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$200 would have worked out much better. This is why people make fun of the high end audio industry. Poor marketing, but it is their choice.

It is clear that they are trying to create a new level of collector for the 2050 crowd.

That this label, they are an excellent label when it comes to sound quality, got the Berlin Phil and Simon Rattle to do the Brahms cycle is a big deal IMO. I'd love to see some reviews. But I am tempted. This has the potential to be a serious high watermark in classical records.

Has anyone listened to the recording? I looked up the 2009 performance on ClassicsToday and if this is similar it might not warrant the price.

I wish I liked Simon Rattle. And Brahms. Or much orchestral music.

May be they record an opera. That would be something. Even better, on reel to reel.

I do love Direct to Disc recordings. The only thing better is reel-to-reel off the original 2-track tape. If you think $500 for vinyl is expensive, you don't know R2R pricing.

I'm sorely tempted to buy this. The money is a stretch for me, but the music is sublime and it really looks like everybody put up their A Game on this one.

Just one doubt: Are you sure they have not used one of those later generations cutter machines that included a AD>DA conversion? I saw the video a few days ago, and there was no claim of "all analogue" path anywhere.

. . . it's just advertising.

Might be interesting to compare to the recent Brahms !st with Berlin and Battle offered as a free sample on the Berlin Phil's Digital Concert Hall, a streaming service offered on Oppo, some Samsungs, internet (https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/home) and elsewhere.

I really shouldn't buy this as how many times would I really play this but it sure is tempting.

As for expensive. Cut printing the big book out and sell it in the $350 range.

Classical recordings are always done straight through to an audience. So why flip out on a d2d?
I am glad they took the recording to a new level.

Let us know your comments on the sound and more importantly the performance

...yes. But for Direct to Disc it seems quite reasonable considering how much work must have gone into the production. I'd actually jump on this if it wasn't for the fact that rattle just doesn't float my boat. Bummer because I would love to hear how this process works with a full orchestra. I have many DtoD records but mainly small groups or solo artists.

I've ordered this. I'm no 1% er, I work hands on in construction but I have a couple of thousand lps bought since the late 70s and I reckon this will be an absolute treat. So for the next 3 or 4 months I won't buy any other lps which will cover the cost of this collection.

Interestingly I had an email from Berliner Philharmonik a couple of days after ordering apologising for a delay in sending out the albums as they had had an overwhelming response and it will likely be sent out next Tuesday.

I've heard a couple of Sheffield Labs albums which sonically were very good but their choice of music was never very inspiring. To have a full on orchestral recording on D2D is something special.

I have the Schumann Symphony cycle 4-LP set from the same orchestra, conductor, label and technical personnel. The difference between my Schumann set and this Brahms (apart from price of course) is that the Schumann was recorded at 24/192, subsequently edited and the vinyl LPs cut from that digital master. The set is unfortunately let down by second class post-production editing, however the sound itself is awesome and I rate it in my top handful of recordings in my collection. The engineering people behind these products are second to none - they are right up there with the best engineers of yesteryear.

If I am able to save the money and there are any sets left, I may consider buying this if only because I currently have no recordings that utilise such a transparent and direct method of capturing analogue sound and with no digital steps involved whatsoever.

I don't think the set is overpriced when you consider what lengths are needed to go to in order to produce something like this.

I'd like to start by saying, I've seen the Berlin Phil under Rattle live twice, and both times it was an absolutely stunning and incredible experience. I have to this day never heard a live orchestra sound so good, and I will qualify that by saying I've seen New York live dozens of times, same goes for Montreal. Even the Cleveland orchestra (which was still amazing) didn't leave the impact on me that Berlin did.

Anyway, enough gushing. I would really love to own this set, but the price is so high for repertoire that I already own great recordings of. I own a few of the Bruno Walter/Columbia recordings, those are stellar, a few of the first cycle Karajan did with Berlin, I have the Maazel/Cleveland set on Uk london, which is sumblime, and of course the Solti/Chicago set on the same label. I know a modern direct to disc recording of these symphonies would blow me out of the water, but I think I'll spend some more time getting to know the great brahms records I already own.

Now if this was a Mahler set, then I might be a little more trigger-happy.

One for self, one for friend. Shipping for 2 sets is the same as one set.

My set arrived a few days ago.
Not yet listened: I will unpack and listen to it maybe this WE.
As far as the number of copies is concerned, suprisingly my set has the number '169/1200' (and not /1833, as anounced).

