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Post by ramdog2004 on Jul 10, 2007 12:35:14 GMT
What are the recordings Cd / Vinyl you play to show off your system. Heres a few to get you started:
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the moon - MFSL Vinyl Blue Man Group - Audio - CD Dire Straits - Remastered CD's Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole - Facing Future - CD Plus a few Naim Demo CD's
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2007 13:04:08 GMT
Neil Diamond-Hot August Night. This is excellent,despite the age of the recording."Soolaimon" is an excellent example from this album. Papa Doo Run Run-California Project: most of the Telarc album, especially "I Get Around" and even more so, "Good Vibrations" This is how the Beach Boys should have sounded ! The bonus DVD from the deluxe version of the Norah Jones album "Not Too Late" has excellent 48KHZ LPCM audio. You are even able to compare the Music Video with the original live performance, which BTW, is markedly better, particularly in dynamics Don Dorsey's "Ascent" in my friends , and my system fills the complete listening area with sound. (Telarc? ) The Telarc album "Beethoven or Bust" from Don Dorsey is also very dimensional ("Digital and other authentic period syntesizers")Track2 "Mixed Bagatelles" has a synthesized "Car Smash" right out of the blue, at the end. It is guaranteed to frighten the SH-T out of you if you don't know it is coming!
SandyK
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Sol
100+
loves motorcycles !
Chief Technical Numpty
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Post by Sol on Jul 10, 2007 14:49:02 GMT
Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole - Facing Future - CD Really! it has an ambience from the recording that suggests a live performance .. but I find the CD compressed atd (as per most modern recoridng on CD) Off the top of my head Lord of the Rings Soundtrack CD - "May it Be" - Enya's voice can sound harsh and unforgiven on many systems Gladiator soundtrack - Might of Rome - fantstic recoridng, full of dynamics, and some real layering of sounds that keep you listening into the layers each time you play. It's reaches a crescendo that can sound congested and ill-deifned on poor systems, but opens up and the cacophony of off tempo "noise" can make sense when a system can bring the detail neede dto listen Sphongle - Are your Spongled - Track 1 Sphongle spores. Since Mike introduced me to this albumn I've been driving my wife nuts with it for weeks. really highlights a system's ability to be fast and the slams should be felt but not winced at! Beth Nielson Chapman - Beyond the Blue form Sand and Water - fantatsic production, and some toms to die for in the opening Jennfier Warnes - The Hunter - Way down deep. You need bass extension ... well resolved bass, this has it in spades? Jennifer Warnes - Joan of Arc - forget which CD it's on ... but again superb quality recording, breathy, initimate. Chris Rea - Road to Hell - Road to hell part 1. Lots of details to find, and some fantastic placing of background radio exerts. Lower level systems cannot reolve the voices from the radio, and watch out for the windscreen wipers and cars moving across your sound stage. Kraftwerk - Autobahn. Simple sounds - I have a VBR MP3 of this and it still sounds fantastic. I recenlty played the original CD loaned form a friend and it sounded better still. open few secs have a truck starting and moving right to left ... you'd swear it a binaural recording. Axiom of Sound - Niya Yesh - quite simply the best sounding vocal and acoustic mix I've heard! Lovingly produced. I could go on ... but I should stop there.
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Post by theadmans on Jul 10, 2007 15:45:52 GMT
- The Blue Nile "Hats" on Linn CD (in fact all of The Blue Nile CD's sound pretty good. The only problem is they only release a new album about once every 10 years - they even make Kraftwerk look industrious!).
- Lou Reed "Berlin" original RCA CD from the 80s - Listened to this last night on my Goldring DR150s and was impressed with the sound. The recording level was low compared to modern CDs - so had to crank up the volume bit - but once I did it sounded great.
- David Sylvian "Gone to Earth" Remastered CD - again practically all David's albums sound great - sound quality appears to be something he cares about.
- Talk Talk "Spirit of Eden" Remastered CD - superb stuff if you are in a chillout mood.
