Charles--There's something very special about the Audiophile LPs (Like Yellow Dog Blues and Doc Evans at the Gaslight --a live recording) and I'm not sure we've ever really heard them correctly since Nunn seemed to use his own eq curve for his recordings. Don't know what it is but there is a magical transparency and resolution on the old Audiophile LPs even if they tend to be a little bass shy.
This thread prompted me to find the Doc Evans at the Gaslight Audiophile-label LP and wow--you're not kidding! I'm not sure how a non-RIAA curve can work so well in a modern system, but this album is all smiles. Bienville Blues is just wonderful.
This Forum is fantastic--not only do we share in an enthusiasm for the TP tapes for their incredible sonics, but knowledgeable people share in their discovery of gems like the Doc Evans LPs. Thank you!
Here's my gem of the day: If you don't want to feel like we're chasing our tails with our investments in high end audio sources and equipment, then DON'T go to too much live music... I just got back from a business trip to Austin, Texas, during which I made the effort to go to the Elephant Room on Congress Street to listen to live jazz. I am not exaggerating when I say that after one of the many sublime trumpet solos I heard, I caught myself with a tear in my eye. I'm not sure if it was because it was so beautiful or whether it was a subconscious realization that hearing unrestrained dynamics with pure, undistorted tone is probably just impossible with any reproduction system. I comfort this realization with the fact that I can put on a TP tape anytime and get close, versus the onerous (to me, at least) need to go somewhere like Texas to do better. :-)
Kip