# Best sounding recordings??



## wgmontgomery

I noticed that Pink Floyd's DSOTM 30th anniversary SACD was the #1 selling SACD (last year?). :unbelievable: I know that this question has been posed many times, but seeing DSOTM still selling as it does made me wonder, "what is everyone listening to today?" I love DSOTM and own several versions of it, but it's 30 years old! It's hard to believe that sq hasn't advanced to the point that it is no longer a "reference" recording.

By far, _Amused to Death_ is one of the best sounding recordings I've ever heard. Most people think that it's in surround and don't believe me when I show them that it's in stereo. I owned the SBM version, but now I just have the Japanese import. I also wonder if there's a big difference in sq between the two.


I'd love to hear some "new" music; I'm not stuck in the 60s, 70s, etc. lddude: I must confess, however, that I do not own much music from ~2005 and older. Any suggestions? Not just for sq, but _good_ music. FWIW-I like everything from AC DC to Zappa. Pink Floyd and The Beatles are probably my favs if I had to pick 1 or 2 bands, but I listen to Sheryl Crow, Ozzy's first two solo albums, Goo Goo Dolls, Dire Straits, Sting, Billy Joel...just to name a few.

There are CDs that I play while cleaning the house (Thriller, Old Ozzy w/ RR, etc) and discs that I listen to for "critical" listening [DSOTM, Amused to Death(Japan), Pros and Cons...(import)]

So...what do you listen to most? :huh:


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## tonyvdb

If you like Jazz with lots of dynamics Lee Ritenour "Six String Theory" is an awesome recording


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## wgmontgomery

Thanks; that would be a good one to check out since I play guitar. I'd like to get into classical more; I listen to Segovia, but I don't have (non rock) any operas or full orchestra. I have some Telarc "big band" that I enjoy.


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## tonyvdb

Some other great groups are Fourplay, I also like Dave Grusin and some of Joe Satrini.
You also might like Phil Keaggy and Kerry Livgren if you like guitar.
I agree, Telarc has always done very good recordings as well.


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## wgmontgomery

I've listened to Satch since "Surfing with the Alien;" it was my favorite car CD for a while. I saw a video of him playing (in Japan??) songs from the album before it was released, and it blew my mind. I'm usually not big into that kind of guitar playing (Van Halen-ish), but Satch (and Via) are something else.

Is Phil Keaggy the man whom Jimi H referred to as "the greatest guitarist in the world" years ago? I _think_ that I've heard a few cuts of his; I should buy a few of his albums. The other two I'll check-out, so many thanks.

I was thinking about this thread today at work, and I wondered what discs I'd most like to have that are not available. I-for one-would shell out the big bucks for a Mofi/Japanese *SACD* :daydream: box set (yes, you are reading that correctly-BOX SET :rofl: ) of the complete works by Pink Floyd and The Beatles. :spend: 

Maybe a "wish list" would also be appropriate here; that's assuming there isn't already a thread for it.

Thanks again!!


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## tonyvdb

wgmontgomery said:


> Is Phil Keaggy the man whom Jimi H referred to as "the greatest guitarist in the world" years ago? I _think_ that I've heard a few cuts of his; I should buy a few of his albums.


Yes, Thats the same Phil Keaggy. He is very talented.


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## wgmontgomery

Does he mainly play acoustic guitar? For some reason I seem to remember him as playing acoustic (a' la Michael Hedges) music that's spiritual in nature. I may be confusing him with someone else.


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## tonyvdb

He plays every type but yes he does like acoustic. he is a Christian so he does focus on that but 90% of his music is without vocals.


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## wgmontgomery

If I were to get *one* Keaggy CD (SACD) today, which recording would you suggest I buy? Thanks again; a new band/musician that someone introduces you to is, IMO, a gift that gives and gives and gives...


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## tonyvdb

I like Phil's CD "220" But as I said in my first post The Lee Ritenour CD "Six string theory" is my favorite right now no collection is complete without that recording


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## wgmontgomery

I'll get both; thanks!!


