Daddyjt 8,807 Posted February 13, 2022 Posted February 13, 2022 I’ve wanted to start this thread for a while now, so here goes. This thread is about one thing, and one thing only - Stunning recordings. Any format, any genre. You don’t even have to like the music itself - it’s all about the RECORDING quality. We all know several of the standards - Dire Straits Brothers In Arms SACD, Donald Fagen Nightfly SACD, Fleetwood Mac Rumors DVDA, etc. I’ve come across a few new ones lately too. Please consider sharing your new finds, as well as your “old guard”. Katie Melua, Piece By Piece off the Katie Melua Collection CD. This track has incredible space and imaging right out of the gate. The detail in her vocal presentation is on the level of many Alison Krauss recordings (That’s very high praise). The bass is extremely deep, but without a hint of bloat or boom. The actual lyrics of the song are even touching and deep. The CD is readily available on line for cheap, and I highly recommend acquiring it. https://www.amazon.com/Katie-Melua-Collection-Incl-Bonus/dp/B001B4JVKE/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3H9ZG5QGS9JTE&keywords=katie+melua&qid=1644770023&s=music&sprefix=Katie+me%2Cpopular%2C144&sr=1-15 8 1 1
oldtexasdog 2,395 Posted February 13, 2022 Posted February 13, 2022 This is my go to to test systems and speakers. It has outstanding presence and sound stage imagining along with a full range of FQ from very low to very high along with varying attacks of speed of instruments and bass. If your system is set up correct the sound stage will be well beyond the speaker placement. It's cheap too. 7 1
PhilDent 1,796 Posted February 13, 2022 Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) I enjoy multichannel music, yet I lament the fact that there is so little content and the disks are so expensive. I finally tracked this one down and it sounds absolutely fantastic. It feels as if I'm sitting on stage with the band. Edited February 13, 2022 by PhilDent 2 1
Sk1Bum 10,413 Posted February 13, 2022 Posted February 13, 2022 Yes, Fragile Mobile Fidelity UD1S The best of the UD1S that I've heard so far. 3 1
Brian_at_HHH 2,646 Posted February 15, 2022 Posted February 15, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 11:34 AM, Daddyjt said: Katie Melua, Piece By Piece off the Katie Melua Collection CD. Why is it my wallet always panics when Mark suggests any new music?! It's always something that warrants adding to the collection, and always leads to a veritable catacomb of other great albums! Thanks, my friend, and just ignore the screams of terror from my wallet - I know I do! 1
Walrus Gumboot 344 Posted February 15, 2022 Posted February 15, 2022 This goes totally opposite of my normal musical tastes but Madonna The Immaculate Collection is a very impressive sounding CD 3
mbskeam 1,856 Posted February 16, 2022 Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) Rob Wasserman – Duets Edited February 16, 2022 by mbskeam 1
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Posted February 16, 2022 I’m about as far from a fan of “grunge” as one can get. However, I have developed a taste for “unplugged” versions of various grunge bands (see my notes on Godsmack - The Other Side HERE ). The one that grabbed my attention lately is Alice In Chains Unplugged. The track “Would” in particular has awesome bass and superb vocal presentation. The whole disc is recorded very well, and the “unplugged” renditions of the songs are quite listenable. 4 1 3
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Posted February 16, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 1:32 PM, Sk1Bum said: Yes, Fragile Mobile Fidelity UD1S The best of the UD1S that I've heard so far. I have the DVDA of this one, and yes - it’s outstanding! 1
Zenith4me 1,438 Posted February 16, 2022 Posted February 16, 2022 There is just something about Vanessa Carlton's voice that just makes you want to listen. She was only 18 when this song was a major hit on the radio. This recording is just stunning. 2 1 1
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted March 19, 2022 Author Posted March 19, 2022 My son gave me this 2-disc SACD set for my birthday, and we just got around to listening to it last night. Almost all of the material on both discs is excellent, but two tracks in particular are worth the ~$50 price in and of themselves. Track 8 on disc 1, Tennessee Waltz by Holly Cole. The clarity, detail and the space that the music creates in the room are magical. And the bass - just WOW. Deep, detailed and accurate. This track is also a great showcase for dynamics - from soft subtle sounds to room-filling volume. I listened to this track four times in a row, and I’ve already been back to the disc a couple times. Track 7 on disc 2, Ballad Of The Runaway Horse by Jennifer Warnes. This track is a clinic on imaging - and not just side to side, but depth of soundstage as well. Also stunning clarity. 1 1
