YES Close to the Edge MFSL Play Rated Mint Simply the Best Audiophiles Only

$

149

Quite frankly this is the quietest version of this record I have ever heard. And I have heard a lot of them. I have been on a quest to find the ultimate sounding version of this album and this is it. This is the Holy Grail. I could not believe my ears when I listened to it. It is far and away better than any other import or domestic that I have ever purchased. I would say that this is even better than 99% of the other MFSL records out there, EVEN better than a sealed version. That is a bold statement, I know, but how many times have you opened up a sealed record only to find a manufacturer defect in it, or the QC person who slipped it into its sleeve left fingerprints or scuffs on the brand new wax. It has happened to me on several occasions and there is nothing more disappointing. Oh yea, Maybe this is - opening up a brand new disc, inspecting it for flaws, finding none, playing it on your turntable - and it sounds like crap.... this too happens far too often! You will NOT have any of the above issues with this particular disc since I have already cleaned it and tested it on a high quality system. There are a lot of variables involved with producing vinyl records, and this is one of the very few examples where everything went right. If you have ever heard the term "Hot Stamper" (please see note below about "Hot Stampers") then this is what I believe to be a record that was pressed on one of the so called hot stamping machines. Everything about it is top notch. From the dead quiet of the lead in AND run out tracks, to the absolute lack of ticks or pops anywhere on the vinyl. The dynamics are amazing. Chris Squire's bass sounds incredible. As does Alan White's drumming. You will notice the soundstage on this record is almost three dimensional. Each instrument and vocal is clear and very well defined. If you are as familiar with this record as I am, I'm sure you love the song 'And You And I'. For the very first time in all the years that that I have listened to this song on the radio or on a CD or something other than this MFSL vinyl, I realized that during the intro to that song, where Steve Howe is playing harmonics on his acoustic, there is a chord being played on an organ by Rick Wakeman that is so subtle, so deeply buried in the mix that it is barely audible. But on THIS vinyl, it IS audible. And now that I have mentioned it, check it out on your vinyl that you own now and see if you can hear it. If you can't, then its time to start thinking about all the other subtleties you are NOT hearing on your vinyl and buy this one. You will not be disappointed.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must point out that there is a hole punch in the cardboard sleeve and the gatefold is folded slightly off center. I believe that is why they punched a hole in the cover. The mis-folded cover probably raised a flag in quality control and then was sent out as a promotional issue. Other than that, the cover is in near mint condition. But you're buying this to play the vinyl - not the cover.
I usually do NOT allow returns on vinyl records, but I am so confident that you will love this record that I am going to allow the winning bidder to return the record (in the same condition it left me, and I will test to make sure) if it is not everything that I say it is, less original shipping costs of course. Return shipping is the buyers responsibility.
I will pack very securely in a cardboard box made just for LP's. I also remove vinyl from jacket so that there will be no seam splits occurring during transit. LP and jacket are sandwiched between two sheets of cardboard and then placed in shipping box.
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Sleeve grade = Near Mint, No seam splits. See Photos. Hole Punch. "LAST" sticker lower right corner back cover.   Vinyl Grade = MINT!!! The quietest vinyl I have ever come across. Even the lead in and out grooves are quiet.  Inner sleeve = Brand new thick Anti-static sleeve included. Original MFSL sleeve also included.
Paypal only please.
Note about "Hot Stampers": I just watched a video produced by Michael Fremer, world renowned audiophile and Senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine, and Mr. Fremer states that so called Hot Stampers do not exist. He has discussed this with many people involved in the production of vinyl records and they all have determined that this term is very misleading, if not total hogwash. What he does suggest is this: The first piece of vinyl to be pressed by a stamping plate is going to sound much better than the ten thousandth piece of vinyl. Stands to reason right? There is a service life to each metal stamping plate, after which a new plate will be made and used to continue the stamping process. The same is true for the stamping plates. Each stamping plate is produced from a "mother" plate. The first stamping plate to be made from the mother will sound better than the tenth stamping plate made from the same mother, and so on. So ideally, the best sounding vinyl will come from the first 'mother', then the first 'stamping plate', and then the earliest vinyl pressings. This makes total sense to me, and I hope to you as well. Which leads me back to this YES vinyl. It is my belief that since this is a punched cover, that this was probably a promotional item. Given away to radio stations, or record stores, to promote a new record. A new record that had just been released. Meaning that if this was distributed early in the press run, then it stands to reason that it probably was pressed from an early mother and stamping plate. Hence the high quality of this particular vinyl. If you have any questions regarding this record, or regarding the process of making a vinyl record, please do not hesitate to ask.