Hifi audition tracks - songs and tracks recommended by SNA members

[gemini07]

I'll add my my few cents worth to this great thread by @@ThirdDrawerDown

 

Artist - Mike Oldfield

Track - Five Miles Out (various albums)

Album pressing, format - CD

What to listen for - everything - superb control of Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly's voices at high pitch, 3 dimensionality of background voices integrated with crashing drum work and complex mixtures of supporting instruments, natural and electronic

 

Artist - Dire Straits

Track - Telegraph Road (various albums)

Album pressing, format - CD

What to listen for - the stunningly clean and melodious guitar and piano work throughout, and the final four minutes with the mixed drums and rising tempo coming in from all angles. Also Mark Knopfler's voice, which will appear vague in inferior systems.

 

Artist - Hope Waits (no relation to Tom) - self titled album

Track - Get behind the mule 

Album pressing, format - CD

What to listen for - Hope Wait's raspy but warm voice one step away from sibilance at high volume; the complex instrumentation moving across channels punctuated by great presence and integration of the organ

 

Artist - Jewel

Track - Foolish Games

Album pressing, format - CD

What to listen for - gorgeous initial combination of piano with Jewel's voice. Love the way different instruments are introduced and how her voice varies in tempo and pitch to harmonise. Hugely powerful, atmospheric and moving. Is there a more passionate song anywhere?

 

Thanks M! 

Edited June 13, 2015 by gemini07

[legselevens]

Hey TDD, Tried to pm you but your mailbox is full.

[Briz Vegas]

Late to this thread. Very late.

I am now tempted to get White Stripes Elephant on vinyl this weekend . In regard to Cowboy Junkies, I say get a hold of "whites off Earth Now". This is basically a live recording that was pre mixed by design. The vocals are via a PA mike/ speaker into a mike, but it's the instruments that really shine.

For me, I look for realism in audio reproduction. That means a live sound. I was a little surprised that the Audio Tailor shop guy in Brisbane uses the same demo track I use for visitors. It's JJJ like a version 10. It's not a moated of bass or treble or air, it's alt pop music that is recorded live and simply. It just sounds like musicians in your room, simple as that. Plus is accessible recent music, not boring audiophile stuff.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFlBNMvIAMw

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_Iyi3u1Pc

Another album I like is The Waifs live The story so far( or something similar. On some systems it sounds etched, but not on mine. It sounds great and once again you for get about the system and enjoy the music. Anything else is a problem.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Briz Vegas

[Musicislife]

I just picked up Jimmy Barnes' s latest album, a compilation of tracks from his "soul" albums.

I need to say that the SQ on this cd is maybe the best I have ever heard from a homegrown artist.

Even if you dont like Barnes, this cd will give your system a workout and sound is fantastic!

[Guest thathifiguy]

The new Macklemore & Ryan Lewis track 'Downtown' has excellent production, sounds huge!

Get onto it before it gets flogged time and time again on the radio.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[powerav]

I just picked up Jimmy Barnes' s latest album, a compilation of tracks from his "soul" albums.

I need to say that the SQ on this cd is maybe the best I have ever heard from a homegrown artist.

Even if you dont like Barnes, this cd will give your system a workout and sound is fantastic!

I believe he works with the great Kevin Shirley for his solo stuff.

[Guest Sime]

@@cazzesman Thanks for the Infected Mushroom tip, I did a gig with one of the guys ( I think the one who does their music in dj sets) a few years ago now, one of the best sounding gigs I'd done at that point.

Edited June 8, 2016 by Sime

[Willco]

Cant seem to get this link to work, anyone else having trouble?

 

 

Hmm seems OK when I tried it--I linked thru my US email--the Oz ones are troublesome

 

I'll let you know if it completes the download

 

W

[Guest yamaha_man]

Hmm seems OK when I tried it--I linked thru my US email--the Oz ones are troublesome

 

I'll let you know if it completes the download

 

W

 

cazzesman sent me a link that's working atm.   

[Willco]

cazzesman sent me a link that's working atm.   

