Listening to A Real Mother For Ya, Johnny Guitar Watson thru my ACA Mini, very nice recording, and thought it might be interesting to list recordings that folks like to use for evaluating and enjoying.
You may like these threads ... and there may be other threads that are similar and/or more aligned to enjoyment vs. evaluation.
and... maybe some albums to avoid...
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/what-kind-of-recording-is-suitable-as-a-reference.398520/
and... maybe some albums to avoid...
majority of Magma records
edit: I don't really care about SQ of recording, if there is no better iteration of same, relatively easily available
set of 8 cds of Caruso recordings - music to die for, who cares about production .....
or this - hardly anything hifi - https://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Furtwängler-Das-Vermächtnis-Legacy/dp/B004JC16LC
edit: I don't really care about SQ of recording, if there is no better iteration of same, relatively easily available
set of 8 cds of Caruso recordings - music to die for, who cares about production .....
or this - hardly anything hifi - https://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Furtwängler-Das-Vermächtnis-Legacy/dp/B004JC16LC
Any electric guitar mavens out there, check out Superstition by Johnny A. I am not a fan of his studio albums, he has said that he wants these to be technically perfect, which they may be, but I love his live stuff. A little Jeff Beckish in style, IIRC, Jeff was 1 of his major influences. Lest you think he is an also ran, Gibson dedicated a guitar to him!
I go through phases, but some tracks I've used for evaluation for decades now, having listened to them hundreds of times in many different systems and knowing them inside out allows me to hear anything "wrong" or "different" with a system very easily. They're all excellent recordings to my ears and I enjoy the music too, never get tired of them. This is my top 10, in no particular order:
I guess those release dates show my age... 😉
Cheers,
Cabirio
- Englishman in New York - Sting (...Nothing Like the Sun, A&M 1987)
- Red Rain - Peter Gabriel (So, Charisma 1986)
- Night Rhythms - Lee Ritenour (Alive in L.A., GRP 1997)
- Lie #1 - Joe Bonamassa (So, it’s like that, Medalist 2002)
- Love is Blindness - Cassandra Wilson (New Moon Daughter, Blue Note 1995)
- Metrocafé - Metro (Metrocafé, Silva Screen 2000)
- Manhattan - Eric Johnson (G3: Live in Concert, Sony 1997)
- Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack (Blue Lines, Wild Bunch 1991)
- O Vazio - Jim Brock (Tropic Affair, Reference Recordings 1989)
- Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits (Blue Valentine, Asylum 1978)
I guess those release dates show my age... 😉
Cheers,
Cabirio
This has been posted before in an earlier thread. You can see the album pictures here plus 5 others further down.
Tchaikovsky 1812 - Dallas SO (Delos 20 bit)
Chasing the Dragon - Audiophile Recordings (mixed)
Pure Heart - Hiroko Kokubu - smooth jazz piano (JVC 20 bit)
A Girl Meets Bossa Nova - Olivia Ong (HDCD 24 bit)
Rachmaninoff Piano concerto 2 - Earl Wild - Chesky Records
The Lady in Red - Hot Club of San Francisco - Clarity Recordings (HDCD 24 bit)
Amanda McBroom - Dreaming - Gecko
Terba Buena Bounce - Hot Club of San Francisco - Reference Recordings (HDCD 24 bit) (or any Reference Recording)
Happy Coat - Shota Osabe Piano Trio - LIM K2 HDCD
Fairytales -Radka Toneff/Steve Dobrogosz - Odin (Norway)
Tchaikovsky 1812 - Dallas SO (Delos 20 bit)
Chasing the Dragon - Audiophile Recordings (mixed)
Pure Heart - Hiroko Kokubu - smooth jazz piano (JVC 20 bit)
A Girl Meets Bossa Nova - Olivia Ong (HDCD 24 bit)
Rachmaninoff Piano concerto 2 - Earl Wild - Chesky Records
The Lady in Red - Hot Club of San Francisco - Clarity Recordings (HDCD 24 bit)
Amanda McBroom - Dreaming - Gecko
Terba Buena Bounce - Hot Club of San Francisco - Reference Recordings (HDCD 24 bit) (or any Reference Recording)
Happy Coat - Shota Osabe Piano Trio - LIM K2 HDCD
Fairytales -Radka Toneff/Steve Dobrogosz - Odin (Norway)
Particularly with classical music, it's possible to get hung up on the quality of the recording, when the performance is also important.
