AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS (CD/SACD) Recommendations Please....

admin_exported

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It would be great if I can get some recommendations regarding CDs and SACDs that are known for having unique sound quality. What I am looking for is not decent or very good recordings, EXCEPTIONAL Recording QUALITY is what I am after, currently in my collection my reference CD is Chesky’s

World’s Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings” and would like to acquire similar recordings.

any suggestions?
 

matthewpiano

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Personally I would say most of the Chandos and LSO Live catalogues. Both labels consistently perform at the very peak of the recording art IMO.

For a specific recommendation Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble released a CD a few years back called 'Officium'. It is on the ECM label and the recording is wonderful.
 

chebby

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I suppose asking what music you enjoy wouldn't be silly would it?

Or is it a case of.. "I don't care about the music so long as it says Audiophile on the label" ?

How about downloading 24 bit 96 khz studio master quality files from B&W or Naim or Linn Records? (Naim and Linn sell CDs and Linn sell Vinyl too.)
 
A

Anonymous

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at this stage I'd rather have specific recommendations : I have many LSO recordings , and No it's not the Audiophile Lable what I am looking for I want to know which recordings have touched my fellow Audiophiles, once I have an extensive list I can listen to the music and see whether I like it or not, but to answer your question (JAZZ is my favorite Genre)
 
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Anonymous

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If Jazz is your thing you won't go far wrong with almost anything on the ECM label: Manu Katche, Jan Garbarek, Anouar Brahem to name a few.
 
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the record spot

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Japanese first edition of the first Weather Report album - 35DP-29 being the catalogue number. I'm not a huge WR fan, but my jaw nearly bounced off the floor and back up again when I heard this particular CD. Utterly astonishing, and pardon the hyperbole.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks man, this exactly what I am looking for, something that will make anyone's jaw "bounce off the floor and back up again :)"
 
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the record spot

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Le Robert:Thanks man, this exactly what I am looking for, something that will make anyone's jaw "bounce off the floor and back up again :)"

No worries mate, add to that the Japanese "blackface" (i.e. black faced label) on EMI for Meddle. Another one that's on a similar scale IMO.
 
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Anonymous

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No worries mate, add to that the Japanese "blackface" (i.e. black faced label) on EMI for Meddle. Another one that's on a similar scale IMO.

excuse my ignorance , but is it a pure coincidence, or is it always the case with Japanese editions. both cds you mentioned are Japanese edition for very famous albums
 
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the record spot

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Nope, not always, sometimes they use the same mastering and just issue a higher quality sleeve for mini vinyls, etc. Plenty of others out there, it's just that those two sprang to mind as being especially good.
 

drummerman

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I have some BBC Jazz Award CD's which sound a bit special compared to some of the others. Also, the Naim label generally produces well recorded stuff. I haven't got them to hand as I type but Antonio Forcione is one of their main performers which I quite like. Somewhere I have an Opus demo disc which has high quality recordings. I look it up when I get back.
 

chebby

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Mike_Schmidt:Chebby if you download those 24 bit how do you get them to CD from a Mac? I thought it wasn't possible

Why would you want to copy them to CD? All CDs are 16 bit regardless of whether created on a Mac or not. The OP wanted the highest quality so playing the original 24 bit file would give the best quality rather than 'boiling' that down to 16 bits for the sake of putting it on a disc.

But anyway - assuming you needed a lower bitrate CD copy - import a 24 bit file into iTunes and it will convert it to 16 bit Apple lossless or AIFF (or whatever import setting you choose in preferences) then you can burn a CD from iTunes.

This is true on iTunes on a Mac or a PC. (It is iTunes that does not play 24 bit files, not the Macs.)
 