I am sure this project will bring the house down. It will be sold out in just a few days.

I contacted the Berliner to suggest them another project: the Beethoven symphonies. But they declined, saying Direct to Disc costs a lot of money to produce.
I bet they could change their mind after the success of this one.

Jascha, I don't know yet: not yet unpacked...
I intend to taste it like a good bottle of wine that I will share with friends.

Orfeo

My wife and I unboxed this together. Well packaged as one might expect, the presentation box was boxed itself and then that was again boxed in the outer box with some polyester bits to stop any movement inside. Inside, there is a authenticity certificate (mine is 100th of 1200), a b/w photo of the orchestra and one of the recording equipment. There is also a high quality 71 page hardbacked book relevant to the recording, orchestra and music. Each record is in a sleeve inside a thick papered outer jacket that is not tight. It is made so that there is plenty of room for the record in the sleeve to slide smoothly and easily inside. I have replaced the sleeves with Mofi Master Sleeves and you could easily slide two lip's inside the jacket.
There are 6 LP's in total.
My system is: ZYX Airy3 1000 - Thorens 160 - Sound Tradition Hashimoto SUT Live MC0901 - Diva (TS LIM) Phonostage and M7 Preamp - TS Lim Diva Blue Sky Power Amp (mod with Black Gate Caps) - mod Proac !.5 - Rel T7 stereo subs.
I gave Symphony No1 a quick clean on my KLAudio machine, inspected the cart and gave a light brush, warmed up the system with some Diana Ross/Supremes and some other pulsy music. Yikes, now that's is a contrast - but I have eclectic tastes. After 60 mins I was ready.
My first impression was that it was quite quiet on the setting I usually have the vol dial positioned. After the introduction I turned it up. Ok, I thought it will take a little attention to dialling this in to find the sweet spot for this recording. Ok, that did;t take long. I have other vinyl recordings - Kubelik, Kertesz, Karajan and recent Jurowski and this is certainly different. Its live, sitting on the edge of your seat. I felt I was sitting 1/3 way back in the concert hall. Large sound stage. Strings upfront most of the time when it mattered. It does not have the pin point kind of imaging that modern digital recordings have (e.g.. Jurowski where it sometimes a distraction to the process of your own emotional responses) but instead a more synthesised and connectiveness between the orchestra sections and players, whilst also being transparant to comfortably bring out inner musical lines and threads. Always, the important musical ideas came through as priority and others could easily be heard. The orchestra balancing itself through the recording mic setup is fantastic. There is definitely a sense of a live atmosphere (a couple of audience noises) and perhaps a few moments of recording noise - but maybe just a player touching the wood of the instrument or the keys of the w/wind players clicking. I listened to mvt 1 twice and the dialling in of the volume control is very important to find the sweet and singing sound. Overall, I am delighted. Tomorrow I'll listen to the rest of Symphony No1.

Jascha

Oh, I must add that the Jurowski is a live performance too, but digitally recorded. BPO Rattle D2D is pure analogue and much sweeter, warmer and holistic.
Jascha

Like Hergest, I'm no 1%er, and will lay off buying other stuff for a while to "pay" for it. Living in Berlin, I frequent the Philharmonie often (personally, I think the architecture of the hall is fabulous, and much better than most of the crap that's put up here), and it is usually either a thrilling (Rattle's Brahms in 2009, Mahler in 2011/12, pretty much whenever Jansons is conducting) or frustrating (especially that clown Dudamel). This makes a nice "souvenir" of all those great concerts, especially as their other CD releases have been less than inspiring.

Michael thank you for an excellent article
will you be partaking this Christmas?

Jascha - thank you so much for the review!
keep them coming

I am sitting the fence and about ready to pull the trigger
so the reviews are nice
listening to the DECCA Royal Concertgebouw with Bernard Haitink

I also have a ZYX and KL audio cleaner

...that some people and companies still do things like this :) It's a treasure!

I went to Berlin a few weeks ago to attend 2 Monteverdi concerts: l'Orfeo and Il Ritorno d'Ulisse, conducted by John, Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir.

The architecture is fabulous indeed.
Here is a good picture of the inside. The outside is not as beautiful, IMHO.

The acoustics surprised me as I could immediately hear that it was not designed for voices (baroque opera here).
I am eager to go back for an orchestral concert.

I bought their Beethoven vinyl set too (recorded in digital, no D2D, but microphone set up specific to the vinyl production, apart from the general setup).
Sounds very natural too.

Orfeo