#Test : UHQR: Miles Davis Kind of Blue 45rpm. The Holy Grail of Audiophile Vinyl

A jazz monument recorded in 1959, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue finds its most accomplished reproduction in Analogue Productions' UHQR edition.

Mastered in analog by Bernie Grundman from the original 3-track master tapes and pressed as a double 45 RPM on Clarity V2 vinyl, this exceptional record reveals an almost physical presence and timbral definition that literally make you rediscover this masterpiece.

The Return of a Legend

In the early 1980s, Japan's JVC factory created the UHQR (Ultra High Quality Record), an exceptional vinyl of which only about ten copies were produced, primarily for Mobile Fidelity. At the time, producing a UHQR cost $4.50 when a standard pressing didn't exceed $1. Sold for $50 each, these legendary records represented a considerable investment for discerning audiophiles. Today, these originals are among the most sought-after vinyl records and fetch dizzying prices on the collector's market.

Chad Kassem, renowned perfectionist and founder of Quality Record Pressings, decided to revive this legendary designation. Not out of mere nostalgia, but to bring technical innovations that far surpass the original Japanese version. His ambition?

To create the ultimate vinyl by investing massively in what would become the world's finest pressing plant. A bold gamble that the results amply justify.

Innovation at the Heart of the Process

What distinguishes the UHQR begins with a "flat" profile, inherited from the original JVC: the disc surface remains perfectly flat from the lead-in groove to the center, allowing the stylus to remain perpendicular throughout playback. This optimal geometry significantly improves groove tracking and information extraction

Electroplating constitutes the other cornerstone. Lacquers are plated within hours of arrival, using reduced direct current and a special rotating head that deposits ultra-fine grain nickel. The finer the grain on the stamper, the quieter the final pressing will be. The QRP facility features 16 stations equipped with Europa Film tanks with the tightest tolerances in the industry.

The stampers are then prepared on Sibert Instruments machines, typically reserved for the Blu-ray industry. The VSF finishing module replaces traditional manual sanding with an automated process that eliminates any risk of irregularity.

The VSP punching module ensures optical centering accurate to within a micron (2 microns concentricity), guaranteeing perfect consistency from one stamper to another.

Clarity V2 Vinyl: Reinvented Raw Material

Gone is the traditional carbon black. The Clarity V2 formulation, inherited from the acquisition of Classic Records, displays a distinctive off-white hue.

This elimination of black pigment isn't merely aesthetic: it reduces physical interference with the stylus and measurably lowers the noise floor.

Peter Ledermann, president of Soundsmith Corporation, compared this formulation to standard vinyl in his laboratory, using ultra-quiet strain gauge cartridges and reference spectrum analyzers.

Verdict: 2 dB less noise in the critical 4-20 kHz range, a difference confirmed by both measurements and listening tests.

Each record is then individually inspected before being slipped into its sumptuous rigid box with matte texture, wooden spine and gold lettering, then protected in a Stoughton tip-on sleeve, the absolute reference in vinyl packaging since 1954.

Reference Editions

Among the titles available in UHQR, some stand out as essential. First, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, this jazz monument recorded in 1959. Available as a double 45 RPM set, this version allows optimal groove spacing on each side, offering even greater dynamics and presence.

*** Kind Of Blue *** Miles Davis

Listening to Analogue Productions' UHQR Kind of Blue in 45 RPM, the sense of presence is immediate, almost physical.

Columbia Studio in New York, housed in a former Orthodox church, offers a natural reverberation linked to its ceiling height, distinctly perceptible in this recording.

The session begins with Freddie Freeloader, the blues for which Miles had decided to call upon Wynton Kelly at the piano with his block chords, which sound better than ever in this version. Jimmy Cobb's drumming is reproduced with remarkable precision: each drum is easily identifiable, the snare cracks naturally, the ride cymbal flows without harshness, drawing a supple and lively tempo.

Each soloist's intervention is transparently clear, and we find ourselves carried away by the elegance, variety, and power of the musical discourse.

So What: Paul Chambers' double bass asserts itself with sovereign confidence: each note is full, structured, perfectly legible, serving as the rhythmic foundation for the ensemble without ever weighing down the discourse. Bill Evans' piano radiates with subtle brilliance, never garish, with a magnificent sense of airiness; the instrument breathes, the silences matter as much as the notes.

Then comes Blue in Green, a moment of absolute suspension, where the timing seems literally hung on Miles Davis's notes and Bill Evans' muted piano touches. The delicate reverberations of the recording venue unfold with exceptional finesse, giving body to the space, while Coltrane's supple and flowing phrases inscribe themselves in the air, luminous and deeply human.

All Blues: An entire side is dedicated to this modal blues in 6/8 flowing with striking fluidity. Miles's muted trumpet emerges with velvety smoothness, Coltrane's saxophone dialogues with fleshy presence. Jimmy Cobb's brushes and cymbals shimmer without aggression, Paul Chambers's double bass pulses with roundness and depth. The wide soundstage unfolds in depth and width with truly exemplary linearity.

Flamenco Sketches reaches the emotional climax. On this magnificent Bill Evans composition infused with influences from Miles's work with Gil Evans for "Sketches of Spain," the piano establishes an intimate atmosphere of infinite delicacy, Miles's trumpet becomes a whispered confidence. This edition reveals timbral details previously buried.

Ultimately, the improvement brought by the technology and care implemented is undeniable: this is the best version on physical media, ultra-quiet, with surface noise virtually absent and an incredible sonic presence and dimension.

The respect for the entire analog chain truly brings us as close as possible to the original event.

Aja and Gaucho by Steely Dan, those production masterpieces from the '70s by Gary Katz, are also available in 45 RPM format. Like the monumental Kind of Blue, this choice is no coincidence: the higher rotation speed allows for wider groove engraving, revealing in these pressings a spatialization and timbral definition that literally make you rediscover these albums, despite having heard them countless times.

Full reviews coming soon.

The advantage of 45 RPM lies in this simple physics: the higher the speed, the wider the groove spacing, the more information the cartridge can extract without compromising dynamics. Admittedly, this means changing sides more often, but the audiophile gains an immediately perceptible qualitative leap.

The Price of Excellence

Such a level of exacting standards obviously comes at a cost that may be off-putting. But for the audiophile in pursuit of the absolute, aware that the medium determines the final reproduction, the UHQR represents today's pinnacle of vinyl pressing. A substantial investment, certainly, but one that guarantees decades of listening in optimal conditions, with durability and sonic consistency that fully justify the initial expense.

With the UHQR, Quality Record Pressings demonstrates that in 2026, far from being a nostalgic medium frozen in the past, vinyl continues to evolve, perfect itself, and push its own boundaries.

A lesson in exacting standards and passion that commands respect.

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