Mini-Review: Favorite SACD or DVD-Audio disc

ted_b · « **on:** 8 Jun 2009, 05:00 pm »

This is a dedicated thread for anyone/everyone to list his/her favorite SACD or DVD-Audio. The disc can be stereo only or multichannel.
Let's follow a template that has some quantitative and qualitative information:
- audio format (SACD, DVD-Audio)
- number of channels supported (2.0, 5.1, etc.)
- label (i.,e Chesky, Telarc, etc.)
- audio quality (describe the audio in audio terms. How is the clarity, bass, soundstage, surround effects if relevant, tonality, etc.)
- video extras (DVD-A only) (only need to mention if noteworthy or part of your decision why this disc made this list)

This is not a thread for debating who's is better; leave that to your own created threads. This is a sticky for referencing top quality discs only.

Jah-Hey! · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Aug 2009, 08:43 pm »

Neil Young's 'Chrome Dream II' has a song "Ordinary People" that is one Young's best loooong jam songs. It has cool lyrics and great instrumentation...I'm still listening to the rest of the album; but, the purchase was worth it for this song.
Following the template:
DVD-V or CD
2.0 channels with Video
Reprise Records
I give the sound quality an A-/B+ Album has great sound/stage separation and transparency.

ted_b · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Aug 2009, 08:54 pm »

OK, this was initially a thread that i specified for SACD and DVD-A only. However, being that it has not been posted on until now (which is neither an SACD nor a DVD-Audio disc) I'll extend it to DVD-Video's like this Neil Young release (which has 24/96 PCM stereo). Only review the hirez portion. Thanks.

Jah-Hey,
Welcome to AC. I assume your sound quality report card is based on the 24/96 hiRez content, right?

Jah-Hey! · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Aug 2009, 09:19 pm »

Thanks.
I listened in the 24/96 mode, yes.
This Neil Young song is more complex and has more anthemic rock hooks than "Harvest" (DVD-A), IMHO.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Aug 2009, 09:38 pm »

This is my favorite SACD afew months, John Dowland-Complete Solo Lute Music BIS SACD-1724 with Jacob Lindberg(lute).
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/5483
Stereo only, Single Layer, 92 tracks, 4 hours and 15 minutes of sweet music, recorded in PCM in 1994. Very good sound in a exemplary performance in a Lute with gut strings, not strident steel strings as Nigel North use to play. A must if you play Guitar or Bass etc...
Very recommended to educate children and babies before they are used with aggressive Pop-Rock music.
Just 21 dollars at Amazon USA.

P.S.: Mr.Robert(BIS) informed all the PCM masters of the vintage BIS catalogue are upsampled before the DSD mastering.
I Highly Recommend this BIS ultra long time SACDs series. You can listen samples at the BIS Site in the Link below:
http://www.bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-SACD-1724

jsaliga · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Sep 2009, 12:41 pm »

Khachaturian: Gayne Ballet Suite - Anatole Fistoulari/London Symphony Orchestra

This 1960 recording was sourced from 35mm magnetic film and it ranks among the finest analog source recordings I have ever heard. This package includes a redbook CD at 16bit/44.1KHz (not of particular interest in this thread), and a double sided DVD-10 that contains the hirez content. On one side there is a 24bit/96Hz stereo recording that will play on any DVD player. On the other side there is a 24bit/192KHz stereo recording that will only play on DVD-A players. I use a Denon DVD-5910CI as my main DVD-A and SACD source. I have only listened to the 24/192 side and I will say that it left me speechless. The recording is extremely detailed and remains cohesive even when the sonics get dense. Classic Records has been reissuing a number of Everest 35mm magnetic film recordings on DVD-A. I purchased several of them and have yet to be disappointed. If you are a classical music lover then I highly recommend that you consider these recordings. They will set you back from between $24 to $29 each depending on who you order from. I bought mine from Acoustic Sounds.

--Jerome

ted_b · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Sep 2009, 01:31 pm »

Jerome,
I thoroughly enjoy your synopsis/reviews over on the Omega music thread. Welcome to the HiRez Circle. Questions:
1) Did you listen to this (and the others) in 2 channel only, or did you try the 3 channel 24/96 tracks too?
2) Will you review the others you've heard?

Thanks

jsaliga · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Sep 2009, 02:13 pm »

Hi Ted,

Thanks for the compliment and warm welcome. I think this thread is a great idea and was a little surprised not to see more participation.

