[oldmate]

Do you know the DR figure of this particular rip?

What a great thread. Thanks to all for the recommendations.
 
Now enjoying Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Audioslave, Candlebox, Opeth and Satan. Bands/Artists I would not have previously thought of checking out.
 
Cheers. 

 

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Fans of newer prog from the likes of Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson and Opeth might enjoy Anekdoten (from Sweden) and Gazpacho (Norway).

I discovered Baron via a recommendation from Wolf People. Those of you into new psych prog, other favorites include Spirits Of The Dead, Syd Arthur, Messenger, Amplifier​, Fuzz Manta, Fellwoods, Knifeworld, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Kama Loka, Electric Orange, Atavismo. I'd say most of the albums covered will please audiophiles. The more distressed doom prog of Roundtable and Northwinds would be an acquired taste for some.
 
Progasms: A Progressive Rock Rundown
 

 

I've been gradually catching up on modern prog in the past couple years. Another favorite along with Baron, Anekdoten and Gazpacho is Änglagård, a Swedish band formed 24 years ago, but just had two albums in the early 90s until they reunited in 2012. I have much more listening to go on these, still on the fence -- Echolyn, Kingstom Wall, Riverside, Transatlantic, IQ, Haken, Birds And Buildings, The Pineapple Thief. I like Porcupine Tree, but haven't been feeling solo Steve Wilson so much.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

I totally recommend the Baron album.
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://baron.bandcamp.com/album/torpor" href="http://baron.bandcamp.com/album/torpor">Torpor by Baron</a>
 
However, maybe everyone is distracted by the excitement for this release?
 

 

[s4tch]

most of my favorite sounding records have already been mentioned, just wanted to contribute with some suggestions:
 

 

 

[JustinBieber]

MFSL of Chicago Transit Authority. If you guys like CTA I really recommend getting it. The timbre, soundstage, and dynamic range is stellar. It's much better than the Teichiku CD.
 
Great testing album too. It was mastered very well and I usually play it at meets or when I audition speakers. 
 

 

[Peti]

I didn't know that Justin Bieber is into Chicago!
 
Joke aside, thanks for the tip, I will give it a try.
 
P

 

[vonseux]

two metal albums I always bring to test sound quality is
 
SCORPIONS - Love at First Sting
 
this album was recorded with all the production value a band can get, the original cd mix is heavy, balanced and super clean. The way Rock You Like a Hurricane builds instrument by instrument is awesome to perceive sound stage.
 
MEGADETH - Euthanasia
 
Easily the best produced Megadeth album (the band had lots of money at the time) and a slower approach than the first thrash albums, giving much more space to every note. It's actually very similar to Countdown to Extinction, but I feel this have a better collection of music and more variety in rythms. The BASS on this album is a blueprint on how to record it heavy. The remaster CD is excellent.

 

[WraithApe]

 
MEGADETH - Euthanasia
 
Easily the best produced Megadeth album (the band had lots of money at the time) and a slower approach than the first thrash albums, giving much more space to every note. It's actually very similar to Countdown to Extinction, but I feel this have a better collection of music and more variety in rythms. The BASS on this album is a blueprint on how to record it heavy. The remaster CD is excellent.

 
It's a pity that as the sound quality went up, song quality went down - they were just too conventional-sounding by Euthanasia, too much in the verse-chorus-verse-chorus mode. Rust In Peace strikes a happy medium, in terms of great tracks and also markedly improved production on previous albums, but I still think Peace Sells and SFSGSW showcase the best of the band's music: they were still proper thrash back then, rawer, faster and heavier than anything after Rust In Peace - some of the guitar work + arrangements on SFSFSW particularly, is unreal! But if it's purely production values at stake - then yeah, Countdown and Euthanasia have it.

 

[PinkFlag]

What is the best quality CD release of Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind, in terms of audio clarity and dynamic range?

 

[vonseux]

   
It's a pity that as the sound quality went up, song quality went down - they were just too conventional-sounding by Euthanasia, too much in the verse-chorus-verse-chorus mode. Rust In Peace strikes a happy medium, in terms of great tracks and also markedly improved production on previous albums, but I still think Peace Sells and SFSGSW showcase the best of the band's music: they were still proper thrash back then, rawer, faster and heavier than anything after Rust In Peace - some of the guitar work + arrangements on SFSFSW particularly, is unreal! But if it's purely production values at stake - then yeah, Countdown and Euthanasia have it.

I couldn't care less if it's more or less thrash, I really like Euthanasia, but I also dig newer albums like Endgame and United Abominations, some of the best!
 
On this subject, I still need to run the albums produced by Andy Sneap on my new gear - I really love all album he produced for Testament, Kreator, Accept, Hell .... he have a really good tough for thrash and alikes

 

[DDDYKI]

Extreme II and III stick out to me. They're both very clean sounding, III in particular. Some of the later Dream Theater albums, I'd say Octavarium and newer, sound excellent.
 
Monster Magnet's "Cobras and Fire", a "reimagining" of their Mastermind album, is just spooky and engrossing. I was a little miffed that they went and re-recorded and completely remixed the songs so soon after the original album, and I also prefer their more hard rock sound to their stoner metal. But the tracks work pretty well.

 

[Darkestred]

  Extreme II and III stick out to me. They're both very clean sounding, III in particular. Some of the later Dream Theater albums, I'd say Octavarium and newer, sound excellent.
 
Monster Magnet's "Cobras and Fire", a "reimagining" of their Mastermind album, is just spooky and engrossing. I was a little miffed that they went and re-recorded and completely remixed the songs so soon after the original album, and I also prefer their more hard rock sound to their stoner metal. But the tracks work pretty well.

Love 3 sides.  Very nice sounding album.  Albeit a bit compressed on the drums.  Which reminds me of Fight albums.  I'm sure this has already been mentioned.
 
Some pretty good sounding albums are from:
 
Dance Party.  Dance! Dance! - Whatever You Like.
Fightstar - Behind The Devils Back
I The Mighty - Connector
Dawn Heist - Catalyst

 

[davidsh]

I'll throw AC/DC Live Collector's edition in here. A mighty fine live album regarding sound quality.The music is great too 

 

[Makiah S]

Honestly, I'm listening to the Original CD release of Metallica's ...And Justice for All, an as far as masters go... it has to easily be one of my FAVORITE albums like ever... running kernal streaming into my Audio GD NFB10ES2 with my Balanced/Modded Hifiman HE 4 an it's... just great! Bass drums kick, Cliffs riffs are thick an heavy, the guitars them selvs have a great great texture to them as well, an the vocals are nice to
 
point being, it's a fantastic master, an one I use to demo headphones from time to time, 

 

[WraithApe]

  Honestly, I'm listening to the Original CD release of Metallica's ...And Justice for All, an as far as masters go... it has to easily be one of my FAVORITE albums like ever... running kernal streaming into my Audio GD NFB10ES2 with my Balanced/Modded Hifiman HE 4 an it's... just great! Bass drums kick, Cliffs riffs are thick an heavy, the guitars them selvs have a great great texture to them as well, an the vocals are nice to
 
point being, it's a fantastic master, an one I use to demo headphones from time to time, 

 
Undoubtedly a great album, but it's often been criticized for being a bass-light mix on the original master and I tend to agree; I'm still waiting for a remaster with added bass! Incidently, this was the first post-Cliff album - it's Jason Newsted on bass.
 
http://loudwire.com/sound-mixer-metallica-and-justice-for-all-blames-lars-ulrich-thin-bass-sound/