What moments in music have you found the soundstage jaw dropping?

[BluePotato]

I was listening to Lou Reed 'Walk on the wild' side yesterday - the bit where the backing ladies sing the 'du de du, du de du' which kicks off in the background and gradually comes nearer and nearer before literally smacking you in the face. Wow, that's why I paid the money out for this system.

Another great example (although for different reasons) is on the Deluxe Edition of Claptons 461 Ocean Boulevards 'Walkin' Down The Road' which is a sessions jam - again, wow, like the guy is in the room, can hear every breath, relaxed, smooth - a thing of beauty.

Anyway, what songs or 'bits' of songs have really made you go 'wow'?!

 

[power]

A nice example I came across recently is David Foster's The Hitman on the Josh Groban You Raise me high song. The part where the full compliment of instruments and the choir come in. I cant explain the moment. All I can say is that its very magical

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Big Eyed Beans From Venus - Beefheart

"That long looming note" bit.

 

[Native_bon]

The Album OUTBOUND by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. This Album has got everything going. A must system checker!!

 

[FennerMachine]

Michael Jackson, I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Heard on a system when demoing some speakers.

Meridian CD player and Amp, don't know what ones.

Castle Howard S3 speakers.

The drums where amazing. They projected way out to the sides of the speakers.

Never heard any system do better.

Never sure if it was the electronics, speakers or the large room or even a combination of all three that made it so good.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I sometimes regret not getting those speakers.

 

[plastic penguin]

I was listening to Lou Reed 'Walk on the wild' side yesterday - the bit where the backing ladies sing the 'du de du, du de du' which kicks off in the background and gradually comes nearer and nearer before literally smacking you in the face. Wow, that's why I paid the money out for this system.

Another great example (although for different reasons) is on the Deluxe Edition of Claptons 461 Ocean Boulevards 'Walkin' Down The Road' which is a sessions jam - again, wow, like the guy is in the room, can hear every breath, relaxed, smooth - a thing of beauty.

Anyway, what songs or 'bits' of songs have really made you go 'wow'?!

Glad you're enjoying the system, BP.

I find Labi Siffre's 'Something Inside So Strong', The Hollies 'King Midas In Reverse', Norah Jones album 'Come Away with Me' very striking in terms of imaging and overall realism.

There are others but find unplugged or acoustic stuff staggeringly good.

 

[matthewpiano]

For me it is usually recordings of large-scale classical works. For example, Daniel Barenboim's recording of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony - when the mighty sound of the pipe organ comes in with the orchestra laid out in front of it, the effect is startling. Karajan's wonderful recording of Debussy's La Mer is another example where you can almost see the orchestra in incredible detail. Also on Deutsche Grammophon, Bernstein's recording of Mahler 1 achieves really special soundstaging.

I generally find recordings on the LSO Live label to be top class in this respect. The Colin Davis recording of Dvorak 9th on that label and the Rostropovich recording of Shotakovich 5 are quite breathtaking.

For an older recording, Klemperer's reading of the Brahms German Requiem on EMI is spine-tingling - the choir has a real sense of body to it and you can hear the various melodic strands within the choral singing incredibly well.

 

[fr0g]

For those with headphones...

(and spotify)

Try this one (on headphones obviously). It shows just how much better headphones can be if the music is recorded for them. Makes anything else sound flat.

Ottmar Liebert – Up Close

 

[tyranniux42]

I was listening to Lou Reed 'Walk on the wild' side yesterday - the bit where the backing ladies sing the 'du de du, du de du' which kicks off in the background and gradually comes nearer and nearer before literally smacking you in the face. Wow, that's why I paid the money out for this system.

Another great example (although for different reasons) is on the Deluxe Edition of Claptons 461 Ocean Boulevards 'Walkin' Down The Road' which is a sessions jam - again, wow, like the guy is in the room, can hear every breath, relaxed, smooth - a thing of beauty.

Anyway, what songs or 'bits' of songs have really made you go 'wow'?!

Lou Reed's the gun is also fantastic!

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

For me it is usually recordings of large-scale classical works. For example, Daniel Barenboim's recording of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony - when the mighty sound of the pipe organ comes in with the orchestra laid out in front of it, the effect is startling. Karajan's wonderful recording of Debussy's La Mer is another example where you can almost see the orchestra in incredible detail. Also on Deutsche Grammophon, Bernstein's recording of Mahler 1 achieves really special soundstaging.

I generally find recordings on the LSO Live label to be top class in this respect. The Colin Davis recording of Dvorak 9th on that label and the Rostropovich recording of Shotakovich 5 are quite breathtaking.

For an older recording, Klemperer's reading of the Brahms German Requiem on EMI is spine-tingling - the choir has a real sense of body to it and you can hear the various melodic strands within the choral singing incredibly well.

Good call on the Saint-Saens. I've not got that recording but I know the piece and in particular the section you highlight.

For me, in recent weeks, my favourite orchestral pieces (that also sound stunning in hi-fi terms) include:

Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite

Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony

Mahler 1&5

Thanks Matthew for the recordings you mention, I'll endeavour to check those too.

 

[the record spot]

Anyway, what songs or 'bits' of songs have really made you go 'wow'?!

Lots...here's a few:-

The instrumental break especially in "Mother" on Pink Floyd's "The Wall" - this is on the original Harvest fatbox CD set.

The opening to "Starship Trooper" on "The Yes Album".

Phil Collins' "Face Value" album. The one mastered by Barry Diament though (and most likely the West German issue on WEA, not Virgin).

