The Facts on SAX: Turquoise/silver vs Red semi-circle labels
There is an understanding among classical record collectors that among the Columbia/EMI SAX series, the first pressings with the turquoise/silver (T/S) labels are superior to the second pressing red semi-circle (SC) labels, which are superior to the magic note (MN) postage stamp third pressing labels. Whether someone has truly sat down to do a blind A/B test, I do not know. I don't yet own the same album in both a T/S and SC pressing, but I do have the same album in a SC and a MN pressing (SAX 2393, Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music conducted by Otto Klemperer). Both on cursory listening sound great, but I have yet to critically compare the two. For starters, though, I wanted to ask whether there was an actual difference in the vinyl on which these different issues were pressed. It seemed to me when holding the records that the T/S pressings were subjectively heaver than the SC or MN pressings, so tonight I decided to weigh a few of them on my postal scale. Results:
Turquoise/silver pressing:
SAX 2278: 170g
SAX 2279: 160g
SAX 2280: 150g
SAX 2285: 155g
SAX 2289: 150g
SAX 2303: 140g
SAX 2315: 140g
SAX 2322: 140g
SAX 2357: 150g
Red semi/circle pressing:
SAX 2276: 160g
SAX 2318: 140g
SAX 2323: 140g
SAX 2379: 135g
SAX 5284: 135g
My conclusions based on these results are:
1. There is no consistent difference in WEIGHT between the T/S and SC pressings. It may be that the heaviest weight T/S pressing is heavier than the heaviest SC pressing. It may be that the mean weight of the T/S pressings may be slightly heavier than the SC pressings. However, it is apparent to me that there are T/S pressings weighing the same as SC pressings, and SC pressings weighing the same as some heavier T/S pressings. Of course, one cannot truly conclude that just because a record is heavier, it sounds better.
2. There is no significant difference in weights in the SC pressings, even if the SC was the FIRST pressing of a particular SAX record. Case in point, the first pressing of SAX 5284 -- George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in Brahms 2nd symphony and Tragic Overture -- was a red semi-circle pressing. As you can see, its weight was just the same as a second pressing red semi-circle issue of SAX 2379. So, no, the first pressings of SAX albums after 2537 which are SC are not heavier than the SC reissues of the T/S.
I believe that the last SAX album issued as a T/S pressing was SAX 2538, which is Handel's Dettingen Te Deum, conducted by Wolfgang Gonnenwein. Following this is SAX 2539, which is Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in Bohemian Carnival, only issued as a SC. INTERESTINGLY, though, SAX 2537 -- Klemperer conducting Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique -- was only released as a red SC, so despite the fact that 2538 was the last T/S, there is NO T/S to my knowledge of SAX 2537.
So, for those of you who are interested, I hope that this small experiment helped to clarify some questions. The BLIND sound test is still the gold standard of comparison between these pressings, in my opinion.
Turquoise/silver pressing:
SAX 2278: 170g
SAX 2279: 160g
SAX 2280: 150g
SAX 2285: 155g
SAX 2289: 150g
SAX 2303: 140g
SAX 2315: 140g
SAX 2322: 140g
SAX 2357: 150g
Red semi/circle pressing:
SAX 2276: 160g
SAX 2318: 140g
SAX 2323: 140g
SAX 2379: 135g
SAX 5284: 135g
My conclusions based on these results are:
1. There is no consistent difference in WEIGHT between the T/S and SC pressings. It may be that the heaviest weight T/S pressing is heavier than the heaviest SC pressing. It may be that the mean weight of the T/S pressings may be slightly heavier than the SC pressings. However, it is apparent to me that there are T/S pressings weighing the same as SC pressings, and SC pressings weighing the same as some heavier T/S pressings. Of course, one cannot truly conclude that just because a record is heavier, it sounds better.
2. There is no significant difference in weights in the SC pressings, even if the SC was the FIRST pressing of a particular SAX record. Case in point, the first pressing of SAX 5284 -- George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in Brahms 2nd symphony and Tragic Overture -- was a red semi-circle pressing. As you can see, its weight was just the same as a second pressing red semi-circle issue of SAX 2379. So, no, the first pressings of SAX albums after 2537 which are SC are not heavier than the SC reissues of the T/S.
I believe that the last SAX album issued as a T/S pressing was SAX 2538, which is Handel's Dettingen Te Deum, conducted by Wolfgang Gonnenwein. Following this is SAX 2539, which is Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in Bohemian Carnival, only issued as a SC. INTERESTINGLY, though, SAX 2537 -- Klemperer conducting Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique -- was only released as a red SC, so despite the fact that 2538 was the last T/S, there is NO T/S to my knowledge of SAX 2537.
So, for those of you who are interested, I hope that this small experiment helped to clarify some questions. The BLIND sound test is still the gold standard of comparison between these pressings, in my opinion.
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