@gosta
Check out Weekend in LA On Broadway by George Benson for really dynamic great live music
Check out Weekend in LA On Broadway by George Benson for really dynamic great live music
How to find the good CD recordings?
I'm new to high end audio but have a decent system. One of the things I've noticed with this new (old) system, is that some of my CDs which I used to think sounded fine just don't sound all that good anymore while some of them sound great. A lot of these CDs are 30 years old and came from CD clubs (remember those?) and typical record stores.
I've noticed in particular that some of my Led Zep CDs just sound a little flat and a little shallow while some of the Pink Floyd and Rush CDs sound quite good.
Is this just a matter of Floyd and Rush having higher production quality from the beginning?
Would later "remastered" Zep CDs sound better? Is "remastered" always an indication of better or superior quality? Is it just marketing hype sometimes?
Anyway, with this new system I am inclined to buy the best quality recordings of any newer music I buy and possible replace some of my old favorites.
So is there a place on the internet where one can go to get reviews of the actual recording quality and not just the music itself. I don't see iTunes or Amazon as particularly useful here. At this point I am not interested in pursuing vinyl or high end audio files. I'm still just getting my feet wet and CDs seem like a cheap way to do that.
Any assistance much appreciated,
George
I've noticed in particular that some of my Led Zep CDs just sound a little flat and a little shallow while some of the Pink Floyd and Rush CDs sound quite good.
Is this just a matter of Floyd and Rush having higher production quality from the beginning?
Would later "remastered" Zep CDs sound better? Is "remastered" always an indication of better or superior quality? Is it just marketing hype sometimes?
Anyway, with this new system I am inclined to buy the best quality recordings of any newer music I buy and possible replace some of my old favorites.
So is there a place on the internet where one can go to get reviews of the actual recording quality and not just the music itself. I don't see iTunes or Amazon as particularly useful here. At this point I am not interested in pursuing vinyl or high end audio files. I'm still just getting my feet wet and CDs seem like a cheap way to do that.
Any assistance much appreciated,
George
Showing 9 responses by shadorne
I have How the West was Won and the BBC sessions. Everything LZ put out is so great musically. Everything is enjoyable due to the superb playing and chemistry. Of course they ripped off a great deal of music from others but that is not so important because it really is the performances that shine - playing on a level that really stands out against anything before or since. The individual skills are not as important as their combined chemistry - this is what makes LZ unique, IMHO. |
@chemman You have good ears! What Daniel Lanois did on Oh Mercy is absolute magic. I think LZ Deluxe sounds tinny until you crank it! When you crank it you realize it was mastered to be played louder than average. Finally the LZ catalog is highly variable even within the same album - individual songs are great sounding while others on the same album are poor. For classic rock I recommend a tube preamp to get the most out of it. Try Nils Lofgren Keith Don’t go live for superb sound. |
@n80 Get a subscription or a trial to Tidal. Tidal have the recent Led Zeppelin “Deluxe” remasters from 2014. This is the best on digital. The drums are much cleaner than anything else. Really exceptional sounding compared to anything else. I love the delta blues. There is plenty of great stuff out there. Again Tidal is quite good. Check out Omar and the howlers - Big Delta CD and if you like Led Zep then check The Small Faces and Stan Webb Chickenshack as well as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Early Rush is heavily influenced by Led Zep. Unfortunately I have never found anything exceptional sounding by Rush except Power Windows. They are of course a great band. Check this out (the original drummer could really groove and plays ahead of the beat unlike Peart who is an exceptional technician and time keeper and plays on the beat) Stylistically this drum style serves the song better.... https://youtu.be/ndjCXG_c9kk |