[firedog]

Hi-

Before I start buying SACDs, I'd like to know which ones really sound good - better than CD's or hi-rez downloads already available.

Here's what I like to listen to:

1. Rock- basically any classic rock or similar music from the 60's till today
2. Jazz - pretty much any mainstream, be-bop, Blue Note, ECM, avant garde stuff since the 50's till now. Not pop jazz like Kenny G.
3. Classical - mostly orchestral music. Don't really listen to anything prior to Hayden/Mozart. Also don't listen to vocal/opera. I do like 20th
Century and "modern Classical".
4. Some world music. I like Indian and Middle Eastern.

Recommend a few of your favorites. I'm not going to buy hundreds of discs, maybe dozens. And yes, I know the Who and the Rolling Stones
and  Dylan are out there on SACD.
Basically I'm interested in discs that actually give a superior sonic performance to other formats out there of the same stuff.
If it isn't especially good sounding, no real reason for me to get it.

thanks  for your help

[FullRangeMan]

I suggest to peruse at sacd.net and listen the music samples at the vendors site, the SACDs had 1 to 5 stars rate by the members:
http://www.sa-cd.net/recent
Plenty of new releases lately. For 20th composers I like Ravel, Stravinsky, Ligeti etc.
Non 20th century, but gut:
- ballets from Tschaikovsky, Leon Minkus(poor recording), Grieg=Peer Gynt

- to good use of the SACD transparency and micro detail I recommend late Mozart symphonies
 
- also Eroica with Manze at the baton: http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/5135

- various CPO complete works for organ, as Durufle:
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/2061

- If you like comtemporary/concrete music, the germany label NEOS had 69 titles released:
http://www.sa-cd.net/search/neos

Easy to find good SACDs there... Hope you like

P.S.: For great sound quality look for TELARC, ISO-MIKE, OPUS3, PENTATONE, CHANNEL CLASSICS labels, all my sacds from these companies are great sound quality, the best one is ISO-MIKE(zero compression & DSD native recording) from Mr.Ray Kimber in an nonprofit bussiness on behalf a university of Colorado-USA.

[firedog]

Thanks, that is helpful.  But what I"m trying to get at are which ones specifically are really outstanding recordings in terms of the SQ,
as opposed to other formats. Unless the SQ of  the SACD is superior in SQ to a CD or download of the same recording,
other recordings of the same work, no real reason for me to buy the SACD. I don't think the samples on the sites let you hear that.

[FullRangeMan]

Unfortunately SQ is a personal taste, my Tubular Bells and Brain Salad Surgery SACDs are awful SQ as they were recorded in very slow tape(3ips seems) with lots of compression, some rock bands wished that dirty SQ to pretend a rebel figure with the teenager public.

You also must be aware some Multi-Channel fanatics will tell you ''two channels only'' SACDs are no good sound.

As a ''rule'' I would say all SACDs recorded in DSD and PCM 24/192 had great SQ, but I read there are claims on a couple hi def master recordings SACDs that had a unhappy result in SQ.
2L recording in DXD(24/352) great sound but the music is boring, BIS seems continue recording in 24/44 , but the music they recording is great.

P.S.> Pentatone had some historic SACDs, recorded in analog, which are easy to identify due the conductor or performers of the past.

[wisnon]

Praga Digitalis is also great, pure DSD.

Telarc has several pure DSD albums as well and BIS has 9 or so classical Pure DSD.

I think the key is to stay withoin one format from start to finish, ie pure DSD all the way thru from recording to playback.

[FullRangeMan]

Great news.
Seems BIS is no more recording in low resolution(24/44), according these new SACDs release posted by Bissie/Mr.Robert himself, the rec details are 24/96.
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/8159

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/8160

[ted_b]

Great news.
Seems BIS is no more recording in low resolution(24/44), according these new SACDs release posted by Bissie/Mr.Robert himself, the rec details are 24/96.
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/8159

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/8160

As much as a DSD diehard as I am...still, as long as Robert is releasing them in native PCM (24/96) downloads on eclassical, no reason to get them converted to DSD (except for us multichannel fans; I've asked Robert to put the native mch files up there too...we'll see).

Note:  remember, there are 9 SACD's from BIS that are early and used native DSD recording, until Robert and Company realized it was too expensive.  But then he had the foresight (ok, maybe hindsight) to release the now famous 24/44 recordings in their native PCM as downloads.  The result (stereo at least) is a perfect example of my mantra: let me hear the recordings in their native format!!  If it's PCM, let me hear the PCM, if it's analog-to-DSD or native DSD, let me hear the DSD. 

[Russtafarian]

The biggest issue you'll face with buying SACDs is that nearly all the major label SACD releases from the "golden age" (2001-2006) are out of print and hard to find.  Outside of classical music and boutique labels, the pricey reissues from APO, Mo-Fi, and SHM-SACDs from Japan are your only choices these days.  SQ improvement over RBCD can range from "different but not better" to "significant".  I haven't bought many of the new reissues so I don't have much to share in terms of recommendations.

Too bad we're not getting multi-channel mixes on the recent rock/pop SACD reissues.

Russ

[oskar]

I heartily vote for Becks SEA CHANGE in SACD as the best in my limited collection. Others include AVALON, early Elton John and for the YES fan FRAGILE.

[DTB300]

Lists like this involve a lot of personal preferences by people posting suggestions.   With mine, I will say the same thing, make sure you like the music you are buying, just do not buy something because of sonics.

Cannonball Adderly – Somethin’ else…(SACD Blue Note Reissue)
Fiona Joy Hawkins – Blue Dream (SACD)
Sonny Rollins – Way out West (SACD)
The E.S.E. Sessions - Blue Coast Collection (SACD)
Flim & the BB's - Tricycle (SACD)
Steven Davis - Quality of Sound (SACD)
Yellow Jackets - Lifecycle (SACD)
Oliver Nelson – The Blues & Absolute Truth – Analogue Productions (SACD)
Hank Jones – Great Jazz Trio July 6th – Live at Birdland (SACD)
Mark Knopfler - Shangrai-La (SACD) - (better sound quality  than BIA)
Wish You Were Here –Analogue Productions  (SACD)
Diana Krall - Love Scenes (SACD)

I am not a big classical listener, but here are a few I liked (All MCH):

Robert Spano – Transmigration
Britten/Elgar - Paavo Jarvi
RCA Living Stereo - Sherherazade (3 Channel)
Mozart Violin Concertos 3 & 4 - Julia Fisher
Boston Symphony Chamber - Mozart Chamber Music for Winds and Strings
Haydn - The Fry Street Quartet - ISO-Mike
Brandenburg Concertos (1-4, 5-6) - Arts Music

[NordicNorm]

OK, so my top picks would be:

1. Willie Nelson - Stardust
2. Diana Krall - Live in Paris, The Girl in the Other Room
3. Dire Straits - Communique, Love Over Gold, Brothers in Arms
4. David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
5. Bill Evans - Sunday At The Village Vanguard
6. Ry Cooder & Vishwa Mohan Bhatt - A Meeting by the River
7. Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra (Reiner conducts Chicago SO/ RCA)
8. Steely Dan - Aja, Gaucho
9. Art Lande - While She Sleeps, Piano Lullabies

All of the above have exceptional sonics. You might not like the music, but that's another matter, isn't it? :^) 

Have fun experimenting with different musical genres! You never know what you might find!?

cheers,
Norm