[kpfeifle]

Hello All:

I would like to start a new thread on any expensive “audiophile” CD’s you might own. You know, the Chesky, Mobile Fidelity, XRCD, DCC or Huge Box Set that you paid the extra money for. What is your favorite (or what did you hate)? I’ll start the ball rolling with two of my favorites.

Rimsky-Korsakoff, Scheharazade. Reiner – Chicago Symphony (1960)
JVC XRCD2 JVCXR-0015
For many years, this superb recording was available only on the highly prized Shaded Dog LP’s. It then made a few appearances on CD, none that really captured the dynamics of the recording like this one. This has a huge dynamic range and the soundstage is fantastic. I could walk out and show you exactly where the triangle player is standing. The music is a good introduction to classical. I have played this for many friends who don’t like classical, and all have enjoyed it. At $30.00, the JVC XRCD series is quite expensive, but it does not require anything extra (like HDCD decoding) and I have enjoyed the three that I own. Highly recommended!

Harry “Sweets” Edison & Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – In Copenhagen
Mobile Fidelity UDCD 696
While Mobile Fidelity has been out of business for quite a few years there is still some stock available at many dealers. There is also a thriving used business on ebay. This was recorded in 1976, and captured these two Jazz giants at the height of their respective careers. The music is extremely dynamic and very well recorded. It has none of the typical problems that can plague live recordings. If you are a Jazz fan, this is a must own. Comes packaged in the Mo-Fi “Lift-Lock” jewel case, which should be design case study. Another high recommendation.

What are your favorites?

 

[DarkAngel]

KP
I would like to try some of those JVC XRCD classical series, but the price is just too out of line to jusify for me.

I had 5-6 DCC gold Cds of various rock recordings, I choked down the high price since original CDs did not have great sound.
However I sold all but one in the last few years because newest aluminum remasters are as good or better sound vs DCC and much cheaper price. You get someone like Bob Ludwig to handle remaster and aluminum CDs sound great!

The only DCC I still have is Pat Benatar "heat of night" since for some reason her catalog has not been remastered, still waiting.

 

[KR...]

I have more than just these aduiophile CDs and other classical CDs that are not on audiophile labels in my collection. I got most of these CDs for about $6.99 each. The most expensive ones were about $13 and the less expensive was $1.99

Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (Chesky)
Beethoven - String Quartets Op. 127 in E-Flat Major, Op. 131 in C-Sharp Minor (Telarc)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 (Telarc)
Eiji Oue - Mephisto & Co (Reference Recording)
Goreki: symphony 3 "symphony of sorrowful songs" (Naxos)
In Memoriam – Music for Solemn Occasions (Naxos)
Liszt – A Faust Symphony (Chandos)
Mahler – Das Lied Von Der Erde (Reference Recordings)
Mozart - Requiem (Telarc)
Reflections of Spain: Spanish Favorites for Guitar (Telarc)
Respighi – Belkis, Queen of Sheba (Reference Recording)
Richard Wagner – Orchestral Music (Chesky)
Richard Wagner - Birgit Nilsson sings Wagner : Opera Arias w/Hans Hotter (Testament)
Richard Wagner – Music of Wagner (Telarc)
Richard Wagner – The Flying Dutchman w/Domingo (Deutsche Grammophon)
Richard Wagner - Ring Without Words (Telarc)
Richard Wagner – Marches & Overtures (Naxos)
Richard Wagner – Kirsten Flagstad: Kindertotenlieder/Wesendonk Lieder etc (Mahler/Wagner)(Decca Legends)

 

[tanfenton]

I won't get into individual titles, but Mapleshade, APO–Blue Heaven, and Acoustic Sounds demand tremendous consideration. What Mapleshade wrings from 16/44.1 astounds me to no end.

NGF

 

[NeoVibe]

hi

I'm trying to start an audiophile colection of classical music.
Once I'm still kind of discovering classical music I'd like to know which labels are can I 'trust'? I mean, which are more likely to have audiophile quality recordings?
I've heard a lot about "deutche gramophone"... is it any good?

thank everyone

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally posted by NeoVibe hi I'm trying to start an audiophile colection of classical music. Once I'm still kind of discovering classical music I'd like to know which labels are can I 'trust'? I mean, which are more likely to have audiophile quality recordings? I've heard a lot about "deutche gramophone"... is it any good? thank everyone

telarc is another good one.

 

[KR...]

I am very picky about these things.

Deutche gramophone and Naxos are both budget audiophile labels, however sometimes their titles can be hit or miss, but mostly hits

Reference Recordings have the best sound quailty to my ears, and great classical titles.

Here is their website : http://www.referencerecordings.com

Chesky is one of the most famous, everything they make also sounds great.

Here is their website : http://www.chesky.com

Telarc always have great sound as well and a huge section :

Here is their website : http://www.telarc.com

Naxos CDs are fun and cheap too, best bang for your buck.

http://www.naxos.com

There are many more labels besides these, but these are my own favorites.

