Pearl Jam – Ten

In the 35 years since its release this album has cemented its status among the great rock records. Is it grunge? Is it classic rock? TBD. I’ve always felt like this album had one foot in the 80’s and one in the 90’s. It served as a transition between what was, and, what was to come. It’s follow up “VS”, to me, sounds like a 90’s rock record through and through. The reverb drenched guitars on this album make it feel like a late stage classic rock record.

As far as the pressing goes, I think it’s great and I will argue this is the definitive press. Sure it’s an American band and this is a European pressing but as vinyl enthusiasts isn’t proximity to recording date as important as sound dynamics when it comes to determining our favorite pressing? There was no US press in 1991, this is the first.

I will also add this album was cut by Mr Bob Ludwig himself at Masterdisk. I have yet to find a flat recording by Bob. The album was mixed in England as well, interesting for a Seattle based band.

Anyways, I’m rambling. This is a great press, great mastering, great songs.

Classic album. I love all bonus tracks on this edition, but it's weird that they are after hidden track. It's more strange, when knowing that excerpt of this hidden track can be also heard during beginning of first song.

Loud pops in multiple tracks. I have a SugarCube which as I write about it, seems to eliminate all surface noise on my NEW record. However, it is flat. If I crank it up, I can fool myself. I just hope my neighbors don't mind.

This really is a damn good pressing. I got no problem with it at all. There's little nuanced things I could pick out, like the volume. But crank it, and it's all there.

I learned with this album that its goodness depends on what it's played on. The first time I played it was on my vintage but excellent Technics SL-Q2 with an AT-VMN95C (bonded conical) stylus on an AT-XP cartridge. Even with EQ applied to bring HF back where it should be, the album sounded compressed, mashed up, unrefined. Today I'm listening to the album on a not-quite-so-vintage Technics SL-QD33 P-mount turntable with a likewise modest AT85EP (bonded elliptical) cartridge and the difference is night and day. It's still too much material for a single disc in the modern vinyl era--53 minutes would be best served with two discs at 45 RPM--and dynamics suffer here and there. But on the QD33 this album becomes more compelling and enjoyable. This has served as reinforcement that the Q2 deserves and requires a better cartridge and stylus to get the most out of it.

The pressing is kind of quiet. I had to crank the volume up some which does increase the occasional pop/crack but still not load enough to overtake the music. The soundstage is not what I'd call wide with a lot of separation. Eddie is more forward than the instruments which is good. The bass (low end) is not punchy. A little muddy and the drums/bass sometimes melt together. That could be my setup. I do plan to add a REL subwoofer and a REGA phono preamp (using the Denon integrated preamp now).

All to say, given the cost of the best pressing is a couple hundred bucks, I'm fine with this. It's not horrible, but as others have said, as a remaster they really could have done better. I say that having paid less for "non remastered" albums from Amazon and they sound amazing. DIRE STRAITS debut is a perfect example of a fantastic BG pressing for less than the PJ remaster in question. If I played the former at the level I have to play this PJ, my ears would bleed.

I'll keep it for now. And hope the upgrades to the system (including at least a 6 band EQ) will help this more. Maybe someone will do a nice UHQR pressing one day. 50th anniversary?

My setup for now: REGA P3 RS/ND5 cart, DENON int amp, KEF Q350 speakers

En Argentina está un poco caro para calidad de sonido que ofrece, es preferible comprar el CD. Tengo vinilos de Alice in Chains que suenan mucho mejor. Al menos es un sonido limpio y sin fritura, bien prensado, pero super comprimido, opaco y no se aprecia tanto la voz.
Escuchado en bandeja Thorens TD160 MKII, capsula y púa audiotecnica VM95E, pre valvular económico, cintoamolificador Sansui R-30 y parlantes Polk ES15

Interesting comments. I know the source (where I purchased) most of my thousands of albums, and I was really careful with the matrix info. This I cannot recall, but based on my timing of purchase this cannot be a first pressing. If it is, it would be incredibly shocking. But, it is a very nice pressing, sounds really nice.

Sides A & B were awful. Flat, uninspiring and pops galore. Not listenable!
Side C was much better at first...and then the skips. I didn't even bother with side D.

One sealed copy available (Target exclusive, purple vinyl,) if someone is ineterested, feel free to contact me( I ship from EU)