Best Recordings of all Times

Discussion in 'Music and Recordings' started by drgumbybrain, Aug 12, 2019.

  1. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    Hello Focks
    I have being gathering different recordings from the same piece (most classic) And I have been astonished by the differences between those red books. So, as I have very limited knowledge about this I decided to open this new thread.
    Please be welcome to share the best recordings that you have listened. A brief description about the band and genre its good for future researches.

    To begin I would like to share my experience with this recording:

    1.
    Screen Shot 2019-08-12 at 15.10.08.png Vivaldi Edition Vol. 1: Op. 1 - 6 including L'Estro Armonico & La Stravaganza - Limited Edition Box Set - Felix Ayo (Artist), Pina Carmirelli (Artist), Roberto Michelucci (Artist)


    This recording its very bright and distant, I could not enjoy it

    2.
    71VqJQCzO6L._SS500_.jpg
    That one its much better, I could find it in 192k

    3.
    The best one in my opinion

    estro.jpg
     
  2. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    The Steve Hoffman forums are usually a pretty good source for finding the best masters.

    I might post a few when I get home.
     
  3. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    Whenever I'm looking to buy another album, my first move is Google > Album title Hoffman. Hasn't let me down yet, but honestly some do just come down to how you want the album to sound.
     
  4. winders

    winders boomer

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    Of course you need to use your own ears to determine what you like best. But, so far, I have found that the Hoffman forum recommendations are spot on. I have complicated my situation quite a bit now that I can rip SACD media. Now, for any album I want to buy, I check to see if a SACD has the best mastering and sound quality.

    I had a few hybrid SACD discs because the Red Book layer had the best Red Book mastering available. It is amazing how good the DSD64 tracks can sound played through Roon/HQPlayer to my DirectStream DAC.
     
  5. Josh83

    Josh83 Friend

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    I’m generally not one to self-promote, but my fun side gig is a “The Best Version Of...” column over at Audiophile Style (formerly Computer Audiophile) on the best masterings of classic albums. (I also try to give some recording history, too.)

    The Hoffman forum is amazing, but they’re sometimes a little too biased towards their host’s masterings and claims about tape lineage (as my recent CSN column showed), and often (like gear reviews) you have some people who just claim that the version they own is best.

    For my column, I try to get every single digital mastering (sorry vinyl fans) of the album, and do intensive listening and analysis (in Har-Bal, Audacity, etc.), along with interviews with engineers when necessary, before I come to a recommendation. Not everyone will agree with those recommendations, of course, and that’s fine. But I try my best.
     
  6. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    Wow thanks, that’s a enormous amount of work!
     
  7. winders

    winders boomer

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    True, the Hoffman forum is indeed biased toward Steve Hoffman's masterings. Generally, I do like the choices Hoffman makes with his masterings, but they certainly are not ALWAYS the best. For example, I am not a big fan of Hoffman's Pet Sounds mono mastering for Audio Fidelity. I much prefer the Analogue Productions SCAD Red Book layer.
     
  8. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    Not to turn this into an anti-SH thread (I do generally prefer most of his efforts) but the three that pop out to me where I don't prefer his work are: both DCC Metallica discs, and his Van Halen debut. I can't remember who did the VH debut I prefer, but it's a somewhat rare pressing on vinyl.

    But to the subject of the thread, I enjoy the following for exceptional recordings:

    Sheffield Drum Record
    Norman Blake / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush / Butch Robins / Vassar Clements / David Holland / Jethro Burns - HDS 701, the "flying fish" album. I used it to set VTA on my old turntable and it was incredible how easy it was to discern slight variances in VTA, due to how well this album was recorded. And the music isn't bad at all.
    This is the discogs link to that: https://www.discogs.com/Norman-Blak...olland-Jethro-Burns-Norman-Bl/release/8082236
    King Crimson - Live in Toronto. Excellent recording, especially on the first few tracks where it really gets shown off.
     
  9. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Hoffman masterings are definitely hit or miss. I sometimes feel he squashes dynamics a bit in favor a more rounded/polite presentation. It really depends on the album though.
     
  10. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    @David De Lucena

    Listened to Vivaldi #3 listed above on my walk today. Nice!
     
  11. Josh83

    Josh83 Friend

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    I usually don’t think his recordings are squashed. But he definitely seems to err on the side of rounded off treble, which I don’t think always serves recordings well. Interestingly, despite the focus on “flat transfers” at his forum, he seems more than willing to depart significantly from that baseline. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. For the albums I’ve covered so far, Aja falls into the former category and CSN into the latter.
     
  12. pavi

    pavi Almost "Made"

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    i’ve thoroughly enjoyed your columns, @Josh83!
     
  13. Josh83

    Josh83 Friend

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    Thank you. I really appreciate the kind words. It’s definitely a labor of love.
     
  14. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    This is one of the best recordings that I have found in a couple of years. Very interesting music too

     
  15. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    Can any friend recommend a good Beethoven Symphonies master or recordings?
    I bought one from Jan Willen de Vriend - DSD, but I think I have heard better.
    500x500.jpg


    Edited: Just found that on TIDAL. MUCH MUCH better

    Screen Shot 2019-09-17 at 12.53.29.png
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2019
  16. richard51

    richard51 Mr. Sorbothane

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    I am truly enjoying now for some years a composer, one of the greatest piano composer of this century with Scriabin : Kaikhosru Sorabji… His genius is truly evident and I advise you if you love piano to listen to the extasis state and amazingly profund piano rendition by Michael Habermann and also the 100 transcendental studies by Fedrik Ullen… Listening to Sorabji is a new act of musical consciousness...Impressive more and more with the next listening...





     
  17. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Maybe rather than a single thread on which version of Aja, or Love Deluxe, or Hotel California sounds best, individual threads in the Music and Recordings sub-forum on specific pieces of music would work better? Just throwing an idea out there.
     
  18. Peti

    Peti Facebook Friend

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    Well, the title says "Best recordings of all times" so I think I'd mention the album that I think was indeed recorded the best and currently I'd say it's this one:

    [​IMG]

    I can vouch for the Analogue Productions SACD edition. The early japanese SACD edition is subpar at best and contains less tracks. The recording itself is magical. The fact that the singer is a singular performer just the icing on the cake. Highly recommended. Also, if you want to delve deeper into the subject you might want to check out the thread where we discussed about the best recordings in great detail. See link below.
     
  19. drgumbybrain

    drgumbybrain Science Nut

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    Excellent ideia. How can we do that?
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2019

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