What Am I Listening For?

by James Leahy

The pursuit of Hi-Fidelity sound reproduction in the home can be so additive at times, some of those among us can forget what we all started for in the first place. We can get so caught up with only purchasing half speed master copies of limited edition vinyl releases from Hi-End boutique record labels in search of the ultimate in sound reproduction at the expense of enjoyment. Has this happened to you yet....

It may not surprise some of you to hear that many audiophiles purchase record titles not that they wish to sit and enjoy listening to but simply to 'demonstrate' the virtues of their system's performance. Never mind that some of the very best recordings can be so totally boring that it defeats the whole enjoyment factor in one foul swoop. This does not mean that all excellent recordings are uninteresting but it can be said that the range is certainly limited beyond what we are otherwise generally used to.

I have commonly come across customers that listen to the recording and not the system when auditioning a piece of equipment. Meaning that the music they are playing is either so poorly recorded so the true quality of the components become impossible to appreciate or the equipment highlights the deficiencies of the recordings themselves. The answer is of course to start with quality recordings in the first place and them settle down to critical listening knowing that any differences you hear will be coming from the equipment choice not inferior media. However not forgoing the enjoyment of music you are listening to just because it is a good recording!

I generally find the best vinyl pressings to come from the 'Mobile Fidelity' and 'Pure Audiophile' record labels. They make some half speed master recordings that are to die for in terms of sound quality over and above the standard pressings. For those of you that have not experienced the difference in quality the jump in performance on a good vinyl rig and be quite eye opening.

If the limited range and narrow selection of artists they have does not deter you then the investment in getting some of the very best vinyl pressings on the planet can be well worth the trouble. These specialty labels can be purchased from Elusive Disc and Acoustic Sounds