What 'Audiophile Records' lived up to your expectation?

jadis

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Some of us have been buying 'audiophile records' like those from Sheffield Lab, RR, Chesky, Mofi, etc. Assuming that one enjoys the music of a particular album, what are those which have lived up to your expectations in sonic quality? Mine would be:

1. Sheffield Lab - James Newton Howard & Friends, Growing Up in
Hollywood, Lincoln Mayorga and Friends (s-9)
2. RR - Tafelmusik, Dafos
3. Nimbus Supercuts - Earl Klugh - 'Living Inside Your Love', Dave Grusin -
'Mountain Dance'.
4. CBS Half Speed - Bob James & Earl Klugh - 'One on One'
5. CBS DM Mastersound (Japan) - Al di Meola, Paco de Lucia, John
McLaughlin - "Friday Night in San Francisco"
6. MoFi - Earl Klugh - 'Late Night Guitar', Johnny Mathis 'Heavenly'
7. Analogue Productions - The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd (45 rpm)
8. DCC - Nat King Cole 'Love is the Thing', Byrd/Getz 'Jazz Samba'
 

vinylphilemag

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Off the top of my head:

Classic Records' Lt Kije (four 45-RPM single sided discs); I'd love to hear this one on Classic's Clarity vinyl!
 

hifitommy

Well-Known Member
mostly the DTDs of the 70s

the sheffields like The King James Version, Comin' From a Good Place, and Still Harry After All These Years, thelma houston-ive got the music in me, and others.

road father by woody herman.

flamenco direct I & II by carlos montoya.

there were quite a few and the DTD process is quite vivid due to the lack of a tape recorder in the chain.

some of the Reference Recordings releases like Dafos by mickey hart and on classic-blues in orbit by duke ellington are great examples of those that were tape recorded and transferred with great care.

...regards...tr
 

jadis

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the sheffields like The King James Version, Comin' From a Good Place, and Still Harry After All These Years, thelma houston-ive got the music in me, and others.

road father by woody herman.

flamenco direct I & II by carlos montoya.

there were quite a few and the DTD process is quite vivid due to the lack of a tape recorder in the chain.

some of the Reference Recordings releases like Dafos by mickey hart and on classic-blues in orbit by duke ellington are great examples of those that were tape recorded and transferred with great care.

...regards...tr

I find most albums by Sheffield Lab quite consistent in having a quality sound. RR's, some albums tend to sound very distant with some intstruments more pronounced than others.
 

MylesBAstor

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I find most albums by Sheffield Lab quite consistent in having a quality sound. RR's, some albums tend to sound very distant with some intstruments more pronounced than others.

It's funny you bring up the RRs. I've been puzzled by some of the reviews they've received. I've felt that in fact, the earlier releases were the better of the bunch. Instruments on the RR always blended together and sounded indistinct; the top end was weird. Yes, the RRs were dynamic and had big bass drums, but it takes more than that to make a winner.

The same went for some of the Wilson releases such as Winds of War and Peace and Centerstage. (Doug Sax mastered these.) Just a very amorphous sound and soundstage.

That was until got the Tape Project release of Arnold Overtures. It smokes the LP. All of the above issues went away and there was even more information revealed on the recording. So I attribute the issues to the mastering, even though I think Stan Ricker (?) if memory serves me correctly, mastered the RR LPs.
 

jadis

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It's funny you bring up the RRs. I've been puzzled by some of the reviews they've received. I've felt that in fact, the earlier releases were the better of the bunch. Instruments on the RR always blended together and sounded indistinct; the top end was weird. Yes, the RRs were dynamic and had big bass drums, but it takes more than that to make a winner.

The same went for some of the Wilson releases such as Winds of War and Peace and Centerstage. (Doug Sax mastered these.) Just a very amorphous sound and soundstage.

That was until got the Tape Project release of Arnold Overtures. It smokes the LP. All of the above issues went away and there was even more information revealed on the recording. So I attribute the issues to the mastering, even though I think Stan Ricker (?) if memory serves me correctly, mastered the RR LPs.

Agreed, Myles. Stan did master a lot of the RR albums, on half speed.
 

hifitommy

Well-Known Member
chesky

my friend has complained about chesky recordings sounding too distant but i believe thats what DC was trying to accomplish to capture a deep soundstage to enhance imaging. these complaints come about CDs and SACDs but audiophile recordings and their qualities seem to be the main focus of the last posts.

the road father disc seems to be shimmering with soundfield. played back on a friend's acoustat 3s long ago, thats what it sounded like.

