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In Reply to: Re: Cook's "Live at the Copa" ... a second look posted by halfnote on March 26, 2007 at 20:27:06:
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the fact that the Verve recording sounds so good in comparison? Do you have the Verve recording? Does it also sound better on your better equipment?I have an unmodded SCD-1. It may not be the best player around, but it's a pretty good one -- good enough to reveal good recordings from not so good ones.
One would think that a good recording would be better with better equipment, and that a bad recording's flaws would become more apparent. It's been my experience that, as equipment goes down in quality, the discernable differences between good and bad recordings DECREASE. This explains why the recording industry is able to get away with generally poor recording practices: most people just don't have equipment that enables them to hear a difference. It's also true that many mass market recordings are doctored to fit the limited frequency ranges and dynamics of cheaper equipment -- something that a good playback system unmasks.
This is the first time I have heard of good equipment turning a frog into a prince. It is interesting that you mention the "Big Brother" sacd, as well. I haven't spun this one in a while, but it struck me in a similar fashion.
Perhaps there's something more subjective at work here with regard to what you listen for. If I recall correctly, you did mention a certain brightness in Copa, which I also experience on my system. Perhaps your system's strengths are more in tune with the Copa Live's strengths. Perhaps your observations, which I am not discounting, have more to do with how well particular recordings "match up" with a system's capabilities that with how good the recordings actually ARE.
But on my system, the Verve is cleary a better, more realistic recording. And though Copa has merits, it is certainly a harsher, more fatiguing recording by comparison.
I listened to it again last night and it is excellent, probably more so than I've given it credit for in the past. If I do get the Copa recording, I'll be sure to do a comparison.I really don't recall to tell you the truth of anyone tagging this Copa recording as one of the best SACDS. I'm appreciative of any opinions and comparisons amongst SACDs and thank you again. I have a strong feeling though using my XA777ES that my results won't differ from you.
If you like the Ella\Louis and the Copa musically, give the Eden Atwood records on Groovenote a try. They are both top notch recordings. Susana McKorkle's "From Bessie to Brazil" is also another splendid recording with a collection of excellent songs -- sonically it is very good as well, just a smidge below the Atwoods, which are among the very best of this type (at least on my system).Good luck. Let me know if your impressions with regard to Copa vrs. Ella\Louis are the same as mine.
Including Atwood's "This Is Always - Ballad Session" recording. I posted a short time ago inquiring if there were large differences between their CDs and SACDs for sound quality. I don't like to duplicate recordings and I may have 10 or so of both since I started with SACD. The Groovenote CDs I daresay beat lots of my SACDs! The recordings I have duplicated were both for comparison purposes and because they were amongst my all-time favorites for music that were then released on the SACD format.I'd like to make some recommendations myself. Try The New York Sessions recordings from Chesky and the MPS-Verve Oscar Peterson SACDs if you haven't done so. I think you'll like what you hear. Be careful with the latter though as they would not track on my Sony XA777ES. They work fine on my Sony SACD CE775 changer and still sound very good even though that player pales in comparison to my XA777ES. Those OP recordings I daresay are better than the Sonny Clark Trio Audio Fidelity recording on my XA777ES! Once again, one's mileage may vary! :)
In my case, the Sony XA777ES. I haven't bought any of these in the past and they remain glued to my local music retailer's store shelf. :)I'm very curious about them. This forum is loaded with folks that have better players than what I have. I believe the ones who have responded favorably to these fit that category. I'm unsure I would get any better results than yourself or halfnote for these particular recordings using the XA777ES. Perhaps if I can get a good price on one though, I'll probably go ahead and give it a try.
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