Best Artists to Showcase B&W Speakers

[turbokuo]

1) I need recommendations on which artist and their albums are best to play to bring out the best in B&W Speakers?

2) I've heard some suggestions like Diana Krall and Patricia Barber so I went to Best Buy and they each have a million albums!!! Which albums are the best for these two?

[captzerg]

Diana Krall Diana Krall’s All For You (Impluse IMPD-182).
Diana Krall Love Scenes (Impulse IMPSD-234)
Diana Krall When I Look in your Eyes (Impulse IMPD-304)

[turbokuo]

Diana Krall Diana Krall’s All For You (Impluse IMPD-182).
Diana Krall Love Scenes (Impulse IMPSD-234)
Diana Krall When I Look in your Eyes (Impulse IMPD-304)

Captzerg,

Have you heard the album recorded live in Paris...called Diana Krall "Live in Paris?"

[DrBoom]

I personally don't really like all that jazz or typical "audiophile" music.
My favourite CD for a lifelike sound with tons of detail is Acoustic Live by Nils Lofgren (acoustic guitar). That CD really gives me that "I'm there" feeling.
If I want something dramatic, I'll play Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, very good also for showing off low level resolution. There's always a bunch of instruments in the background that are barely audible but make it very realistic and you can really feel the orchestra.
Hope by Hugh Masekela (african music) is also great for demonstrating dynamic range, as is Breaking Silence by Janis Ian.
But the music that makes my B&W's sound best, is the music I like myself which can include everything from Dire Straits to Nightwish. :T

[junior77blue]

I agree with DrBoom....bring music that you KNOW and LOVE to listen to. Cause if you don't like the way it sounds for that music, then why bother?

I still get some strange looks when I play Audioslave on the nautilus series!

[sugarmedia]

John Pizzarelli- My Blue Heaven. More importantly, take a look at CD labels such as Chesky Records which use minimalistic recording techniques.

Has anyone noticed that the recently nominated Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame band U2 actually sounds like shit on a hifi system? Wish they would do a better job of recording their music.

[DrBoom]

Has anyone noticed that the recently nominated Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame band U2 actually sounds like shit on a hifi system?

I've found that most commercial CD's sound like crap on a high-end system.
Maybe that's why people with high-end systems all like that audiophile music, because it makes their systems sound so good (and who can blame them)

[junior77blue]

I think 'crap' is a harsh word...."not as good" would be more suited. LoL

[turbokuo]

I agree with DrBoom....bring music that you KNOW and LOVE to listen to. Cause if you don't like the way it sounds for that music, then why bother?

I still get some strange looks when I play Audioslave on the nautilus series!

Junior,

FYI - My GF's Audioslave didn't sound so great on the N804 compared to the new 804S. Both were relatively new from the box.

[junior77blue]

I 'think' that the new series sounds much better out of the box than the old nautilus series. But this is just going out what the dealer has told me. But after substantial run-in the 'N' series sounds on par or much closer to the 'S' series.

Pure speculation/heresy...as I'm quite happy with my N804 playing audioslave. Ignorance is bliss!

[sikoniko]

I have had my N804's for a year now and they sound great. Last week I bought a pair of sound anchor stands and they opened up substantially more than I expected. When I listen to them by themselves I am more than happy with them. It is only if I were to sit them next to a pair of 803's or 802's even do I wish I had more. I think it is more psychological...

anyways. Incubus sounds fantastic. Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doors, Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, Duran Duran, The Beatles let it be naked sounded fantastic, the list just goes on...

[captzerg]

Turbokuo, thx for the tip on Diana Krall Live in Paris. I'll check it out, the live albums are usually the best and most enjoyable.

[greggz]

Patricia Barber.... Which albums are the best...

"Modern Cool" is her most critcally aclaimed album (both performance and recording). Personally I like "Cafe Blue", "Companion" and her new live album "A Fortnight in France" better. They are a little easier listening.

[turbokuo]

"Modern Cool" is her most critcally aclaimed album (both performance and recording). Personally I like "Cafe Blue", "Companion" and her new live album "A Fortnight in France" better. They are a little easier listening.

Thakns Greggz, I almost bought "A Fortnight in France." today at Best Buy...I'll pick it up tomorrow.

[ti33er]

If you guys haven't heard of "Dave Matthew Band" try out Busted Stuff - great assortment of instruments and unusual vocals! ...you should check out his Music Video's - I have never seen such original work as that anywhere else

[sugarmedia]

Who is Dave Matthews?

[audioqueso]

Who is Dave Matthews?

LOL!
Don't make ti33er cry.

[PewterTA]

All of Dave Matthew's CDs (especially Under the Table and Dreaming) is all recorded as reference material. All of the CDs are superb in quality with the amount of instruments his band uses...plus the music is great too. I go to all of his live shows when he comes in. :T

[Jeff]

Diana Krull's DVD "Live from Montreal" is first rate for those who love HT. She used a new accoustical bassist. A guy named Robert Hurst. WOW!!!! He's fabulous.

