How many people upgrade?

[Hardbopjazz]

Where a new reissue of a CD comes out, do you upgrade to it, or do you stick with what you have?

I have done this with Duke Pearson's the Sweet Honey Bee, and I like the sound better then the rare grooves release of the session.

I'm debateing wheather to do this with Grant Greens Green Street. I heard it sound so much better then the Conn.

[AfricaBrass]

I've done more upgrading than I should have. I really feel like a chump for re-buying something that I already have. I too am really torn on this subject. Those RVGs are so nice and enticing, but I already bought most of those albums (at full price as Collector's Choice titles ).

[Rooster_Ties]

Depends on how much I like the session in question, and how badly I think the old issue sounds. In most cases, I have not upgraded. There are a few exceptions, however.

Also, if the date has several alternate takes - those late 80's McMasters had the bad habit of having each alternate appear, one after another, within the original album sequence. I much prefer having all the alternates at the end of the date, so I don't end up hearing the same song twice (or three times) the first time through the CD. So, in one or maybe two cases - I have bought RVG's partially because of the alternate takes placement.

[wesbed]

For me, I'd not purchased most Blue Notes till the introduction of the RVG series. I have a few Blue Notes from the 1980s but not many. I've purchased every RVG, except for Blue Train, whether I already had the earlier edition or not. I've duplicated only about two or three CDs. The various other Blue Notes I have from the 1980s have not yet been re-issued in the 24-bit format. I'll re-buy when and if they are.

Most of my collection was Columbia 1980s issues. I've repurchased the remastered Columbias as desired (some Monk and Miles).

I don't intend to re-purchase RVGs when they market the next level of remastering (unless the RVG Series becomes the MA Series - for Malcolm Addey).

[alejo]

I sold my Monk and Brown BN box sets and upgraded to the individual RVG titles. I am slowly upgrading my BN Powell’s and Rollins CDs. At times, I too feel like a chump re-buying stuff I already have but sometimes the RVG sound just blows the McMasters away.

Thankfully, for my own sanity, I have already tracked down a lot of what I want from the BN catalog. What I don’t have I’m looking for on LP…yet another vice.

[AfricaBrass]

I sold my Monk and Brown BN box sets and upgraded to the individual RVG titles. I am slowly upgrading my BN Powell’s and Rollins CDs. At times, I too feel like a chump re-buying stuff I already have but sometimes the RVG sound just blows the McMasters away.

Those were good upgrades. I did the same thing and then gave my old versions to friends who were just getting into jazz. They loved them.

The truth is, I really appreciate the improvement in audio quality on a lot of the RVGs. I just miss those Tower $7.99 sales. They were made for upgrading.

[alejo]

I just miss those Tower $7.99 sales. They were made for upgrading.

Yes, those where the good ole days.

I picked up a lot of BN and Verve titles during those sales.

[AfricaBrass]

I just miss those Tower $7.99 sales. They were made for upgrading.

Yes, those where the good ole days.

I picked up a lot of BN and Verve titles during those sales.

Cool!

At prices like that, you'd feel like a chump for NOT upgrading.

[jazzbo]

Whether tis nobler in the mind

To suffer the McMaster

Or to upgrade. . . that is the question.

The answer for me is replace the McMaster!

I upgrade a lot. I shouldn't probably, but I do. I'm a sucker for improved sound, but at the same time I listen to a lot of stuff that sounds awful!

Truly, I am a complicated person.

Edited March 29, 2004 by jazzbo

[Morganized]

I just miss those Tower $7.99 sales. They were made for upgrading.

Yes, those where the good ole days.

I picked up a lot of BN and Verve titles during those sales.

Cool!

At prices like that, you'd feel like a chump for NOT upgrading.

Brass,

You just need to go here. Might have to wait awhile for the new releases but......

alldirect.com

Order $99 and you don't pay shipping and probably no tax.

Good ol' days are here again

[JSngry]

I'll upgrade if a new version has new material and/or if the version I have is in bad enough condition (scratchy LP or aged cassette). Otherwise, unless I find a deal too good to pass by, I prefer to spend the money on stuff I don't already have. "More for the money" is how I look at it, and I want as much "more" for as little money as I can manage.

[AfricaBrass]

Morganized,

THANK YOU!!!

[jlhoots]

I agree with JSngry.

I'd rather buy new stuff that I don't already own. I'll upgrade only if I sell older versions.

