What are your go to LP's for evaluating new gear or new tubes?

@flash56 

I have thought about that regarding inner groove distortion. Especially when it is common to leave a best song for last. Not always but it is common so that thought is probably the main reason. I don't always hear IGD but sometimes it is evident. Not sure how or why that could be. You'd think the physics of it would make it a constant. Just sayin"

And yes, Alan Parsons being an AE, is very particular and it shows. This new album of his "Time Machine" is really very good. Probably not new at all but new to me. I hadn't bought a new AP album in many years. Glad I picked this one up. New/sealed around $30, money well spent.

@mikempls 

Don't have most of yours but we all have our go to's. It's been interesting and I'm glad to see how many appreciate Tea For The Tillerman. It is one of my all time favorites. Doesn't see as much play as it used to but every now and then, gotta hear it. :) First enjoyed 55 years ago, just as good today as it was then. Lots of us going through our collections to see which ones we have, learning more and being inspired to seek out more. All good stuff.

Happy listening to all

It's going to be a busy week listening to all my new discoveries everyone's offered. Just listened to Oregon -- very fine! 

Thanks again everyone! 

@bilpete if you like classical definitely check out the Original Source re-issues and also AP reissues of early Decca, EMI, and others. Amazing sound from recordings from 1950s and 1960s. WOW.

Also Impex, Chesky, Testament labels - they have a few classical reissues.

And check out the Tracking Angle - Fremer's website - excellent reviews of all vinyl re-issues of all musical genres.

And I have been collecting and playing early Decca recordings from 50s, 60s, 70s. Especially those recorded by Ken? Wilkinson in Kingsway Hall. WOW.

@billpete 

I'll have to look to see if I have any Hyperion. Sounds familiar but not sure. Are they D2D or just very well done? Who are the pianists?

On the Shostakovich, the pianist is the brilliant Canadian Marc-Andre Hamelin. The newly released vinyl is a tariff short of the original CD / SACD release - it drops the Shchedrin concerto, which is a pity as it includes a jazz band.  The digital versions were released in 2003.

Hyperion is one of the best British recording labels for classical, and seem to be just getting into vinyl!

The Beethoven Triple Concerto I was thinking of features Nicola Benedetti (violin), Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello) and Benjamin Grosvenor (piano) but is a new Decca (London?) release, not Hyperion.  My mistake.

I have ordered the new vinyl stampings of the 2001 recordings of Saint-Saens Piano Concertos from Hyperion with Stephen Hough, but they have not arrived yet.

These recordings all get top reviews from Gramophone magazine and are available from Presto at https://www.prestomusic.com/