The first music CD I play on any new system [Archive]

joelll

09-29-2001, 12:10 AM

Yow... a new forum...this could be fun!

Since I appear to be somewhere near the first non-moderator posting here, I'll start with my favorite CD for playing first every time I set up a new system or after moving or major alterations to one of my current systems (bedroom, livingroom, study or HT).

Long, long ago, probably 1986 or so, I bought a Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs CD ("Original Master Recording", gold CD surface, goofy jewel case mechanism and all) of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album. My vinyl copy (which i still have, one of the first record albums I ever bought, back in 1979) wasn't sounding so good with a few scratches, so I snapped it up.

After thousands of plays, Dark Side of the Moon is still my favorite rock album. And it utterly, totally rocks my world when played through my vintage Polk Monitor 12s.

MFSL is now sadly out of business, but I've been able to find a few more of their discs at the used-record stores. They were fanatics about music reproduction, and it shows. I've picked up a few more of their CD's from used-record stores, even though they get marked up a bit because of their slight rarity.

joelll

TrappedUnder Ice

09-29-2001, 07:47 AM

When I brought home my new 2000i's other day.. first cd I did was RUSH- Power windows... very sweet> and its the remastered one also:cool:

wangotango68

09-29-2001, 12:31 PM

when i bought my 2.3's from russ in georgia i put in dream theater "awake".

scott:cool:

I-SIG

09-29-2001, 01:50 PM

I put in Peral Jam's Ten. I know it's not a great recording or anything, but I have listened to that CD so many times, I know exactly when and how it sounds right. If I don't like how it sounds, then the system ain't right, IMHO.

Wes

George Grand

09-29-2001, 05:53 PM

Strong Bad

09-29-2001, 09:50 PM

Pink Floyd DSOTM is still without a doubt my favorite CD to listen to, especially on my SRS 2.3's. When I brought them home about a year ago, I launched them with the song "Time".

Thats the first CD I ever bought about 17 years ago. I've since replaced the original copy with the newer remastered version. I never grow tired of it.

John

RuSsMaN

09-30-2001, 01:37 AM

Pink Floyd, The Final Cut
Rush, Farewell to Kings
Chris Rea, Road to Hell
Joe Walsh, The Confessor
Dave Matthews Band, Crash

I'll stop there, thats 5 times what you wanted already. Spent 4 hours with the Norh 9.0, and Av-Reality 3D today....I'm whooped.....

Cheers,
Russ

CANT WAIT for the bookshelf Lsi's brotha....

gidrah

09-30-2001, 03:59 AM

1. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells. Wide range.
2. Thelonius Monk - Live at the It. Great soundstage.
3. Led Zeppelin - II. Really loud to rejoice by rockin' the house.

TroyD

09-30-2001, 07:49 AM

Peter Murphy - Deep and/or Cascade
Boston - Third Stage
DMB - Crash
Pink Floyd - DSOTM

A little something for every taste there I suppose. Peter Murphy "Cuts You Up" is always the first song I listen to and new setup.

Troy

scottvamp

09-30-2001, 09:08 PM

Very cool pic scott (Dream Theater). That will make your speaker dance. I don't really get alot of the classic rock only because most of the cd recording are crap. Very low unseperated sound. Unless we are talking about some new digital sound remastered stuff. They might sound good. I like my stuff- anyone here of Theater Of Tragedy - mind blowing music.LATER :cool:

rskarvan

10-03-2001, 02:34 PM

John Strong,

Be careful with DSOTM "Time" with your 2.3's.
It has the potential for being hell on your SL3000 tweets.
I smoked an SL3000 tweeter 4 years into the Polk warranty playing "Time" on my SDA 3.1TL's. Nothing scarrier than seeing & smelling smoke come out a set of signature Polks. Chills.
Even while smoking - they still sounded fine (scarey). I would
have thought the thermal protection circuit would have protected them (not with "Time").

Here is where I put in a plug for Polk Audio customer service.
The dealer replaced both sets (R&L) of tweeters on my 3.1TL's.
He said... "you can't have an un-matched set now".
I've been extraordinarily careful with my tweets ever since.

That was so cool.
I had to go home and fetch the working tweeter for the warranty return. I would have NEVER suspected that kind of service.
Personally, I believe Floyd's TIME should be exempt from tweeter warranty service. Thats really pushing the limits of what a tweeter should be reasonably expected to reproduce. Ringgggg.

Since that event, I have purchased a CS400, FX500, RT25i, and PSW650 from Polk (and a set of 4 drivers for Monitor 10's).
Micah, if customer service ever gets "el-cheapo" on warranty repairs - show them this post.

Strong Bad

10-03-2001, 09:12 PM

Ron:

I hear you on that song, Time. Very demanding on tweeters. Luckily my SRS 2.3's have a 3 tweeter array per side to handle the load. Still, I'm a little tame with the volume on that beginning. I love it though. I love the entire album.

I really wish Pink Floyd would reunite (with Roger Waters) and put out another album.