With most pop/rock/jazz albums, you don't get a choice about the recording: you either want "Kind of Blue", "Electric Ladyland" or you don't. You have a choice of formats, issues, reissues, re-re issues etc but that's it.
However, if you like classical music, you almost always have a wide choice of conductor, record label, singer(s), orchestra etc. Some will sound 'better' than others, some may not sound that good but are worth having for the quality of performance and performers.
Want "Carmen"? The HMV version conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1956 is the one I keep coming back to among around half a dozen newer recordings in the collection. Brandenburg Concertos? There are probably about a hundred versions, but I still like an old "Saga" LP set conducted by Harry Newstone which unfortunately has a rather edgy string tone.
Despite poor 78 era sound, I can happily listen to the Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto played by its composer over some more modern sounding and technically far better recordings. Of course, I'd like it to sound more full and be able to hear everything, but it's a precious historical document.
Geoff
With most pop/rock/jazz albums, you don't get a choice about the recording: you either want "Kind of Blue", "Electric Ladyland" or you don't. You have a choice of formats, issues, reissues, re-re issues etc but that's it.
However, if you like classical music, you almost always have a wide choice of conductor, record label, singer(s), orchestra etc. Some will sound 'better' than others, some may not sound that good but are worth having for the quality of performance and performers.
Want "Carmen"? The HMV version conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1956 is the one I keep coming back to among around half a dozen newer recordings in the collection. Brandenburg Concertos? There are probably about a hundred versions, but I still like an old "Saga" LP set conducted by Harry Newstone which unfortunately has a rather edgy string tone.
Despite poor 78 era sound, I can happily listen to the Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto played by its composer over some more modern sounding and technically far better recordings. Of course, I'd like it to sound more full and be able to hear everything, but it's a precious historical document.
Geoff
As I started the thread I figured I should list my go to's, but a brief word. As many here know I have been selling audio systems for over 4 decades, and have had the opportunity to evaluate a few pieces in that time 😉 as well as tried various approaches with clients. I have found, for me, that starting with less complex, acoustic instruments and vocals, as opposed to say a symphonic piece is really helpful, and work my way up through more complex material.
1. Nils Lofgren, Keith Don't Go, Acoustic Live. What a lovely recording, and the playing is at least on par.
2. Jacintha, Georgia, Here's To Ben. Very well recorded vocal, piano, stand up and drums. Sometimes to mix it up I might play Diana Krall, all her songs are well recorded, for what ever reason she just doesn't do it for me, the one exception is Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.
3. The Fairfield Four, These Bones, I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray. Unlike their name there are 5 on this album of acapella music. If you've not heard this track the bass singer is incredible!!!
4. Cousin John, Marcus Miller, M2. Some serious bass.
5. Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo, Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. About 2 minutes into the track Victor Woton solos, a lot of fun!
Here it starts to deviate depending upon my client or, when for myself, my mood,. So here are some recordings in no particular order:
Reference Recordings
Rutters Requiem, Pie Jesu. "300 voices of the Chorale and the Women’s Chorus of Dallas, with Fisk pipe organ, harp, cello, winds, tympani and percussion. Recorded in the fabled acoustics of the Meyerson Symphony Center."
Nojima Plays Liszt, La Campanella, though the whole album is superb.
While on piano I think most are familiar with Keith Jarrett, Koln Concert. A marvelous recording and some incredible improvisational jazz piano. A side note, ECM recordings that I have listened to are all very well recorded.
Proprius, Cantate Domino, title track, this is an outstanding recording of chorale with pipe organ and trumpets, the vinyl is glorious!!!
Hard to go wrong with a Dire Straits recording, take your pick.
Premonition Records, Patricia Barber, Cafe Blue. Nardis, about 1/3 into the album is one of the two best recordings of a drum solo that I have heard. The second is:
Crystal Clear, Charlie Byrd, Old Hymn. The vinyl is Direct to Disc, 45 rpm recording.
Some Honorable Mention:
Couldn't Stand The Weather, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tin Pan Alley, aka The Roughest Place In Town.
Pink Floyd Dark Side, played to death in the 70's, only started listening to it again in recent years.
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Carmen-Fantasie. The woman can play and this recording captures her and the Wiener Philharmoniker beautifully!
