Karajan ~ Beethoven The Symphonies 6 SACD's boxset

[Mark]

Just reissued: the 1977 set at budget price.

Just acquired the '77 set on the DG Galleria imprint. Got each of the six discs for next to nothing, so I'm very pleased.

Regarding the lack of repeat in the '63 'Pastoral', bring it on. I think it works absolutely mavellously, and this is now my favourite recording of the symphony, at least in terms of the final three movements. (Oh, and the first CD release of the entire cycle which I recently bought doesn't suffer from any sound quality issues that bother me. )

[George]

Just reissued: the 1977 set at budget price.

From the looks of it, I bet it isn't available in the USA. 

[PerfectWagnerite]

From the looks of it, I bet it isn't available in the USA. 

I try searching for it in Amazon I guess it is not there...

But seriously you can easily find the '50s, '60s, and '80s set. How many HVK Beethoven cycles do you really need? Unless you are a HVK nut or completist you probably don't need all four right?

[George]

I try searching for it in Amazon I guess it is not there...

But seriously you can easily find the '50s, '60s, and '80s set. How many HVK Beethoven cycles do you really need? Unless you are a HVK nut or completist you probably don't need all four right?

Right. Though I would pick up the 70s set if I saw it cheap.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I'd too. I picked up the '60s set for $12 and the '80s for about $20. If I see either the '50s or '70s for $20 or less I'd pick it up. Not that I really listen to them much but it is cool to have all four on the shelves in your living room to show people (not that I have that many guests).

[George]

I'd too. I picked up the '60s set for $12 and the '80s for about $20. If I see either the '50s or '70s for $20 or less I'd pick it up. Not that I really listen to them much but it is cool to have all four on the shelves in your living room to show people (not that I have that many guests).

I hear ya. (Though no guests is a good thing in my shoebox)

I like to have it because I admire the conductor, the composer and will one day do enough comparative listening to write a blog/book/review or whatever.  I have compiled tons of info on the Beethoven sonatas in three notebooks. 

[M forever]

To me, running either on my Sony or Pioneer unit there is not that much difference on two channel stereo.  Tried them in store and on my equipment, same goes for other associates.  This is in two channel stereo, in surround its a different matter, and definately not worth the extra shell out of money, when it can be spent on other goodies, and other competetive sets of the same variety 

I compared the stereo layers of both sets on my primary and secondary units with some of my friends, and compared the SACD layer on Marantz and Musical Fidelty machines, the last one a 16,000 pounds machine, and we all came to the conclusion that the difference was huge.

I can expect the difference to be huge on a 16,000 machine    That's where money is better spent elsewhere.  Imagine buying a machine for 16,000 Euro or 16,000 Euro's on music...not much of a choice is there? 

Interesting exchange. That is why blind testing is so interesting and essential. The power of suggestion is hard to overestimate. For 16,000 Euro (or pounds or whatever), it just *has* to sound so much better. It just *has to*. It *really* has to. I would bet as much on that Harry and his friends couldn't even tell the differences reliably in a blind test.  I have seen it many times. And I would win that money. Some of those "high end" machines do actually sound a little different, but not because they are so much better, some of them even have slightly boosted corner frequencies or other "fine touches" which suggest to people thsat it somehow sounds better or more "alive". Nothing that can't be achieved with properly set up and calibrated equipment for a fraction of the money.

[Lilas Pastia]

Carefully gauged EQ is the key. It's all in the EQ, as Mark (not GMG's) would say .