Her cd "Steppin Out" and "Girl in the other room" are first rate. I wasn't really turned on with "the girl in the other room" until I purchased the N802's. Now everything has changed. :B

Eric Clapton unplugged is also great!

[gostan]

My demo discs are as follows:

Kevin Mahogany Pride & Joy (Telarc hybrid multichannel)
Mccoy Tyner Illuminations (Telarc hybrid multichannel)
Neil Young Harvest (DVD-Audio)
Ray Brown, Monty Alexander & Russell Malone (Telarc hybrid multichannel)
Jennifer Warnes The Well (cd or sacd)
Graham Parker Deepcut to Nowhere (cd)

If I were to bring one disc it would be the Kevin Mahogany disc as vocally and instrumentally it offers so much.

I will listen to the hybrid discs in bypass stereo and sacd. However, I still believe that the most difficult part of testing/demoing B&W speakers is that in almost all instances, dealers tend to have very high end electronics running their 804's, 803's 802's, etc.-so you need to be sure that the pre-amp and amps your dealer is using are somewhat equal to your home system.

[captzerg]

I may regret offering to do this, but I have an excel spreadsheet with listings of recommended music broken down by classical, informal/popular, Film/Broadway, and etc. I have compiled HP, some guy who broke things down by divinity, semi-deity, super lists with comments, etc. It gives the title, composer, cd manufacturer, cd #, etc. There is a references tab of some I haven't put in the spreadsheets yet and a HP Super SACD list that I haven't compiled yet. (whoever gets the list can compile those for themselves. I'll do it in a few days)

Anyway I think this is a valuable list for me. I've formatted the 1st 3 spreadsheets for printing. I just take it to a shop with me.

Why use it? For me: I've bought this dang expensive stereo (T+A 1530, Sig805's, etc) and some music just doesn't sound good. For example, the list recommends: Tea for the Tillerman (British) Island ILPS-9135. I liked Cat as a kid. I could only find the A&M version at Tower so I buy it. Digitally remastered and everything. I got it home and it sounded like crap. Within a day I took it back to Tower and got 4 bucks or so for it. So, I've learned to listen to others who know.

I've compiled most audiophile sites with lists that I could find (just added goston's rec's from the above post) so if you want it let me know and I will send it to you or if it can be posted I will do so. I didn't include lists of music that was "good" or lists to create a "recommended" balanced library. I only grabbed lists of supposedly highly recommended's due to excellent recording and whatever else was going into it.

The classical list has 544 cd's, the pop/informal has 234, etc. Anyway, its a fun way to discover new music and not waste music. Though I did think HP's best rec of Water Boy Columbia CS-9196¯† was off the track, but then maybe it was the genre.

PS Hi-Fi a la Española Mercury SR-90144¯ (Also Classic) off the list is fantastic.

[Mr. Mxyztplk]

I will second (or third) Patricia Barber. Companion, Nightclub, Modern Cool, Fortnight in Paris are all amazing recordings! Most are available in Hybrid SACD, I only wish I could get them in DVD-A.

Diana Krall Love Scenes, The Girl in the Other Room are both excellent and availabe in DVD-A.

If you enjoy blues, then Riding with the King (Eric Clapton/B.B.King) is also good.

[greggz]

My preferred listening format is SACD, but if I have to audition with CD's, I like to use the Stereophile Test CD's (1, 2 & 3). These CD's are avilable from Parts Express for $9.95 each or $28.35 for the set of 3.

My favorite thing about these CD's is that they come with a booklet that describes each track and what you should listen for.

Here are some examples:

[5] Sara K.: "History Repeats Itself" (DDD) 5:54
What you should hear: Engineer Bob Katz has also worked hard to capture the true sounds and images of musicans playing acoustic instruments in a real space. Rather than sounding like shaped and textured white noise, the cymbals should all sound very different from one another. The brushed snare drum should be heard illuminating the acoustic, while the kick drum supplying musical punctuation should be delicately outlined rather than being an indistinct-sounding boom or thud. The double bass on this track sounds more reedy than the one on the Hyman cut, but is less well-defined, overall. The muted trumpet should be readily identifiable as an acoustic instrument, not some kind of synthesized squarewave.

[6] Jimmy Rogers: "Blue Bird" (AAD) 4:44
What you should hear: The slack-strung snare drum lights up a smaller, more intimate acoustic than on the previous two cuts. The voice sounds very upfront, as is Little Jimmie's guitar solo—both will be very revealing of loudspeaker problems in the low treble. Johnnie Johnson's piano sounds both drier and more "honky-tonkish" than the Baldwin played by Dick Hyman.

[turbokuo]

[QUOTE=greggz]My preferred listening format is SACD, but if I have to audition with CD's, I like to use the Stereophile Test CD's (1, 2 & 3). These CD's are avilable from Parts Express for $9.95 each or $28.35 for the set of 3.