 

 Ah Ok all cool you are fixed--I'll delete my copy

 

Good luck,

 

W

[Guest yamaha_man]

I currently have no seeds and stuck at 99% 

 

 Ah Ok all cool you are fixed--I'll delete my copy

 

Good luck,

 

W

[Willco]

I have the file folder still if you want it

 

W

[Jventer]

I currently have no seeds and stuck at 99% 

That means you are in a hurry and need to be patient  .

[Ian McP]

not really to my taste but….. loved for it’s good production by a few audiophile mates of mine

I’ll attest to that, have heard it…... at insane levels! on a high resolution system, it holds together very well.

Dig The Hole: Deeper Blues (Lane Baldwin the guitarist)

http://www.allmusic.com/album/dig-the-hole-mw0001207470

check out Stormfront, one of the “better" tracks, to my fastidious tastes

 

[JPete9]

On 14/06/2013 at 11:06 PM, ThirdDrawerDown said:

http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/23730-weston-pre-sgr-speakers-gtg-some-advice-on-music-to-use-is-sort/page-1
 

Emiliana Torrini - Lifesaver : To test how the system handles intricate detail.

 

My mind is blown. This whole album was made by production folks who cared a whole lot about their work and how nice this would sound. This whole album is something properly amazing. THANKS! for posting this and turning me on to this album...!!!

 

I would humbly suggest you listening to Snow (or maybe HeartStopper) from both a beauty and an auctioning your system perspective. There i something quite real and forward and in person about this song.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by JPete9

[Ian McP]

I had this track played on the Ypsilon amps and German Akustik speaker combo at the recent AV HiFi Show, impressed one and all!!

Buy the soundtrack it really is incredible! From Almadovar's film The Skin I Live In

 

[georgepapa]

Stanley Clarke's Barber Shop - The Next Cut , movie soundtrack. Listen to this in lossless if you can . Thunderous bass, brilliantly played and recorded .

[metamatics]

Autechre -oversteps very much tests your amplifier .

 

The range of high and low frequencies together with the warmth of the production is insane . Whether its on vinyl as I have or digital I'm very sure it will entertain  your equipment ..

 

 

[ZEN MISTER]

On 15 June 2016 at 2:23 PM, Ian McP said:

not really to my taste but….. loved for it’s good production by a few audiophile mates of mine

I’ll attest to that, have heard it…... at insane levels! on a high resolution system, it holds together very well.

Dig The Hole: Deeper Blues (Lane Baldwin the guitarist)

http://www.allmusic.com/album/dig-the-hole-mw0001207470

check out Stormfront, one of the “better" tracks, to my fastidious tastes
 

 

@Ian McP - great artist. SNA has an interview with him in the articles section. Should not be too hard to find.

Billy.

[cazzesman]

 

Been playing around a lot lately with my new SGR CX4F's MkII

 

Plenty of listening, tweaking and more tweaking

 

A couple new tracks on high rotation.

 

Ragn'Bone Man - Human -  Massive vocals and deep grove

Lorde - Royals  -  Her pure vocals and Deep, deep bass lines

Sia - Chandelier -  Dynamic

David Bowie - Blackstar - Brilliant production

Charles Kelly - Southern Accents  -  Wonderful vocals from Charles and Stevie Nicks

Keb Mo - Basically anything he has done.   -  Production is clean and top notch for his vocals and guitar playing

Skunkhour - Stay close -  Some deep stuff.  Very moody vocals

Toto - I will remember -  The opening drum rolls by Simon Phillips are said to be some of the best ever produced.

 

Regards Cazzesman

Edited May 12, 2017 by cazzesman

[alphanumerix1]

awesome thread thanks all!

[Ken98]

Gino D'auri an Italian Flamenco and classical guitarist has some pretty good tracks.

His albums Flamenco passion and soul and Flamenco Mystico are both available on Spotify.

Galicia Flamenca is my favourite 

 

[allthumbs]

The last two tracks from The Manhattan Transfer's album "The Offbeat of Avenues".