John

I-SIG

10-03-2001, 10:10 PM

I think that was a complement, not on my music choice though :-)

Wes

George Grand

10-03-2001, 11:23 PM

Wes,
I'm not sure it was a compliment. How long have you had OUTSTANDING equipment? Not that long right? How long have you been listening to that piece of music? Long time right?

All I am saying is, if we familiarize ourselves with a particular piece of music while we own less capable equipment, are we looking for that SAME sound on better equipment. It's a question I've posed to myself quite a few times.

Did I come to ENJOY the distorted sound of lesser equipment?

I'm not sure I'm getting my idea across.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)

Tour2ma

01-14-2003, 02:27 AM

Old thread, no one will ever see it, but WTH, I love this kind of stuff:

1st system - Rod Stewart "I'm Losing You"
Upgrade 1 - ELP "Lucky Man"
UpG 2 (my Polk's) - Pink Floyd "Money"
UpG 3 - Alex Harvey Band "Faithhealer"
UpG 4 - Talking Heads DVD "Psycho Killer"
UpG 5 - TBD....

dthomps

01-14-2003, 05:41 AM

I hear everyone with all this Pink Floyd, man this is cool. I just cant believe no one has said anything about "Wish You Were Here" one of the greatest tunes of all time IMHO. I also dig "Time" a lot too. The first song I played after I got my 2000's was Crash by DMB. After I listened to the rest of the CD, I poped in "Under The Table And Dreaming" which is one good album. I definitely gave my speakers a workout that night.
George-
I totally hear ya about your quest for the same old sound- I really got dissappointed when I listened to a few of my older albums on my dads 2 ch. rig for the first time ( at the tender age of 18, when I first started to care about great sound, not just loud noise ) I played a few by Led Zeppelin, and U2, and cant remember the rest, but I thought for sure I would be smiling ear to ear really "hearing" the music for the first time, but was shocked to also hear the flaws for the first time, too. I do have to say I wish I didnt know they existed :D take care. Mike

Billm57

01-21-2003, 09:47 AM

Originally posted by George Grand
I often wondered about this. While growing up, I had many systems that were certainly NOT state of the art. Lot's of musical pleasure, but ultimately revealing? No. Soooo...

Is the "sound" I have been chasing after accurate, or just the sound I became so accustomed to over time that it became my reference?

Example: My favorite ALBUM, is "Hot Rats" by Zappa. When the cd was made available, I was listening to MUCH better equipment than I had been listening to the VINYL version on. I was really disappointed. Where was the bass? Where did the little percussive fills that he was SO famous for go?

Anybody see where I'm going (other than crazy)? I'm referring to Wes' post, not the other posts which are valid. It's the way Wes said, "I know when and how it sounds right".

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
a little off topic but I think the Hot Rats CD release is much better than any vinyl version of it. I have heard both on the same system. You even get a longer intro on Gumbo Variations which wasnt on the vinyl. Anyway great album/cd..one of Zappa's best

Zen Dragon

01-21-2003, 09:29 PM

Originally posted by George Grand
I often wondered about this. While growing up, I had many systems that were certainly NOT state of the art. Lot's of musical pleasure, but ultimately revealing? No. Soooo...

Is the "sound" I have been chasing after accurate, or just the sound I became so accustomed to over time that it became my reference?

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)

I know exactly what you mean. Whenever you spend a lot of time with a recording and a system it just does not sound right if it is heard from a different source.
You can have a favorite piece, and you know just how that bass note should hit, just how smooth the brass section should rise up to assault you, and if you hear it on a diff system it immediately is not right.
Of course the owner of the other system prob thinks the same thing about your system. Is there a right or wrong?
Who knows, it just depends on what part of the piece we enjoy, and our listening/hearing preferences.
I just love a solid mid-range that can seemlessly rise up into a soaring high, sort of like you here on Floyds wish you were here, and if a speaker can't do it the way I'm used to my Polks doing it...well who the hell knows what it means, it just don't sound right.

avelanchefan

01-22-2003, 04:09 AM

Wangtango
Very good pick. A lot of musical depth in DT's Awake. Personally the first cd I threw on my system was Dream Theaters Scenes from a Memory.

Scottvamp
Can you recommend any songs or CD's from that group(Theater of Tragedy). I have never heard of them. Are they progressive rock? Always looking for new groups out of the main stream.

Right now I have Porcupine Tree in my cd player.

shack

01-22-2003, 10:11 AM

Steeley Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill - Many demos with this one.

Billm57

01-22-2003, 02:07 PM

Originally posted by avelanchefan
Wangtango
Very good pick. A lot of musical depth in DT's Awake. Personally the first cd I threw on my system was Dream Theaters Scenes from a Memory.

Scottvamp
Can you recommend any songs or CD's from that group(Theater of Tragedy). I have never heard of them. Are they progressive rock? Always looking for new groups out of the main stream.

Right now I have Porcupine Tree in my cd player.

