1ST Post...What's your Reference CD?

Yea my 1st post. I've finally decided to post something. First off thank you for this forum. There's really a lot of smart people here. Who really know what rock and roll is all about.

OK now I know a lot of you got some pretty impressive stereo systems. What is your go to CD or other media? That you put in when you really want to show off your stereo to someone. It can be 2ch or a surround album. It doesn't need to be your favorite album. But one that's of very high quality and makes your system shine.

Ok I'll start it off. I really like Ten Years After "A Space In Time" on DVD-A. It's recorded from the original 4 channel mix. From the quad reel source. I've had this album on every media imaginable. But this recording really blows me away.

My stereo broke a year ago but my test track was always Jimi's Star Spangled Banner.

Interesting topic. I have listened to the first three Queen albums of late [Hi Cos] and have marvelled as to the separation of the channels. Wide soundstage with plenty of left to right and right to left activity. As far as go-to albums, I really don't have one but going by tracks? Here's ten:

The Ocean - Led-Zeppelin
Voodoo Chile [Slight Return] - both the Hendrix and Vaughan versions
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
Highway Star - Deep Purple [from "Made In Japan"]
Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones
Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John
Difficult To Cure - Rainbow [from "Finyl Vinyl"]

A good question, but I don't really show off my system these days. I just listen to music that I like. I have old, but good quality, separates (JVC 1981) and most things sound pretty good, even cassettes. The speakers (Mission) are a bit shot now. When I was young, I was obsessive about sound quality, but, although I am not a Luddite now, my hearing is not what it was! I blame all that noisy heavy rock in the seventies.

One album I've always used as a benchmark is Fleetwood Mac's "White Album". In fact I just picked up the new 45 rpm double vinyl edition two weeks ago and I was blown away by how good it sounds...this is my 5th version of that recording.

Another great test album, the Telarc vinyl of Stravinsky's Firebird suite, when the tympani's kick in it feels like a Giant just sat on your house, you can feel the walls breathe...don't know how else to describe it.

For CD's...the Ozark Mountain Daredevils self titled album is excellent, and for bass extension my copy of the Stampeders "Playing in the Band" is phenomenal for a digital recording.

A fantastic and rare classical CD, Johnson labs "Nojima plays Liszt" is breathtaking, amazing how a single piano can sound so good.

anything by Gary U.S. Bonds

My go to was this......



and now its..........

I see some really good music, being posted. I'm digging this post. Keep them coming guys.

Van Halen I

The beauty of having not just one type of music or one particular release is how they come across a set of speakers or through your system. Do the electric guitars sing? Do you hear the sustain of a fuzz tone? Does the decay of an acoustic guitar suspend itself for a few nanoseconds? Where's the weight of the bass, the rhytmn of the sticks or the thump of the kick drum? The keys and the twinkling of the piano? Vocals? How raspy can you get Tyler's? How soulful does Cooke, Gaye and Robinson across? Is Morrison really that out there? It has to be able convey one extreme to the other...Plant's screams to the purity of Norah Jones' singing. How much detail can it reveal as opposed to inducing your neighbors to call the cops.

All of the above has led me to experimenting with various gear and set-ups. Cables, wires, transports and whatnot. Are subs mandatory? It's still an ongoing process which I don't think will end any time soon. Mirages are great but how would electrostats sound? The fun part of it all is how it reveals how badly a disc or vinyl is mastered to how well done it sounds. Did they boost it up unnecessarily or is it just done right? Oddly enough, I have a Phil Collins Greatest Hits CD that seems like every track was a meticulous production. Or it could be the first Aerosmith album that sounds rough and sexy. It just might be experiencing how heavy that Zep debut was... As far as vinyl, the Japan pressings always never fail to impress plus the roughly translated lyric sheets are so much fun. Thank God I wasn't a twit for offing those.