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Anonymous

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The main topic here is to name existing Hi fidelity recordings on CD or SACD that exhibit Excellent sound quality
 
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Anonymous

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Yes, LSO SACDs are very good, apart from lots of grunting from Sir Colin Davis.
 

christian u

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:) I definately recommend the Sound Liaison recordings:http://www.soundliaison.com/

here is Rad Bennett's review in SoundStage:

http://www.soundliaison.com/
I've been among the prophets saying that high-resolution downloads are the future of audiophile music sales. Surely it will benefit the majors to make high-quality downloads a first choice rather than an MP3 extra, but I believe that individual artists can benefit as well. Most new-to-the-scene performers have little money for middlemen and disc manufacture, yet can get things together for the Internet.

Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild have taken this approach with Sound Liaison, producing recordings available only in 24-bit/96kHz downloads that mirror the master recording. And man, are they ever sweet. I've seldom heard recordings that were so successful in both performance and sound aspects.

De Rond hails from the Netherlands, where he studied double bass at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague while concurrently studying recording techniques. Bjørnild also studied double bass, moving to the Netherlands to continue studies at The Hague. Since graduating, he has played almost every type of music, from classical to jazz. Together de Rond and Bjørnild bring two pairs of golden ears to their label. Bjørnild claims that, "a recording should be as realistic and beautiful sounding as possible. As if, when closing your eyes, you find yourself in the best seat in the hall."

The partners discovered a fine recording hall (Studio-Eleven, Hilversum) and set out to record amazing musicians in this great acoustic place in front of live audiences. It's a daring feat; one take and no place to hide, but the abilities of the musicians involved make it seem easy. I chose to talk about the first album by Carmen Gomes Inc. It was a tough choice because all of the three current albums were worthy of review.

Carmen Gomes has won many awards in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like so many new European singers, she sings in English -- excellent English, I might add. She's formed a group called Carmen Gomes Inc., with Folker Tettero on guitar, Peter Bjørnild on double bass, and Marcel van Engelen on drums. Her style is bluesy and intimate with a sexy voice that's sweet as dark tupelo honey, and her interpretations are unerring. The musicians play to her and to each other, and the ensemble is so tight that the four musicians breathe and move as one.

There are some standards on the set that knocked me over with their fresh approach. Any singer can misplace a few accents and rhythms and come up with something that's original, but perhaps also uneasy and a little strange. Not Gomes, who has taken the songs to their bones and then restructured them to suit her style. Thus "Fever" doesn't sound like a cover of Peggy Lee; it sounds like a brand new take on a familiar song. You emerge from hearing it not thinking it's better or lesser than Lee's version, but that it's a valid new interpretation that could have come first.

The same approach works on "Angel Eyes," "You Don't Know What Love Is," and "I'm on Fire." Most of the rest, including the title song, "Oblivion," "Time Will Tell," "Gasoa Blue," and "The Sea," are Gomes originals that fit right in with the standards. The recording achieves exactly what Bjørnild set out as his goal. It can provide the best seat in your listening room. Go to the Sound Liaison Site, listen to a few samples, download an album, and see if you don't agree that this intimate effort is one of the best and best-sounding jazz vocal albums to come along in many a day. By the way, the small audience applauds enthusiastically enough after the last chords of a song die away, but the attendees never interrupt or make themselves known while a song is going on. No doubt they were completely mesmerized into silence, as was I.

Be sure to listen to:[/b] On "Dock of the Bay," Gomes creates a languid, bluesy version that is a little bit reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry while still coming across as quite original. It'll cast a spell over you.

. . . Rad Bennett[qoute]
 

busb

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chebby said:
I suppose asking what music you enjoy wouldn't be silly would it?

Or is it a case of.. "I don't care about the music so long as it says Audiophile on the label" ?

How about downloading 24 bit 96 khz studio master quality files from B&W or Naim or Linn Records? (Naim and Linn sell CDs and Linn sell Vinyl too.)

Sadly - I have to agree. When people ask what music to take to demos does makes me wonder if many Hi Fi buyers actually like music. Surely you take or buy the music you love?! Then again, if they don't like music, it's no skin off my nose & the more people buying HiFi, the cheaper it will be.
 

davedotco

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busb said:
chebby said:
I suppose asking what music you enjoy wouldn't be silly would it?

