Outstanding Demo CD's etc...

adydula · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Feb 2009, 03:16 am »

Ok...

Thanks to a fellow member I just listened to:

Manu Katche - Neighboorhood - November 99 --- Another WOW cut that the SongTowers excell at reproducing.
Diana Krall - Love Scenes - My Love Is --- The finger snapping in the beginning that moves around out of a pure silent background and the bass kicks in that is so tonally
correct it hurts....dang this is really, really good. Tonal accuracy, the harmonics and the sounds of the bass are just so dang nice.
Regina Spektor --- Begin to Hope ---Fidelity....another WOW

and finally

Quincy Coleman --- Want me back...

Thanks to Pete for the insight here...

These are really great demo material and it sounds good to me as well....

All the best
Alex

adydula · « **Reply #41 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 01:01 am »

Hello Out There!!!

I was never an Enya type but I appreciate this type of etheral music once in awhile....

Well I picked up a couple of my wifes favorite Ronan Hardiman's cds, he is the person that was the composer for Michael Flattery's Irish dance wonder "Lord of the Dance".

I always had a hard time sitting thru the cuts and only listened to the ones that I have heard on the local jazz station...and by-passed the rest...mainly becuase they didnt sound good to me, always a bit fuzzy and unclear...

WOW another real treat...as I listened to the first album "Anthem" I knew I was in for a real treat.....the music was clear, distict, and just plain wonderful.....

This was also the experience with the second album 'Solas"

Lots of synths and bass lines....you may not like the style or tone, but the bottom line here to me its a wonderful different sound that play so, so well on my SongTowers..
When all the sounds. vocals and instrumentals kick in and its cranked up its a wonder!!! Yahoo!!

And beside, Jim told me to play some nice music for my wife!!!

I did!!

All the best
Alex

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #42 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:26 pm »

I'm sure there's a couple people around here tired of hearing me talk about this recording,

but..... for the rest of you:

The XRCD of Count Basie "88 Basie Street"
Specifically tracks: Sunday at the Savoy and Bluesville
Very clean, very clear, and the dynamics are like WOW!!!

Super, intergalactically, monsterously, highly recommended. aa

Bob

adydula · « **Reply #43 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 07:19 pm »

Bob,

Can you shoot me a link to where this can be purchased? A PM is fine, dont know if we are supposed to put these links in post??

and Thanks for the reference!!!

A lot of us that have been doing this still like having people post their favorites!!

Alex

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #44 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 07:33 pm »

Not sure where you live, but a quick Google search yeilded these:

In Germany: THIS ONE (Look for #0021)

Not sure where these folks are (Netherlands??) But, HERE'S ANOTHER

And the extra super bonus, In the U.S., THIS PLACE has streaming clips. Be sure to listen to #1 and #6, which interestingly enough are in a different order than what I've got.

Hope that helps Alex,

Bob

Nuance · « **Reply #45 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 11:46 pm »

Quote from: Mag on 20 Jan 2009, 12:05 am

My demo disc for showing off dynamic range if I had someone to demo for, would be Kitaro-Cirque Ingenieux- New Age, electronic.
It's also one of my favorite music albums, though I'm sure not very many people share my taste in music. Be careful with the volume control on this, the bass has a sonic boom like quality.

I am listening to it right now, as I have most of Kitaro's work, as well as most of Tangerine Dream's work. Both are highly recommended.

I'll also add Igor Stravinski's "The Rite Of Spring" to the current list. That piece is just mind blowing!

Finally, Joe Satriani's "Rubina" off the remastered "The Electric Joe Satriani: An Anthology" is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. If you like guitar (acoustic and electric) listen to this song! Just make sure it's the remastered version, as it sounds way better.

Edit: I should have clarified, the Joe Satriani Anthology IS remastered already. Sorry for the confusion folks.

adydula · « **Reply #46 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 01:33 am »

Bob,

Many thanks!!

Nuance...I saw Satrini several years ago in a small movie theater, it was AWESOME and VERY VERY LOUD!!!

Dang it was loud....

Watching his long skinny spiderlike fingers on his guitar was absolutely amazing!!

I only have one of his cds, I dont think its that one, but i will check and get the one you mentioned ala remastered for sure!!

Thanks My friend...I have been having so much fun listening to these speakers they are very wonderful for what they are, and that is world class!!

Alex

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #47 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 02:11 am »

Alex, You're welcome!

Nuance, Thanks for the heads-up on Satriani.

Bob

cAsE sEnSiTiVe · « **Reply #48 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 04:55 am »

These below are the Creme de la Creme of my over 2000 album jazz collection...with a few other genre's thrown in.