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## RTS100x5

wgmontgomery said:


> Thanks; that would be a good one to check out since I play guitar. I'd like to get into classical more; I listen to Segovia, but I don't have (non rock) any operas or full orchestra. I have some Telarc "big band" that I enjoy.


So here is some Classical and Rock from my collection , all SACD or DVD-A so I hope you have a compatible player.... any bluray should do enjoy :T


http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Sa%C3%ABns-Symphony-Poulenc-Concerto-Toccata/dp/B000LP4OII/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1329660201&sr=8-10

http://www.amazon.com/Pomp-Pipes-Dallas-Wind-Symphony/dp/B00000159M/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1329660279&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Emerson-Lake-Palmer-Brain-Surgery/dp/B0000507R0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1329660452&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Colour...3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1329660521&sr=1-3-catcorr


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## OZZIERP

Dire Straits -Brothers In Arms- DVD-A

Donald Fagen- Morph The Cat - DVD-A


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## wgmontgomery

RTS100x5 said:


> So here is some Classical and Rock from my collection , all SACD or DVD-A so I hope you have a compatible player.... any bluray should do enjoy :T
> 
> I've got an old PS3 on the way that I bought to no small extent to have a SACD player. Thanks again!
> 
> Also, I've seen several Dire Straits on SACD and HDCD. I've got the SBM of Brothers in Arms, but I need to "upgrade" it to a better format for the house. The SBM reissue could become a car CD.
> 
> I noticed that Blu Ray and DVD-A have been mentioned; just for kicks, does anybody have any observations on the sq of various other formats (SACD, DVD-A, etc.) versus Red Book CD?


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## tonyvdb

I personally have not heard a SACD but DVDA and Bluray audio I have. I think if the CD has been mastered really well it can sound amazing on a good system. That said the difference in quality of a CD is the same as listening to the DVD of a movie and then comparing it to the same on BluRay. If your speakers and amp are up the the task it can be a big improvement. Plus you get multi channel recordings as well and you feel much more enveloped in the sound.


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## wgmontgomery

So, if I'm reading what you stated correctly, CD vs. DVD-A/Blu Ray Audio is like DVD vs Blu Ray?? That's a BIG difference; the lossless audio on Blu Ray is incredible...not to mention the picture quality.


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## tonyvdb

Yes, but again some masters just dont really take advantage of the full potential of the media so it can be a bit hit and miss I would think.


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## wgmontgomery

As the saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." So, in short, I agree.

I'm sure that's true of all media formats; I'll bet the premium people are willing to pay for MoFi Red Book CDs (or Japanese imports) isn't for the gold disk. Using the original masters and making sure the transfer is as good as possible is 99% of the reason that they sound better IMHO. The new SACD of Pink Floyd's WYWH is simply amazing, and I've only heard the Red Book layer. My SACD player is coming, so I'll compare the two when it arrives.


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## patchesj

20th anniversary Brothers in Arms SACD - Dire Straits. By far one of the cleanest recordings I've ever heard.


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## OZZIERP

The Beatles Love DVD-A is very impressive considering what equipment they had then.


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## wgmontgomery

Both of those are on my list. I plan on ordering the the upcoming Billy Joel SACDs, too.

I agree that it's amazing that _a lot _of the older recordings (Beatles, Floyd) still sound *so* good. I think a lot of it has to do with the recording engineers (and maybe tube/analog equipment??). I remember when I first started studio work (I will not use any names) the guy who taught me thought nothing of "EQ-ing" everything to death. It was standard procedure to add a ~6 db bump at around 8 kHz "because it's pleasing to the ear." It didn't matter if the recording needed EQ; it was added anyway.

Still, a modern well recorded disc can sound truly incredible.


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## tesseract

Anything from Nine Inch Nails, SACD or DVD-A.

Steely Dan "Gaucho" on DVD-A.

All the Alan Parsons Group albums that made DVD-A.

Metallica "Black Album" on DVD-A sounds amazing.


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## wgmontgomery

I heard Steely Dan's "Gaucho" on (I believe) a DTS CD. Not the same I know, but I thought that the use of use of surrounds was a bit over aggressive. Is the DVD-A better 5.1/stereo?


