[bigshot]

Oh ok. I have a few recordings from Hyperion but I'd never heard of naxos before. I have a few CDs from EMI, Phillips, Hyperion, Sony how do these compare with naxos? or is it on a CD by CD basis? I've only started getting into classical this past year so I don't know much about composers, record labels, or anything like that.

The label doesn't matter. All labels have good recordings and not so good ones. The performers are what counts.

 

[William007]

Bigshot do you maybe know a very complex classical song? It's to test my 'new' cans

 

[bigshot]

There really isn't just one CD that has everything I need to test with. But these three together pretty well cover it

Dorati's 1812 Overture on Mercury Living Presence
Massive low frequency power when the cannon goes off
http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Festival-Capriccio-Beethoven-Wellingtons/dp/B0000057MW/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1345829876

Fiedler's Gaetie Parisienne
Best sounding recording I've ever heard- lots of high frequency sparkle
http://www.amazon.com/Offenbach-parisienne-Rossini-Respighi-boutique-fantasque/dp/B0006PV5VW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1345830016

Munch's Daphnis et Chloe
Great test for transparency andoverall balance of response
http://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Daphnis-Chloe-Hybrid-SACD/dp/B0002TKFHW/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1345830213

 

[William007]

Thanks for the albums! I'll order them today!

 

[mbhaub]

I don't know if you're still interested, but I do have one CD that I used to judge everything: amps, speakers, headphone amps and cans. Of all things, its a Star Wars cd with music from the first three original movies (episodes 4, 5, & 6) on Varese Sarabande. The Utah Symphony never sounded so good, the conducting by the sadly neglected V. Kojian. But the recorded sound is astonishing - even for it's age. The 20th Century Fox intro will immediately let you know how well your system handles deep bass drum. Listen for the zing of the cymbals. The entire cd is something to wallow in if you love well recorded orchestral soundtracks.
 
If you want a straight classical disk to push your system, Holst's The Planets on Decca with Dutoit and his Montreal orchestra is really something, too.

 

[William007]

thanks for saying