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There is a relatively recent thread that discusses "audiophile" recordings. After reading the thread it is clear that I don't want to possess an "audiophile" recording. Could someone list these "audiophile" recordings? I don't need a definition of this category of recordings. I would like specific titles. Thank you.
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and most are among the best performances out there as well. Reference Recordings, also, qualifies (for me). Great performances with a "specific emphasis" on being sonically stunning. In fact, both labels have something of a "house sound" that makes them unique. Telarc seems to have more on the low end than almost any other label, and RR brings home the sheer size of the orchestra (and space around it) like few others. This is "audiophile recording" for the right reasons, and done well.
Both labels offer outstanding quality recordings but I would not nominate either label for having the best performances. Of course, it's hard to nominate a label, rather than a performer, for that.Telarc has many excellent performances and some which are among the very best. It also has some perfunctory ones. Reference Recordings has a higher batting average for sonic performance and a lower one for performance quality, imho, but its catalog is so small that such a determination is undoubtedly not statistically valid.
I've got a lot of Telarc Mahler, and that was the first thing that popped into my head. MANY of these are near the top (for me). Zinman, Slatkin, Maazel (from way back) are also mighty fine. Even the Previn Strauss. Maybe I should have described it as "there's LOTS of REALLY GOOD performances", almost all of it in spectacular sound!;-)
with respect to classical music. Sometimes, but not the majority.
Best of the best as far as I'm concerned!!
nt
Thanks for the replies. For those who missed the apparently too subtle a point, I will be more explicit. To scorn all "audiophile" recordings is, to me, ridiculous (which is pretty much what happens in the thread that I alluded to). When I said that I wanted to purge my collection of such recordings, that was said "tongue in cheek." I happen to like some recordings that have been considered "audiophile" recordings: Holly Cole, Jennifer Warnes, even Diana Krall if a certain mood strikes me etc., etc. At times I might like to listen to "whale calls," "ping pong" balls, or whatever. Who cares? By the way, as some of you realized, I really wasn't looking for a list of audiophile recordings. I was trying to make a point about a thread that seemed, to me, welll, maybe, pointless. I intended not to rile anyone. I just wanted to make a point.
It really all started, sort of, kind of, with the quadrophonic stuff. That was sort of like the home theatre 5 channel stuff people listen to today. But, shortly after that, there was a brief window where Direct-To-Disc existed, some of them recorded at 45 RPM on a 12" LP so it would "sound better".After that, MFSL came along, as mentioned earlier with the train sound and the thunderstorms (had them both). So, what it really means, is music recorded on LP that sounds so good that you can sort of/kind of almost imagine that you were there, but you know that's just not possible.
If that live music sound isn't possible, then let's just go for good sound, or as the question asked, Audiophile sound.
Don't bullshit yourself, if you don't like the music, it doesn't matter if it's killer whales or elephant's mating on the Serengati; it has to sound good to you.
One of my favourites, and I think still available as a great bargain is the Umbrella Direct-To-Disc of Rough Trade Live! from 1976.
........ I'd like a definition.What the hell is an “audiophile recording” ???
Surely it’s just not a slang term used to describe ANY well recorded disc???
Smile
Sox
"After reading the thread it is clear that I don't want to possess an 'audiophile' recording. Could someone list these 'audiophile' recordings?"You want a list of these so you'll be sure not to buy them?
Whatever. I've found most of what's on the Nimbus label pretty well recorded. Of course they went bust a few years back, which shows you what a hard business this is.
As with all such questions, it depends on the listener. There was a time when some "audiophiles" would listen to recordings of trains, or thunderstorms, or other sound effects recordings. To many this would be quite strange, but i knew a gentleman who was really into old trains, so he had some fabulous sounding old train recordings, but he didn't really care that they were impressive when played back on good gear, he was just happy they gave him audio documentation of some old trains.Another way to put it is that many recordings are lauded for their audio performance rather than their musical performance. yet, there are always going to be people who like those recordings' musical content too. Would you decide not to buy a recording which has great music (for you) just because it also sounds terrific? This just isn't logical. So, surely saying that you don't want to buy "audiophile recordings" doesn't really make sense either. Maybe if you don't want to buy recordings just because they sound good, regardless of whether you enjoy their musical content is a better way of looking at the question.
...refer to excellently recorded (many direct-to-disc vinyl) productions of mediocre music ususally used for demonstration purposes in the early 1980s. I'm thinking of Lincoln Mayorga, Sheffield Labs and Reference Recordings, for example. Today, it could be the Mapleshade CD jazz recordings.The term can also refer to just about any excellent recording today.
Diana Krall, Paticia Barber and Holly Cole are a few names you might look for.
Arthur Salvatore's website also has a list of "audiophile" recordings, under Supreme Recordings. Unlike most other sites, he also lists his favorite recordings irrespective of audio quality. Also some interesting commentary/recommendations on equipment
fine performances with great recording techniques.
...regards...tr
HP's super LP list...
- nubz - :-)
My favorite "audiophile" recording didn't even make his list- Sheffield- Amanda McBroom- "Growing Up in Hollywood Town". One of few "audiophile" releases that I listen for primarily the music.
It's on the list, Todd. Scroll down.
A very good place to start. If you MUST listen to Audiophile recordings.
probably thousands of records, with the general consensus of what is actually an audiophile recording narrowing it down to hundreds. And, amongst those hundreds, some actual great music, the type worth listening to not just to "hear" how great your sound system sounds!Maybe go to popsike.com and type in a search for "audiophile" and check the results. Probably a good portion of popular and classic (not just the genre) audiophile record titles have shown up there in the past couple years. That will give you an idea.
I don't know how to locate the TAS (The Absolute Sound) list, but find it and there is another good list of recordings, probably including some CDs. Stereophile may have a list in their archives as well.
"I always play jazz records backwards, they sound better that way"
-Thomas Edison
That's Flapdoodle's Concerto in G for Flatulent Armpit . The old men in the audience are just swooning over this one.
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