Or is it a case of.. "I don't care about the music so long as it says Audiophile on the label" ?

How about downloading 24 bit 96 khz studio master quality files from B&W or Naim or Linn Records? (Naim and Linn sell CDs and Linn sell Vinyl too.)

Sadly - I have to agree. When people ask what music to take to demos does makes me wonder if many Hi Fi buyers actually like music. Surely you take or buy the music you love?! Then again, if they don't like music, it's no skin off my nose & the more people buying HiFi, the cheaper it will be.

Generally I do not take any of my music to a demonstration, I ask for the assistent to chose what he thinks shows off the equipment well.

I excersise a 'veto' on things I really do not like or that i know already and also select for myself from what is available.

I want the equipment to engage me on material that I am not familier with, if it can't do that, some of the time at least, then I move on.
 

busb

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davedotco said:
busb said:
chebby said:
I suppose asking what music you enjoy wouldn't be silly would it?

Or is it a case of.. "I don't care about the music so long as it says Audiophile on the label" ?

How about downloading 24 bit 96 khz studio master quality files from B&W or Naim or Linn Records? (Naim and Linn sell CDs and Linn sell Vinyl too.)

Sadly - I have to agree. When people ask what music to take to demos does makes me wonder if many Hi Fi buyers actually like music. Surely you take or buy the music you love?! Then again, if they don't like music, it's no skin off my nose & the more people buying HiFi, the cheaper it will be.

Generally I do not take any of my music to a demonstration, I ask for the assistent to chose what he thinks shows off the equipment well.

I excersise a 'veto' on things I really do not like or that i know already and also select for myself from what is available.

I want the equipment to engage me on material that I am not familier with, if it can't do that, some of the time at least, then I move on.

I will continue to take music I love - both good and bad recordings but you make a great point - let them also choose some. I think I'll do that next time, Dave.
 

davedotco

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busb said:
davedotco said:
busb said:
chebby said:
I suppose asking what music you enjoy wouldn't be silly would it?

Or is it a case of.. "I don't care about the music so long as it says Audiophile on the label" ?

How about downloading 24 bit 96 khz studio master quality files from B&W or Naim or Linn Records? (Naim and Linn sell CDs and Linn sell Vinyl too.)

Sadly - I have to agree. When people ask what music to take to demos does makes me wonder if many Hi Fi buyers actually like music. Surely you take or buy the music you love?! Then again, if they don't like music, it's no skin off my nose & the more people buying HiFi, the cheaper it will be.

Generally I do not take any of my music to a demonstration, I ask for the assistent to chose what he thinks shows off the equipment well.

I excersise a 'veto' on things I really do not like or that i know already and also select for myself from what is available.

I want the equipment to engage me on material that I am not familier with, if it can't do that, some of the time at least, then I move on.

I will continue to take music I love - both good and bad recordings but you make a great point - let them also choose some. I think I'll do that next time, Dave.

Two points.

Firstly I find listening to very familiar music ('music I love') quite unhelpful. This idea that you 'hear things that you never heared before' just doesn't happen for me, mavbe my brain just fills in the gaps.....

This follows, I think, from my inability to listen to the same recordings over and over again. I have spoken about this in other threads but I find it near impossible to listen to the same piece of music, played by the same musicians, in exactly the same way time after time, I find it boring and ultimately annoying.

Which may explain why I am a huge fan of Spotify, I love new (to me) music and let my choices go where they will. In another thread I mentioned how, a couple of nights ago in my local pub, hearing some Aztec Camera led me on to the Associates and today, a bit of Biffy Clyro live at Wembley.

(A good album to wake up a few hi-fi dealers I could think of, very loud and raucus, but then I much prefer live recordings, in my experience musicians always perform better in front of an audience.)
 

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