The best sounding (produced/mastered) tracks/albums

[StescoG66]

toasty said:

Deranged Rover said:

I was at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show at the weekend and went to the REL subwoofer demo.

It was as hysterically terrible as I expected it to be, but it did introduce me to the track “Iron Man” by Yookie.

Blows the cobwebs out of your bass drivers quite nicely….

Why terrible? I’ve always liked their subs.

To my mind most subwoofer installations are plain wrong. They should be there to underpin the main speakers not overlap them. Did you come in to the Fyne Audio room at the show?

[Oberheim]

Deranged Rover said:

I was at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show at the weekend and went to the REL subwoofer demo.

It was as hysterically terrible as I expected it to be, but it did introduce me to the track “Iron Man” by Yookie.

Blows the cobwebs out of your bass drivers quite nicely….

A synth bass that I would describe as ‘phat as phuck’. My REL T5X enjoyed that track as much as I did

[Nico Adie]

Of a similar ilk, Did You Miss Me by the Cooper Temple Clause has biblical low end.

[Deranged Rover]

toasty said:

Why terrible? I’ve always liked their subs.

Well I’ve always despised them.

This particular BOOM demo simply BOOM reinforced every BOOOM opinion I’ve ever BOOOM had about them.

BOOOOOOOM.

A good subwoofer should be seen but not heard. REL have never got the hang of this.

[Tim Cognito]

I always thought smashing pumpkins - Siamese dream was well produced. Hummer in particular.

[VSKeith]

Deranged Rover said:

toasty said:

Why terrible? I’ve always liked their subs.

Well I’ve always despised them.

This particular BOOM demo simply BOOM reinforced every BOOOM opinion I’ve ever BOOOM had about them.

BOOOOOOOM.

A good subwoofer should be seen but not heard. REL have never got the hang of this.

Poor set up.

I've had one for years - you only notice its absence when unplugged, not its presence when plugged in.

[toasty]

VSKeith said:

Deranged Rover said:

toasty said:

Why terrible? I’ve always liked their subs.

Well I’ve always despised them.

This particular BOOM demo simply BOOM reinforced every BOOOM opinion I’ve ever BOOOM had about them.

BOOOOOOOM.

A good subwoofer should be seen but not heard. REL have never got the hang of this.

Poor set up.

I've had one for years - you only notice its absence when unplugged, not its presence when plugged in.

Exactly. You dial in the crossover level so it kicks in when the main speakers are tailing off.

I’ve not been to one of their demos but my setup isn’t all boom.

[robbiekhan]

Here's something a little different, also added to the playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/track/66RIHdAygY04tk3NNIV...

That wind that you can hear throughout as it plays is sub;sublime. Certainly a track that makes the right speakers become invisible in the room.

[InductionRoar]

toasty said:

VSKeith said:

Deranged Rover said:

toasty said:

Why terrible? I’ve always liked their subs.

Well I’ve always despised them.

This particular BOOM demo simply BOOM reinforced every BOOOM opinion I’ve ever BOOOM had about them.

BOOOOOOOM.

A good subwoofer should be seen but not heard. REL have never got the hang of this.

Poor set up.

I've had one for years - you only notice its absence when unplugged, not its presence when plugged in.

Exactly. You dial in the crossover level so it kicks in when the main speakers are tailing off.

I’ve not been to one of their demos but my setup isn’t all boom.

Are you suggesting that your subs are set up better than the Rel technicians could manage for their demo?

[VSKeith]

InductionRoar said:

Are you suggesting that your subs are set up better than the Rel technicians could manage for their demo?

Yes, as it sounds like they're likely set up for maximum boom demo impact. Which isn't how they should be used in civilised environments

[NDA]

robbiekhan said:

Here's something a little different, also added to the playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/track/66RIHdAygY04tk3NNIV...

That wind that you can hear throughout as it plays is sub;sublime. Certainly a track that makes the right speakers become invisible in the room.

I am reminded of going into a hifi shop when I was a teenager and hearing this track (below) being played on a pair of Wharfedale Signifiers. Not only was I sold on the concept of high fidelity from hearing those speakers, but it also introduced me to jazz a bit more deeply. Coleman Hawkins in particular.

This track sounds good, it was recorded in one take and the playing is sublime - worth listening all the way to the fade out. On decent speakers the sax is almost visible - one of my absolute favourite recordings.

https://open.spotify.com/search/go%20lil%20liza

[Oberheim]

VSKeith said:

Poor set up.

I've had one for years - you only notice its absence when unplugged, not its presence when plugged in.

Exactly this. I consider my REL to be perfectly integrated with my system (i use the high level speakon connecter) and the taut, tight bass that I enjoy sounds like it’s coming from the speakers and nowhere else. It augments the low end of my speakers without any boom or flabbiness whatsoever and also lifts the mids, I love my REL.

[robbiekhan]

nuyorican said:

My vinyl version that i've had since i was about 12 is still one of the best sounding records I've ever owned.

Nice added this to Spotify and will play during the daytime when I can fire up the speakers.

NDA said:

I am reminded of going into a hifi shop when I was a teenager and hearing this track (below) being played on a pair of Wharfedale Signifiers. Not only was I sold on the concept of high fidelity from hearing those speakers, but it also introduced me to jazz a bit more deeply. Coleman Hawkins in particular.

This track sounds good, it was recorded in one take and the playing is sublime - worth listening all the way to the fade out. On decent speakers the sax is almost visible - one of my absolute favourite recordings.

https://open.spotify.com/search/go%20lil%20liza

Will play that tomorrow cheers, if you like jazz then this playlist by Spotify is also excellent:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWV7EzJ...

Edited by robbiekhan on Sunday 2nd March 02:07

[Deranged Rover]

NDA said:

I am reminded of going into a hifi shop when I was a teenager and hearing this track (below) being played on a pair of Wharfedale Signifiers…

Nerd Mode ON

Mordaunt Short Signifers, surely?

Nerd Mode OFF

[NDA]

Deranged Rover said:

NDA said:

I am reminded of going into a hifi shop when I was a teenager and hearing this track (below) being played on a pair of Wharfedale Signifiers…

Nerd Mode ON

Mordaunt Short Signifers, surely?

Nerd Mode OFF

Yes, you're quite right... not sure why I wrote Wharfedale as re-reading it, it's clearly wrong. D'oh!

[RSTurboPaul]

Found this on the internet - old video but a great demonstration of the Loudness Wars ruining music recordings!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

[Nico Adie]

RSTurboPaul said:

Found this on the internet - old video but a great demonstration of the Loudness Wars ruining music recordings!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

https://chicagomasteringservice.com/loudness/

This is also a pretty good article on loudness - I have to confess that I love my remastered Raw Power, the sheer brutality of the mastering is fitting for the music. And it's outrageously LOUD when you play it after almost any other CD, hilariously so.

[Oberheim]

'Roadhouses and Automobiles' by Chris Jones.

His final album before he died in 2005. A very high quality recording.

[StescoG66]

We used Thank You (R J Reynolds) as a demo track in Bristol this year

[NDA]

Oberheim said:

'Roadhouses and Automobiles' by Chris Jones.

His final album before he died in 2005. A very high quality recording.

That does sound good - thanks... had not heard of Chris Jones before. He reminds me of maybe Mark Cohn with a bit of Bruce Hornsby (sans piano). I will listen some more. A tragedy that he should die so young.

Album liner notes here:

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/53/000164135.pdf