Anything by Porcupine Tree is good

Ceruleance

01-23-2003, 01:27 AM

Maybe none of you are into some of the newer stuff coming out, but does anyone have the deftones album "White Pony" ? Anytime I check out equipment I usually bring it with me. Something about it makes it stand out as the best produced/engineered/mastered recordings I own. All the bass is tighter and everything sounds cleaner than other stuff I own, Anyone familiar with this disc and know what I am talking about?

Shizelbs

01-28-2003, 03:50 AM

Yeah, I have heard White Pony, its just not good enough to be with their other one, the name of which eludes me right now. I own it, I should know its name!

Tour2ma

01-28-2003, 06:26 AM

Laugh if you want, but Michael Jackson's "Bad" remains one of the best digital recordings I've ever heard.

George and other Fellow Baby-Boomers,
Want to cry for your lost youth, try listening to any Dave Clark Five album. Not just talking poor recording or "Sears-Robuck record-player" deteriorated vinyl here, they just suck... off-key and everything. And to think that once upon a time I defended them vs. The Beatles.

Demiurge

01-26-2006, 10:22 PM

Yeah, I have heard White Pony, its just not good enough to be with their other one, the name of which eludes me right now. I own it, I should know its name!

Adrenaline? Around the Fur?

Bump for good measure.

(sorry, been listening to both those CDs today, agression!)

Shizelbs

01-27-2006, 12:02 AM

I was thinking Adrenaline at the time, but Around the Fur is pretty damned good too.

Demiurge

01-27-2006, 08:04 AM

Their latest CD of covers and B-sides is well worth owning. Quality is top notch.

heiney9

01-27-2006, 10:11 AM

I often wondered about this. While growing up, I had many systems that were certainly NOT state of the art. Lot's of musical pleasure, but ultimately revealing? No. Soooo...

Is the "sound" I have been chasing after accurate, or just the sound I became so accustomed to over time that it became my reference?

Example: My favorite ALBUM, is "Hot Rats" by Zappa. When the cd was made available, I was listening to MUCH better equipment than I had been listening to the VINYL version on. I was really disappointed. Where was the bass? Where did the little percussive fills that he was SO famous for go?

Anybody see where I'm going (other than crazy)? I'm referring to Wes' post, not the other posts which are valid. It's the way Wes said, "I know when and how it sounds right".

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)

You hit the nail on the head GG. Through out my audio journey I've had favorite recordings. It seems as I moved up the audio chain, several of those selections left me wondering "what the hell". It's a strange phenomenon and now that I've solidified my current rig I have my faves. Remains to be seen when I upgrade again, if my current faves will be replaced once again. There are a few stellar recordings that made it through all these years. On the flip side, I have discovered recordings that in the past I thought were merely average, to be exceptional. So it works both ways for me.

H9

thehaens@cox.net

01-27-2006, 11:12 AM

Pink Floyd DSOTM
John

Ditto - DSOTM...........

Scott

heiney9

01-27-2006, 11:45 AM

Old thread, no one will ever see it, but WTH, I love this kind of stuff:

$hit....I gotta start paying attention to the dates. I just responded to GG like it was yesterday. Not that the response is bad....just feel like dumba$$ now thinking this was current thread. Oh well, still interesting.

FWIW, DSOTM has never impressed me as being all that great of a recording, that's just me.

H9

thehaens@cox.net

01-27-2006, 11:57 AM

Damn..........blame Demiurge

Demiurge

01-27-2006, 01:20 PM

FWIW, DSOTM has never impressed me as being all that great of a recording, that's just me.

H9

I agree with you.

I love the album, but the quality isn't mind blowing, even for it's time.

Driver

01-30-2006, 06:40 PM

well for me its
roksoypp - the understanding, this has good highs and lows
kraftwerk - tour de france, nice clean sounds and all in all a fantastic cd
jean michell jarre - aero, this has been composed for 5.1 and sounds spectacular

madmax

01-31-2006, 12:52 PM

I just responded to GG like it was yesterday. Not that the response is bad....just feel like dumba$$ now thinking this was current thread. Oh well, still interesting.H9

OK, so you replied 5 years too late. Better late than never... :D

heiney9

01-31-2006, 01:13 PM

OK, so you replied 5 years too late. Better late than never... :D

How much change can take place in 5 years? Right :D . FWIW, 5 years ago my response would've been the same.

unc2701

01-31-2006, 01:14 PM

I always liked Wish You Were Here over DSOTM... Lately I've been doing my demo's w/ Massive Attack, Mezzanine. Dissolved Girl has these huge dynamics and lots of action under 30hz... but also has this section with major compression. Having the compression on there really helps evaluate a system- the better the system, the more it stands out, especially when followed with the more dynamic parts.

Good thread to ressurect.

Tour2ma

02-01-2006, 11:59 PM

Cool how this thread is on its second ressurection...

Danny Tse

02-02-2006, 01:16 AM

Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits

For sheer fun and dynamics, crank "Money For Nothing". Especially if you have a multi-channel setup with SACD or DVD-A. Then skip to "Your Latest Trick" to get the amazing soundstage mixed into the recording....almost surround sound-like even when played in 2 channel stereo. After that, the title track should get the juices flowing with the keyboards and MK's guitar.