[j-curve]

Of the classical CD's you've heard through headphones, what percentage would you say was satisfactory? That is, if you had purchased it you would be mostly happy. I seem to be having a bad run lately, but can't really complain as most have been borrowed from the library. Gotta love the library!

 

[john_jcb]

Perhaps ignorance is bliss. I cannot recall a classical CD that I found bad or unlistenable. Perhaps if I knew more I would listen more critically and be more discriminating. But until that time comes I will just continue to listen and enjoy.

 

[DanG]

I've had pretty good luck with almost all of the classical CDs to which I've listened. Some notable exceptions are mono recordings and some Naxos recordings. It's clear what the problem with monos is -- they're old and were recorded on one channel. Yet I still listen to my mono CDs of Rubinstein playing piano -- he's still my favorite pianist and his genius still comes through (as well as Chopin's

). On some Naxos CDs there are some freak recording problems. Sometimes these are not noticed on less-revealing systems or speaker systems, but can be too much on detailed headphone systems. For example, I have a CD of Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Cappriccioso which is played and recorded beautifully, except that the violinist is breathing loudly and regularly into the microphone. While this is not noticeable on regular-quality speaker systems, it's so apparent on headphones that it's unlistenable.

As I said, though, the great majority of classical recordings that I've heard are simply impeccable in quality. Performances might not be so good sometimes, but I have found the recording quality to be great.

 

[Mr.PD]

I am new to classical. Please feel free to correct me. I have a cd called "The Best Of Classical Reflections" It seems to be part of a Best Of series. It is put out by Madacy Special Products of Canada. They hype this as UV22 processing, I have no idea what that means. The booklet says this was done with 20-bit multi session recording and 32-bit sound processing facilities.
I think it sounds good. This is my first and so far only classical cd. I got it because it was inexpensive and it had some upbeat music on it. Like Mozart's "Jupiter" and The Master Singers of Nuremberg Overture by Wagner. This cd features the London Symphony Orchestra the Slovak Philhamonic Orchestra and the Berlin Symphony. It seems well done to me.

 

[XXhalberstramXX]

IMO classical "best of" CDs should only be used to musically orient oneself, or motivate one to buy full albums of classical music. listening to a clip of a Mahler or Bruckner symphony is akin to just listening to the drum solo on Steely Dan's Aja. But then again, I'm a snob.
Answering the question of the post, i have only really been dissapointed with classical CDs on the basis of the performance of the piece (such as John Eliot Gardiner's recording of Verdi's Requiem). Some of my CDs and LPs have crappier or less crappy sound quality, but it doesn't really affect how much i listen to them.