What is your personal reference audiophile recording (best sound quality)?

[christian u]

At the moment these 3 are my reference.

Probably a year from now it'll have changed.

I love clear placement of the instruments.

And these recordings are very clear,you really see the band in front of you.

And depth is also one of my priorities,together with a natural sound of the room(reverb,echo),not dry, but lush.

And a wide dynamic range,so little or no compression.

I'm an old fan of the singer Carmen Gomes,I have the recordings she made for Marantz including a couple of test CD's where she is singing a track or two.

But this is really a whole new level recording wise,it makes the older recordings sound...well old.

good to see new companies embracing the possibilities of modern recording technology and putting it to use so well, and the sound is so warm, almost analog.

 

Way out west,from Sonny Rollins, I use so I remember where I am coming from.

A friend of mine remastered my old LP,which I have had since my youth and I still love the sound.Actually I find that there are similarities in the sound with the Sound Liaison recordings.Maybe it all comes down to good old fashioned engineering.

If you go to the Sound Liaison site you can listen to the tracks before you buy.

Music Store

[christian u]

This one is amazing, same kind of quality as the other downloads from the little label, but now with more instruments

 

and bigger arrangements.The sound stage is huge.

 

The trumpet player, Bandoneon player and the cellist are phenomenal.

The first track and the last track are very different,first track has a full 9 piece band and the last is just trumpet with a gorgeously recorded Joshua Samson on percussion, but still there is no doubt, that both tracks belongs on this album. Very very well done.

Andre Heuvelman - After Silence

 

 

Yes this is a good example of top level musicianship AND top level audio engineering.

Somebody on the audiogon forum called Andre Heuvelman, the worlds best trumpet player, whether that is true or not, he does have the most beautiful tone on his instrument.

[christian u]

[video=youtube;u35c-p-tSqU]

The latest download is maybe the best they have made so far.

Ecm recording artist Wolfert Brederode has made a new band with fellow Dutch musicians and they have composed a suite of music inspired by Hemingway´s , the Old man and the Sea.

Great music and unbelievable sound stage.

 

BATIK (WAV)

 

[christian u]

Andre Heuvelman's ''After silence'' is now at the top of my list. I find Paul Berner's ''Road to Memphis'' almost as good in terms of sq. Both downloads have a unique sense of depth, placement and separation of the instruments but with a sound that gels.

I think I used to have Paul Berner as my reference but Testikhoff's insistence on After Silence has had a bit of influence on my judgment:)

 

Both downloads are on sale as we speak for $11; Sound Liaison Music Shop;

 

[christian u]

I think a new classic is born, it's live, it's recorded in DXD with only 1 microphone, completely phase coherent, and it sounds fantastic. Highly recommended.

https://www.soundliaison.com/