MA Cantelli Set: Only one disappointment

I receive the set from M&A yesterday and in my opinion it is fabulous. Other than the artistic quality, the box and booklet are also nicely done. However, I don't really like the paperjacket that holds the discs, moreover, M&A glues them up! Perhaps M&A can think of a better alternative to this?

A great set, with some incredibly stupid production values. Why in the world did M&A glue the envelopes shut? Once they're open, there's stickum remaining on one side that you sure don't want to get on the CD. I just bought a pack of Burlington CD/DVD envelopes, and rehouse the CDs as I listen to them.

Another gripe: the hinged box is excessively tall and won't fit in the shelving I use. I notice that several of the new multi-CD hinged boxes are taller than they need to be. I'll have to upend the box and store it on its left or right edge.

how is the sound quality ? are they uniformly good/bad ?

This was my reaction, too, when I got their Casals box. I'm not complaining about the use of plain envelopes, but sealing them is a mistake. I think DG is using an envelope with no flap, for its historical boxes, and I'd urge M&A to do the same.

I have heard only the 1st disc so far (Rossini, Bartok, Schubert), and I also have the now OOP M&A box of the last 3 Tchaikovsky Symphonies. The new box also duplicates the Tchaikovsky Sym #5, which is just as well because in the original issue it was split over 2 CDs. The booklet in the new set cites the areas where particular disturbances occur (crackle, broadband distortion etc), but they are not as bad as one would expect, given the effort M&A made to document the major instances. On the whole, the sound ranges from at least listenable to surprisingly good; the sound of the Tchaikovsky is reasonably bright and powerful. The presence of the audience damps out some but not all of the Carnegie Hall resonance.

The sound quality is good for the period (1949~1952)even though I have only sampled a few discs. I think Ms Payne has done her best in restoring these important recordings. And you get to hear pieces that NBC would never have performed under the great Toscanini. A must buy! Meanwhile, the paperjacket is really something of a disaster...(I slice it open with a knife though...)

another question : where is the best place to order the set TO usa ? esp with the weak US$...

Hello! This is the M&A producer speaking... Our box sets are manufactured by a giant German pressing/printing plant in Hamburg. I tried repeatedly to get them to NOT seal the envelopes containing the CDs but they claim it is impossible NOT to seal them

Well, thanks for the straight answer, anyway.