Benny Goodman - 'Benny Goodman and Friends'
The Benny Green Trio - "Testifyin'" 'Live at the Village Vanguard'
Bill Berry - 'For Duke'
Bill Mays Trio - 'Live at the Jazz Standard'
Bob James - 'Dancing on the Water'
Carmen McRae - 'The Great American Songbook'
Clifford Jordan - 'Live at Ethell's'
The Count Basie Orchestra - 'Live at EL Morocco'
Diana Krall - 'The Girl in the Other Room'
Ella Fitzgerald - 'Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie'
Fred Hersch Trio - 'The Fred Hersch Trio Plays'
Hope Waits - 'Hope Waits'
James Carter - 'Chasin' The Gypsy'
Jane Monheit - 'Come Dream With Me'
Joshua Redman Quartet - 'Live at the Village Vanguard'
Kendra Shank - 'Afterglow'
Lyle Lovett - 'Joshua Judges Ruth'
Nils Lofgren - 'Acoustic Live'
Oscar Peterson - 'Live at the Blue Note'
Ray Brown/Laurindo Almeida - 'Moonlight Serenade'
The Ray Brown Trio - 'Live at Kuumbwa'
Rickie Lee Jones - 'Pop Pop'
Roy Gaines - 'I Got the T-Bone Walker Blues'
Victor Feldman - 'Audiophile'
Wynton Marsalis Septet - 'Live at the Village Vanguard'
Johnny Cash - 'American Recordings'
Linda Ronstadt & Nelson Riddle - 'What's New'

adydula · « **Reply #49 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 01:45 pm »

cAse!!

Thanks for the great list!!

There goes the budget again!

Alex

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #50 on:** 25 Feb 2009, 07:06 pm »

Ditto what the last fella said:

Hope Waits - 'Hope Waits'
Lyle Lovett - 'Joshua Judges Ruth' (there's about four songs that could qualify as "reference recordings")
Linda Ronstadt & Nelson Riddle
Wynton Marsalis Septet
Nils Lofgren - 'Acoustic Live' (have not heard the entire release)

adydula · « **Reply #51 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 02:20 pm »

I havent posted in a few days, because if work and listening for a change!!

Present Verdict: I sure wish I had boought these SongTowers earlier!!!!

lonewolf42ny has sent me a goodie package and I have been listening to lots of stuff that I have never heard of and have been very much surprised.
I have secveral of the SALK test cd's and the NY Audio RAVE disks and WOW what a really great sampling of many great recordings and artists.

From Pink Panther to orchestral selections! Magnificiant.

I am beginning to think that the RAVE group have been having way to much fun !!!!!

If I were closer to NY ( being an old resident of UTICA, NY) I would find a way to weasel in for sure!!

Audio,beer, friends with like intrests!! what a combination!

I have purchased a bunch of the suggestions from many of your posts and will comment on them in the near future...

Ok for now, need some coffee and listen a bit!!

All the best
Alex

adydula · « **Reply #52 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 01:12 am »

Well,

Another really great listening session!!

Nuance recommended Joe Satriani's Anthology Remastered, well I just finished listening to the second cd in the package and yes I was BLOWN away once again!

Satriani is got to be one of the all time best ever guitar players...even if you dont like rock music, his talent on a guitar is just downright amazing.

The recording is not to bad, and many of the cuts have lots of stuff going on in them and many of them are rather slow and very graceful in presentation.

Rubina was really nice!! I got to here this is person a long time ago!

You may want to grad this 2 cd set, its a great representation of what Satriani has done!

The second listen tonight was the GRP Spyrogyra Collection CD. I like Spyrogyra, I think I was close to being a 'groupie' in my younger days, at least buying all their cd's and material

. Most of their major familiar hits are here from a several year period. The redording is decent and the vibes on many tracks are wonderful. The boys ure could play as a group and make you move!!

Syprogyra has many cds out ( I listed them earlier in the post) and this is a great way to listen to their most popular material well recorded.

All the best
Alex

ted_b · « **Reply #53 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 01:57 am »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 25 Feb 2009, 07:06 pm

Lyle Lovett - 'Joshua Judges Ruth' (there's about four songs that could qualify as "reference recordings")

Although somewhat off topic, JJR is a tremendous surround disc, too, even though it's in "lowly" DTS. It was one of my first 5.1 purchases years ago, and continues to be one of the best. The sonics, subtleties and wit come through very nicely in 5.1. They must have used a first generation master because the details are really something special.

OK, back on topic. Cassandra Wilson's Blue Note catalog (esp Rendezvous and New Moon Daughter) are tremendous recordings, sonically and musically.