I'm a two-channel guy. Several years ago I used to have a 5.1 setup but much of the multichannel content availabile just didn't catch fire with me. Recently I finished a complete rebuild of my two-channel setup (actually a dedicated headphone setup and a dedicated loudspeaker rig).

There are a number of other Everest 35mm recordings on DVD-A that I'll be doing mini-reivews of here, and I'll be happy to toss in some recommendations of other hirez content that I feel might be of interest to folks who hang out in the HiRez Circle. I'm mainly a jazz, classical, and rock fan...in that order.

--Jerome

jsaliga · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 02:53 pm »

Ronald Brautigam - Beethoven: Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 2

I know a few people that have 15 or more complete Beethoven piano sonata cycles. I'm not one of them though. I have three on CD and two on vinyl. I love the music to be sure, but Beethoven has to compete with my other musical interests so my goals have been pretty much met with what I already have. Most of the performances I have are on the piano, but this one by Ronald Brautigam is on fortepiano. I won't use this space to go into the differences other than to say that the fortepiano has slightly softer tonal qualities and notes decay faster than on a piano. Treble sparkles more and bass is not as thunderous as the piano...you can google for the details if you really want the specifics. According to the label on the disc there is a mutichannel program, but I have only listened to the SACD stereo content. It really is fabulous. The intonation sounds spot on to me and the recording is extremely detailed. This does great credit to represent the unique sonic character of the fortepiano. The performance by Brautigam is equal to the marvelous sound quality of the recording. If you have never heard a fortepiano then it will take a little getting used to, but the performance and sound quality here are so delightfully good that making the adjustment should be a joy. I can't recommend these SACDs enough.

--Jerome

ted_b · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 04:28 pm »

Jerome,
Thanks. I listened to some of Vol 1 on Rhapsody just to get a lowrez feel. Very nice. Do you like Vol 2 the best or just used this volume as an example?

jsaliga · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 04:32 pm »

Hi Ted. I just used Volume 2 as an example; the entire series is very worthwhile.

--Jerome

jsaliga · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Sep 2009, 04:15 pm »

Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal

In my book Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard can do no wrong. They formed the backbone of Dead Can Dance for about 15 years, and it was a loss to music lovers when they stopped recording together with the release of their final album, Spiritchaser in 1996. While their music is resistant to categorization, it has been described as having its origins in the Middle Ages, while appealing to world and pop music sensibilities. I suppose that's as good a description as any. But like most non-traditional music, you really have to experience some of it to get a handle on what its all about. Spleen and Ideal is a critically acclaimed entry in the DCD catalog. It is musically moving and astonishingly well recorded. This release is part of a limited run on Hybrid Stereo SACD by 4AD, and the remastering is courtesy of Mobile Fidelity. The sonics can get somewhat dense in this recording and in my opinion it benefits considerably from the DSD treatment. Be advised that this recording will reveal weaknesses in your setup, especially in the low frequencies. The entire set of SACDs was issued in a boxed set but I think these are getting more difficult to find because supplies are limited. However, Acoustic Sounds still has some single discs left and if you enjoy Dead Can Dance then I strongly suggest you snag these SACDs while you can.

--Jerome

jsaliga · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Sep 2009, 02:18 pm »

Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor - Tauno Hannikainen/Tossy Spivakovsky/London Symphony Orchestra

This is another strong entry in the Classic Records series of Everest 35mm magnetic tape reissues on DVD-A. As with the other titles in this series there is a double-sided DVD-10. On one side there is a 24/96 stereo recording and on the other a 24/192 stereo recording. I have only listened to the latter. The Sibelius Violin Concerto ranks among my favorite concertos for violin. The recording is vivid and detailed, as are all the recordings in this series that I have listened to so far. While Tossy Spivakovsky, as the featured voilinist, never achieved the level of fame and renown as some of his peers, namely Jascha Heifetz and Isaac Stern, his performance here nothing less than brilliant. I can equally recommend the other Spivakovsky appearance on the Everest 35mm reissue series on DVD-A in a performance of the Tchaikovksy Violin Concerto in D Major with Walter Goehr conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. It's spellbinding.

