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Musical Discussions
Topic: Mercury Living Presence Boxed Set [Collector's Edition]

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Posted by Stitch on 12-17-2012
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For those who are interested in the Golden Era of Analog (the background, the Recording, general information ..), there is a Box available with 51 CD's for about $180,--. Heard it is limited.It is Digital, but collecting all those titles in vinyl is quite a task and for that money it is nice to have. Sound is also ok.Maybe there are different pressings available, my box was made in Europe.
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Posted by Max Shatsky on 12-18-2012
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Stitch, It would be great if you are able to confirm that the quality of these CDs is the same as of original CDs sold separately.

Recently, I purchased two box sets from Harmonia Mundi:

1) Andrew Manze: The Art of the Violin 2) HANDEL: Oratorios - Messiah / Saul (Rene Jacobs)

The sound is terrible. My guess is that these CD were prepared from CD copies made on a computer. They have a typical loss of fidelity associated with CD copies. I have one of these CDs I bought some years ago so I could compare.

May be this thread can be devoted to box set reissues and their quality.
Max.

Posted by Stitch on 12-19-2012
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In the 90's was the Analog / Digital transfer done, Wilma Cozart-Fine was the Supervisor, Dennis Drake made the Mastering (with the original Masters, no copies). I bought a few from these Discs when they became available, probably they were among the best CD's ever made.

One of those is the Janos Starker / Dvorak / Cello Concerto in B minor12, very impressive, even when that kind of classical music isn't your cup of tea, that one has to be heard.

These new Mercuries from the Collectors box are as good, maybe better. I have no idea how they made it, but they have an enormous headroom, a better positioning of the instruments in the soundstage and Dynamics is outstanding good. Very close to the original LP. These CD's sound really 'alive'. There is no information available what they have done now, but they are really gorgeous. Limited to 7500 Boxes.

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