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## tesseract

Couldn't tell you about the surround mixes, sorry. I am strictly 2 channel here.


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## wgmontgomery

That's actually a good thing; if it's a 2 channel mix I'd be much more apt to buy it. I guess that I need to go to Elusive Disc and load-up my cart! Thanks!!


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## jtgray10

I've been focusing on digital files lately (HDTracks etc.), some recent recordings that I have found include Mark Knopfler's "Shangri-La", Paul Simon's "So Beautiful So What" and The Bill Evans Trio "Waltz For Debby" all in FLAC HD format. All sound very good on my 2 ch. system. Other than those already mentioned (DSoTM, Brother's in Arms etc.), for more recent music I think Steve Lillywhite is a reliable producer of high quality recordings. One interesting thing about really good recordings is that some of them may not sound so "good" on a system that is transparent; it is like using a microscope when you are accustom to using a magnifying glass. Things that looked smooth and perfect before now show up with some rough edges. For me this is part of the fun, especially for live recordings, but others have heard stuff on my system and were not happy with the sounds coming from their HD material.


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## OZZIERP

You could also depending on your musical taste give AIX Records a look.


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## wgmontgomery

"some of them may not sound so 'good' on a system that is transparent."

I have to agree with this; I have a friend who thinks he's an audiophile, but he's actually clueless. If you saw his speaker location (I will NOT discuss his equipment) you'd agree. He bought a high quality receiver/CD player but returned them for garbage (with lots and lots of cool lights and "features") because his recording no longer sounded "Natural." The equipment that he returned is known for its natural sound. When I bought my latest speakers (Dynaudio) I found that good sounding recordings sounded great while poorly engineered recordings sounded shrill.


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## wgmontgomery

"give AIX Records a look." 

I'll have to do that; thanks! As I stated earlier, the gift of music (especially a new group/performer) is one that gives for years to come. Even though my friend mentioned earlier is clueless when it comes to equipment, he has a great depth of musical knowledge and has turned me on to several new groups. I will forever be grateful to him for that and-_dare I think_-the music is more important than the equipment!


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## astrallite

Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. I would say generally anything from the 70s or even up to the 80s are pretty good since they have less dynamic compression than today's modern pop music made to sound as loud as possible on the radio.


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## Big Dave

NIN - One of my favorite bands and it looks like I have very similar taste to you. All recordings are top notch

Yello - Always have wonderful mixes

Black Label Society - Order of the Black , Good modern metal recording


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## OZZIERP

Little feat - Waiting For Columbus is a neat one for vocal variety as well as the dynamics not to mention all the musical instruments and Fat Man In The Bathtub is one of my speaker demo songs.


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## koyaan

Odd combination, but my favorite 2-channel recordings, both SACDs are sony's Bruno Walter version of Beethoven's 6th and , also Sony, Willie Nelson's Stardust. I think they are both beautifully recorded.


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## OZZIERP

koyaan said:


> Odd combination, but my favorite 2-channel recordings, both SACDs are sony's Bruno Walter version of Beethoven's 6th and , also Sony, Willie Nelson's Stardust. I think they are both beautifully recorded.


I have both of those and I agree.


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## JoeESP9

Tim Weisberg, Undercover --- Great well recorded sound.
Jacintha, Here's To Ben --- Recorded live to a two track master. Sorta like direct to disc but for CD.
Holly Cole, Don't Smoke In Bed --- Great well recorded sound

Three of the best sounding recordings I own. The soundstage on the Jacintha is to die for.


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## wgmontgomery

I noticed that the dynamics on my SACD copy of DSOTM seem really compressed/harsh. It doesn't happen on WYWH, so I wonder if it's the pressing. I have the regular US version of DSOTM, but the WYWH is an "audiophile" pressing.

I HAVE to get more SACDs, but I can not find them anywhere except on-line. Brothers in Arms will probably be my next purchase.


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## Phillips

Hi

I have Roxy Music Avalon SACD which has a good recording, bass very warm.


