[chadbang]

I thought it was odd to see Master and Commander in this thread, but I just listened to the soundtrack and wow! Flawless recording. Love the drumming in particular.

 
Cool, I never thought about getting this soundtrack, but now I remember I did like the music in the movie and to know it's a great recording means I must get it!

 

[Mastad0n]

  These are by no means the best, but sound really great and receive a lot of play on my rig...
 
Steely Dan "Aja"
Neil Young "Harvest"
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers "Damn the Torpedos"
Ray Lamontagne "Till The Sun Turns Black"

 
+1 on the Steely Dan "Aja".  The mastering on that album was well done.  I'll have to look into the Tom Petty album as well.  I'm a fan, but don't happen to have "Damn the Torpedoes."  

 

[mike34260]

Here are some of my absolute favorites:
 
Fleetwood Mac - self titled, The Dance, Tusk, Mirage
Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing, Communique
Alice in Chains - Unplugged, Jar of Flies
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
Madonna - True Blue, self titled
Rage Against The Machine - self titled
Steely Dan - Aja
Judas Priest - Painkiller, Sad Wings of Destiny
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, Pulse, Animals
The Cure - Disintegration 
 
I work at a record store and selling stereo equipment is something I do almost every day. Two of my favorite songs to test things out for people are "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits and "Refugee" by Tom Petty. It never fails and within the first twenty seconds or so they are sold, gets em every time! 

 

[Roan3489]

Dave Matthews Band's Under the Table & Dreaming has the best SQ in my collection.

Dave Matthews Band- Before These Crowded Streets is easily their best studio album as far as sound. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds- Live At Luther College is also a great one.
Any Diana Krall as previously mentioned. Floyd and Zep remastered are always a treat. Nirvana- Utero. Both of the Bon Iver albums are nice.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

My personal top ten follows below. I don't listen to a lot of whole albums, though I've been changing lately. One album per band, otherwise my top five would consist only of Queens of the Stone Age. It doesn't mean that the artist doesn't have other albums I love, and vice-versa: they also have some albums I don't care about. Favorite tracks are in parentheses.
 

Spoiler: The List

• ...Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age (I Appear Missing)
• Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin (When the Levee Breaks)
• Facelift by Alice In Chains (We Die Young)
• Superunknown by Soundgarden (Black Hole Sun)
• Nevermind by Nirvana (Breed)
• Hats Off to the Bull by Chevelle (Face to the Floor)
• Billy Talent II by Billy Talent (Devil in a Midnight Mass)
• OK Computer by Radiohead (Karma Police)
• Metallica by Metallica (Sad But True)
• We Are Not Alone by Breaking Benjamin (Breakdown)

 
Honorable mentions:
 

1. Ten by Pearl Jam (Alive)
2. Disclaimer II by Seether (Out Of My Way)
3. Meteora by Linkin Park (Hit the Floor)
4. De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta (Inertiatic ESP)
5. Generator by Bad Religion (Atomic Garden)
6. Appeal to Reason by Rise Against (Re-Education (Through Labor))
7. Them Crooked Vultures by Them Crooked Vultures (New Fang)
8. Moving Pictures by Rush (Tom Sawyer)

 
Aaaaand, just for fun, here's a top ten of my favorite Queens of the Stone Age tracks:
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

• I Appear Missing from ...Like Clockwork
• A Song for the Deaf from Songs for the Deaf
• My God is the Sun from ...Like Clockwork
• 3's & 7's from Era Vulgaris
• Misfit Love from Era Vulgaris
• Go With the Flow from Songs for the Deaf
• No One Knows from Songs for the Deaf
• The Vampyre of Time and Memory from ...Like Clockwork
• Tangled Up In Plaid from Lullabies to Paralyze
• Monsters in the Parasol from Rated R

 

 

[doublea71]

Your list appears to just be your favorite albums - this thread is more about the best-sounding albums from an audiophile perspective.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

Your list appears to just be your favorite albums - this thread is more shout the best-sounding albums from an audiophile perspective.

And? I think they're the best-sounding. Your point is moot.

 

[iLovePanda265]

Hail to the king by avenged sevenfold is really well recorded imo

 

[doublea71]

And? I think they're the best-sounding. Your point is moot.

In that case, I'm surprised Alice In Chains Unplugged isn't on your list given your taste. For 90s-era rock, I think Morphine's Cure For Pain sounds fantastic.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

In that case, I'm surprised Alice In Chains Unplugged isn't on your list given your taste. For 90s-era rock, I think Morphine's Cure For Pain sounds fantastic.

I came back because I thought about what you said and you were right. I got pretty starry-eyed when I thought this was a thread for posting favorites. I didn't mean to come off aggressively. Still, for someone who enjoys a lot of rock, I think those albums would do very well. Particularly QotSA - whose songs are rich in variety, and bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden whose sound is reminiscent of much rock from the 90s. There are better choices, but I think people who enjoy more recent rock music will appreciate the choices.

 

[doublea71]

I came back because I thought about what you said and you were right. I got pretty starry-eyed when I thought this was a thread for posting favorites. I didn't mean to come off aggressively. Still, for someone who enjoys a lot of rock, I think those albums would do very well. Particularly QotSA - whose songs are rich in variety, and bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden whose sound is reminiscent of much rock from the 90s. There are better choices, but I think people who enjoy more recent rock music will appreciate the choices.

No worries - it's all subjective and nobody can be faulted for their preferences.

 

[mike34260]

I came back because I thought about what you said and you were right. I got pretty starry-eyed when I thought this was a thread for posting favorites. I didn't mean to come off aggressively. Still, for someone who enjoys a lot of rock, I think those albums would do very well. Particularly QotSA - whose songs are rich in variety, and bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden whose sound is reminiscent of much rock from the 90s. There are better choices, but I think people who enjoy more recent rock music will appreciate the choices.

I like QotSA a lot but sadly all of their albums on cd are overly loud and compressed. Even some of the vinyl releases don't sound good at all, which is a shame considering how creative of a band they are. 

 

[Dragonzeanse]

  I like QotSA a lot but sadly all of their albums on cd are overly loud and compressed. Even some of the vinyl releases don't sound good at all, which is a shame considering how creative of a band they are. 

Really? I get my songs through digital distribution, so I haven't noticed that. Not good for audiophiles.

 

[mike34260]

  Really? I get my songs through digital distribution, so I haven't noticed that. Not good for audiophiles.

Yeah it is pretty terrible, most recordings released from the mid 90's and up are victims of the "loudness wars". They seem to think louder is better so they jack up the volume and compression so that literally no dynamic range is left. This in turn causes ear fatigue and limits the amount of time you can listen to something. 

 

[wuwhere]

I downloaded this mp3 from limewire awhile back. The quality is not the same, the mp3 is better, but when the girl screamed 'Joey' at 2:43 on the mp3, it sounded like she was real behind me on the right. It was eerie.