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JD View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 20 2023 at 17:10
As some of you may recall I've been working my way through my LP collection after re-setting up my turntable about 18-24 months ago. It's a slow process to be sure and I may be pushing up daisies before I get through it all.
That being said, I have come across some real gems that are absolutely pristine and play like CD's in some cases.
I've often wondered which album I would take with me if I wanted to test drive a new stereo system.
For the longest time I figured it would be something like my Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues or maybe Thomas Dolby The Flat Earth or Peter Gabriel's So.

But tonight I think I hit the Holy Grail.
I pulled out an album I may have played maybe once, the first time I bought it back in 1982.
Brand X Is There Anything About?
Not only is it an absolutely pristine copy, but the production is outstanding. Phil's cymbal play is sublime and the sound stage is beautifully positioned. From crisp steely lead guitar to the more muted reverb lading rhythm guitar, the sound quality is impeccable.

So the question is...What album would you use as a reference to test a new stereo?
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Points: 17863 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catcher10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2023 at 17:41
Hmm, good question, I go back and forth on this scenario. I tend to go a slightly different direction in that I've always brought along albums I know the music well but that is not known for being of any production quality per se. This way if I hear things I normally don't then I can say yea that gear could be an upgrade....
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Heart of the Matter View Drop Down
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UK's debut has always made me feel it makes the most of my system.
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Steely Dan - Aja
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JD View Drop Down
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Points: 18446 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2023 at 20:08
I have UK's 1st on CD and Danger Money on LP. I'll check them out
And while I really love Aja, I just find the production a tad thin for my liking.
I also find a lot of the 70's stuff not such a good choice either. The studio production values really started hitting their peak in the early mid eighties leading into the CD revolution IMHO.
A lot of the 80's 'SYNTHPOP' music had fantastic production. It's too bad a lot of the music sucked. Big smile
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Points: 65289 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 01:06
probably Zep ll
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Jared View Drop Down
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Points: 19499 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 04:30
I'd take Mahler's 9th, Brahms' Clarinet Sonatas and probably Berlioz Les nuits d'ete, sung by Susan Graham, which collectively should give you a rounded idea of the sound systems capabilities...
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David_D View Drop Down
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Points: 15207 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 07:12

Sound quality preferences are subjective, and what matters is the performance concerning the kind of music you mostly 
listen to. A system can also be experienced differently on different albums, so what I have been doing is to take with me 
several albums I knew well, and which I had found to have particularly good sound quality, and tested a system with all 
these albums.
It's many years ago, I did it the last time, but one of the albums I remember to use was Sade's Diamond Life (Epic, early 

I can't really think of other albums right now, but I may be back and mention others.


Edited by David_D - March 21 2023 at 12:39
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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JD View Drop Down
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Points: 18446 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 07:58
As timely as today's headlines...
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

As timely as today's headlines...

Yea these are staple songs that you hear at audio shows, 90% is female vocals and small ensembles. These songs are very simple, very little dynamics meaning not a lot of punch and power. Your not going to hear Rush, AC/DC or Zeppelin. The songs picked usually have a ton of air, space and ambiance associated with them, they are meant to show off the systems resolution.
This is a popular song to hear, about as close Zep as ur gonna get...It sounded freaking AMAZING on these $500K systems, of course all hi-rez files like DSD256.
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David_D View Drop Down
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Points: 15207 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 10:30

But if talking about CDs, I'd think, forget all about it! LOL
- But it's just me....and Catcher. Big smile

And yet, it's not quite so, as I like quite a lot sound quality of this CD reissue
Black Sabbath  -  Paranoid  -  Sanctuary, 2004 Europe
and it's surely good to test the dynamics of a system.



Edited by David_D - March 21 2023 at 10:59
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Points: 17863 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catcher10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 10:45
Here is a short clip I took at Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle last July......This was one of the best sounding rooms at the show. VAC tube mono block amps, probably $250K for the pair, speakers are Acora SRC-2 about $40K/pr....About as close you can get to the live setting for this song.
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The Dark Elf View Drop Down
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Points: 13089 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 17:11
Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

Here is a short clip I took at Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle last July......This was one of the best sounding rooms at the show. VAC tube mono block amps, probably $250K for the pair, speakers are Acora SRC-2 about $40K/pr....About as close you can get to the live setting for this song.

What's absolutely hilarious about spending nearly $300,000 for stereo equipment is that 90% or more of bands do not even have that amount of gear while they're playing live. 
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Points: 17863 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catcher10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2023 at 17:34
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

Here is a short clip I took at Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle last July......This was one of the best sounding rooms at the show. VAC tube mono block amps, probably $250K for the pair, speakers are Acora SRC-2 about $40K/pr....About as close you can get to the live setting for this song.

What's absolutely hilarious about spending nearly $300,000 for stereo equipment is that 90% or more of bands do not even have that amount of gear while they're playing live. 

I would not know for sure....Most bands used the house speakers so that is not an expense other than rent. I guess depends on the band and how many instruments they bring along. But capturing the audio and the gear to do that is expensive figuring all the mics, cables, and mixing boards plus the ADC gear to capture the recording....I think you might be surprised.
Sure there is a difference in what Rush did on stage vs say Haken. 
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David_D View Drop Down
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Points: 15207 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 23 2023 at 11:38

       Here some more releases good for reference, all LPs:

Pink Floyd  -  Wish You Were Here  -  Harvest, 198? Europe/D

Paul Ryan  -  Scorpio Rising  -  Charisma, 1976 UK

Al Stewart  -  Year of the Cat  -  EMI, 198? Europe/D

Yes  -  Close to the Edge  -  Atlantic/WEA, 198? D

Led Zeppelin  -  Houses of the Holy  -  Atlantic,  early '90s D


I've seen with many German reissue press from the '80s and early '90s that they have very good sound quality, 

even significantly better than the copies I've had of some US OGs.



Edited by David_D - March 23 2023 at 15:17
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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