 

The Queitude, A DAT recording of the typical night sounds of the Amazon jungle act as a background, spoken voices, some drums and sonics and electric bass together with multi tracked vocals by the MT.  Tim Hauser sings and repeats a low counterpoint line with distinct and well pronounced lyrics, you should be able to follow each and every word Hauser sings while all the stuff on top is going on, not so easy. I had one pair of second hand DIY speakers with a 12 inch coax fullrange speaker and a nice tweeter that did that job admirably. Everything since then has been a bit of a muddle.

 

Blues for Pablo, some sonic sound effects, great vocalise and Cheryl Bentine hits a high C that can sound pinched and whiny or very pure and human.

[Happy]

If a system can handle Mahler 8 by Solti/CSO better than most I deem it one of the finest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Spinnergeoff]

Here's something I wrote some time ago on the topic of demo discs:

11/9/2015 - Hifi Demo Discs!

In the September/October edition of Australian hi-fi magazine, the editor Greg Borrowman quite rightly has a go at those people at hifi shows who have the temerity to put up signs at their demo rooms saying "Diana Krall-Free Zone". As he says, it might have been a bit funny if not overdone, but it has been. Worse, some idiots have even gone so far as to belittle her music. That is just not on.

It's true that demo albums have always ended up being thrashed to death in the industry, from way back when the Telarc 1810 Overture was in use, or even before that, the Mercury one conducted by Antal Dorati. In the 1990s we had Jazz at the Pawnshop, Mary Black, Loreena McKennitt, and of course Enya!

 

I was working through that period I've come to label as the "female vocal era". Most salesmen will recall the numerous customers who came in, sat down, and when asked what they'd like to listen to, said "Have you got some female vocal?" - which of course we did have! For a while even Dusty Springfield got a "look" in with The Look of Love. Carol Kidd (on Linn Records) was big news then, just as Claire Martin is now. I'm sure the same group will recall the series "Best Audiophile Voices", which were all women!

 

Those with longer memories will recall Earl Klugh. "Finger Paintings" was probably done to death before I became involved, but I did own a copy from way back. It's still good, as is the one he did with Bob James called "Two of a Kind". But success sometimes leads to over-exposure, and not all Earl's albums are up to that standard.

Sheffield Lab became the touchstone label for a long time. Their direct-to-discs launched some names we'd not heard of before, like Adam Makowicz, Thelma Houston, Lincoln Mayorga, Amanda McBroom, and (for some anyway) Igor Stravinsky (/sarc). Dave Grusin was there too, before going with GRP.

 

In the surround sound era, the standout track has been the (remade for DVD) Eagles doing Hotel California. That one has probably been played more often than anything else since it appeared. In defence of this, it was something that most people were familiar with, and felt comfortable using it for assessment purposes.

I preferred to use a tried and true selection of tracks that varied from classical through jazz to a bit of pop and MOR - including Dave Grusin and Acoustic Alchemy. For orchestral colour I found the Mercury recording of Chabrier's Espana (Paul Paray) to be excellent. It also had handy repetitions which you could use for instant replay switches between competing speakers. For solo piano a couple of the Beethoven Bagatelles (Stephen Kovacevich), and for violin the Sarasate "Zigeunerweisen" with Anne-Sophie Mutter. And yes, I'd always have a Diana Krall track as well!

 

What's used in demos will continue to change with fashion, and so it should. One of the critical things in doing a good demo is to be in tune with your customer, which can be hard for someone approaching retirement if dealing with much younger people - unless they've brought their own tracks, which these days is so easy!

My introduction to new music now comes mainly from hearing tracks on internet radio which I then follow up via Spotify. I've just downloaded Allison Miller's group album "Live At Willisau" from CD Baby - it's available as a double LP for $US35 or FLAC download $US10 ($A15). Very modern jazz, heavy on the percussion (she's the drummer!) but with great sound and excellent work by acoustic bass, piano and violin.

For a more relaxed (mostly) jazz sound try Linda Presgrave's "Along The Path" on Spotify.

More music musings at my blog's music page - http://homeentertainment.com.au/music.html