Music for testing Audio Equipment

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Try this for a drum test track (24bit 96KHz) - best I've come across "#8 Drumkit Quartet No. 54" Not so much a fan of the rest of the album though.

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Notes on the above track by Glenn Kotche\Yuka Honda\Sō Percussion: excellent soundstage, realistic imaging, big impacts on tom toms, nice decay on cymbals, especially small bell like ones.

 

The Bad Plus, These Are The Vistas, track #3 Smells Like Teen Spirit well recorded piano, upright bass and drums. Nice decay on cymbals then holographic double bass comes in at 10 secs!

 

Jim Brock, Tropic Affair (Reference Recordings) track #8 O Vazio Very deep bass, excellent imaging, micro details such as water slopping inside its container. Speaker tweeter test at 2:20 - drum roll should appear above and between speakers as each drum in the kit is traversed. This

is from his DVD different, but nice too!

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I like the track on youtube - bit tricky to find though! Juan del Encina BNL 112848 (track 1 Pues que ya nunca) is listed on Amazon or MusicMe (download for €13.99)

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Just dragged out Joe Jacksons "Body and Soul", I forgot what dynamic range this album has

 

According to some reviews the CD remaster is poor and the original A&M CDA-65000 is the one to get.

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Thanks to oso I bought Cassandra Wilson's New Moon Daughter. I particularly like "Harvest Moon" and "32-20"

for the well recorded vocals which sound "in the room", and the 3D sound stage guitar and percussion.

 

More of the same can be found on Jack Johnson's first album "Brushfire Fairytales" with contributions from Ben Harper. Check

. JJ's catalog is full of high SQ albums.

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There are more good suggestions on this previous CA thread including more Sound Liaison recommendations (Paul Berner Band - Road To Memphis, Carmen Gomes Inc - Torn, Andre Heuvelman - After Silence).

 

For something completely different Naxatras on Bandcamp (I skipped the first track, Greek stoner rock with well recorded drums, bit like pre Meddle Pink Floyd).

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Chris C says he loves this album Fink Meets The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. I haven't bought it yet, but found Hard Believer double CD to be a bargain. The main album is good, but the bonus CD has just 4 tracks played acoustically live - superb, hard to believe you're not listening to high res

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3 hours ago, christian u said:

On ‎11‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 10:53 AM, blue2 said:

The Bad Plus, These Are The Vistas, track #3 Smells Like Teen Spirit well recorded piano, upright bass and drums. Nice decay on cymbals then holographic double bass comes in at 10 secs!

 

The youtube track has an extreme amount of compression, is that less on the CD or download that you have?

youtube Bad Plus

Did you listen to the album on Qobuz via the link I provided? I don't think that sounds extremely compressed. I have a CD rip and it sounds excellent to me.

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20 hours ago, PAP said:

Excellent live recording with to my ears very little or no compression.

Posting images seems to slow the forum page down a lot, although it's nice to see.

 

Is this the correct Youtube link Dvořák: Symphony No.9 in E minor - Ozawa / Wiener Philharmoniker (43:50)?   Spoiler alert (UK)!!! Hovis advert theme at 13:00

 

Amazon has Wiener Philharmoniker Seiji Ozawa Dvorak Symphony No. 9 From The New World - 14 available for $1.97 + shipping! Unfortunately the shipping and tax for me is £13!!

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For info The Bad Plus - It's Hard is available on Qobuz in 24/96KHz but RBCD is cheaper on Amazon marketplace. Qobuz seem to have increased their prices

All 53 mins of their "Made Possible" album is on YouTube.

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Yeah they do! I checked some of the tracks I have in Audacity and there are quite a few which seem recorded into the limits rather than compressed as christian suggested - disappointing but they still seem good, nothing like loudness war pop stuff.

BTW the HD Tracks link doesn't work for me  

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2 hours ago, PAP said:

''Recorded into the limits'' is that by using a limiter?

Seems the engineer wasn't looking at the levels on the left channel in the last 2-3 mins of the track. No idea how they recorded it - Real World Studios, England recorded and mixed by by Tchad Blake 2002, according to the sleeve notes. A Steinway suffered for its art, apparently

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More excellent suggestions, thanks!

