Recommend me something to show off my system!

[nathanroberts1]

With my new SB3, amp and speakers, I'm now in a position to tell good recordings from bad and want to explore how amazing my system can sound. So I would be so grateful to receive suggestions of recordings that really sparkle.

I'm looking for key examples of vocals that sound uncannily 'in the room', or those that showcase a big soundstage. I'm putting my actual taste to one side for this: I feel my usual diet of often lo-fi folky, alternative stuff won't bring out the very best in potential sound quality.

I'd just like to hear something that can stand as a benchmark for my system.

Nathan

[mwphoto]

Ok,

My all time best audition piece for my system is Mary Black - Columbus from the rather excellent 'No Frontiers' album (it's also around on some compilations as well. She can often be found in lots of libraries CD sections if you're UK based.

Somewhat easier to find Private Investigations by Dire Straits - I don't listen to it much, but it does show off my system

Malcolm

[Kyle]

I use "Brothers In Arms" by Dire Straits as an audition CD. Great trumpet and sizzling hihat on "Your Latest Trick" and room-shaking lows on "The Man's Too Strong," not to mention the drum solo on "I Want My MTV." It's been digitally remastered, which is strange because IIRC, it was one of the first CD's I bought that was digitally recorded and mastered. I haven't heard the remastered version. If you're looking for a live recording, try Eva Cassidy's "Live at Blues Alley." If you've got surround speakers, you'll feel like you're in the club. A great small-venue live recording.

[Skunk]

Since you mentioned folky, I'll recommend Jerry Garcia and David Grisman self titled. It's absolutely timeless and near perfectly recorded.

Others I like to impress people with are:
Mickey Hart- 'Supralingua' (low end extension)
Tom Waits- 'Swordfishtrombones' (male voice)
Wilco- 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' (excellent uncompressed rock, or 'A Ghost is Born' if you like more low end)
Patricia Barbera- 'Modern Cool' (female voice)
Beck- 'Mutations/Sea Change' (fun effects+acoustic guitar)
Buena Vista Social Club-'' (acoustic instruments)
Brian Eno/David Byrne- 'My life in the Bush of Ghosts' (remastered version coming soon, but sounds fabulous in standard form)
Nine Inch Nails- 'The Fragile' (great sounding Industrial Rock)
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention- 'We're Only In It For The Money'- MFSL release (complete lack of low end- but amazing studio sound effects)
Erykah Badu- 'Worldwide Underground' (best hip hop (SQ wise)I've heard)

On my 'wish list':
Jazz at the Pawnshop

[kanoot]

Strangely I am not a huge fan of this album but it is most assuredly a "reference" recording: Norah Jones' "Come Away with Me"

It is absolutely stunning in quality.

[gbreit]

Daniel Lanois productions

I have always loved the way these albums recorded or produced by Daniel Lanois *sound*:

Emmylou Harris -- Wrecking Ball
Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind
Daniel Lanois -- For The Beauty of Wynona

The Emmylou album is truly a masterpiece. The vocals put chills up my spine every time I hear it and benefit greatly from a superior audio setup.

Lanois is more well known for his production work with U2 and Peter Gabriel. However, those albums don't quite match the ethereal sonic quality of the three mentioned above.

gb

[Patrick Dixon]

If you like blues, 'Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place in Town)' by 'Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble' from the Album 'Couldn't Stand the Weather' is a fabulous track, fabulously recorded. And if you don't - it still is!

Three more well recorded CDs to check out:

Tears For Fears / The Seeds Of Love
Rickie Lee Jones / Rickie Lee Jones
Gomez / Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline

[nelamvr6]

Joe Jackson - Night and Day.

Especially the MFSL Gold CD. The Deluxe edition is nice as well.

[ezkcdude]

I keep going back to the new Fiona Apple album, "Extraordinary Machine". It's really well-recorded. Another one I like for its audiophile qualities is the David Benoit "Charlie Brown" album.

[John Stimson]

I use "The Diggers" from Songlines by Karan Casey for making comparisons between hi-fi systems. It's got a great mix of voice, and low and high frequency drums and instruments. It might even suit your folky tastes!

[delbz]

What about the band shown on the squeezebox web site?
Pink Martini (Hang on Little Tomato - 2004) has some great tracks to show off your Squeezebox.

[nathanroberts1]

Brilliant - we seem to have also inadvertently created the most insane playlist ever: Norah Jones --> Nine Inch Nails --> Eva Cassidy --> Frank Zappa...!

I notice that people have tagged some tracks in last.fm with 'audiophile', but there aren't enough yet to create a radio station. Although there's obviously a 128kps cap, you can still hear a quality recording. Maybe time to get tagging.

Many thanks for the suggestions - much to explore.

[mrfantasy]

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel albums have some really good bass, and with the recent remasters they all sound good, but So and Up are probably the best from a recording standpoint. You need a system that goes down to at least 25Hz to hear everything he's doing down there.

[Pale Blue Ego]

I think the recent remasters of Fleetwood Mac's classic albums are just stunning. Fantastic bass, clarity, imaging, and great vocals. They make excellent demo material because everyone is familiar with the songs, but few have heard them on a good system with the new remasters. It's a whole different experience.

[zooropa320]

My vocal reference tracks:
Radiohead - Exit Music (For A Film) - from OK Computer
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - from The Bodyguard soundtrack

My bass reference track:
New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix) - from the Blade soundtrack