mddawson 533 Posted March 20, 2022 Posted March 20, 2022 My current two go to tracks for testing soundstage width and depth are: and: 4 1
kappclark 36 Posted March 20, 2022 Posted March 20, 2022 Fabulous thread -- Just now discovering Katie Melua -- what a lovely voice .... Many excellent recordings ... in female vocal department - I have always enjoyed Cara Dillon .. This is a very good recording 3
garyh 459 Posted March 20, 2022 Posted March 20, 2022 I picked up this copy of Pink Floyd’s “Animals” a few months ago. I’ve been doing research and I’m on the prowl for the best pressings of some of my favorites. (Thus, I’m liking this thread idea very much). PINK FLOYD “ANIMALS.” Guthrie and Plante das boot recording remaster 2011. Also known as Capitol Records 2011 Discovery Issue Catalog and Bar Code Number: 5099902895123 This CD takes me back. It is mind-bogglingly good. The sound floor is so far down it’s a vacuum - that pulls you in. Beautiful dynamics. The detail, the imaging, the soundstage, everything is spot on. I've heard things I've never noticed before: On “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” at the beginning, after the sound effects and the keyboards whish in, the bass guitar intro actually feels like it’s moving around ever so slightly in space – out there in the middle upper sound-field, it whirls too – in a tight little half circle, up and then down again. And all the myriad sound effects on the album, the animal noises between the songs, it’s all there, you miss nothing. All the insane panning throughout. It pulls you in and you are lost in the music. (And not for nothing, this album has some of Water’s best bass guitar work (some you can almost miss in the last half of “Pigs (Three),” but not on this issue). And Gilmour makes the best and most apropos use of the wha-pedal in the history of Rock & Roll). An aside: “Animals” is one of my favorite albums of all time and my favorite Floyd album. I’ll never forget hearing it for the first time: sitting on the floor of my bedroom when I was a young teenager and listening to the LP on an inexpensive turntable with a cheap set of Koss headphones and being just plain blown away – almost life-changing. (We had just read “Animal Farm” in English class and the album transported me… with a little help from some weed). 😁 It was one of my first times with headphones too and I remember being astonished by the stereo separation. 3
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted May 18, 2022 Author Posted May 18, 2022 (edited) I've been a fan of Tori Amos since the release of Little Earthquakes in the early 90's. I always felt she brought her own flavor to musical creativity, often breaking the mold, and other times shattering it completely. What I did not realize until recently, is just how well recorded her music is. So here I was, in the midst of a Tori Amos "rediscovery" period, when I come across a youtube video by Rick Beato on Tori, and he's raving about a Tori Amos EP that I never even knew existed. Turns out, this 5-song EP has three (3) covers that she did around the time of Little Earthquakes release, and they are SPECTACULAR. She did her own versions of Angie (Rolling Stones), Thank You (Led Zepplin) and Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana). In the youtube video, Rick says this EP is not available anywhere, but i found it on Amazon for $17 brand new...? Anyway, I highly reccomend this EP, even if it is a bit pricy for 5 songs. Not only is it recorded quite well, the material is superb. The cover of Smells like Teen Spirit is worth the price alone. Not to start a fight, but I think her version blows the original away - it is SO DARK... I've linked the youtube video and amazon link below. Tori Amos - Crucify - Music (amazon.com) Edited May 18, 2022 by Daddyjt 6 1 1
jeffs 2,929 Posted May 18, 2022 Posted May 18, 2022 (edited) 19 hours ago, Daddyjt said: I've been a fan of Tori Amos since the release of Little Earthquakes in the early 90's. Always enjoyed that recording. Thanks for the recommendation on the EP. Edited May 19, 2022 by jeffs 2 1
jeffs 2,929 Posted May 18, 2022 Posted May 18, 2022 On 3/20/2022 at 6:41 AM, mddawson said: My current two go to tracks for testing soundstage width and depth are: I think this recording ,especially the title track, brings out the best in any system. I've been hard pressed to hear it sound anything other than exceptional on all kinds of configs. 1