 

[zikarus]

@ KR

Die Deutsche Grammophon is far from being a budget-label like Naxos Sorry KR, but that´s nonsense

@ NeoVibe

Besides soundquality - which is important indeed - it´s still the performance that matters. And sorry to say so, but the Reference Recordings orchestras simply won´t do for that.

Since sound quality itself differs as much as personal taste (do you like to sit in the first row or somewhere in the back of a concert hall?) I would reco to stick to the "big four" Deutsche Grammophon/EMI/Phillips/Decca to begin with. Many Naxos recordings are really fine too but you have to know which. Personally I like the (independant) Harmonia Mundi label a lot.

However: Anybody thinking about building up a classical collection should sooner or later consider to buy a Penguin and/or Grammophone Good CD guide.

 

[DLP]

Anything really well done outside of classical?

 

[DLP]

Oops

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Besides soundquality - which is important indeed - it´s still the performance that matters. And sorry to say so, but the Reference Recordings orchestras simply won´t do for that.

Now that is nonsense!


But, really folks whatever you do, DO NOT pay any attention to any of us, opinions are absolutely worthless when it comes to music. Just listen to them and decide for yourself.

 

[slindeman]

The best I've heard:

Chesky - Bucky Pizzarelli's Swing Live - 2001

Live swing jazz. This is a very dynamic recording. The bass gets a little lost, probably the bass player was in the back. The drums, clarinet, vibes, and guitar sound amazing, and the music is fun. The best I've heard from CD so far, and it gets stellar reviews in the DVD-Audio version too. Also available as SACD.

Telarc - Robert Lockwood Jr.'s Delta Crossroads - 2000

They used one of those neumann head microphones and boy can you tell. Incredible sound on headphones, and some great solo acoustic blues.

JVC XRCD - Bill Evans Trio's Sunday at the Village Vanguard

My favorite Jazz CD, with very good sound compared to the other CD versions. Not as good as modern recordings, but who cares when the music is this good. I've also got Waltz for Debby on K2 but it sounds inferior to the XRCD Sunday, so I guess I'll own 3 copies of Waltz for Debby before too long. Based on comparing my XRCD Sunday to my K2 Waltz for Debby (all taken from the same live concert) I have complete trust in the XRCD team for treating the master tapes and original performance with the utmost respect, and wouldn't hesistate spending $30 on any of their other titles that I consider essential. For less essential titles I'd just go with the cheaper K2s or OJC series.

Linn Records - OAE's Italian Baroque Concertos - 2001?

A wonderfully recorded classical CD I received as part of a BBC music magazine subscription. Great music and performance too, although I'm not into classical enough to compare this to other performances. I'm interested in trying some more Linn CDs now.

The other four Telarc recordings I own are quite good also, two classical and two jazz. I bought them more for the music than the sound, but I can't complain. So far I find Telarc to have consitant quality on their newer releases. There are also a few Mapleshade CDs I'll buy soon. Based on their mp3s I find their sound to be outstanding, although a bit bright on occasion.

I won't buy CDs just for the recording quality, so I've been pretty picky about which "audiophile" recordings to buy, and so far I haven't been disappointed in the performances. If I had to choose the labels I thought had the best sound, I'd pick Chesky and Mapleshade. It's too bad those labels have the least number of titles that interest me.

 

[NeoVibe]

Quote:

Originally posted by zikarus @ NeoVibe Besides soundquality - which is important indeed - it´s still the performance that matters. And sorry to say so, but the Reference Recordings orchestras simply won´t do for that. Since sound quality itself differs as much as personal taste (do you like to sit in the first row or somewhere in the back of a concert hall?) I would reco to stick to the "big four" Deutsche Grammophon/EMI/Phillips/Decca to begin with. Many Naxos recordings are really fine too but you have to know which. Personally I like the (independant) Harmonia Mundi label a lot. However: Anybody thinking about building up a classical collection should sooner or later consider to buy a Penguin and/or Grammophone Good CD guide.

thanks the advices people; I have to agree with zikarus when it comes to the perforance's importance...we keep talking about sound quality and sometimes we forget about the music itself.
(when I say 'we' I mean 'I'...)

By the way 2 things:

-what's a "Penguin" "Grammophone [Good] CD guide"? where do I get one?

-One of these days I came across a Philips recording of Beethovens string quartets with 2 stickers on it: one read something like "50 top recordings from Philips" and the other "96Khz 24bit" (yes, it was a CD). Does that refer to the mastering process? Is it something worth looking for?

thanks people

 

[kpfeifle]

Quote:

What Mapleshade wrings from 16/44.1 astounds me to no end.

tanfenton:

I could not agree more! I have two of their CD's, and have several more picked out "as funds allow".

slindeman:

I totally agree about the Bill Evans XRCD, this is one of the three XRCD's I own and I go back to it again and again

 

[tanfenton]

Kp:

If you haven't taken this one down yet, add C.J. Williams' "When Alto was King" (on Mapleshade) to your lengthening list. Most of the label's jazz acts really can swing--with Telarc's recordings of Brubeck, Brown, and Peterson being notable exceptions, not a regular truth in this specialized, highly hit-and-miss sector. Their four-discs-for-nine-dollars price break makes it all the more a steal.

NGF