Audio Flynn Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 For those of you who thought my amp review was long winded I would still like to know the diverse CDs you use for auditoning. My current list: -JS Bach Organ Chorales,Wolfgang Rubsam, Naxos -Tchaikovsky no. 4, Colorado Symphony, Naxos -Sofie Van Otter meets Elvis Costello, For the Stars, Deutch Gramophone -Crosby Nash, Another Stoney Evening, Arista -Neil Young, Silver and Gold, Reprise -Eric Clapton, One more Car one more rider, Reprise -Patricia Barber, Companion, Blue Note Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 Can't imagine using a CD for critical equipment auditioning of anything other than a CD player. It is only recently that I've found a CD player that I am able to enjoy listening to. Even then, it is only because the medium is ubiqitous and unavoidable. I'd certainly avoid it if I could. JMOH Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 It is hard for people across the land to have the same vinyl. And there are so many pressing versions. And I will not get into it until I can spend $ 1000 or moore to get a decent front end, phono preamp and record cleaner. A good 24 bit DAC is not so bad. And the NAXOS CDs can be had for $7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofy Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I'll enter the cross fire on this most challenging task! 1. Stereophile Test CD #1 2. Holst-The Planets- Chicago Symphony-James Levine 3. Rush-2112 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 4. Andres Segovia- ANY of his MCA classics 5. Beethoven- Symphonies 5,7,&9 Cleveland Orchestra (& Chorus) Telarc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 . Holst-The Planets- Chicago Symphony-James Levine What mfg can I get this one from? I need to order a couple of the Stereophile ones. There was a piano sonatas set that sounded good from the reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofy Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 The Holst CD is on Deutsche Grammophon The Stereophile Discs I got direct from them when I was a subscriber in the early 1990s. I dont know about now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 I have Planets Karjan with Berliner Philharmoniker on DG I need to play it with the new amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofy Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 ---------------- There was a piano sonatas set that sounded good from the reviews. ---------------- Poem, Piano & Flute was disk 1. I have it and be damned if I can find it now. Yes very good stuff. Also try Sublime Chant, Richard Proulx. Gregorian, Ambrosian, and Gallican Chant. Nothing like several human voices to make speakers open up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyKubicki Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 This CD will definately knock your socks off. Beware of calming false endings which are followed by massive room shaking transients. It is also one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have heard, full of changing emotions. I first got this as a direct to disk LP. I used to hear what I thought was dust, a vinyl owner's #1 enemy. Years later, I was surprized to pick it up on CD. This was digitally recorded at the same time. What I though to be dust was actually musicians' chairs creeking! You can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003CSF/qid=1043647259/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/104-9186038-5571915 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 A friend of mine gave me "Voodoo" by the Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet. The title track, "VoodDoo", is an excellent test for bass response and imaging. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Colin asked the same question a few days ago in the General Forum, and seeing my answer still remains the same for this thread, I'll include it here: For accurate bass reproduction, I always turn to this disc: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, transcribed and performed by Jean Guillou at the Great Organ of the Tonhalle, Zürich. Dorian DOR-90117. The 1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer pipe organ has two 32' pedal stops for the bass: the 32' Principalflûte, a large open flue stop who's largest C pipe a man can literally crawl through it's entire 32' length, and the 32' Bassoon in the Pedal Division's reed section; this rank of pipes produce the classic "blatty" vibration-tone you hear with most large pipe organs. The lowest C pipe produces 16 cycles per second (you can almost count all 16 beats), and with the high wind pressure for this rank being forced through all the Bassoon's resonators as they are played, you can equally feel the gut-wrenching solidity of each bass note within this stop! On track 2 (Gnomus) is one of the finest examples of thunderous deep organ bass; the air in my music room almost shudders (if my 15" home-made subwoofer was connected to my Cornwalls again, the walls would flex and blow out the glass in my window!). This CD should make lovers of pipe organ recordings rejoice! Jonathan Scull and Larry Greenhill of Stereophile magazine use this CD as a reference