RPA-1 Man 611 Posted May 19, 2022 Posted May 19, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 11:34 AM, Daddyjt said: I’ve wanted to start this thread for a while now, so here goes. This thread is about one thing, and one thing only - Stunning recordings. Any format, any genre. You don’t even have to like the music itself - it’s all about the RECORDING quality. We all know several of the standards - Dire Straits Brothers In Arms SACD, Donald Fagen Nightfly SACD, Fleetwood Mac Rumors DVDA, etc. I’ve come across a few new ones lately too. Please consider sharing your new finds, as well as your “old guard”. Katie Melua, Piece By Piece off the Katie Melua Collection CD. This track has incredible space and imaging right out of the gate. The detail in her vocal presentation is on the level of many Alison Krauss recordings (That’s very high praise). The bass is extremely deep, but without a hint of bloat or boom. The actual lyrics of the song are even touching and deep. The CD is readily available on line for cheap, and I highly recommend acquiring it. https://www.amazon.com/Katie-Melua-Collection-Incl-Bonus/dp/B001B4JVKE/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3H9ZG5QGS9JTE&keywords=katie+melua&qid=1644770023&s=music&sprefix=Katie+me%2Cpopular%2C144&sr=1-15 I don't think Ive ever heard a recording by Katie Melua that didn't sound great. Nice to have artists that care about audio quality. 2 1
2chGearBuff 369 Posted May 20, 2022 Posted May 20, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 12:02 PM, oldtexasdog said: This is my go to to test systems and speakers. It has outstanding presence and sound stage imagining along with a full range of FQ from very low to very high along with varying attacks of speed of instruments and bass. If your system is set up correct the sound stage will be well beyond the speaker placement. It's cheap too. This is also my test disc! I used this everytime I made progress on my C19 upgrade! I love this album! Definitely rocks the Vinyl Den main system (which unfortunately has been idle due to workload - both at work and at home!) A couple of my other favorites are Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue and Beck - Morning Phase. Both on vinyl. Very silent backgrounds and full of dynamic presence! 1
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Posted November 19, 2022 I recently had the good fortune to snag a collection of SACDs from someone thinning their collection. Of particular note is America (self titled debut) MOFI SACD - This disc contains one of my top 3 reference tracks now, Sandman. This track has it all - unbelievably wide and deep soundstage, crystal clarity, solid distortion free bass and beautiful harmonics. The track opens with one of the trio singing to acoustic guitar and it sounds great. Then the other two singers join in, and the soundstage just explodes out from the speakers, along with some almost psychedelic guitar sounds from stage left. Then the bass comes in, and its a thing of beauty - deep and adorative, but not a hint of boom or bloat. 1 1
4krow 5,752 Posted November 19, 2022 Posted November 19, 2022 (edited) Daddyjt, The bass that mention here is exactly what I like now days. Tuning my system to get right in the first place took a little time but was totally worth it. Recently, I have been noticing how some recordings are mixed that I didn't notice in ways before. Just curious about the CDP you use. Now that I have read the posts, I'm guessing that it must be a universal player like the Oppo players. Edited November 19, 2022 by 4krow clarification 1 1
oldtexasdog 2,395 Posted November 19, 2022 Posted November 19, 2022 (edited) Dominique Fils-Aime Birds The song "Birds" many used it at CF to tune their speakers. Edited November 19, 2022 by oldtexasdog 1 1
Daddyjt 8,807 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Posted November 19, 2022 4 hours ago, 4krow said: Daddyjt, The bass that mention here is exactly what I like now days. Tuning my system to get right in the first place took a little time but was totally worth it. Recently, I have been noticing how some recordings are mixed that I didn't notice in ways before. Just curious about the CDP you use. Now that I have read the posts, I'm guessing that it must be a universal player like the Oppo players. Correct - I’m running an Oppo 105. I’m a big fan of the ESS Saber DAC chipset they use. I also use it to play all my FLAC files off of a portable HDD plugged in to one of the back USB ports. 1
Ar9Jim 6,472 Posted November 20, 2022 Posted November 20, 2022 (edited) 1980s DDD recordings from DMP (Digital Music Products) have stood the test of time very well. Producer Tom Jung. This disc is said to be recorded "direct to a 2 track digital recorder." No overdubs. The analog purist may be surprised how good this label sounds, having never been analog at any point in the process. DMP in DDD. Mostly a jazz label. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code Edited November 20, 2022 by Ar9Jim 1
4krow 5,752 Posted November 20, 2022 Posted November 20, 2022 Daddyjt, Dammit. Another acquaintance of mine told me the same thing about the Sabre DAC, but no, I wouldn't listen. Well, at the least, now I have to pull out the Tori Amos album. 1
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