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## wgmontgomery

I just got the 3 "new" Billy Joel MFSL SA-CDs. I've only listened to _Glass Houses _once, but _52 St_. and _The Stranger_ are very impressive.


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## rongon

How much do you like acoustic jazz? I ask because that's what I know about. 

You can get just about all the SACDs in print from Music Direct (I'm not allowed to post links yet, so you'll have to Google them.) 

I listen to CD and SACD here (and LP too). I never went for DVD-A. The new Bluray music discs look very interesting. I've only seen a few Japanese imports, though. 

Check out Analogue Productions and Mobile Fidelity SACDs. 

Here are some of the better sounding jazz SACDs that I know of: 

Bill Evans Trio "Waltz For Debby" (Analogue Productions) 
Bill Evans "Interplay" (Analogue Productions) 
Cannonball Adderley "Somethin' Else" (Analogue Productions)
Kenny Burrell "Midnight Blue" (Analogue Productions)
Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" (Analogue Productions) <-- Amazing sound!! 

Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" (will be coming out in a limited edition Mobile Fidelity SACD for $30)
John Coltrane "A Love Supreme" (will be coming out on Analogue Productions soon)

I have an out of print Mobile Fidelity SACD of Duke Ellington "Blues In Orbit" that sounds tremendous. 
Also, I have an out of print Universal Records SACD of Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" that sounds great. 

On the classical/orchestral side, I've been enjoying the RCA Living Stereo SACDs. They are old recordings, but really do sound great. My favorites: 

Bartok "Concerto For Orchestra" Chicago Sym Orch, Fritz Reiner
Mahler "Das Lied Von Der Erde" Chicago Sym Orch, Fritz Reiner
Julian Bream "Popular Classics For Spanish Guitar" (Julian Bream, guitar)

I hope that's helpful. 

--


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## wgmontgomery

I've been impressed by MFSL for years; their SA-CDs are _spectacular_! As for Analogue Productions , I only have one of their discs; it is, however, excellent! :hail:


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## pharoah

i have a godsmack concert on dvd that has great sound.


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## Dub King

"The Dream" by The Orb has a sound so deep and thick and rich, it is what I aspire to as a producer. it also happens to be an immensely satisfying album, with a positive message and positive energy. 
"Answers come in Dreams" by Meat Beat Manifesto is full of some of the deepest, most interesting bass sounds - few albums will test every aspect of a subwoofer as thoroughly. A bit dubstep-oriented but not as aggressive.


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## Saddle

Live at Luther College: Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds is a nice acoustic guitar set. It is live, but the sound is quite good. On a big open system cranked a bit, you almost sense being there. Not an audiophile recording, but really fun to listen to...


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## MrAcoustat

*You can try these if you wish, hope your speakers can take it.*








( Japan )








( Japan )








( Japan )








( Japan )


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## Jacobeen

For the Multi-Channel interested, I really enjoy TACET recordings. They've initiated a novel recording process and use tube technology microphones . SACD, DVD-A and CD. From the Beethoven symphonies to quartets and vocal ensembles - hugely engaging. I'm hanging out for Beethoven's ninth.

J


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## OZZIERP

I wish the Robin Trower Bridge of Sighs was on SACD.


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## orion

I have a Dave Mathews acoustical set DVD that has fantastic sound and also The Eagles DVD I forget the name but they are having a reunion of sorts and the sound is very good


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## hifitim

Jeffrey Foucaults "ghost repeater album" is worth checking out,great recording imo.
Also the Rodrigo y Gabriela live in Japan cd is one of my favs 

cheers
Tim


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## AudiocRaver

Just plain stereo party rock from the 80s and 90s, but I love the clean, straightforward, balanced recording style of the B-52's records. Very open, uncompressed - you actually have to turn up the volume knob a couple of notches.. My favorites: Bouncing Off The Satellites, Cosmic Thing, Good Stuff. They contain some of my most trusted test/reference tracks.

An enigma: Radiohead. Their recordings are super-compressed (around 8 dB dynamic range or less) but don't sound like it. Not sure quite how they accomplish it.


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