"Portraits" by Clark Terry SACD on Chesky. Great jazz quartet with totally open soundstage with literally wall to wall imaging. An immersive experience listening to top quality jazz.
+1 for Two Against Nature as far as an album that can truly make a system sound great. It does have a bit of a sterile, digital sound to it but it is pretty incredibly recorded and the dynamics are awesome. Morning Phase and Sea Change by Beck are pretty hard to beat, great albums, great recordings, great productions. They are top of my list along with The Wall and Wish You Were Here by Floyd.
If your system can make simply recorded mono records from the ’50s and ’60s sound realistic and lifesize, that’s really showing off. For example, Question Mark & The Mysterians "Action" LP, side 1 track 3.
@n80 thanks! I will check out Tracker and Two Against Nature. I'm with you that some of the Knopfler solo work is good, and some not so good. Steely Dan is always great!
"Wandering" by Yosi Horikawa. I heard it at AXPONA 2019 in one of the Wilson Audio rooms. The first track "Bubbles" is 3D ear candy. This EP doesn't touch all the audiophile performance bases, but it sure is fun. If you like percussion and sound effects, this is the ticket.
@soundermn : If you like the SQ of Dire Straits stuff (and I do too), check out some of Knopfler's solo work. He has done a lot. I don't particularly care for a lot of it, but Tracker is exceptional. One of my favorite albums. Get Lucky is good and the first CD of Privateering is also good.
Tracker would be my second choice for showing off my system after Steely Dan's Two Against Nature. I like the music on Tracker better but Two Against Nature may be the best produced album I've ever heard. Even better than Aja and Gaucho.
Dead Can Dance Into The Labyrinth (new pressings). I think my system sounds pretty good (for mid-fi at best) given its a mish mash of stuff waiting to be replaced (total cost $3300) but this record just........holy crap!
Last night we listened to Donald Fagan The Nightfly. Awesome! I have so many albums that sound fantastic, it's hard to pick one. Dire Straits - all of them - also come to mind.
@irish_tim : Your mention of Eminence Front reminded me that Pete Townshend's album White City is extremely well produced. The song "Hiding Out" is a great one for exercising your system.
If you have full range speakers that reproduce bass pretty well listen to Bela Fleck's "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo." Make sure you remove valuable items from your shelves .
Pretty much any of the Steely Dan albums, my favorite is Countdown to Ecstasy. Also, check out Alice Cooper, especially the first parts of these songs...Billion Dollar Babies, Ballad of Dwight Fry, Go to Hell. The Who's "Eminence Front" and Kenny Wayne Shepard's "Blue on Black" are also excellent songs for showing off your system.
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell (2000). An analogue sounding CD if ever there was one. It can't sound bad on any system, but it will sound deliciously lush on a good one.
I am lucky enough to own all the MFSL 1 Step Ultradisc, they are all outstanding. Personal favorite is Bill Evans Trio - Sunday Night At The Village Vanguard. I am transported to the venue and the sound of Bill Evan playing live when I listen to this LP. At a more affordable price the Rob Wasserman - Duets LP is extremely good sonically and music wise, very enjoyable. Finally one more LP that will convince you just how good vinyl playback has become; Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest. beautiful music and an amazing recording/pressing.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
