Thanks for weighing in Wolff. My limited exposure to BN vinyl mirrors your experience. Hot, bold, nearing the saturation/distortion level, not the prettiest on cheap playback systems. And the RVG cds sound very different on different playback systems I have: very nice on my best system, okay on my livingroom system, barely adequate on my computers.
Overall, because they sound very nice to me on my main system, and better than McMasters and actually more lifelike than TOCJs, I'm a fan of the series. The domestic ones in general sound different than the Japanese and the most recent ones can sound better than earlier ones. I really like the four of the latest batch that I have, the Dexter and the Coltrane being the best I have ever heard the material.