...regards...tr
 
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MylesBAstor

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Here's a couple --not meant to be all inclusive--that come immediately to mind:

On Sheffield (Michael Newman/Confederation/Drum Record/Amanda McBroom-though the bass has always been weird on this recording)
On RR (Dr. Johnson Astounding Sound Show/Dafos/Marni Nixon/Star of Wonder)
MoFi (LA Jazz Choir=an early Keith Johnson recording/Eric Clapton: Slowhand/Don Sebesky/Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster/Santana Abraxas/Yes Close to the Edge)
DCC (Ray Charles and Betty Carter/Blues Hoot: Lightnin Hopkins/Oscar Peterson: West Side Story/Jazz Samba/Getz and Gilberto)
M&K Realtime (For Duke/Fatha/Roger Wagner -- though a touch on the dry side)
Chesky (Daphnis and Chloe and The Power of the Orchestra)
Water Lily (Ali Akbar Khan/A Meeting by the River) **I also love one of his CDs that will never come out on vinyl-Music for the Motherless Child: Wu Mann and Martin Simpson!!!
Mark Levinson (Jazz at the Long Wharf/Bill Elgart/Elvin Jones v1 and 2)
FIM (Favorite Chinese Instrumentals)
Crystal Clear (Charlie Byrd/Laurindo Almeida/Montoya v1 and 2)
Cardas (Kip Dobler)
Athena (Symphonic Dances-pre JVC pressings)

Of course since we mentioned DCC/MoFi/Chesky reissues, there's the excellent Blue Note/Verve/Impulse 45 rpm reissues from Analogue Productions, ORG and Music Matters Jazz; Proprius and Opus 3, etc.

And we can always wonder what might have been if DCC had not gone out of business and been able to remaster the Beatles albums. Those who have gone to CES and heard Steve Hoffman speak, have heard snippets of what might have been :) Just some amazing outtakes and sound. Not at all like the original crapped up releases :( When you hear Paul and John singing on these CD-Rs, you just want to cry!
 
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jadis

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Nice list, Myles. Speaking of DCC, I have one DCC CD of Arthur Lyman, title is 'Taboo/Yellow Bird' (2 LPs rolled into 1 CD) and I must say this particular work of Steve Hoffman blows away my LPs (I have both stereo and mono). This is some great re-mastering job.
 

jadis

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road father by woody herman.

flamenco direct I & II by carlos montoya.

I should give my Road Father LP another listen. Been stuck in the rack too long. Agreed, I like those Flamenco Direct LPs on Crystal Clear.
 

jadis

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To add a couple more:

1. Concord Direct to Disc - L.A. 4 "Just Friends". The opening cut 'Noveau Bach' is stunning. Imaging is tops. I heard from a good friend that Jason Bloom uses this to demo his huge Apogee's at hi-fi shows.

2. Pure Audiophile - Karrin Allyson "Ballads - Remembering John Coltrane". Half Speed Mastered by Stan Ricker.
 

hifitommy

Well-Known Member
concord records

even their regular LPs are just about reference quality as is. the LA4 as a group of recordings are wonderful. the DTDs that exist are icing on the cake.

playing any of the standard ones will NOT embarrass you or yor system provided they are in good shape.

...regards...tr
 

jadis

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even their regular LPs are just about reference quality as is. the LA4 as a group of recordings are wonderful. the DTDs that exist are icing on the cake.

playing any of the standard ones will NOT embarrass you or yor system provided they are in good shape.

...regards...tr

Agreed. My favorites in the Concord family are 'Tango' by Almeida/Byrd, and 'Soular Energy' by the Ray Brown Trio.
 

MylesBAstor

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Agreed. My favorites in the Concord family are 'Tango' by Almeida/Byrd, and 'Soular Energy' by the Ray Brown Trio.

Have you heard Jimmy Rowles and Ray Brown's Tasty on Concord? Don't miss it if you haven't!
 

jadis

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Have you heard Jimmy Rowles and Ray Brown's Tasty on Concord? Don't miss it if you haven't!

Not yet, Myles. Will look for it. Thanks.
 

MylesBAstor

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jadis

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hifitommy

Well-Known Member
i have some of those

tango on sacd, soular on cd (would love to find a standard LP as the reissues are costly). and i will look for tasty.

shortcake by bill berry is pretty nice on reg vinyl, have it. for duke is wonderful but VERY expensive on used DTD. have a noisy copy, still the sound comes through, and also a CD.
 

jadis

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jadis,

if you list your system. i would enjoy knowing.

Hi hifitommy,

My system is as follows: (Mostly bought during the 90s)

Speakers: Magnepan 2.7 QR
Amp: ARC VS110
Pre amp: Jadis JPL Line stage (with Mullard 491s, 12AX7 long plate and 12AU7 long plate)
Phono stage: ARC PH3 (with Mulllard CV2492/6922)
TT: VPI HK19 MKII
Arm: ET2
Cart: Koetsu Rosewood Signature
Cables: Monster Interlink Reference, MIT shotgun 330, Symo Speaker Cables
DAC: Theta Pro Gen II with Philips transport
 

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