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

[MrAcoustat]

Anything by Tord Gustavsen Japanese pressings.

 

[video=youtube;ivvv3-vJ-O4]

[MrAcoustat]

Byron Metcalf & Steve Roach - - - Wachuma's Wave

 

[video=youtube;Tfy0-9ZZmKs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfy0-9ZZmKs

[MrAcoustat]

The Emerald Forest Soundtrack

 

[video=youtube;hJZ-3haswUA]

[MrAcoustat]

He Xun Tian - - - Paramita

 

 

99.9999999 of my format is redbook cd,s.

[cpvniii]

 

 

 

If you have not heard these two, you owe it to yourself !!

[jhwalker]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7189[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]7190[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

If you have not heard these two, you owe it to yourself !!

 

Almost any of Alison Krauss' recordings, but especially "Alison Krauss + Union Station LIVE" - incredible, "you are there" realness.

[Blake]

And here I thought I was the only one using Alison Krauss as reference material (strike that, outstanding music that also happens to possess superb sonics).

 

All her albums, solo and with Union Station sound terrific. I really like:

 

[kevalin]

Since we are talking about Alison Krauss, I absolute enjoy the quality mastering of Raising Sand.

 

 

I did not know there was a HD 24/96 version of it:

https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD011661907522

 

This will be on my buy list during their next sale.

 

I would love to hear anyone's impression of the HDtracks version.

[beetlemania]

Since we are talking about Alison Krauss, I absolute enjoy the quality mastering of Raising Sand.

. . .

I would love to hear anyone's impression of the HDtracks version.

 

It does sound better than the 16/44, but not by a huge margin. I would only get the 24/96 download if you really like this album (I do).

[bbfoto]

...Yeah, leave it to the noob to bring this thread back from the dead. Sorry guys, but there are A LOT of amazing suggestions in this thread that I love, and of course, I have to add some of my favorites.

 

 

Anaïs Mitchell - Hadestown

 

(a "conceptual" album with EXCELLENT SQ tracks including "Why We Build the Wall" featuring the deep baritone voice of Greg Brown. Amazing production, instrumentation, and solo and chorus vocals...Excellent imaging and staging. Many other guest vocals.) It might not be everyone's cup of tea as it's one of those "different/unusual" albums, but I HIGHLY recommend it! Many tracks will get stuck in your head for good reason and this album will always be a DEMO CD in my system.

 

Any of the Opus 3 label's Demo Discs, such as "Test CD 4 - Depth of Image, Timbre, Dynamics" (available in SACD & Vinyl)

 

 

Joe Weed - The Vultures

 

 

Brass Roots - Purple Cha Cha Heels

 

 

A la Carte Brass & Percussion - Boogeyin'! Swamprock, Salsa & `Trane (on Mapleshade)

 

 

Fay Lovsky & La Bande Dessinée - (Self-Titled), Check out the track, "Film Noir: Danger City"

 

 

...BUT MY CURRENT FAVORITE IS:

 

The Steph Johnson Trio - "Nature Girl" (jazz guitar & vocals)...

 

...Steph Johnson (guitar & vocals), double bassist Rob Thorsen, and drummer Fernando Gomez are independent musicians from the San Diego area, and all I have to say is that after hearing this CD I'm definitely going to try to hit up their next live show.

 

D@mn gents, she's got an amazing voice (as stated in the liner notes by a reviewer...a mix of Etta James and Cassandra Wilson)...this woman has SOUL!

 

And I can't stress enough that this CD is an EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT SQ recording!!!

 

Years ago I was a drummer/percussionist and alto/baritone saxophonist, and the drum kit and double bass on this CD are SO LIFELIKE that it instantly sent chills down my spine, not to mention Steph's smokey vocals and smooth, clean guitar work. You can hear the "wood" of the drumstick tips on the hi-hat, individual brushes on the snare, and the cymbals and tom-toms have that lifelike attack, sustain/shimmer, and decay...all of that micro detail that make it REAL.

 

This is one of THE best recordings, both for pure SQ, AND pure enjoyment, that I've "purchased" in a looooong time. If you are at all interested in jazz, and beautiful female vocals, say Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Ella Fitzgerald, Melody Gardot, etc, I highly recommend that you check out this CD! Even if you aren't a fan of the genre, this entire CD will show off your system like very few others. And (at least IMHO) there is not a "bad" track on the entire album.

 

There are various little drum and bass solos spread throughout that are just absolute morsels of auditory joy. I could see many of these tracks ending up on Demo Discs such as the Focal Demonstration discs..they ARE THAT GOOD. The musicians ARE IN THE ROOM with you!

 

I don't personally know Steph or the other musicians, I just happened to come across a link to her music, loved it, and I always like to support local artists, so I donated, and am so glad I did. In order to receive a copy of the CD you need to make a Donation, and the CD will be sent to you in the mail straight from Steph herself.

 

Anyway, if you are interested, check out her web site at:

 

Steph Johnson Band (Steph Johnson Band)

 

On her home page, under the "NEWS" heading, Click on, "Help Steph Release Her 3rd Album!" to get to the PayPal donation link. AFAIK it's the Only way to receive a physical CD of this great release.

 

And here's a YouTube video of the 1st track off of the "Nature Girl" CD...Just remember that the SQ on the CD is much better, but for a YT video, this is quite good:

 

"Who is Steph Johnson?" in HD - YouTube (

)

 

She also has some of her previous releases on iTunes at:

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mysterious-feminine/id354936882

 

 

Hope you enjoy and am looking forward to many more amazing recommendations from you guys!

[gdlen]

'She' by Harry Connick Junior........