This one flew under my radar for decades, and its not something that I would listen to otherwise, The All Star Pecussion Ensemble, Pachelbel: Canon in D, but is an outstanding recording for bass, drums soundstage and more!
That's a good representation of albums/recordings that I find most helpful in evaluating equipment.
1. Nils Lofgren, Keith Don't Go, Acoustic Live. What a lovely recording, and the playing is at least on par.
2. Jacintha, Georgia, Here's To Ben. Very well recorded vocal, piano, stand up and drums. Sometimes to mix it up I might play Diana Krall, all her songs are well recorded, for what ever reason she just doesn't do it for me, the one exception is Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.
3. The Fairfield Four, These Bones, I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray. Unlike their name there are 5 on this album of acapella music. If you've not heard this track the bass singer is incredible!!!
5. Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo, Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. About 2 minutes into the track Victor Woton solos, a lot of fun!
Here it starts to deviate depending upon my client or, when for myself, my mood,. So here are some recordings in no particular order:
Reference Recordings
Rutters Requiem, Pie Jesu. "300 voices of the Chorale and the Women’s Chorus of Dallas, with Fisk pipe organ, harp, cello, winds, tympani and percussion. Recorded in the fabled acoustics of the Meyerson Symphony Center."
Nojima Plays Liszt, La Campanella, though the whole album is superb.
While on piano I think most are familiar with Keith Jarrett, Koln Concert. A marvelous recording and some incredible improvisational jazz piano. A side note, ECM recordings that I have listened to are all very well recorded.
Proprius, Cantate Domino, title track, this is an outstanding recording of chorale with pipe organ and trumpets, the vinyl is glorious!!!
Hard to go wrong with a Dire Straits recording, take your pick.
Premonition Records, Patricia Barber, Cafe Blue. Nardis, about 1/3 into the album is one of the two best recordings of a drum solo that I have heard. The second is:
Crystal Clear, Charlie Byrd, Old Hymn. The vinyl is Direct to Disc, 45 rpm recording.
Some Honorable Mention:
Couldn't Stand The Weather, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tin Pan Alley, aka The Roughest Place In Town.
Pink Floyd Dark Side, played to death in the 70's, only started listening to it again in recent years.
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Carmen-Fantasie. The woman can play and this recording captures her and the Wiener Philharmoniker beautifully!
This one flew under my radar for decades, and its not something that I would listen to otherwise, The All Star Pecussion Ensemble, Pachelbel: Canon in D, but is an outstanding recording for bass, drums soundstage and more!
That's a good representation of albums/recordings that I find most helpful in evaluating equipment.
Oh and for ZM, Ernst Ansermet, particularly ballet, Bruno Walter, impressive Brahms cycle with the NY Philharmonic, not so much with the Columbia as he was ailing. Jussi Bjorling, been playing "Vesti la giuba" a lot recently lately, Wow!
That being said the post was geared towards evaluation material
That being said the post was geared towards evaluation material
find this one in proper format, hear it 500 times, and it'll be one of 5 tunes enough to judging
Love it, even on Youboob, a beautiful purity! Got an extra copy? 😁
Now, how about recommending a specific Magma track?
Now, how about recommending a specific Magma track?
Magma is tricky for purpose, at least separating one track
There are no short ones, almost ....... and it tends to pull me in in such ways that I don't care for evaluations anymore
Anyhow, most of their vinyl and CDs are of good enough quality so you can always make differentiation, sensing amount of dynamic details and also quality of details in bass region......
Though, as with any dedicated material, one needs to hear it numerous times to became used to it
Great evaluation tool which almost all of us can have - make recording of voice of someone whom you know for very long; it doesn't need to be in enormous quality, even decent mobile phone will do - recording audio note
Then listen to that and you'll easily hear any deviation
Don't count on recording your self - catch is that you're hearing yourself through bones, all the life
I was interested in listening to Magma for the musical experience as opposed to using it as an evaluation tool. That being said are there some tracks that would be good to get an introduction to them, or just dive in?
ZM touched on something that bears highlighting, repetition. Probably the single most critical tool for system evaluation is music that you are intimately acquainted with. In truth I know much of what I need just playing "Keith Don't Go", not saying this alone is sufficient, just that it works for me, in part because I have listened to it hundreds of times.