to test loudspeaker's bass frequencies. For female vocals, this is my CD of choice: Rebecca Pidgeon: The Raven, Chesky Records JD115. Pidgeon's voice can range from soft and sweet to solid and full-throated, while maintaining good vocal timbre and image size. Her singing is very three-dimensional and dynamic, and conveys lots of emotion depending on the song being sung. "Spanish Harlem" is one of her songs that remains pure throughout its performance, as delicate as the flower she depicts. For male vocales, I really dig this recording: U2: The Joshua Tree, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (24KT gold plated Original Master Recording) UDCD 650. What can be said about Bono that hasn't been said already? Bono's voice has exceptional emotional power and intensity, and this digital remaster of an old analog recording is proof that Bono has effortless control. This recording is still very transparant and clear, and is my choice for the ultimate demonstration of the male voice. My favorite CD for soundstage and imaging, and for the perfect sweet spot: Rendezvous: Jerome Harris Quintet Plays Jazz, Stereophile STPH013-2. The soundstage width is outstanding on this 20-bit CD! The holographic imaging, presence and depth all seem to blend effortlessly when you're seated in the sweet spot. Track 3 (The Mooche, by Duke Ellington) is one of my favorites. If you read the CD's liner notes, the vibes are placed stage left, the trombone just right of center stage, the alto sax is far right, the acoustic bass guitar and kickdrum center, and the drum kit is across the entire width of the stage! These four CDs I would bring to audition components. To me, they are the ultimate in perfect sound, recorded using today's state-of-the-art technology, and the reference to which all others are to be judged! Just my opinion, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Great post Audio Flynn! I was going to post something like this sometime. I call these my reference cd's. I like some of the suggestions listed above. I've got a dozen that I use, but I'll list just three. First is one that a lot of people use, The Eagles, Hell Freezes Over. Hotel California has an overly large kickdrum that is good for checking excursion and low-end "push". Lot's of "room", "voice pops", "stage noises" and such to hear in the background of this cd, makes it an enjoyable listen for a live cd. Another is Steely Dan, A Decade of Steely Dan. This is a collection of mostly very good recordings with a nice range. Track #1, FM, will separate the really good from the average in cd players. Just listen for the sustain on the keyboard, while at the same time listening for the separation between that and the vocals, guitar, etc... On a really good cd player, it's wide open and the sustain just lasts and lasts. Really nice. My favorite reference cd is an obscure one that I happened to run across one day and I really like the musical content as well as the sound quality. On khorns at 3/4 volume, it's just like sitting in front of the band in a nightclub, only better sounding! It's Boz Scaggs, Come On Home, 1997 Virgin Records. This cd has it all really, great vocals, a killer horn section, nice drum micing and mix, lot's of different bass guitar sounds, nice sounding guitar, Hammond B3, and classic R+B music. Track 10 is a great overall song to listen to a stereo system with. Goodnight Irene has awesome vocal soundings. I hope others keep this post going. I'd like to learn of other cd's to get. There used to be a place on line to get cd's that were recorded differently or better somehow. I can't really remember, but it seems that these cd's were special, and much higher priced than others. Anyone know what I'm talking about? I don't think I do! Greg out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthfreek Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Muddy Waters-Folk Singer(track 9 is GREAT) Lustmord-Place Where The Black Stars Hang(for below 20hz bass activity) Jocelyn Pook-Untold Things(superbly recorded strings & haunting female vocals) John Fahey-America or Michael Hedges-Aerial Boundaries(solo acoustic guitar) Pete Namlook-Air I & II(ethereal/exotica electronic music) Michael Stearns-The Storm/Sorcerer/The Lost World(AWESOME HUGE soundstage-exotic instruments-DEEP bass) Marcus Roberts-Deep In The Shed(acoustic jazz) Antonio Carlos Jobim-Girl From Ipanema Dave Brubeck-Take Five Miles Davis-In A Silent Way/On The Corner(electric jazz) Peace Orchestra-Peace Orchestra(or ANYTHING touched by Kruder & Dorfmeister) Future Sound Of London-Dead Cities/Lifeforms Rickie Lee Jones-Chuck E's In Love Samuel Barber-Adagio For Strings(DG) Jeff Beck-Blow By Blow(Cause We've Ended As Lovers) Faith No More-The Real Thing(for sheer rocking out) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEC14576 Posted February 7, 2003 Share Posted February 7, 2003 Boy...you guys are high end forreal, but I will throw my list out here anyway. 1.Bach, "Tocata and Fugue in G Minor" 2.Earth Wind & Fire, "Africano/Power Medley" (Gratitude LP) 3.Mandrill, "Mandrill" 4.War, "City Country City" 5.Yes, "Roundabout" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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