What are your audiophile recordings for system evaluation and setup?

Music
82

Who doesn’t love Lyle Lovett? Heresy.

1 Like
83

Saw him in the early years after forming his Large Band. Awesome performer. Glad I had the opportunity to see them.

1 Like
84

We also saw his large band in Boston at the Bank of Boston pavilion on Rowe’s Wharf. What a great show!

85

Sorry can’t help you there. I play my music from my hard drive via my DAC.

86

Flac 352 is the same quality as DXD or…?

btw the albums are on sale at the moment with 20% off. As well as their older but still superb sounding 24/96 recordings; https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php

87

FLAC 352 is 352.8kHz/24 PCM which is DXD.

2 Likes
88

@bruce-in-philly How can you tell the difference?

89

The difference between these CDs? No comparison. I own both. … the Varese Sarabrand version has miles of separation and imaging. The Kritzerland version does not. Stupid easy comparison… incredibly obvious.

Regarding the comparison with the vinyl, I can’t do the comparison because I nuked my beautiful VPI turntable with an SME arm a long time ago… darn.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

90

Thanks Bruce…Is the Kritzerland CD in print? Doing a quick search I was unable to locate.

Thanks

91

Do not get the Kritzerland.

I just found a Varese on Amazon for $55 used… seller has 5 available. There is also a new 50th anniversary on Quartet label but I know nothing about how this one sounds.

Apparently, the sellers know the Varese is a good one as it Varese is in the item description. I buy all my CDs now from Amazon… most I buy are used ones.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

92

I do have and recommend the Varese version as recommended by Bruce. I also have it on LP as an original release, and several reissues. The Varese while very good does not hold a candle to the vinyl versions.
I can’t imagine spending premium coin on the CD.

93

First, here is my list of reference recordings. All are DSD. I play these to evaluate new gear as well as to make guests invariably say “holy s***”. None are secrets, but I can stress the DSD versions take these to a different level. In no particular order:

  1. “Garcia/ Grisman” - Jerry Garcia and David Grisman

  2. “After Midnight” - Nat King Cole Trio

  3. “The Girl in the Other Room” - Diana Krall

  4. “Come Away With Me” - Norah Jones

  5. “Stan Getz/ Joao Gilberto” - Getz/ Gilberto

  6. “Kind of Blue” - Miles Davis

  7. “Time Out” - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

  8. “Gaucho” - Steely Dan, perhaps the best of the best sounding.

Here is my “audition” playlist. A mixture of old and new, sort of. Screenshot of Roon was the only way I devised to easily share it.

1
1.png1920×1080 248 KB
2
2.png1920×1080 243 KB
3
3.png1920×1080 245 KB
4
4.png1920×1080 213 KB
5
5.png1920×1080 249 KB
6
6.png1920×1080 224 KB
7
7.png1920×1080 223 KB

5 Likes
94

nice list. We have similar tastes. :metal:

2 Likes
95

btw the albums are on sale at the moment with 20% off. As well as their older but still superb sounding 24/96 recordings; https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php

Very good in depth review of the one mic series recordings here; Review Sound Liaison one mic recordings

Blockquote

96

Yes indeed good list.I have some listening to do!:grinning:

97

yeah, very intrigued by these. Feenbrothers’ Dave Brubeck album is excellent. I’ll sample others.

But curious what systems/DACs can play the DXD files. I’ll do some more investigating but what are you playing these through? Using Roon? Or as @tony22 asks, a DS DAC? (I’m using a mac mini with Roon, so far lower down the food chain.)

I could skip the DXD file and just do the 352 kHz FLAC, which I’m sure would sound bananas awesome on my system anyway.
[/quote]

A good way to see what your system can handle is to download their free compare formats album;
link to Compare formats download

[/quote]

Which format is best for your DAC?
Every DAC has it’s own character, some sounds better using PCM files and some sounds better using DSD files… Some people find the convenience of FLAC files more important.
Here on this page is a list containing 2 minutes of a song in 11 different formats.

1 Like
98

Nice to see a mono recording on your list. And a fine one it is!

99

Yes, it’s DSD and perhaps the finest sound quality of any recording I have. Along with the DSDs of Take 5, Garcia & Grisman, Gaucho and Come Away With Me.

2 Likes
100

Good old mono. Sometimes I think that the limitations the engineers had back then made them better at placing the microphones and using the acoustics of the hall.

3 Likes
101

I mean 60 year old recordings are keeping up with modern recordings, actually quite amazing when you think about it!

1 Like