European Union Sound Tracks
With reference to the European Union "Sound Quality Assessment Material recordings for subjective tests", the zip file for all the CD tracks can be downloaded at:
EBU TECHNICAL - Publication - EBU SQAM CD
The Users' Handbook for the material can be downloaded at:
EBU TECHNICAL - Publication - EBU Tech 3253
With reference to the European Union "Sound Quality Assessment Material recordings for subjective tests", the zip file for all the CD tracks can be downloaded at:
EBU TECHNICAL - Publication - EBU SQAM CD
The Users' Handbook for the material can be downloaded at:
EBU TECHNICAL - Publication - EBU Tech 3253
A)The first three recordings by Spyrogyra
Spyrogyra -Spyrogyra
Morning dance - Spyrogyra
Catching the Sun -Spyrogyra
B) War
The World Is A Ghetto - War
C) Frank Zappa
Hot Rats -Frank Zappa
Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
D) Steely Dan
Aja- Steely Dan
Nightfly - Donald Fagen
E) Charlie Mingus
Tijuana Moods - Charlie Mingus
B.L
Spyrogyra -Spyrogyra
Morning dance - Spyrogyra
Catching the Sun -Spyrogyra
B) War
The World Is A Ghetto - War
C) Frank Zappa
Hot Rats -Frank Zappa
Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
D) Steely Dan
Aja- Steely Dan
Nightfly - Donald Fagen
E) Charlie Mingus
Tijuana Moods - Charlie Mingus
B.L
I think this one is a rare gem if you like modern music.
One of the few modern "popish" CDs I have heard that doesn't hurt my ears. Punchy electronic bass and not compressed to oblivion..
Beck - The information.
P.S. Does anyone else find Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits painfully sterile to listen to? The earlier straits albums have a foot tapping musicality that Brothers in Arms really lacks IMO. A very accurate technical recording no doubt, but boy is it sterile and lacking character.
One of the few modern "popish" CDs I have heard that doesn't hurt my ears. Punchy electronic bass and not compressed to oblivion..
Beck - The information.
P.S. Does anyone else find Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits painfully sterile to listen to? The earlier straits albums have a foot tapping musicality that Brothers in Arms really lacks IMO. A very accurate technical recording no doubt, but boy is it sterile and lacking character.
That depends on who you ask. Vinyl people will tell you that it's flat and boring on CD. CD people might ask you, "what pressing of the CD do you have?". SACD people will say...you get the picture.
I don't think it sounds as good on CD as I originally though. The music is good, there's just something off about how it comes across. It's not dynamic enough for me, like it's too compressed. Kind of like listening to an mp3.
3 Favorite Recordings
I am a professional musician (String Bass, Electric Bass, Hammond/Leslie, Rhodes, Clavinet) and live in the Twin Cities, MN. I do mostly live work but also some studio.
I use these three tracks whenever I need to evaluate, they come from albums that have unusual musical qualities.
1. Cesses Mortels de Soupirer from Sweet Was the Song by Owain Phyfe and the L'Ensemble Josquin. Binaural recording from the Head Acoustics Aachen Head. This can be found on Amazon.
2. Nobody Knows Me from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band.
3. One Mint Julep from I Dig by the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble.
This last one is from a live recording I played String Bass on so I can attest to the recording. This can be found on ebay and I can say from personal experience that the download from either itunes or Amazon holds up surprisingly well.
I am a professional musician (String Bass, Electric Bass, Hammond/Leslie, Rhodes, Clavinet) and live in the Twin Cities, MN. I do mostly live work but also some studio.
I use these three tracks whenever I need to evaluate, they come from albums that have unusual musical qualities.
1. Cesses Mortels de Soupirer from Sweet Was the Song by Owain Phyfe and the L'Ensemble Josquin. Binaural recording from the Head Acoustics Aachen Head. This can be found on Amazon.
2. Nobody Knows Me from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band.
3. One Mint Julep from I Dig by the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble.
This last one is from a live recording I played String Bass on so I can attest to the recording. This can be found on ebay and I can say from personal experience that the download from either itunes or Amazon holds up surprisingly well.
