My initial impressions are pretty clear: the new Analogue Productions RCA Living Stereo SACDs are definitely an improvement over the older BMG RCA SACDs. In fact, there's no doubt about it in my listening sessions. Careful comparative listening reveals that there is a better sense of space, more detail, and deeper, richer lower frequencies. The woodiness of stringed instrument bodies… the sense of reeds, brass, and percussives… are all more obvious on the new AP SACDs. The older RCA seems a somewhat recessed, procrustean, and polite by comparison. The dynamics on the APO SACD are better, of a certainty, to my ears. There's also a more nuanced sense of correct presentation of the strings...real bows on real violins. This is a remarkable accomplishment...more than I was expecting when I ordered the AP RCA Living Stereo Series (both SACD and LP), frankly. I was thinking that this would be better… but this much improvement? No, I admit that I'm pleasantly surprised!
And remember: we're getting fresh re-masterings of the three-channel source tapes, as well.
Chad Kassem and Analogue Productions are taking some of the most significant treasures from our archives of classical recording masterpieces, and are turning them into new reference-quality gems. I hope that we see the DSD downloads of this series very soon.
Extremely impressive... this is a very strong recommendation of "BUY!" to our PF readers!
