06/08/2026
No. 1 on the list — Our Analogue Productions UHQR 45 RPM 2LP of Steely Dan's 'Aja.' — "'Aja' is exactly the kind of album that benefits from more groove space. Its polish is dense by design, with layered horns, tight rhythm-section work, and studio detail packed into nearly every bar.
The Analogue Productions UHQR gives that density more breathing room. Bernie Grundman cut the original 1977 LP and returned for this UHQR, working from an analog non-Dolby EQ’d quarter-inch 15 ips tape copy. The 45rpm format is the bigger advantage. Steve Gadd’s snare hits have sharper attack, Chuck Rainey’s bass lines are easier to follow, and the quieter Clarity Vinyl pressing reveals low-level room detail that older copies can bury."
2. Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue' (Analogue Productions UHQR 33rpm, 2021). — "The famous Columbia 6-eye stereo pressing has history on its side, but even history cannot fix every technical problem. Part of the original stereo master ran at the wrong pitch, and clean vintage copies still bring the soft haze, groove wear, and surface noise that can sit between the listener and the room. This UHQR makes its case through corrected mastering lineage, Classic Records metalwork, and QRP’s quiet Clarity Vinyl pressing. Instead of treating Kind of Blue like a museum object, it gives the instruments a quieter space to occupy."
The rest of the top three? — No. 3 John Coltrane – 'A Love Supreme' (Analogue Productions UHQR 45rpm, 2023) / No. 4 Nina Simone – 'Wild Is the Wind' (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series 180-gram, 2023) / No. 5 Jimi Hendrix – 'Are You Experienced' (Analogue Productions UHQR 33rpm, 2022). Definitely a lot of love on this list for our vaunted reissues of these exceptional titles. Read the whole review below and find your copies of these recordings at acousticsounds.com.
Some originals sell for $500 while the better-sounding reissue sits at $30.