Wow. Verdi, ABBA & Eddie Rabbitt all on the same disc.
It is nice to have a reference level, tho. All test CDs should. The tuba track showed up some strange resonances in my headphones - or in my ears.
Pushing Squares
Man, what a great thread. I'm still only getting through it slowly but had to throw my 2c in right now.
I'm SO happy to see Squarepusher's GO PLASTIC album is getting several mentions. The day I decided to put several thousand quid into a HiFi system I brought that album into Cloney Audio ...they made me coffee and left me alone for 30 minutes while I lashed on "The Exploding Psychology" at around 105dB. Aside from the fact that that music completely blows my analytic mind to pieces, It really pushes the envelope bass wise. It has loads of lush spacey reverbs, lots of thumping mid and plenty of sizzle. That album constitutes production of the highest order in a certain electronic context. For the 'band in the room' vibes I brought some really good Wagner and some acoustic guitar stuff so I could here what 'a good recording' sounded like.
I asked a mate of mine recently what he thought was the best sounding/recorded album of all time was, straight off he said "THRILLER, Michael Jackson". I stuck it on my new system and holy Sh1* was he right. It's beyond lush. Check it out again if you haven't for a while.
Anything by SIGUR ROS will impress. Their production is huge and very creative.
Steve Reich.... check out recordings of his work. Classical music in general if it's recorded well will sound great on a good system.
Time for a pint
Man, what a great thread. I'm still only getting through it slowly but had to throw my 2c in right now.I'm SO happy to see Squarepusher's GO PLASTIC album is getting several mentions. The day I decided to put several thousand quid into a HiFi system I brought that album into Cloney Audio ...they made me coffee and left me alone for 30 minutes while I lashed on "The Exploding Psychology" at around 105dB. Aside from the fact that that music completely blows my analytic mind to pieces, It really pushes the envelope bass wise. It has loads of lush spacey reverbs, lots of thumping mid and plenty of sizzle. That album constitutes production of the highest order in a certain electronic context. For the 'band in the room' vibes I brought some really good Wagner and some acoustic guitar stuff so I could here what 'a good recording' sounded like.
I asked a mate of mine recently what he thought was the best sounding/recorded album of all time was, straight off he said "THRILLER, Michael Jackson". I stuck it on my new system and holy Sh1* was he right. It's beyond lush. Check it out again if you haven't for a while.
Anything by SIGUR ROS will impress. Their production is huge and very creative.
Steve Reich.... check out recordings of his work. Classical music in general if it's recorded well will sound great on a good system.
Time for a pint
Edward Gerhard's Luna album is some of the best recorded acoustic guitar I've ever heard. A must have for acoustic guitar fans.
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" Neal Schon - Beyond the Thunder " is also a great record for acoustic guitar fans
Neal Schon - Beyond the Thunder CD. Heavy Harmonies Discography
Neal Schon - Beyond the Thunder CD. Heavy Harmonies Discography
I've had this in my collection for many years, but never really listened to it that much. On my new system it sounds excellent. Very well recorded. If you like Ottmar Liebert or Paco De Lucia, you'll like this.
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You want to buy audiophile quality music...?
There is a lot of well recorded music, but personal music taste really has something to do with whether you will enjoy it.
I found that Sheffield Labs has a lot of albums that are nothing more than well recorded bland performances and music.. something akin to audible milk toast.. (for my taste).
Part of being of being an audiophile is finding the music that you like that is a well recorded, great performance.
If you want to look for those albums and more, here are some links to audiophile record sites.
(I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Pink Floyd's "The Wall".... an amazing recording).
Acoustic Sounds
AudioPhile USA
Blue Note Records
Chesky Records: The Premiere Audiophile Record Label
.:. Dynamic .:.
Home Of XRCD!!! - elusivedisc
FIM
Fine Audio
fonè records
MA Recordings
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | Audiophile LP, Gold CD, SACD Re-Issues - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Inc.