- Thomas Dolby "The Flat Earth" CD - Production genius.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 10, 2007 20:55:59 GMT
Wynton Marsalis / Ellis Marsalis - Joe Cool's Blues
Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth
Roger Waters - The Pros and cons of hitch hiking (great effects!)
Yello - The Eye
Shpongle - Tales Of The Inexpressible
Martin Taylor - Spirit of Django
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2007 21:29:59 GMT
Sol You have to take into account the quality of the recording equipment of the period too. You hint at ambience suggesting a live performance. On my Class A equipment it IS a live performance ! Especially the track I mentioned. SandyK
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2007 22:05:59 GMT
Sol I have sent you an email with a small .jpg attachment. Regards SandyK
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Post by ungawa on Jul 11, 2007 10:54:17 GMT
Hi Guys -
Lately I've been enjoying the engineering talents of Tchad Blake. He engineers a lot for Mitchell Froom, among others. I love the soundstage he creates so much I did some research. I found out he uses a Dummy Head frequently in his engineering (OH's on drums, re-recording instruments etc through PA). Sam Phillips is a good example - "Hole in Time" from "Cruel Intentions" and "Black Sky" from "Martinis & Bikinis" in particular.
Bruce Swedien is another favourite - a Stereo recordist from the early days - a favourite story is him first seeing a 24Tk recorder and exclaiming - "Wow !! A Stereo 12 track !!!" Micheal Jackson's "Dangerous" has fantastic dynamics and, tho has less apparent acoustic elements, sounds pretty good.
And as a newly convert to Headphone monitoring, I'm finding acoustic based recordings are becoming more attractive - Ry Cooder's "13 Question Method", M. Wards "Chinese Translation" come to mind ...
I also have to say how much I am LOVING rediscovering recordings from the 80's etc where the level of the mastering was lower, thus generally less dynamically smashed revealing a much more relaxed listening experience.
I just hope we don't ever have to join the "dumbing down" of music reproduction in having to download all our songs, using the only available compression alg's ...
Just a few thoughts - sorry - a bit of a ramble!
Chur - Brent
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Post by fanboi on Jul 18, 2007 14:38:42 GMT
Jazz at the Pawn Shop - double LP Proprius Sade - Promise LP Simply Red - Picture Book LP Dire Straits - Love over Gold (Telegraph Road) LP Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley (Bridge over Troubled Water) CD
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Post by gns on Jul 20, 2007 23:33:02 GMT
DSOT - Floyd (LP) Crime of the Century - Supertramp (LP) Got Any Gum? - Joe Walsh (LP) Pastiche - The Manhattan Transfer (LP) Fanfare For The Common Man (Copland), An American in Paris (Gershwin), Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin) - LA Philharmonic (Decca SPA 525) (LP) Hunky Dory - Bowie (LP) On Every Street - Dire Straits (LP & CD)
It often depends on what they're played.
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Nigel
Been here a while!
Watching over Gotham City keeping us safe
Posts: 2,064
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Post by Nigel on Jul 22, 2007 7:47:41 GMT
A well recorded, excellent music LP is Steely Dan's "Gaucho."
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Post by thestratmangler on Jul 29, 2007 20:26:40 GMT
1 - Deep Purple - Who do we think we are - The album that turned me onto rock music big time in 1973 (I was 11 years old at the time). It's surprising the mess a lot of "high end" systems make of this album.
2 - Supertramp - Crime of the Century - Superbly written, performed and recorded. My best pressing is the Speakers Corner release - well recommended !
3 - Pink Floyd - DSOTM - 1974 standard pressing. I have 5 copies of this album, the 1974 press, the 25th Anniversary press, the 30th Anniversary press, the digital remaster CD, and the 30th Anniversary CD/SACD hybrid. My first copy beats all others hands down !
4 - John Martyn - Solid Air - I have 3 copies, an early Island "pink" label, a Simply Vinyl reissue, and the digital remaster CD (well you have to have something to play in the car). The Island press sounds best, but is not in the best of condition - I tend to play the SV pressing as they've done a very good job of it, unlike some of the stuff they've done.
