TEST PRESSING Karajan Tebaldi Verdi Aida Decca SXL 2167-9 180g 3-LP
  $   19

 


$ 19 Sold For
Aug 30, 2026 Sold Date
Aug 25, 2026 Start Date
9   Number Of Bids
  Norway Country Of Seller
eBay Auctioned at
 
save auction  

Description

ULTRA RARE AUDIOPHILE 3-LP TEST PRESSING: Verdi: Aida – Herbert von Karajan / Renata Tebaldi / Vienna Philharmonic (Decca SXL 2167-9)


Condition: Vinyl is MINT (M) / Sleeve is NEAR MINT (NM)


Up for sale is an incredibly rare, definitive holy grail for opera and classical music collectors: the official 3-LP Box Set Test Pressing of the highly acclaimed 1997 heavy-vinyl reissue of Herbert von Karajan’s legendary 1959 recording of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. This production, produced by the legendary John Culshaw, is universally celebrated as a landmark achievement in the history of stereo opera recording.


Test pressings for these high-end audiophile series are produced in extremely limited quantities (typically only 5 to 20 copies worldwide) for strict quality control before commercial production. Mastered from the original analogue session tapes and pressed on 180g Virgin Vinyl, this copy represents the absolute earliest, cleanest sonic pull from the master lacquers.


💿 Album & Production Details


  • Artist: Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Renata Tebaldi (Aida), Carlo Bergonzi (Radames), Giulietta Simionato (Amneris), Cornell MacNeil (Amonasro), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker) and the Vienna Singverein

  • Title: Giuseppe Verdi – Aida (Complete Opera)

  • Label: Decca / Alto High Fidelity Reissue Series

  • Catalog Number: SXL 2167-9 (3-LP Box Set / Sleeve)

  • Format: 3 x 180g Heavyweight Vinyl / Test Pressing

  • Country of Manufacture: Germany (Pressed from lacquers cut in London)

  • Recording Info: Historical audiofile recording from September 1959 in Vienna. Engineered by the legendary James Brown and produced by the visionary John Culshaw.

✨ Audiophile Significance


  • Sonic Milestone: Famous for its incredible "sonic staging" produced by John Culshaw, mimicking an actual operatic stage with unmatched spatial depth, blaring trumpet fanfares, and delicate, whisper-quiet vocal passages.

  • Premium Analog Mastering: Lacquers cut in London by Tony Hawkins and Paschal Byrne using a Neumann VMS 80 cutting lathe and a Studer A 80 tape machine with analog delay.

  • Superior Pressing: Processed and pressed in Germany using 100% Virgin Vinyl, ensuring an extraordinarily quiet noise floor and massive dynamic realism.

📊 Detailed Condition Grading (Goldmine Standard)


  • Vinyl Condition: MINT (M). All three LPs are in pristine, unplayed condition. Factory-brilliant surfaces with absolutely no marks, hairlines, or scuffs. Flawless audio performance.

  • Sleeve Condition: NEAR MINT (NM). The jacket/box art cover sheet is in beautiful, crisp, and clean condition with sharp corners and a perfectly intact spine. It has been handled with absolute archival care.

📦 Shipping & Handling


Worldwide shipping is available. The records will be professionally packed in a heavy-duty cardboard record mailer, with the vinyl removed from the sleeve during transit to prevent seam splits. Tracked and insured shipping is mandatory for this high-value collector's item.


