefully having fun doing it...)
Those Marigo Mats have always been offered on a month's SOR basis... and with main components it's a good idea to get the demo model (rather than a brand new one), as it's usually well run-in. Makes the agony of choice a bit easier...!

[verismissimo]

When I was a young thing, some thought that only the Op 76s and 77s were worth bothering with, whereas others admitted a penchant for the Op 64s and later. All previous quartets were not worthy. What rubbish.

A joyful week here listening to the Op 20s.