Chris A Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Every once in a while, I find some disk gems on this forum that really show off the system. In the past, I've used various sampler and test disks like Chesky and DMP, SACDs like Patricia Barber, and DVD-As like Diana Krall to show off the system (some are multi-channel disks). Additionally, I've found other CDs that are really good, such as: Norah Jones' Not Too Late, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg's It Ain't Necessarily So, and Stevie Ray Vaughan's The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 1. What digital disks are your absolute favorites that you use to show off your setup? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Two outstanding discs for revealing dynamic range are: For all around outstanding recording, clean, deep bass: I actually prefer "Temptation" from The Girl In The Other Room by Dianna Krall, and Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" is much better than Come On Over"....FWIW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 For drums, I use: Circle of Drums (SACD) by Babatunde Olatunji Acoustic guitar and all-around great show: Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall Blu-ray For jazz (trio genre) with the occasional fantastic drums, I like Diana Krall, Live in Paris (DVD) Diana Krall, Live in Rio (Blu Ray) - but only a few tracks are fast-paced. Norah Jones, Come away with me (DVD, but unless there's a new one out, it's 4x3 format!) Diana Krall, The girl in the other room (SACD) Diana Krall, Love Scenes (CD) - contains some tracks that are too orchestral for my taste, but three great tracks that make it worth 10 CDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Diana Krall, Love Scenes (CD) - contains some tracks that are too orchestral for my taste, but three great tracks that make it worth 10 CDs That Diana Krall disk is also available in DVD-A, and was the one that I was referring to above (although I didn't identify it). It sounds VERY BIG on DVD-A. No bomb-droppers (drums/percussion) on this recording of course--bass, guitar and piano only--but very interesting nevertheless. Keep 'em coming...good stuff! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfelliot Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Blu-Ray DVD LPCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS HD Master Audio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Of course Steely Dan "AJA" remaster, Dire Straits sacd, Yes" Fragile" dvd audio, Elton John "Honky Chateau" sacd, Ted Nugent "Motor City Mayhem" Blu ray w/ DTS Master audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 This is a good one for percussion. Click to see artists/songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 http://www.ilike.com/artist/Martin+Zellar/album/Two+Guitars+Bass+and+Drums The above disc is absolutely awesome. Locally born musician. My wife went to one of his concerts a few years ago and bought me the CD there. The Telarc Fantasy album on CD is also an amazing disc with tracks from movies from the 70s to the 90s. Elton John's 60th b-day Blu-Ray is one of the best sounding concerts I've heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninshine Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 This is a good topic, it makes me want to go dig through my stuff and turn it up.....too bad it's the time of year where all the neighbors have all of their windows open. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Elton John - Madman Across The Water - SACD - (or most any EJ SACD) Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser - SACD Art Pepper - Straight, No Chaser - SACD (just a coincidence, not a misprint) Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade (Reiner/CSO) - Living Stereo SACD Diana Krall - The Girl In The Other Room (I use the title track to demo) - SACD Steely Dan - Gaucho - SACD Yes - Fragile DSOTM - either MFSL or SACD (only time I turn on the sub - not that it needs it......) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplummer Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I've found Flim and the BB's Big Notes- track 4 "Funhouse" to be the most revealing test song I've found. Telarc's Holst "The Planets" is extremely good at what most speakers don't do well.....Silent passages. I'm curious about the above Flim and the BB's "Tricycle". What are the best tracks on that album, I've never heard anything but Big Notes and Further Adventures Of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 It's sad............as much as I've spent on my audio system I pretty much have a pitiful unorganized music collection. I have no "go to" reference music as you guys are listing. NONE......I have different TEST CDs. To be clear, I have some of the very same CDs you all mention..............I couldn't tell you where any of them are though. They are on a shelf of CDs somewhere in the haystack. I just play the music I like to listen to regardless of the recording quality. In fact, most of the stuff I listen to is live concerts and festival music that isn't recorded anywhere near as nicely as what's been mentioned in this thread. I'm happy with the sound of all that to death on my MCM Grand setup. I've spent a fortune on audio equipment and need to stop and reconcile my music library. About 6 months ago I was GIVEN a giant hard drive with a new computer purchase that has over 30,000 lossless songs of all genres on it. I also got a high performance 24/192 sound card with all the bells and whistles in teh new PC. The music hard drive is still in a box and I haven't even tried it yet. I hope to this winter when I get more time. Shoot me in the head............... I spend most of my time listening to Sirius Jam Band and Grateful Dead channels over my Dish network receiver. I know it's only pretty good in quality but it suits me. Remember...........MCM-3 Grand + subs, and all McIntosh. It's good enough for me. My poor Jolida Tube CD player is an orphan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Just for starters: SRV - In Step album - Riviera Paradise track Chesky Records - The Ultimate Demonstration Disk Steely Dan - Aja DSOTM Dave Grusin - Collection Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices are Now Habits Elton John - Madman Across the Water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 About 6 months ago I was GIVEN a giant hard drive with a new computer purchase that has over 30,000 lossless songs of all genres on it. I also got a high performance 24/192 sound card with all the bells and whistles in teh new PC. The music hard drive is still in a box and I haven't even tried it yet. I hope to this winter when I get more time. That must be one huge hard drive. My collection is in .flac lossless format with about 10,000 songs and takes a good part of a 500 Gig drive. What format are your lossless songs in? 30,000.....Nice! Time to get your media PC up and running. You will never use a CD player again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 My poor Jolida Tube CD player is an orphan.LOL......Mine was, too.......until I rolled tubes in and out of it and my 222c. When I found the right combination, that's when the magic happened. I had almost sold the Jolida until I did this. Now, I burn everything onto a disc because listening through the Jolida is a must. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I like Steely Dann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechMan Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Supertramp "Crime of the Century"...one of the best B sides eva. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted October 20, 2010 Author Share Posted October 20, 2010 Amazon has some more of my money now. Keep the suggestions coming--this is good. I'll add one more to this list: E. Power Biggs, The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues: this one is magnificent, but it demands some volume to hear the experience. Note that I didn't pay the price that Amazon is now asking... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Amazon has some more of my money now.Mine, too! I was listening to "Morph The Cat" by Donald Fagen all last evening because of the reccomendation on this thread. It sounds great......right up there with "The Nightfly". Thanks! [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 The disks that I like to try on different systems: Vox Tempus - In the Eye of Time: Xystus - Equilibrio: Suspyre - A Great Divide: Project Creation - Floating World: Also like trying any of the Aryeon albums as well. These albums have a lot going on them that makes listening to these on various systems quite interesting, plus these also have some excellent recording quality. There are plenty of others that I like trying on other systems as well, but these are my standards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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