I think now would be a good time to qualify some of my comments. As you may or may not have noticed, I have a strong preference for historical recordings. Indeed, I own very few classical music performances that were recorded after 1975. The vast majority of them were recorded between 1950 and 1965. I tend to favor music issued by the RCA Victor, Mercury Living Presence, Everest, and Decca labels. The reason for this is simply a matter of preference. There are some very good, even excellent contemporary performances and recordings. Some of them are in my music library, but my focus with classical music is still with historic recordings that were originally recorded on analog tape. A lot of the recordings that I find breathtaking will have a little bit of tape hiss. Some people can't stand it, and I can appreciate that. I have a library of about 300 1/4" 4-track stereo tapes and still use reel-to-reel rather regularly, so tape hiss is usually not a problem for me up to a certain point. If it is a big issue for you then you may want to think twice before buying any of the classical recordings that I am recommending here. While 35mm magnetic film has a lower noise floor and less tape hiss than other tape media, it does not eliminate it completely. I just wanted to get that out there before someone bought one of these recordings and found the tiny amount of tape hiss present to be insufferable.

--Jerome

rpf · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Sep 2009, 03:56 am »

Choral Works for 40 Voices. A Hybrid Multi-Channel SACD in 2 and 5 channels on the Harmonia Mundi label. Beautiful music, very well recorded (clarity and sound-staging are exceptional). Different microphone arrangements were used "in accordance with the spatial dispositions of the works on the programme" and are diagrammed in the booklet.

My favorite is "Spem In Alium" a gorgeous tour de force from the 16th century that is stunningly dimensional and spacious even in two channel (which is all I have). I have heard this in a multi-channel system consisting of large Von Schweikerts (VR6s and 7s and more) in an approximately 25 x 40 x 14 foot room. Heavenly is the only word that can convey the result.

Hank · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Feb 2010, 05:55 pm »

Jerome, thank you for your effort here. I think I'll order the Khachaturian.

golfugh · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Apr 2010, 11:31 pm »

I know not everyone is an Elton John fan, but I have several/most of his SACD's and my favorite by far is "Honky Chateau." Among all of the ones I own this one holds a lot of sentimental value due to the "Rocket Man" track. I had a good friend of mine killed in an F-15C accident in 1992 and he was known as Rocket Man.....well there you have it! Great 2-channel and 5.1 multi-channel recording, as are almost all of Elton John's releases.

Elton John-Honky Chateau

Mark

Ronm1 · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Jun 2010, 09:37 pm »

Here are a couple from me to start off, cause I have more.

Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West - Sonny Rollins
Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section
These three are 192/24 2ch only and are superbly remastered 60's sessions and IMHO up to now the
definitive releases of these sessions, and I have these in just about every format imaginable.
These were done with JVC's K2 h/w tweaked for dvda's 2ch 192/24 spec. They are JP imports only but if you can find them run don't walk to pick them up. Older great lp's rarely get remastered as good as this, IMHO of course.

ted_b · « **Reply #17 on:** 27 Jun 2010, 01:29 am »

Quote from: Ronm1 on 26 Jun 2010, 09:37 pm

Here are a couple from me to start off, cause I have more.

Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West - Sonny Rollins
Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section
These three are 192/24 2ch only and are superbly remastered 60's sessions and IMHO up to now the
definitive releases of these sessions, and I have these in just about every format imaginable.
These were done with JVC's K2 h/w tweaked for dvda's 2ch 192/24 spec. They are JP imports only but if you can find them run don't walk to pick them up. Older great lp's rarely get remastered as good as this, IMHO of course.

RonM, couldn't agree more. Although those Japanese DVD-A's have been out of print for some time they show up on Ebay every once in awhile. The good news, though, is that each (I think WOW is) are available as an SACD and sound superb that way too. I also came across a Japanese jazz DVD-A sampler called Best Jazz Sound, and it has a 24/192 from Sax Collossus and Pepper Meets Rythm. The quality of those two cuts blow away any redbook version I've heard.

golfugh · « **Reply #18 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 11:31 pm »

Well, I picked up 2 SACD's with the Elusive Disk Sale (actually a lot more than 2) and I have to say these are phenomenal. An eclectic mix of country, folk, indie rock - Nickel Creek. Both are exceptional from a sonics, 2-channel and multichannel standpoint. Incredible vocals and instrumentals.

Nickel Creek-Nickel Creek

Nickel Creek-This Side

Mark

Edit: Just wanted to add that these 2 SACD's are excellent, extremely well recorded and a joy to listen to.

Phil A · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 Jun 2010, 03:04 am »

I really like Sara K's "Hell or High Water" (on SACD) on Stockfish records. I picked it up some time ago. Imaging and sonics are really nice. Also picked up some time ago is Greta Matassa "Live at Tula's" on SACD. It is a realistic live recording in either two or multi-channel