Herbert Blomstedt, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies

[jayne lee wilson]

Really, we need a counter-intuitive** service for us buyers. A place where we can pay the reasonable cost of the facility - for true blind testing between CD quality replay, SACD and other Hi Res, from the same source file or disc. (And someone / some random control in another room doing the switching, but a different person actually interacting with the listeners - isn't that along the same lines as academic experiments?).

Or a loan service - car hire style deposit on a credit card, the equipment is loaned for, say a week, an option to set it up for us if needed.... at a reasonable charge (not free of expectation bias but better than nothing). Personally, I'm reluctant to enter a dealer's demonstration facility again - once they start spending time with you, there is an almost subconscious sense of obligation - or I feel the need to hurry up with my judgement if I think its probably a no-go; quite apart from the techniques of a good salesman. (Which would also be the context of a dealer loaning equipment for assessment).

Anybody over, say, 50 has to allow for the possibility their hearing has degraded (sorry, for many of us, it has!). A scenario such as the above would be free of the sense of obligation to a dealer, free of the suggestion/confirmation bias techniques of marketers/magazine reviewers/salesman (**all those efforts over the past ?10 years to sell us new iterations of the same recordings, and the equipment to go with it).

If it comes to spending thousands on equipment, surely it would make sense to hear with one's own ears, as free of influence as possible, whether the difference can actually be heard.

I too disliked dem-room trials so much ( for those reasons you mention....and some mistaken purchases after listening in them) I gave up on them early in the 2000s and only ever trialled equipment from those dealers who offered me exactly that home trial via CC payment (i.e SOR) that you describe. (This applies to accessories like CD Mats, cables etc., too, just as it should)
Most good ones do, although I've made no major hifi purchases since the T&A DAC8 in 2013 (another 2ndhand treasure, offered to me by the friendly distributor who remembered my earlier enquiry...)....
Specialist 2ndhand/exdem dealers are usually very easy about home-trialling as well.

[Bryn]

Why has this thread transmuted into a Flanders and Swann song?

[PJPJ]

I have had nothing but exemplary service concerning my K05.

I also like my Bruckner/Blomstedt SACD set which sounds very good through the Esoteric player.

Sounds excellent via my Oppo 105, too. A concert hall perspective from half-way back.

[jayne lee wilson]

Why has this thread transmuted into a Flanders and Swann song?

Transport of Delight or Song of Reproduction?

[Bryn]

Transport of Delight or Song of Reproduction?

At the Drop of a Hat, the latter, or course. The subject of the former are far too underpowered, noisy and polluting for current consideration, and as for those tiny round side mirrors . . .

[jayne lee wilson]

Back on topic then.....

Hats Off to anyone taking this on......

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/how-sonys-playstation-3-could-save-your-sacd-collection

https://newtoolbox.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/sacd-ripper-primer-v4-0.pdf

....even if you have Jesus to support you , make sure you have the right PS3....

[richardfinegold]

Sounds excellent via my Oppo 105, too. A concert hall perspective from half-way back.

Mine as well

[Cockney Sparrow]

There are copies of the set available here (Am.Com - ASIN: B0094BDO9A) - presently indicating three sets in stock (marketplace sellers).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094BDO9A/sr=8-1/qid=1513524145/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1513524145&sr=8-1

- not a bargain but not inflated prices. I went so far as to establish the seller is willing to ship to the UK. I'm not sure about what customs charges might arise, though.

[gmw]

I'm curious as I have now acquired - by accident really - 20 or so SACD disks. I just need to find a suitability event free weekend and the right PS3.

Am right in thinking though that almost all new music on SACD is mastered on 24 bit PCM and converted to a DSD copy? The few DSD downloads I have have left me feeling underwhelmed and in general I much prefer PCM hi-res downloads. The quality of the recording eclipses all of this IMHO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just a mention that Blomstedt conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie in a performance of Bruckner's Third Symphony (no indication of which edition is being used) this afternoon (Easter Monday, 2/4/18) on R3:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09y3y9x

Mozart's Eb Symphony K543 begins the concert.

[Bryn]

Just a mention that Blomstedt conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie in a performance of Bruckner's Third Symphony (no indication of which edition is being used) this afternoon (Easter Monday, 2/4/18) on R3:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09y3y9x

Mozart's Eb Symphony K543 begins the concert.

I'll catch it later via the iPlayer. Any mention during the presentation as to which version was used? With Blomstedt I would expect the first, but the blurb on the orchestra's site implies a later revision, though without saying so specifically. I just goes on about the premiere having been a disaster and Bruckner then revising it.

[Just now tuned in. It is the first verison, replete with Wagner quotations.]

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Just now tuned in. It is the first verison, replete with Wagner quotations.]

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Apologies - Blomstedt, not Wand.

[Bryn]

Apologies - Blomstedt, not Wand.

Your coat awaits.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Your coat awaits.

Jacket ... Auf!