Just about all of Joni Mitchell's "Night Ride Home" album on Geffen.

Steely Dan's "Aja"

Pink Floyd's "Meddle", but the Japanese black label edition

Julie Feeney's "Pages"

Barry Diament's masterings of the Genesis albums on the US Atco label, especially Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering.

Classical is good too, one that springs to mind is a performance of Resphigi's "Pines of Rome" on a Japanese SACD import I picked up at McAllister Matheson Music in Edinburgh last year....

...and a whole pile of others. Too many to go into here!

 

[shropshire lad]

Duane Allman's guitar playing throughout Boz Scaggs's " Loan Me A Dime" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed " on the Allman Brothers's Live at the Fillmore East .

 

[matthewpiano]

A couple more -

Solti's recording of the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra on Decca

Britten's own recording of Billy Budd

 

[Anonymous]

The remastered White Album.

 

[plastic penguin]

I was listening to Lou Reed 'Walk on the wild' side yesterday - the bit where the backing ladies sing the 'du de du, du de du' which kicks off in the background and gradually comes nearer and nearer before literally smacking you in the face. Wow, that's why I paid the money out for this system.

Another great example (although for different reasons) is on the Deluxe Edition of Claptons 461 Ocean Boulevards 'Walkin' Down The Road' which is a sessions jam - again, wow, like the guy is in the room, can hear every breath, relaxed, smooth - a thing of beauty.

Anyway, what songs or 'bits' of songs have really made you go 'wow'?!

Out of interest, how far from the wall are the Spendors?

In addition to your question, big band jazz or marching music is superb. Tremendous atmosphere, the hairs stand up on the back of the hands.

 

[nopiano]

A couple more -

Solti's recording of the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra on Decca

Britten's own recording of Billy Budd

Good taste, mp, on these and your earlier examples. Of the mainstream labels, I think we probably agree that Decca probably has the upper hand here. An early digital recording with Mehta and the Israel PO of the Nutcracker used to be my fave demo for depth - on Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in particular.

 

[Rethep]

With a valve-amp (since 2005) MANY! And with my last valve-amp, since begin 2011, even more!

To name a few (could be clichés in there too):

- Tord Gustavsen Trio - Karmosin (from "Being There") The drums in particular.

- Kari Bremnes - Gåte ved gåte (from "Gåte ved gåte")

- Talk talk - Eden (from "Spirit of Eden") The voice in particular

- Television - Rhyme (from "Television") Drums in particular

- Nick Cave - Red right hand

- David Sylvian - Maria (from "Secrets of the beehive")

- Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue (the drums in the "background" have the same "change in soundstage" as the example of "Wallk on the wild side" you are writing about)

 

[damonster]

Damien rice o . Is very good for soundstage ,width ,depth and height of instruments and great timber qualities .the song volcanoes is jaw dropping .

 

[BenLaw]

Damien rice o . Is very good for soundstage ,width ,depth and height of instruments and great timber qualities .the song volcanoes is jaw dropping .

Although there was a fairly authoritative post recently on another thread saying height is not recorded and can only be a trick of the mind.

 

[damonster]

Damien rice o . Is very good for soundstage ,width ,depth and height of instruments and great timber qualities .the song volcanoes is jaw dropping .

Although there was a fairly authoritative post recently on another thread saying height is not recorded and can only be a trick of the mind.

my mind has been tricked then

 

[Andrew17321]

Is this a record? Three respondents to this topic mentioned classical music.

It has always intrigued me how few people on this forum seem to be classical addicts. Is it because those who like classical music are more interested in the quality of the music and the playing, and less concerned about the quality of the reproduction; or maybe because no HiFi system is a patch on live concerts for classical music? Just curious.

Andrew

 

[BenLaw]

Damien rice o . Is very good for soundstage ,width ,depth and height of instruments and great timber qualities .the song volcanoes is jaw dropping .

Although there was a fairly authoritative post recently on another thread saying height is not recorded and can only be a trick of the mind.

my mind has been tricked then

It's interesting, as I've never 'got' the height thing and am rather jealous of those who do. I have this cd so may stick it on soon and see what happens

 

[Lost Angeles]

I had the pleasure the other week of listening to some of Gracelands through a pair of £12000 Dali speakers driven by an MF Class A power amp (AMS100 perhaps). Did sound pretty good.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

The drummer in Ray Lamontagne's Trouble (cd) - fella plays his heart out, above left in the soundstage, superb engineering on that album.

Toni Braxton 'Secrets' unbreak my heart - opening vocals, you can hear the spit in her mouth and her tongue hitting her pallette, her breath, sounds amazing (big head in the room singing to you - stunning)

Sea-sick Steve - Fly by night - you just need to hear this - lol.

Curtis Mayfield -(cd) - Baby its you -

too many but those are a few which made me laugh out loud ......

 

[damonster]

Damien rice o . Is very good for soundstage ,width ,depth and height of instruments and great timber qualities .the song volcanoes is jaw dropping .

I have found on some of stevie wonders tracks that the kick drum sound seems to come from down low and high hats seem to come from a space higher up .maybe it is a trick of the mind ,but also when you get a soundstage wider that your walls and voices occupying a space inbeetween both speakers ,surely this is a trick of the mind.

Although there was a fairly authoritative post recently on another thread saying height is not recorded and can only be a trick of the mind.

my mind has been tricked then

It's interesting, as I've never 'got' the height thing and am rather jealous of those who do. I have this cd so may stick it on soon and see what happens