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4.5
Average of 24 reviews
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It's a tough call between the Trio 64 and 65 - both are top-notch. Each has its own strengths that make it stand out. RKS did a stellar job with the remastering and pressing. It's just a shame that the recording engineers back then didn't seem to grasp that they weren't just capturing any pianist, but one of the all-time greats. BE truly deserved a more polished and superior recording effort.
Let me share my thoughts on the Acoustic Sounds 33RPM 2022 edition, which was quite a surprise for me. Among all the comparisons I've done for this series, this one truly stood out, and not in a good way. Usually, each release has held its own against or even surpassed the best previous pressings, but not this time. I'm disappointed to say that this version of Trio 65 falls short, even perhaps worse than my ORG45 by Grundman. There's been a lot of talk about Evans' piano sounding boxy and hollow, and I initially chalked it up to Van Gelder's micing style. But now, I'm starting to think those criticisms might be on point. The ORG45 just captures the room's air and reverb better, not just the highs but the mids and lows too. The AS33, on the other hand, comes across as dry, hollow, and less lifelike overall. It's not about level imbalance either, as I matched the volumes and still found the 45 superior. At first, I thought the left channel felt empty on RKS' new cut, but then I realized it was the recording. The 45 revealed so much more activity and life throughout the stereo image. I suspect there's a touch of compression that helps bring out lost details, but the dynamics are mostly intact. It's almost like the AS33 removes any channel bleed, centering the piano completely, whereas on A1 of the 45, Evans sits more between the center and left. You'd expect the AS to be clearer or wider with this isolation, but it's not the case—it just comes across as more cluttered and unclear. I'm genuinely shocked by this. Funny enough, this is the only release I've found lacking in sound quality and also the only one delayed a full year due to printing issues. Makes you wonder if there's more to it than just the covers, as it almost sounds like two different sources between these vinyl releases. Maybe it's the ORG using something other than the original master, but either way, it sounds substantially better to me. Just listen to the drum brushing on A3 and tell me the ORG45 doesn't sound more lush and real while the AS33 sounds more like surface noise. To be fair, the AS33 is the cleaner pressing with less tape hiss, but that's about the only positive I can give right now. It's a complete letdown when compared side by side with the 45. Equipment Used: Technics SL-1210GR Turntable with ATVM95ML Cartridge, iFi Zen Phono, Cyrus 2 Amplifier, System Fidelity SF-3050 Tower Speakers
Can someone tell me what the issue was with the jackets that caused this delay for a whole year?
Today, I got my hands on a Japanese pressing of a Led Zep LP from the '70s, and wouldn't you know it, not a single review on Discogs. Meanwhile, I'm spinning this modern Bill Evans record, and there are over 30 reviews right here. It's hilarious how picky some folks are about this album. I, for one, think it's fantastic—the clarity is top-notch, the instrument separation is great, and the vinyl is dead silent. Sometimes I get a bit jaded and start critiquing the modern pressings out there, but then I'll put on a stream or a CD, and it's like, whoa, that sounds so basic. We're all lucky that LPs are making a comeback. Oh, and I tried listening to some old Bill Evans records this morning—man, they were terrible, full of pops, ticks, and clicks, like the previous owners abused them. This modern pressing blows them all out of the water in every way, so I'm thrilled to have it.
I'm absolutely loving everything about this - well, except for the fact that my copy lacks a locked inner groove on side A, so once the final track wraps up, the needle just goes flying off the record and lands right on the label.
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2025 | £34.49 | €42.14 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | $38.99 | €38.99 |
| May 25, 2025 | $38.99 | €38.99 |
| Jan 22, 2026 | €45.99 |