Elton John – Diamonds

While I do agree it sounds flat and not as dynamic as I’m sure something original would sound.. it’s not “awful”. Maybe I was lucky but I don’t experience any of the surface noises or anything of the sort like others are experiencing. It sounds compressed definitely. It sounds as if you were listening to it off a CD. I think it’s still very enjoyable nonetheless. I’m not a huge EJ fan but I do like his music. I didn’t have any EJ in my collection and having this kinda fills that space. I don’t think I’d pick up an album of his unless it was pretty cheap now that I have this and this has all his hits.

Oh and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” is the best Elton John song.

This collection is essential to have in your collection. Elton’s a legend and this vinyl is a must have.

Picked this up in the clearance section at a local big box for $15. I agree with some of the other reviews stating that this sounds flat, compressed, and lifeless. As a compilation it is fine, with a good selection of songs that fit well on an Elton greatest hits record. Comparing this with an original press of Honky Chateau or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and you will see the sad difference in dynamic range and vividness (this release severely lacking).

Ok, so Im just a casual Elton John fan and not hardcore to say the least. I also had no EJ records in my vinyl collection. I was just interested in having the radio hits that I know to listen to once in a while. This collection hit the mark for what I wanted. I was well aware of all these bad reviews on here and other places but at 16 bucks for a new and sealed copy on EBay I thought I would take the chance. SO..yeah, this is far from a audiophile pressing and the likes of Kevin Grey, Bernie Grundman or Bob Ludwig are nowhere to be found. This does sound like it was from digital sources but with that being said my copy sounds very nice. I used my normal ritual in running it through the Spin Clean then the ultrasonic cleaner and then a zap from the zero stat gun and it was a nice listen. Very little surface noise. Not the widest sound stage that I would prefer. But acceptable. My LP’s are both flat as a pancake and labels are centered. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones? I’m happy with my purchase. I feel like it’s a great deal at 16 bucks as well. If you want a copy their are plenty on eBay right now at discounted prices, Probably bought at the Walmart 15 dollar Black Friday sale. If you are a casual fan of Elton then get it if you are hard core you should probably be buying all his OG albums.

This is junk. The songs sound just okay, but it's really the quality of the actual vinyl that is terrible. I ultrasonic clean every album I own, and this one couldn't be saved after many many cleanings. I thought I was getting a bargain, but in the end I have a paper weight that will never see the table again.

Got it for $15 at a Black Friday sale. I thought it was a fantastic price for a double album filled with hits, but unfortunately, it's only worth $15. A great collection of songs for sure, but this vinyl is flat with no dynamic range or separation to be found. I suppose it can be a bit nostalgic because the songs sound like they did when I first heard them through the tinny speakers in my parent's 1964 Chrysler Newport station wagon. I suppose that's worth something.

Remastered for the "modern" tastes : compressed (but far less than the cd, thanks God), thin and bright. Kids may like it.
Just after, I put on an original pressing of "Honky Chateau" : a sonic firework! So many colours are missing on all the remasters. Maybe my ears are oversensitive, but I guess I'm not the only one :)

Sounds fantastic for the money, and unless you have a serious audiophile set up costing over $2000, i see no reason to complain about the pressing being subpar. There is a little bit of surface noise on Side C and D, but thats about it. Your Song sounds wonderful.

You can clearly tell that this is cut from digital sources. While this setlist is great, the quality isn’t great. I see lots of people claiming this is top notch, but it’s far from it. No midrange punch, or true instrument separation, it’s actually fairly one dimensional and clearly compressed, however there is a decent soundstage. But this is not top quality at all. If you think this will sound like an Analogue Productions title, wrong. The mastering engineers can only do so much with alternative sources. It’s a great overall collection of songs, but just blah sonics. Sorry

McIntosh MT-5 Turntable
McIntosh MA8950 Amplifier
Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII Speakers
REL S/510

(I no longer own this release.)
Bought this at Walmart, didn't expect it to sound so damn good! Very dynamic sound, no static at all