Carmen Gomes Sings The Blues is selling now for 20-30% off depending on resolution.

Dead Can Dance - Anastasis on Qobuz at  at RBCD £7.99 or £11.99 24 bit 44KHz

 

Any thoughts on these - the samples sound interesting?

1. Spiritchaser (Remastered) £60 on SACD or £9.59 on Qobuz
2. Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun (Remastered) RBCD £9.59 on Qobuz

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, PAP said:

So the Dead can Dance album is only available in 44khz, is that the original recording quality? not that I mind.

Very good question! I'm no expert but according to this article all their albums recorded in the 80's were converted from tape to RBCD and the SACD's were resampled from this!

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10 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Didn't find the article, what page of HFN is that.? As for DCD 80's albums I've got SACDs. Do you think MoFi would do something like that.?

Anastasis was issued 24-44. DR isn't great but nonetheless it sounds very good.

Did you follow the link? It's not HFN it's from Hi-Fi World - December 2010 issue. If they've got it wrong don't blame me! I just Googled for DCD background info. I'd be interested to read anything you can point to au contraire if you can find it?

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Here are 2 more recommendations from me:

Blues Company - "Ain't Nothing But ..." Amazon.com as import or Amazon.UK CD+DVD

Another special/spacial recording in front of a live audience interspersed with the band, listening to the live mix on bean bags through headphones!

Dawn Langstroth - "Highwire" (some tracks e.g. Highwire Heart on youtube)

24 bit 96KHz download from Linn Records, sadly no longer available but CD may be available second hand.

Superb recording of this Canadian singer's only album, seems to have switched to painting. There also a couple of EP's if you can't get the CD.

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I've come across "Walking on the Moon" from CD "Star Tracks" by the Yuri Honing Trio on Challenge Records JIM 75043. It's rarely available in the second hand market but is now on iTunes, hopefully in loss less format - maybe someone with ITunes could check? It gets a mention in several equipment reviews and the clips sound excellent.

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12 hours ago, oso said:

you can buy the cd here:

http://www.challengerecords.com/products/119626556424

Yeah I found that too but it says "Product is no longer available". I contacted the label (details on the url you provided) and they said they'd omitted to distribute it digitally so have now put it on iTunes, however I think that means their lossy format. Also unfortunately they have no plans to provide a high res file from the master.

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19 hours ago, PAP said:

there is a used CD on amazon.de for €50 https://www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B000024PVI/ref=tmm_acd_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

 

Thanks for the tip but €50 is too rich for me Maybe Challenge Records will come to their senses and make it available for download.

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Which recording are you referring to? There seem to be 3 possibilities:

Stockfisch Records

CD - Sara K. & Chris Jones "Nautilustour 2002"
DVD - Sara K. & Chris Jones - in concert

Or this CD available on Amazon and elsewhere

Sara K The Chesky Collection

 

Anyone heard these with a recommendation?

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20 hours ago, Priaptor said:

It looks like they but one available for download in a "test phase".  I'm hoping their catalogue becomes available.  Love their artists and their recordings.  

Irish folk band Ranagri "Fort Of The Hare" €19.50 88/24 flac - Stockfisch shop

Allmusic samples

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Here are another two suggestions for good bass and drums in a jazz recording: Charlie Hunter Trio - Let the Bells Ring On or the just released album Charlie Hunter - Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth Audio CD also in PCM 96/24 at HDtracks or Qobuz

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20 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

hook him up with a standout NoLa funk/techno drummer, and....

 

http://www.garageatrois.net/

 

 

This is also off topic but check Charlie Hunter's playing on this "If a 6 Was a 9" The frets go from +30 degrees to -45 degrees across the neck!!!

Any particular album or track you recommend for testing hifi as per the topic?

 

 

48 minutes ago, biosailor said:

 

I'd like to propose another record: Herbie Hancock's 'River: the Joni Letters'...

 

+1 also "River"

 

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Nice one! The Peacocks is from an album by Cava Menzies and Nick Phillips "Moment to Moment" and is available on CD and also from Blue Coast, DSD is $40 :p

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This is only RB CD but well recorded. Look out for the big drums. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark