Audiophile Reissues
Our music reviews focus on audiophile reissues; primarily LPs. Since these records were released previously (sometimes, many times over), we don’t spend time going into depth about the music, which is often well-known and has been described at length dozens of times elsewhere.
Sound Quality
We evaluate the sound instead of the music. Does it sound natural or artificial? Do the performers and instruments sound like they occupy real space? Is the timbre of the instruments realistic. Are the highs, mids, and lows in correct proportion to one another? Are quiet and loud passages sufficiently different in volume yet equally clear? Is there distortion? Is there tape hiss? Is there pre-echo? We describe these sonic attributes as best we can, given the playback equipment (see the reference system).
Comparisons
If you’re an audiophile, your goal is to get the best sounding version of the music you love. Whenever possible, we review new reissues in direct comparison to original pressings or other reissues. This helps you decide which one to buy (or keep).
Pressing Quality
Pressing a perfect record isn’t trivial, and imperfect pressings almost always mean degraded sound quality. Is the disc flat? Clean? Free of handling marks, scratches, and sleeve scuffs? What about pressing defects like non-fill, bits, or bubbles? Is the spindle hole centered? Is the vinyl quiet? We expose problems such as these so you’re less likely to get disappointed.
Value
As music fanatics, we are prepared to spend good money on software. But we don’t hand over $50 just because a reissue is new–it actually has to sound that much better than cheaper versions already available. Price is important to all but the luckiest of us, so it’s always factored into our recommendations.