5 - Steely Dan - anything by them, 'nuff said !
Could go on with a few more, but I'll stop there.
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Post by bigal76 on Aug 6, 2007 21:17:37 GMT
I can't comment on the methods, but some of my collection that I particularly notice the recording quality (in no particular order):
1) Kurt Elling - Man In The Air, Track 1 Minuano. 3 minute intro then bursts into a great upbeat rhythm. Got all Kurt's albums and always go to see him when he's in the UK. He hasn't won the Grammies for nothing......
2) The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur. Not my favourite album of theirs - I listen to about 3 or 4 or the tracks on this album - but the recording quality and treats to find in it, to my ears, are fantastic. Track 3, Child Song, is my fave. Fantastic percussion, rhythm and blend of sound in general.
3) Russell Malone - Playground. His solo in Mandela is fantastic and covers a huge range. Sounds fantastic. So lyrical in his playing - too many pianists and guitarists just play and play and fill all the space - I like the space and pace of his solos.
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Post by thestratmangler on Aug 6, 2007 22:27:30 GMT
I'm currently playing "New Favorite", by Alison Krauss & Union Station, on good ol' vinyl (Diverse Records DIV001LP).
I first heard this album at the Bristol Hi-Fi and Home Entertainment Show a few years back. I remember that the late John Michell (of Gyrodek fame) was very taken with the test pressing he had been given. It was in the Michell room that I first heard the delights of this record.
If you can get hold of a copy it is worth getting - there's nothing quite like a group of acoustic musicians going for broke and rocking out.
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radioman
<100
a self confessed vinyl junkie
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Post by radioman on Aug 9, 2007 8:34:23 GMT
Phil collins no Jacket required vinyl
jimi Hendrix electric lady land vinyl original pressing
DSOTM original pressing
king crimson in the court of the crimson king vinyl
moody blues in the threshold of a dream vinyl
Best Wishes Martin
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Nigel
Been here a while!
Watching over Gotham City keeping us safe
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Post by Nigel on Aug 9, 2007 16:49:38 GMT
Hey Martin,
The Phil Collins LP kinda looks the odd one out in that list. Is "No Jacket Required" the album that featured 'Take Me Home' ? I used to love that track.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Aug 9, 2007 19:34:34 GMT
Good to see a lot of vinyl lovers here, I really must pull out the stops and get myself a deck again. Also interesting a few of you say the originals are the best, I have always thought this myself and can count the amount of times a reissue / remaster has sounded better on one hand.
Anyone listened to Mike Oldfield's "The songs of distant earth"? That's a really great headphone listen and extremely well recorded in parts.
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Post by colin1958 on Aug 9, 2007 20:40:38 GMT
Hey,has anybody else been caught up with all these digitally remastered cd.s? i have or rather had 3 different versions of DEEP PURPLES MACHINE HEAD.the anniversary 2cd edition,the hybrid multi channel sacd.& i had the dvda format but sold that.dvda is pretty much dead now as it didn't take off.it seems to me that the original always sounds the best..what say you
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Post by thestratmangler on Aug 9, 2007 20:54:02 GMT
Hey,has anybody else been caught up with all these digitally remastered cd.s? i have or rather had 3 different versions of DEEP PURPLES MACHINE HEAD.the anniversary 2cd edition,the hybrid multi channel sacd.& i had the dvda format but sold that.dvda is pretty much dead now as it didn't take off.it seems to me that the original always sounds the best..what say you Give me the vinyl every time !
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Post by thestratmangler on Aug 9, 2007 20:56:48 GMT
Actually, the CD remaster of "Made In Japan" is very good. Having said that I only play it in the car - when I'm at home it's the vinyl every time.
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Post by colin1958 on Aug 10, 2007 6:14:53 GMT
so, are we saying that vinyl beats cd hands down everytime?are clicks & pops throughout the quieter passages of music adding to the excitement of vinyl?