Brucemck · « **Reply #54 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 12:36 am »

"My Dark Angel" on Blue Rodeo's Five Days in July.

"One" by Aimee Mann on the Magnolia soundtrack.

These are two of the most revealing recordings out there.

zybar · « **Reply #55 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 01:03 am »

Quote from: Brucemck on 6 Mar 2009, 12:36 am

"My Dark Angel" on Blue Rodeo's Five Days in July.

"One" by Aimee Mann on the Magnolia soundtrack.

These are two of the most revealing recordings out there.

BINGO!!

Both are part of my test songs.

On a good system, "My Dark Angel" on Blue Rodeo's Five Days in July will send shivers down my spine and make me feel like Sarah is singing to me personally.

George

zybar · « **Reply #56 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 01:34 am »

Here are a few more of my test tracks:

"Carnival" and "The Letter" from Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily
"One Trick Pony" from Holly Cole's Romantically Helpless
"The Battle" from the Gladiator Soundtrack
"Stimela" by Hugh Masekela on the Burmester Reference III CD
"Spanish Harlem from Rebecca Pidgeon's The Raven (24/96 version)
"Sunken Treasure" from Wilco's Being There
"Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass, and the Bears Off Your Ass" from the Bad Plus' These Are The Vistas
"Kid Charlemagne" from Steely Dan's The Royal Scam
"Cat Turned Blue" and "Laugh As The Sun" from Rusted Root's When I Woke
"Black Coffee" from Peggy Lee's Black Coffee
"Gold to Me" and "God Fearing Man" from Ben Harper's Fight For Your Mind
"Crush" from Dave Matthews Band's Before These Crowded Streets
"Isn't It A Little Late?" from Elanor McEvoy's Yola
"Domino" from Roland Kirk's Domino (remastered)
"Angel" from Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing

George

adydula · « **Reply #57 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 02:08 am »

Hey Guys!!

Thanks so much for posting, I am excited to try this new material...I am constantly suprised at the material I have had the pleasure of 'discovering' over the past few months. Many of the posters have shared some of the best out there and each and everytime I go listen on my SongTowers I always walk away saying it just cant get any better.

I have just got the JJR cd, havent listened yet...and I do have a few DTS 5.1 recordings, I have both the Diana Krall disc in normal 2 ch cd and in 5.1 DTS and have compared both...they both sound great....the 5.1 DTS one is really good...the soundstage on this is more 3 dimensional and the center channel is not mic'd very high (which is good) it sounds very much like a 2 ch cd with a "deeper' soundstage...

I am going to get the My Dark Angel and One ASAP!!

Are these on any particular cd issue?? remastered or xrcd etc or just the normal distribution?

All the best

Alex

rodge827 · « **Reply #58 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 03:01 am »

Gents,

Many of the choices you have I use also, here are a few others that are demo worthy:

1) Dave Grusin - "Homage To Duke"
2) Tommy Emmanuel - "Center Stage"
3) Ray Brown- "Walk On"

Enjoy,

Chris

Disclaimer- I'm not a Salk owner, but just thought that these discs are worth a listen on any system.

adydula · « **Reply #59 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 01:47 pm »

rodge827,

Thanks for the new references.....you dont have to own Salks to appreciate good music, material , recordings etc....

Thanks again and have a great day!!

Alex

PS:

I just got done listening to the RAVE 2008 reference tracks disc and once again I had the 'ususal' ethereal experience with many of the tracks on this disc...

And for those that really like and search for really great recorded material to test you speakers:

1. Stravinsky Firebird Suite Eiji Oue Minnesota Orch...the SongTowers make listening to classical music a JOY.

2. Your Joy - Chrisette Michele --- WOW what an awesome recording of someone I have never heard of..the presentation is like she is there in the middle of the soundstage ..like the speakers are GONE....absolutely stunning!!

3. Mars - Dean Peter...what a wonderful surprise..so full on all kinds os esoteric sounds...from very low amplitude to WHAMO....this will make you smile for sure..

4. Surf's Up! Brian Wilson,,,Holy Crap This kind of simple music never sounded so great.....just another WOW...

5. Bizet - Carmon Fantasie Anne-Sophie-Mutter, Vienner Phil - James Levine
I never really liked classiscal music and now I have realized I have missed out on alot....and look forward to listening a lot more...oh did I also say its really sound great on the SongTowers!

6. La Grange....dang its GOOD..

Many thanks to lonewolf42 for oepening my eyes up to lots of new stuff!!

What a great combo....great material and great speakers and so little time!!

Hope some of you look into some of those cited tracks...and enjoy!!

All the best
Alex