price rating


My Recently Viewed Auctions

Johnny Cash American IV The Man Comes around LP 2x 12 vinyl MINT Johnny Cash American IV The Man Comes around LP 2x 12 vinyl MINT / $ 56
SXL 2180-1 DECCA ED1 W/B 2 x LP BOX SET, PUCCINI TOSCA SXL 2180-1 DECCA ED1 W/B 2 x LP BOX SET, PUCCINI TOSCA / $ 36
The Beatles For Sale EP 1964 Mono UK 7 The Beatles For Sale EP 1964 Mono UK 7" nr ex / $ 26
The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo LP Vinyl COLUMBIA CS 9670 TESTED VG+ The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo LP Vinyl COLUMBIA CS 9670 TESTED VG+ / $ 23
HERB REMINGTON Jean Street Swing LP Steel Guitar Near-MINT vinyl HERB REMINGTON Jean Street Swing LP Steel Guitar Near-MINT vinyl / $ 21
SXL 6029 Great Strauss Waltzes / Boskovsky W/B SXL 6029 Great Strauss Waltzes / Boskovsky W/B / $ 27
Frank Zappa ' Joes Garage Act 2 and 3' Frank Zappa ' Joes Garage Act 2 and 3' / $ 17
Northern Soul 45 GERRI GRANGER Stick Close BIG TOP HEAR Northern Soul 45 GERRI GRANGER Stick Close BIG TOP HEAR / $ 91
RICHARD ASHCROFT ACOUSTIC HYMNS, VOL. 1 NEW VINYL RECORD FREE SHIPPING RICHARD ASHCROFT ACOUSTIC HYMNS, VOL. 1 NEW VINYL RECORD FREE SHIPPING / $ 34
Free - Heartbreaker - 1a stampa inglese + inner - Ex + + Free - Heartbreaker - 1a stampa inglese + inner - Ex + + / $ 20
BLUESBERRY JAM * monster UNRELEASED `60s ACETATE LP * FUNK psych BREAKS * HEAR BLUESBERRY JAM * monster UNRELEASED `60s ACETATE LP * FUNK psych BREAKS * HEAR / $ 150
G.MULLIGAN & T.MONK MULLIGAN MEETS MONK VINYL LP NEW G.MULLIGAN & T.MONK MULLIGAN MEETS MONK VINYL LP NEW / $ 28
The Best Of Johann Strauss His Most Famous Waltzes And Overtures 3 LP Set The Best Of Johann Strauss His Most Famous Waltzes And Overtures 3 LP Set / $ 35
Latin 78 KAKO Y SU COMBO Cubuy AMERICA HEAR Latin 78 KAKO Y SU COMBO Cubuy AMERICA HEAR / $ 20
FRANK ZAPPA THE MOTHERS CAPTAIN BEEFHEART BONGO FURY LP SEALED MINT FRANK ZAPPA THE MOTHERS CAPTAIN BEEFHEART BONGO FURY LP SEALED MINT / $ 37
GHOST INFESTISSUMAM Scandinavian clear vinyl&12 pages booklet 2000 COPIES SEALED GHOST INFESTISSUMAM Scandinavian clear vinyl&12 pages booklet 2000 COPIES SEALED / $ 75
Babyshambles Down in Albion Dbl Vinyl LP Near Mint Libertines Babyshambles Down in Albion Dbl Vinyl LP Near Mint Libertines / $ 75
DONNA MCGHEE you should have told me 12 DONNA MCGHEE you should have told me 12" Boogie mp3 / $ 23
Conor Oberst Gentleman's Pact 12 Conor Oberst Gentleman's Pact 12" Sealed Bright Eyes OOP / $ 80
Disco Inferno - D. I. Goes Pop LP On Vinyl Electronic Rock Disco Inferno - D. I. Goes Pop LP On Vinyl Electronic Rock / $ 37
FLIEHKRAFT Take A Joint RARE german prog kraut 45 NWOBHM pre- GATOR Fears HEAR FLIEHKRAFT Take A Joint RARE german prog kraut 45 NWOBHM pre- GATOR Fears HEAR / $ 125
CREAM WHEELS OF FIRE 1st UK Press 2612-001 Polydor CREAM WHEELS OF FIRE 1st UK Press 2612-001 Polydor / $ 35
The Libertines - Debut Album - Signed Platinum Disc Replica Music Award The Libertines - Debut Album - Signed Platinum Disc Replica Music Award / $ 23
Emmett Taylor original psych rock lp Emmett Taylor original psych rock lp / $ 247