My favorite thing about these CD's is that they come with a booklet that describes each track and what you should listen for.



Greggz,

If you could only get 1 of the 3 recommended above, which one would you get for a B&W test?

[greggz]

Probably Test CD 3, just because it selection of music is more my taste. The earlier ones were pretty heavy on the classical. This one has more jazz, blues, vocals, etc...

Those 2 examples I gave above were from Test CD 3.

Click on this link to read everything there is to know about Test CD 3.

Stereophile Test CD 3

[perato]

"summer samba" from Patricia Barber's Nightclub album is a good test of sibilance. Safri Duo's Episode II is a good test if you like percussion instruments.

[MikeLP]

"Tommy" The Who, Deluxe Deluxe Edition sounds great. The album was remastered & remixed by Pete Townshend in stereo & 5.1 Surround. It supports SCAD Stereo, SCAD Surround Sound & CD Audio.

[caleb]

captzerg,

I would appreciate your spreadsheet -maybe you could send it to me by PM?

thanks Caleb

[hired goon]

G'day,

Never heard any Patricia Barber before this list, so I "acquired" some mp3s and had a listen.

"Cafe Blue" was first, and I was absolutely amazed. A heady mixture of jazz, avante-garde, minimilism, and vocal looping. I can understand why this CD would be used as a reference recording. Check out track 9: a great double bass sound, hand percussion, and at around 4:30 Ms Barber sings some lovely and very sustained high notes for the next two minutes. Or track 2, where jazz guitar meets Steve Reich.

I also listened to "Nightclub", which was more traditional: standards performed with piano + vocals, without the experimentation of "Cafe Blue". Very much inna Diana Krall stylee, but more somnambulent.

So I've ordered the SACDs of "Cafe Blue", "Nightclub", and "Modern Cool" (as well as the three Stereophile test CDs mentioned previously). In fact, these will be my first SACDs. I've got an SACD player (the budget Pioneer 676a), but these SACDs are hybrid whose CD layer is apparently better than the regular CD versions. Can't wait to test them out (even if they are only 2-channel).

Now if only I had some B&W speakers to play them on

--Geoff

[Stockinv]

Can anyone add any new CD's in which to showcase their B&W speakers?

[scottielee]

here is a chinese female vocals suggestion: tsai chin's "lao ge" (old songs).

[JürgenW]

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia, remastered
Renée Fleming, Bel Canto, Decca
A. Gheorghiu/R. Alagna, Chailly, La Boheme (CD, also as SACD hybrid)

Jürgen

[rick c]

I guess it depends on what kind of music you like but most of the "STING" cd's are very good as well as "SEAL" and the "EAGLES"

[RobP]

I have had my N804's for a year now and they sound great. Last week I bought a pair of sound anchor stands and they opened up substantially more than I expected.

Hey Sikoniko, just wanted to know if before you bought the sound anchors did you use the spikes that came with your N804's? I have been thinking about purchasing the sound anchors for my N803's.

[Mitchell]

I recently bought a new copy of Neil Youngs greatest hits and was pleasantly surprised to find how well the recording sounded on my system.
I am used to my old rock standards sounding pretty bad.

[sikoniko]

Hey Sikoniko, just wanted to know if before you bought the sound anchors did you use the spikes that came with your N804's? I have been thinking about purchasing the sound anchors for my N803's.

Yes, I used the spikes in my carpet. Never really considered doing it without. I definately recommend the sound anchors. They made the sound stage fuller and the bass tighter.

Now that Im getting 802's, Im going to have to decide whether to get sound anchors for these.. Im sure I will, but not right away due to economics.

[Mitchell]

G'day,
So I've ordered the SACDs of "Cafe Blue", "Nightclub", and "Modern Cool" (as well as the three Stereophile test CDs mentioned previously). In fact, these will be my first SACDs. I've got an SACD player (the budget Pioneer 676a), but these SACDs are hybrid whose CD layer is apparently better than the regular CD versions. Can't wait to test them out (even if they are only 2-channel).
--Geoff

Geoff

I just bought Modern Cool after hearing your comments and it is great. Standard Version.

[caleb]

I guess it depends on what kind of music you like but most of the "STING" cd's are very good as well as "SEAL" and the "EAGLES"

Hi Rick,
If you like the Eagles - then you must get the new DVD "Farewell 1 Tour" - live in Melbourne - Eagles at their best! !

[rick c]

I'll check it out thanks.

[tboooe]

Check out Paul Hardcastle's Jazzmaster series. It has good deep bass as well as highs. Not to mention its good music to listen to.

[Stockinv]

Check out Acoustic Alchemy "Best Of" and "American/English". Also Peter White "Confidential". Great recordings of smooth jazz.

[akhter]

From The Eagles Hell Freezes Over Jvc XRCD "Hotel California"

Nuff said... :T