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What records would YOU use to test out a new TT? |
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fluddite
Senior Member Joined: 09 Jun 2013 Location: The Soft South Status: Offline Points: 416 |
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Posted: 28 Jun 2013 at 10:44pm |
OK - so I'm test-driving an RP6 (with both Exact and Dynavector DV10X50) tomorrow AM - and I've just packed a selection of vinyl in my trusty old Mole Jazz record bag - which led me to thinking - what records would YOU want to use for such a test-drive?
My list (with "reasonings"): @33: Beaux Arts Trio - Mozart Piano Trios (Philips 1967) - the challenge of analogue piano; Frans Bruggen et al - Vivaldi Concerti a Cinque (Telefunken 1968) - trebly early "authenticity"; Thea King/Allegri Quartet - Crusell Clarinet Quartets (Hyperion 1983) - late analogue chamber balancing-act; John Coltrane - Ole (Atlantic stereo pressing c.1962) - my desert-island Coltrane, with added Dolphy and two basses; Miles Davis - Porgy And Bess (late 60s CBS stereo pressing) - Philly Joe Jones vs. Gil Evans on 'Gone'; Duke Ellington - Far East Suite (RCA Dynagroove stereo 1967) - serious tonal congestion; Bill Evans - Quintessence (Fantasy 1977) - Ray Brown's bass on 'A Child Is Born'; Haden/Garbarek/Gismonti - Folk Songs (ECM 1981) - the ECM/Talent Studios Oslo sound, pre-digital; Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (Blue Note - 1977 UA repress) - 'Totem Pole', just because....; David Bowie - "Heroes" (RCA 1977) - the sonic congestion of 'Beauty And The Beast'; Tim Buckley - Starsailor (4 Men With Beards reissue 2007) - 'Song To The Siren' to test close-to-the-label tracking; Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (Sundazed mono reissue) - "thin wild mercury sound"; Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking (battered charity-shop original pink-label Island pressing 1969) - if it'll track this, it'll track anything....; 45rpm interlude: Agnes Bernelle - Father's Lying Dead On The Ironing Board (Imp 1985) - fabulous tangled "cabaret" mix; Malcolm X - No Sell Out (Tommy Boy 12" 1984) - early digital sampledelic; Elvis Costello & The Attractions - From Head To Toe (F-Beat 7" 1982) - snap, crackle and pop; Back to 33: Aimee Mann - Bachelor No.2 (MFSL half-speed master 2006) - Bacharach parody/homage on 'It Takes All Kinds' - and the MFSL sound; Massive Attack - Blue Lines (Wild Bunch 1991) - how subsonically massive (sic.) is 'Unfinished Sympathy'?; Iggy Pop - New Values (Arista 1979) - all trebly geetars and top-heavy drums; Sinatra & Basie - It Might As Well Be Swing (charity-shop Reprise mono original) - Quincy Jones arranges 'Fly Me To The Moon' with brass a-go-go; The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (Rough Trade 1986) - the title track at full pelt; Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Sire 1980) - lots of things happening at once; Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (Island 1973-4) - all the added instrumentation battling it out with Richard's guitar on 'When I Get To The Border'; Tom Waits - Small Change (Asylum 1976) - 'Invitation To The Blues' ("complete and direct to 2-Track Stereo Tape at Wally Heider Recording"); Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (Tamla Motown 1972) - 'Maybe Your Baby', just because....; And if there's time/energy: King Tubby - Dub Gone Crazy (Blood & Fire 1994) - VERSION....; Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (Polydor repress 1978) - the racket of 'Third Uncle'.... Needless to say, I'll be doing well to get through half of the above - but what would YOU choose/advise, eh?
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Robnpg
Senior Member Joined: 29 May 2020 Location: Chicago, IL Status: Offline Points: 122 |
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Lately, I've used from Synchronicity (sp), Wrapped Around your Finger and Prince's "Breakdown" from Art Official.....
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chapsjon
Regular Joined: 07 Jan 2020 Status: Offline Points: 88 |
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What an awesome list of "test" albums. If I have time I will listen to a much larger variety, but if I need a relatively quick idea of how something sounds, I put on Fleetwood Mac Rumours. I have listened to this album countless times on numerous components and know it so well that I know what to listen for where, what is missing, under-emphasized, over-emphasized, etc.... Also, it has good blend of tightly harmonized vocals, guitar, bass, drums... for pop-rock, it's all there.
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Robnpg
Senior Member Joined: 29 May 2020 Location: Chicago, IL Status: Offline Points: 122 |
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I was at a speaker demo and the guy put on an Al DiMeola track called “Race with the devil on a Spanish Highway”. It was from the Tour de Force album. Was an excellent workout for the speakers.
Edited by Robnpg - 14 Jun 2020 at 12:24pm |
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fluddite
Senior Member Joined: 09 Jun 2013 Location: The Soft South Status: Offline Points: 416 |
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You're right - whatever you use, you need to "have listened to this album countless times on numerous components and know it so well that [you] know what to listen for where, what is missing, under-emphasized, over-emphasized, etc." As it happened, I only used about half of my list in 2013 - having done the first few with the Exact and then again with the Dynavector (and deciding I already preferred the latter), I picked my way through some of the ones I knew would sound either particularly fab or particularly tricky. I found the best tests were: Fab: Tom Waits - Small Change (Asylum 1976) - 'Invitation To The Blues' Bill Evans - Quintessence (Fantasy 1977) - 'A Child Is Born' Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (Blue Note - 1977 UA repress) - 'Totem Pole' Aimee Mann - Bachelor No.2 (MFSL half-speed master 2006) - It Takes All Kinds' Tricky: Duke Ellington - The Far East Suite (RCA Dynagroove stereo 1967) Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (Tamla 1972) - 'Maybe Your Baby' David Bowie - "Heroes" (RCA 1977) - 'Beauty And The Beast' Agnes Bernelle - Father's Lying Dead On The Ironing Board (Imp 1985) The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (Rough Trade 1986) - 'The Queen Is Dead' Massive Attack - Blue Lines (Wild Bunch 1991) - Unfinished Sympathy' Needless to say, the "tricky" selection (no pun intended vis-a-vis the Massive Attack track !) was actually more revealing. I was listening via Rega amplification and a pair of wonderful Focal speakers that were way beyond my budget - and in an appreciably bigger room than my own - but it gave me a real insight into what the TT + cart combination was capable of. As a pendant - when our excellent local hi-fi store held a test auditioning of the Rega P10 + Apheta 3 last autumn, the LP I brought along (all of us predictably 50/60 something blokes were allowed one each after the bloke from Rega had spun his predicable showcases) was Ellington's Far East Suite. Nobody else had even heard of it - and everyone (including bloke-from-Rega) was blown away by that 60s RCA Dynagroove sound. Me - I found it difficult to imagine that tough mix being better resolved than by the P10/Apheta 3 - so that's now my Desert Island TT + cart for when my ship comes in.... |
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Str8Wire
New Member Joined: 10 Jul 2020 Location: Nevada Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Coming late to this forum topic. Just wanted to say thanks to all those who contributed their replies. Now I've got more listening to do for all the great suggestions!
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Timpdj
New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2020 Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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Late shout out for St Germain’s eponymous 2015 album. It’s one of the most stunning vinyl pressings I’ve ever heard. Also Nick Cave’s Push The Sky Away.
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