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Post by thestratmangler on Aug 10, 2007 6:55:13 GMT
so, are we saying that vinyl beats cd hands down everytime?are clicks & pops throughout the quieter passages of music adding to the excitement of vinyl? If the vinyl has been looked after and kept clean then ticks and pops shouldn't present a major problem. A well set up TT makes a big difference too. I do play CD's at home occasionally, just not if I have the vinyl. I also have SACD's and DVD-A's, and guess what - thats right, the vinyl sounds better than these discs too (Floyd DSOTM - SACD, Eagels Hotel California DVD-A, Fleetwood Mac Rumours DVD-A). That said the higher specced formats sound better to my ears than CD.
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Captain
100+
Beam me up Scotty!
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Post by Captain on Aug 13, 2007 12:52:32 GMT
Chris Wood - Lark Descending African Head Charge - Songs of Praise Velvet Underground - VU Richard Thompson 1000 years of Popular Music Gillian Welch - Revival Johnny Cash- American IV The Man Comes Around
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Post by tim on Aug 14, 2007 0:06:02 GMT
I spend most of time listening to classical music- - I swear I'm not daft. Well, no more so than any of the rest of us. -Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas- Gidon Kremer (ECM) Kremer takes a very unembellished approach. A bit like a finisher of woods who instead of applying layer after layer of varnish, just strips the woods down to its nakedest state. Also of note is that half of the disc is recorded in studio, the other in a cathedral. Recorded on his 1730 Guarneri which is damn near the time Bach was writing them. It's within ten years. -Brahms Piano Quintet- Takacs String Quartet and Andras Schiff (Decca/London) I've always been a sucker for what seems to me a "Decca Signature" sound (especially anything from the Maltings at Snape) . To be clear this disc is not recorded at the Maltings - but nonetheless the recording has an exceptional signature all its own. Much of which is the Takacs Quartet. They are all about transparency. I admit I thought much of the Takacs sound was studio tweaked- but having seen them in concert that's just not the case. No other quartet on the planet is even dealing in the same sonic space as they are. -New York - Lou Reed If I had to listen to a rock record tonight, this is the one (in fact I will listen to it as soon as I finish this post!). Something about the way this one sounds always gets the hair standing on the back of my neck, and songs like "Dirty Boulevard" continue to be more true every day. This one is LP. CD does not compare. -Sibelius Symphony 5- Vanska/Lahti Symphony Orchestra Sibelius is easily the most accomplished symphonist to ever work within the form, but who knows if the world will ever catch up, or even care. I could list the entire set of all seven with Vanska, but I thought it was a little too cheaty to pick all of them. -Nuit d'etoiles- Veronique Gens & Roger Vignoles (Virgin Clasics) Songs of Debussy, Faure, and Poulenc. I love this woman's voice, and normally I don't go for sopranos. In fact I don't usually fall for voices at all. Her performance of Debussy's "Chansons de Bilitis" floors me everytime. And no- Chansons de Bilitis is not the name of some disease. Although I am told it is french? ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2007 6:19:36 GMT
"I also have SACD's and DVD-A's, and guess what - thats right, the vinyl sounds better than these discs too (Floyd DSOTM - SACD, Eagels Hotel California DVD-A, Fleetwood Mac Rumours DVD-A).
That said the higher specced formats sound better to my ears than CD."
The main reason for this is the cheap and nasty implementation in the "Jack of all trades,Master of None"players. I also have those recordings as well as several other SACD/DVD-A They usually sound much better on the top models in a range. Or a dedicated player for SACD such as the Marantz SA11. .Another problem is some of those weird surround mixes that they concoct, just because they can. Don't forget too, that many amplifiers can't even do full justice to CD or vinyl, let alone the much wider bandwidth of SACD and DVD-A, where the sampling rate can be as high as 192KHZ.Many poorly designed amplifiers have an input filter that rolls off the frequency response way below the proper requirements for the higher resolution formats. (Often to meet ill conceived EMI legislated requirements.) SandyK
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