Hay guy's, now I've had my amp, cd player and speakers for a few months and have gradually sorted out my room/speaker position, proper rack etc, (having to trick the wife into thinking it was her idea) and now have about as good a listening position I'm going to achieve, I'm now bearing the fruits of my labour and enjoying music as best as I ever have in the last 23 years of buying decent hi-fi kit.The sound stage is fantastic, wide with depth and I love the way instruments and voices are placed within it, which brings me to the question of how good can it actually get. At the end of the day the artist and mastering team all have complete control over this part of the recording process and would like to find out with input from you guy's some of the best sonically engineered albums, for two channel listening mind, no sacd or suedo surround sound cheating . I'm guessing prog rock bands, Jean michelle Jarre, vangelis might be in there, but open to all types of music. Cheers.
 

davedotco

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Some years ago, the finest system I have ever heard was demonstrated to me using an early stereo release of Dave Brubecks Time out, quite possibly the 45rpm Classic release.

On Take 5 it was possible to move around the room and 'walk into' the soundstage, the positions of the musicians and their instruments barely changing. As someone used to being on stage with a live band (miking up and mixing monitors) this was pretty astonishing,

For what it is worth, I do not bother about such things these days, for me it is all about presence and generating that 'live' feel, a world away from what most hi-fi is good at.
 

lindsayt

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Imaging and sound staging is one aspect of hi-fi reproduction. There are other important aspects that add up to how realistic a hi-fi system sounds. Such as:

Dynamics

Lack of gross frequency aberations - that filter out or filter in certain instruments

Low level detail

Focus and clarity

And with certain live recordings, eg 2 men with their guitars, it's possible for a good hi-fi system to sound as close to live as makes no difference.
 
Understood about the live feel thing, but that's why I keep the two entities of hi-fi and live music separate issues, you can't recreate a live feel in a living room with some fancy electronics and anybody who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves into spending a s£#t load of money. Hi-fi is what it is and going to a gig is something else entirely . But this is moving away from the original topic of depth, width and an enveloping soundstage within a piece of music. Oh and I've got the Brubeck album, so I'll need to give that a try.
 
That's why I labelled it a question of sonics. To encompass all of these abilities within a recording. Sound stage, width and depth, placement of instruments and vocals, dynamic range, detail and s/q in general. I'm not after a debate, just wanted some fine sounding albums. With the criteria mentioned.
 

Thompsonuxb

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D'Angelo - Brown Sugar.

I always recommend this CD to anyone willing to listen.

Its an R&B/jazz aka neo soul album of lurve songs and tales of what ever..... With no rapping.

Real instruments superbly produced and deserved more 'play' than it got.

Check it out on You tube or other free sites first - but the CD is of a superb quality.

Also

Zara McFarlane's If you knew her - Jazz.
 

Native_bon

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Thompsonuxb said:
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar.

I always recommend this CD to anyone willing to listen.

Its an R&B/jazz aka neo soul album of lurve songs and tales of what ever..... With no rapping.

Real instruments superbly produced and deserved more 'play' than it got.

Check it out on You tube or other free sites first - but the CD is of a superb quality.

Also

Zara McFarlane's If you knew her - Jazz.
Yes I agree with you here. Very nicely produced. I would go as far as saying this Album is as good as any marvin gaye's album if not better. Also another good produced album, Jason Rebello: Make it real.
 

ChrisIRL

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Alice in Chains MTV unplugged is very well recorded. It's more mellow than their usual style and well worth a listen even if you're not usually into them. Available on Spotify.
 

Covenanter

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Allegri Miserere - Tallis Scholars on Gimell. This is a severe test for any hifi. Recorded in Merton College, Oxford the Soloists and the Choir are physically separated in the resonant acoustic and this gives, or should give, a tremendous three-dimensional effect. You should be able to identify where each separate voice is standing. The music is very beautiful too!

Chris
 

matthewpiano

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Two recent recordings with particularly outstanding sound:

David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock. Stylistically varied new album with some typically great guitar playing, and also some fine keyboard work by Phil Manzanera. The production by Gilmour and Manzanera is superb, and Gilmour co-engineered the album too. Played it this afternoon again and was totally immersed in the music.

Brahms Piano Concertos 1 & 2 - Daniel Barenboim on DG. Wonderful live recordings of some truly beautiful playing by both Barenboim and the orchestra.
 

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