Amazing stereo seperating and soundstage

Great resolution

Best Piano tones I've heard to date.

You owe it to yourself to check it out!

 

Hi, thanks for the suggestion, insanely punchy track,very nicely EQ'd, this album has "whisper your name" as well, might have to buy this tomorrow

[gdlen]

I use an iTunes download of Carly Jepson's "Call me, maybe". If that sounds good on a system, then it can play ANYTHING.

 

Ironically that album has better vocal EQing than some other mainstream pop music, and it does sound fairly good on my system

[Musicophile]

...Yeah, leave it to the noob to bring this thread back from the dead. Sorry guys, but there are A LOT of amazing suggestions in this thread that I love, and of course, I have to add some of my favorites.

 

 

So you are the one reviving all the Zombie threads. Have you voted on the >45 polls as well? ;-)

 

Joke apart, welcome to CA; and same here, I discovered many great albums on this thread. Actually, since I created it, my favorites have not surprisingly evolved, so maybe I should repost on my own thread at some point.

[bbfoto]

So you are the one reviving all the Zombie threads. Have you voted on the >45 polls as well? ;-)

 

Oh snap! I'm gonna search for all of those Poll threads as soon as I finish this reply!!!

 

Joke apart, welcome to CA; and same here, I discovered many great albums on this thread. Actually, since I created it, my favorites have not surprisingly evolved, so maybe I should repost on my own thread at some point.

 

Seriously, thanks for the warm welcome...much appreciated. And thanks again for starting this thread!

 

Also check out: Oi Va Voi - Laughter Through Tears

http://sdrv.ms/ZGr979

[MrAcoustat]

Here are my choices for percussions.

 

[Milan]

I still think that the Sound Liaison recordings are the best to be had at the moment.

I have all the downloads from this little label and just a couple of days ago bought the latest, the

''After Silence'' by master trumpet player Andre Heuvelman.

It a stunningly beautiful album. These musicians dares to play with a deeply felt emotion.

 

The download has that typical Sound Liaison sound, deep black background and a vivid representation of the instruments,lush sounding room sound but without going over the top, as I find some audiophile recordings tend to do.

 

The label are giving away free tracks at the moment of this album and the now well known and often bespoken ''Thousand Shades of Blue'' from Carmen Gomes.

 

Highly recommended.

This is the link for the free tracks:

FREE TRACKS

 

[PopPop]

What an astonishing variety of responses.

 

My favorites for both content and SQ are as follows

 

Handel Opera Seria: Sandrine Paiu

2L The Nordic Sound

Cantate Domino

Sound Track to American Splendor

Dick Hyman, From The Age of Swing

Diana Krall, Glad Rag Doll

Mozart Violin Concerti, Marianne Thorsen (Nordic Sound)

Handel Mozart Concerti, Rachel Podger.

[Milan]

excellent choices. Cantate Domino which recording is that?

[Boris75]

excellent choices. Cantate Domino which recording is that?

 

There are many versions. My favourite ones are the Proprius SACD and the FIM K2HD CD:

[Musicophile]

There are many versions. My favourite ones are the Proprius SACD and the FIM K2HD CD:

 

Out of interest, does anybody know if the HDTracks version is a SACD rip?

 

CANTATE DOMINO | HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads

[accwai]

There are many versions. My favourite ones are the Proprius SACD and the FIM K2HD CD:

 

It is available as UltraHD as well, which is FIM's newer mastering method:

 

 

By the way, you wrote this a while back:

 

Perhaps my favourite test CD is Master of Chinese Percussion K2HD. It is also very nice musically speaking.

 

Have been keeping an eye out for it since then. Came across an K2HD UDC (Ultimate Disc) copy in a somewhat out of the way plaza in town last weekend. The certificate says C1: 1.0, C2: 0 and CU: 0. Playing on my CD transport with clear top, I can see it's dead center without any eccentric wobble. As a result, the transport's read head is absolutely still. Wow... And it sounds great too, of course

[Jawaburger]

I love this album. I believe it is very well recorded and I do use it as a reference disc. I use the CD or a rip of it as I have not seen a high res download of it anywhere.

[Kelly]

Edit: well, I just reread the question of the original post and realized it was mostly a sound quality question. In that case I would just concur with the Mapleshade or Wildechild recommendations

 

Wow what a great thread! To me this is like asking "What absolutely must sound good?" For me the answer is:

 

Artist, Album, Track

 

Jane Monheit, Come Dream with Me, Waters of March Edit: sound quality only so-so, performance is amazing

 

Jacky Terrasson, Smile, Mo Better Blues

Jazz at the Pawnshop, Jazz at the Pawnshop, High Life

Los Lobos, Kiko, Kiko and the Lavender Moon

Paul Simon, Graceland, just pick any song

Hilary Hahn, Plays Bach Partitias for Solo Violin, BWV 1004: Ciaconna

Dusty Springfield, Dusty in Memphis, Son of a Preacher

Sade, Best of, Smooth Operator

 

I suppose there is a heavy emphasis on female vocals. I guess that is the most important thing to me overall. That and the sound of a piano...

[MrAcoustat]

Well if for you it's the sound of a piano, may i suggest these two.

 

[accwai]

Well if for you it's the sound of a piano, may i suggest these two.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]11017[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]11018[/ATTACH]

 

Hmm... Where are you getting these things? They are Chinese copies of TBM right? Is the one on the right the same as this:

 

 

If so, the piano sound on the track Misty at the end is indeed awesome. But given the scarcity of this CD, I'm now mostly playing a recent UltraHD copy from FIM:

 

 

The track list is not exactly the same as the old disc but close enough.