Iv'e recently been on a classical box set buying spree on Amazon and managed to secure The Decca Sound (recently re-issued at a more sensible price of £90), The Decca Sound - The Analogue Years (£77) and the Mercury Living Presence box set (£84) and can recommend these collections for any classical music fan.

The mastering is excellent and there are many "demonstration quality" discs on both Decca sets, some that were chosen for the Esoteric SACD treatment a few years ago, but which now sell for silly money!

The Mercury set has an American bias, but as a student of the American Civil War, I was pleased to see included, two double CD's of Civil War music, played on period instruments by Frederick Fennell and the Eatman Wind Ensemble.

For anyone considering the purchase of The Decca Sound - The Analogue Years from Amazon, I would add a word of caution!

This set was initially delivered on Saturday and on opening the cellophane sealed box of discs, I discovered, on checking them, that CD's 40a & 40b (Verdi - Otello) were missing, while curiously, there were duplicates of CD's 44a 744b (Puccini - La Boheme)!

I contacted Amazon Customer Services and they apologised and immediately dispatched a replacement box set, which arrived the following day (Sunday)!

However, on checking that second sealed box, I found the same omission and duplication, suggesting that there was a batch production run at fault!

Having discussed the issue with Amazon Customer Services again, this morning, they have arranged collection of one of the faulty sets and issued me with a refund of £20 to cover any inconvenience with regard to my original purchase.

Amazon Customer Services initially offered me a full refund with collection of both sets, but I was reluctant to part with a 54 CD set for the sake of a missing double album that could be purchased separately with the discount offered. Amazon said they would withdraw the item from sale pending investigation and resolution, but warned that this could take a considerable length of time.

Amazon is by far the cheapest source for this box set online (I only found two other suppliers and the cost was considerably more expensive, at £132)!

I am pleased with the service and resolution offered by Amazon as there is no guarantee that purchasing from an alternative supplier at a far greater cost would remedy the error, which could be duplicated across all current stocks!