Music Direct
Home |:. Opus 3 Artists
Reference Recordings Complete Audiophile Classical, Music Orchestra and Jazz HDCD Catalog
Spinning Dog Records: High quality CDs, SACDs, HDCDs from Hi-Fi Record Labels The Sheffield Catalog // Sheffield Lab Audiophile Recordings | The reference standard for musical and sonic excellence
TACET-Website - english
Telarc International: Home of Classical, Jazz, Blues, and Pop/Rock
Vinyl Records by Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi
Eastwind Import Home US
Notes:
Chesky records has some of the best recordings.. but they have gotten really flaky with their shipping and the last couple of years I've had to mark in my calendar to call them after a couple of weeks to get my order.. You can buy their recordings on Amazon.
fonè recordings can be bought on Elusivedisc. I'm not a fan of computer music, but I've found fonè recordings to be so good, that even their downloads are amazingly life like.. It's hard to tell that the music isn't live.. (on my system)
Personally, I have found fone
High Res. Download links:
Audiophile Downloads | Computer Audiophile
HDtracks high resolution audiophile music downloads
Linn Records - The best recordings in Studio Master Download, Vinyl and SACD
High Resolution Music DOWNLOAD services .:. FLAC in free TEST BENCH
MusicStack
Free High Res. audiophile downloads:
LESSLOSS
Amazon also has an audiophile recording section....
Links for audiophile reviews:
BEST SOUNDING RECORDINGS
Records to test HiFi with
There is a lot of well recorded music, but personal music taste really has something to do with whether you will enjoy it.
I found that Sheffield Labs has a lot of albums that are nothing more than well recorded bland performances and music.. something akin to audible milk toast.. (for my taste).
Part of being of being an audiophile is finding the music that you like that is a well recorded, great performance.
If you want to look for those albums and more, here are some links to audiophile record sites.
(I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Pink Floyd's "The Wall".... an amazing recording).
Acoustic Sounds
AudioPhile USA
Blue Note Records
Chesky Records: The Premiere Audiophile Record Label
.:. Dynamic .:.
Home Of XRCD!!! - elusivedisc
FIM
Fine Audio
fonè records
MA Recordings
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | Audiophile LP, Gold CD, SACD Re-Issues - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Inc.
Music Direct
Home |:. Opus 3 Artists
Reference Recordings Complete Audiophile Classical, Music Orchestra and Jazz HDCD Catalog
Spinning Dog Records: High quality CDs, SACDs, HDCDs from Hi-Fi Record Labels The Sheffield Catalog // Sheffield Lab Audiophile Recordings | The reference standard for musical and sonic excellence
TACET-Website - english
Telarc International: Home of Classical, Jazz, Blues, and Pop/Rock
Vinyl Records by Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi
Eastwind Import Home US
Notes:
Chesky records has some of the best recordings.. but they have gotten really flaky with their shipping and the last couple of years I've had to mark in my calendar to call them after a couple of weeks to get my order.. You can buy their recordings on Amazon.
fonè recordings can be bought on Elusivedisc. I'm not a fan of computer music, but I've found fonè recordings to be so good, that even their downloads are amazingly life like.. It's hard to tell that the music isn't live.. (on my system)
Personally, I have found fone
High Res. Download links:
Audiophile Downloads | Computer Audiophile
HDtracks high resolution audiophile music downloads
Linn Records - The best recordings in Studio Master Download, Vinyl and SACD
High Resolution Music DOWNLOAD services .:. FLAC in free TEST BENCH
MusicStack
Free High Res. audiophile downloads:
LESSLOSS
Amazon also has an audiophile recording section....
Links for audiophile reviews:
BEST SOUNDING RECORDINGS
Records to test HiFi with
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anyone´s familiar with this cd ?
Neal Schon Home Page
Neal Schon says it was recorded mostly on one take and not overproduced like most cd´s on the market , maybe a good cd for system testing ?
Neal Schon Home Page
Neal Schon says it was recorded mostly on one take and not overproduced like most cd´s on the market , maybe a good cd for system testing ?
i listen mostly to rock music , this hardline is a good test cd , only when guitar bass drums sound right the system is well balanced , if not it sounds muddy and dark.
http://www.heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=70&CDName=Double+Eclipse
http://www.heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=70&CDName=Double+Eclipse