Recordings of Herreweghe's PHI label

[jlaurson]

I just purchased the 2012 recording by Philippe Herreweghe, UPC # 5400439000070, and I am enjoying it very much.  It exhibits an elegant subtlety and economy of scale which brings out the details and the finer points.  My only negative comment regards the packaging.  The booklet is thick; but instead of packaging the CD in a conventional jewel case and enclosing both the jewel case and the booklet in a cardboard outer cover, there is no jewel case and the CD and the booklet are inside one of those cheap cardbard folders with the CD anchored by a very tight center holder which is so tight that one must bend the CD in an unacceptable manner in order to release it.  I will simply keep the CD in a spare jewel case that I have on hand and file the booklet next to it.

The cardboard folders are not cheap but actually a considerable amount more expensive than jewel cases which ARE cheap in both meanings of the words. You are a minority in considering jewel cases desirable at all. It's your opinion to have, of course, but you're quite alone with it. And as far as the size/tightness of the spider... well, press harder or change your definition of "unacceptable".

[Pat B]

The cardboard folders are not cheap but actually a considerable amount more expensive than jewel cases which ARE cheap in both meanings of the words. You are a minority in considering jewel cases desirable at all. It's your opinion to have, of course, but you're quite alone with it. And as far as the size/tightness of the spider... well, press harder or change your definition of "unacceptable".

I like jewel cases, but only because I can remove the inserts and put them in sleeves from jazzloft.com (which apparently is now spacesavingsleeves.com).

Digipaks cost me about a quarter inch per disc for the front and back cover.

[Menschenstimme]

ADDENDUM:  I forgot to mention that the work in question is Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.  Mea culpa!

[jlaurson]

I like jewel cases, but only because I can remove the inserts and put them in sleeves from jazzloft.com (which apparently is now spacesavingsleeves.com).

Digipaks cost me about a quarter inch per disc for the front and back cover.

Same here. Whenever friends travel to the US, I have them import Jazzloft sleeves for me. Everything that's a jewel case (except opera and SACD) gets a sleeve. A bit slippery, and you can't make stacks... but ingenious all the same.

[betterthanfine]

I just purchased the 2012 recording by Philippe Herreweghe, UPC # 5400439000070, and I am enjoying it very much.  It exhibits an elegant subtlety and economy of scale which brings out the details and the finer points.  My only negative comment regards the packaging.  The booklet is thick; but instead of packaging the CD in a conventional jewel case and enclosing both the jewel case and the booklet in a cardboard outer cover, there is no jewel case and the CD and the booklet are inside one of those cheap cardbard folders with the CD anchored by a very tight center holder which is so tight that one must bend the CD in an unacceptable manner in order to release it.  I will simply keep the CD in a spare jewel case that I have on hand and file the booklet next to it.

Funny that you describe it as 'cheap', since the production costs of a digipack is often higher than a jewel case. I think the PHI recordings are packaged quite handsomely myself, but to each his own.

[Gurn Blanston]

The cardboard folders are not cheap but actually a considerable amount more expensive than jewel cases which ARE cheap in both meanings of the words. You are a minority in considering jewel cases desirable at all. It's your opinion to have, of course, but you're quite alone with it. And as far as the size/tightness of the spider... well, press harder or change your definition of "unacceptable".

I do agree with him on one thing only: the spiders on some digipaks AND jewel cases are so tight that removing the disk without bending it is damn near impossible. Of course, this is balanced out by the ones where the spider doesn't even hold the disk in place and it is rattling around loose. Being an arachnophobe, it is no challenge at all for me to say 'no spiders is the best thing'.

[Karl Henning]

I do agree with him on one thing only: the spiders on some digipaks AND jewel cases are so tight that removing the disk without bending it is damn near impossible. Of course, this is balanced out by the ones where the spider doesn't even hold the disk in place and it is rattling around loose. Being an arachnophobe, it is no challenge at all for me to say 'no spiders is the best thing'.

I hate when they wriggle and jiggle and tickle inside the jewel case!