Japanese mini-LPs

[Face of the Bass]

I recently picked up my first of these from another board member, Kenny Drew's Undercurrent, and on my third listen I am blown away by the sound quality and also love the packaging. I'm starting this thread to see if anybody has any more of these that they are looking to unload, but also to try to find out the ins and outs of Japanese reissues, which seem to be ubiquitous. From comments made on other threads, I gather that some feel that the remastering quality has gone into decline in recent years. If this this the case, when did these reissues reach their peak?

Thanks!

[Claude]

Do you mean the Blue Note JRVGs ("24Bit by RVG") series or japanese mini-LPs in general?

The JRVGs are controversial, because the remastering quality varies enormously. Some sound great ("Basra") but others are awful, with the "AM radio sound" (extremely compressed, almost mono, only midrange) that also mars the domestic RVG of Jackie McLean "A Fickle sonance". Other JRVG titles I have sampled sounded similarly bad (some Grant Green, Horace Silver, Jackie McLean and Freddie Redd titles). So it's quite risky to buy JRVGs blindly.

If you mean Fantasy (K2 remaster) or Sony mini-LPs (DSD remaster), the few I have heard sound very good, like the domestic Fantasy K2 or Sony remasters.

[Face of the Bass]

Do you mean the Blue Note JRVGs ("24Bit by RVG") series or japanese mini-LPs in general?

The JRVGs are controversial, because the remastering quality varies enormously. Some sound great ("Basra") but others are awful, with the "AM radio sound" (extremely compressed, almost mono, only midrange) that also mars the domestic RVG of Jackie McLean "A Fickle sonance". Other JRVG titles I have sampled sounded similarly bad (some Grant Green, Horace Silver, Jackie McLean and Freddie Redd titles). So it's quite risky to buy JRVGs blindly.

If you mean Fantasy (K2 remaster) or Sony mini-LPs (DSD remaster), the few I have heard sound very good, like the domestic Fantasy K2 or Sony remasters.

Well, this one here is a 24-bit RVG remaster. I just love the mini-lp design and the sound on this one is great to my ears. I read in a different thread where somebody suggested that the quality of the remastering of the Japanese reissues has declined in the last few years or so, so I was wondering if it was a "safer bet" to go after the JRVGs from the 1990s, as opposed to the more recent ones.

[couw]

I think that comment should be read in a larger context. First there was the (16bit and 20bit) BN Works series, often referred to as TOCJs. These come in regular jewel cases and are said to be mastered for CD from LP master tapes. The sound is very consistent through the series and is very pleasant. Then came the 24bit RVG remasters in mini-LP sleeves. These are remastered from the original tapes. The sound on these is more maximised (compressed) and not consistent as Claude already mentioned. To some listening can be a very fatiguing experience, others praise the RVG sound as the compression of course brings some details to the surface and can certainly add crispness. The inconsistencies in sound quality have lessened with the years. Then recently there was a 24bit series remastered by various Japanese engineers. This series is also maximised (compressed) and suffers from inconsistent sound. Walter Davis's Davis Cup sounds horrible, Mobley's Workout sounds splendid.

Some swear with the BNWorks series whereas others favour RVGs. If you like what you hear, stick to the mini-LPs. Either try and sample them in the shoppe or seek some advice on the board. Memory tells me there is a thread listing the duds and the pearls somewhere.