[Jim R]

Not a big deal of course, but lately I've noticed some topics showing up here in the Discography forum that don't really belong here. So, just a friendly FYI...

"Discography" doesn't refer to anything having to do with (compact) "discs". "Discography" is a term that refers to the data that is kept relating to recording sessions (personnel, dates, song titles, etc)...

[RDK]

Rarely upgrade CDs for sound reasons - only for extra material or if it's a session I really, really like. I will upgrade from LP to CD since, though I have lots of LPs, I'm really not able to listen to them often.

[garthsj]

I just miss those Tower $7.99 sales. They were made for upgrading.

Yes, those where the good ole days.

I picked up a lot of BN and Verve titles during those sales.

Cool!

At prices like that, you'd feel like a chump for NOT upgrading.

Brass,

You just need to go here. Might have to wait awhile for the new releases but......

alldirect.com

Order $99 and you don't pay shipping and probably no tax.

Good ol' days are here again

I buy a lot of things from AllDirect .. which begs the question .. why does it take a relatively longer time (usually 4-6 weeks) for the latest releases to appear on their website? I tried to ask them this question once, and basically was told, "if it ain't on the site, we do not have it..". They eventually get most things, so they are the best site for backlist fill-ins ... In the meantime, getting those new Blue Notes from CDUniverse on pre-order at $8.39 is not too bad.

Garth.

[tatifan]

I've upgraded to RVGs on a few things -- The Monks, Powells and Birth of the Cool are much better for me, but now there's SACD to deal with. I may try some of the Prestige titles, but I'm curious to see if Blue Note is planning a major RVG outbreak on SACD anytime soon. Anyone know something? I must say the SACD of Blue Trane is a dramatic improvement over the "Ultimate" version! SO much more life and breadth to the sound. I don't know the recent RVG -- anyone compare those yet??

[Soulstation1]

i thought blue note said they were not doing any more SACDS, too expensive.

ss1

[John L]

I rarely upgrade. I bought heavily into the original McMaster Blue Notes and other early 90s jazz CDs. In most cases, that is what I still have.

I agree with Jim S. Unless there is a really compelling reason to upgrade, I prefer buying something that I don't have.

[Shrdlu]

Upgrading for me mainly means Blue Note upgrades (and Mosaic in the case of Blue Note sets). It is sad that this label, particularly, has suffered from a bad CD engineer who has been used so much, and is still used. That this problem should never have occurred is proved by the OJC series. 16 bit remastering does not have to be bad, and very often isn't.

I have re-tooled most of my BN and BN Mosaic collection, to a mixture of TOCJs, JRVGs, RVGs and, where available, CDs by Malcolm Addey and Larry Walsh. They are better, and make a serious difference to the listening experience. I'm not an audiophile; I just want a CD to sound reasonable, so that I can settle into the music and forget the technical aspects.

This is an old topic though. We are, as Johnny E rightly said not so long ago, repeating ourselves.

[mikeweil]

I upgrade only if the sound of the new edition is noticeably superior - which is the case with all the Columbia Legacy reissues. I'm not so picky about the Blue Notes, do not like the sound of most RVG's.

I'm one of those who prefer to buy new material. And I always sell the older duplicates.

[Brad]

I'll upgrade if I have a circa '87 BN, either with a TOCJ or an RVG. Invariably, it sounds better. I just upgraded Cape Verdean Blues. However, if I have the TOCJ I will not. I don't think it'll sound better than that. Sometimes, I'll upgrade the OCJs with a VICJ if the price is right. However, it's not an automatic knee jerk reaction anymore. I didn't do it with Sweet Honey Bee. It's an ok session and didn't feel the need to do it.

[undergroundagent]

I'm very fortunate in this respect, since I wasn't listening to jazz or even music in the 1980s. As such, I simply buy whatever's new now.

That said, I don't own any RVGs. I hate 'em!! The sound is extremely loud on my stereo. I much prefer TOCJs and JRVGs. Hence, I just buy them and, many times, they constitute my first exposure to the music.

[marcoliv]

i have started my jazz collection on 2000 so i don't have this problem

MCO

[chris olivarez]

I very rarely upgrade . I really have to be convinced that the sound could be significantly improved. One case in point was the remastering job done on "Ellington At Newport". I thought that making it a two cd set was stretching it a bit but the sonic improvement IMO was so great that it was worth it to buy it again.