SACD Recommendations

[Tornado Red]

I've been an avid blu-ray collector over the last 4 or 5 years. I have quite a few movies, but I've always had more interest in blu-ray audio only/concerts of which I have 80 or so. I've upgraded my speakers to include of lot of Polk product over the holidays, and I'm pleased to be getting my first Oppo player (the 103) delivered next week. Goodbye and good riddens to my Shamsung, but I digress... the Oppo will be the first player for me that spins SACD, and I'm thinking of starting to collect. I'd like to begin with a few that might blow me away to some extent, and make my investment in the new equipment look good, if you know what I mean So I thought, who better to ask than the good folks on the Polk forum who have collections already? Anyone that would like to help me out would be much appreciated. Genre aside (I know we all have different tastes) pick a couple from your collections that REALLY impressed you sonically. Thanks in advance for sharing!

[kuntasensei]

Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
Beck - Sea Change

[gdb]

Brothers in Arms and Gaucho would be my first picks if i ever went into SACD.

[ericks0ns]

I am sure they would be considered more obvious picks, but I recently enjoyed Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". (Was conducting a vinyl vs. SACD listening session with the 45rpm FM re-release.)

[Dawgfish]

Pink Floyd- DSOTM
Nora Jones- Come Away with Me
Diana Krall- Girl in the Other Room
Concord Jazz Festival Jazz Sampler #2
John Coltrane-A Love Supreme
Wagner-Der Ring an Orchestral Journey by the Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra
Tony Bennet-Tony and Friends
Hebie Hancock-Maiden Voyage
Allman Brother's Band-Live at the Filmore East and Eat a Peach

[HHStuart]

Pink Floyd- DSOTM
Diana Krall- Girl in the Other Room
Jacques Loussier Trio - Best of Play Bach
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
Chris Thile - Not all who wander are lost
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Eagles - Hotel California
Fiona Joy Hawkins - Blue Dream
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Long Walk to Freedom
Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed

Beethoven - Paavo Jarvi - Symphonies 1 and 5
Biber, Muffat - A Virtuoso Faceoff
Bizet/Grieg/Korsakov/Satie/Borodin - Carmen Suites/Pier Gynt Suite/Russian Easter Overture/Gymnopedie/In the steppes of Central Asia
Boccherini - Fandango, Le Concert Des Nations
Dvorak - Slavonic Dances
Handel -Jordi Savall - Water Music/Music for the Royal Fireworks
Mendelssohn - Swensen - Symphony # 3 "Scottish"/Hebrides Overture
Mozart - Jordi Savall - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik/Le convert des Nations
Mozart - Marriner - Four Horn Concertos
Mozart - Rubingh - Horn Concerto # 1,Flute Concerto # 1, Bassoon Concerto, K.191,Oboe Concerto, K.271k
Mozart - Jordi Savall - Piano Concertos 21 & 23
Paganini - Szeryng - Violin Concertos 1 and 4
Rachmaninoff - Lang Lang - Piano Concerto No. 2/Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini
Rachmaninov/Grieg - Sa Chen - Piano Concerto, Op.18 / Piano Concerto Op. 16
Rossini - Mariner - Famous Overtures
Sarasate,Tartini,Ravel,Massanet,Faure - Mutter - Carmen-Fantasie
Schubert - Impromptus
Tchaikovsky - Yablonsky - Swan Lake
Various Composers - Stockholm Guitar Quartet - A Unique Classical Guitar Collection
Various Composers - Best of Omnibus Wind Ensemble "Circo della vita"
Various Composers - Melodies
Various Composers - Fiedler - Pops Caviar
Various Composers - Julian Bream - Popular Classics for Spanish Guitar
Various Composers - Stokowski - Rhapsodies
Various Composers - Super Audio CD Sampler Pentatone
Various Composers - Super Audio CD Sampler (Vol. 2) Pentatone
Veracini - Overtures & Concerti Vol. 1
Vivaldi - Ozawa - Four Seasons
Vivaldi - Pearlman - Four Seasons
Vivaldi/Weiss - Katona Twins - Concertos & Sonatas for Guitar

[F1nut]

Some good titles suggested above, here's a few more.

Roxy Music - Avalon
The Peter Malick Group w/Norah Jones - New York City
Aimee Mann - Lost In Space and Bachelor No. 2
Roy Orbison - Black & White Night
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed and Beggars Banquet
Keb 'Mo - all

If you want to get deeper, most all of the SHM-SACD's are very good to exceptional.

[Tornado Red]

Hadn't heard of SHM before you mentioned it here. Kinda pricey, though there is a title or two I wouldn't mind having. Do you have any F1 (or anyone else), and if so what do you think? Wondering what Holst's The Planets would sound like...

[headrott]

Dawgfish should state which version of Norah Jone's "Come Away With Me" he means (the original or Analogue Productions')

Personally, I find the Analogue Productions version of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" better than the SACD of DSOTM. I really wasn't overly impressed with DSOTM, but that's me I guess. I'm not saying it's bad, but not overly impressive.

I would second Beck's "Sea Change" though. It sounds very good. Although, I like the mix of the album on the Gold CD from MFSL but that's another story.

I would also second Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" and Roxy Music's "Avalon".

Any of the Moody Blues' first 4 SACD's are phenominal. I don't own any newer ones than that so I cannot comment.

I would suggest "Violator" by Depeche Mode.
The MFSL version of "Music From Big Pink" by The Band

For SHM SACD's I would suggest: "Aja" by Steely Dan and Traffic's "John Barleycorn Must Die" are phenominal.

[F1nut]

Hadn't heard of SHM before you mentioned it here. Kinda pricey, though there is a title or two I wouldn't mind having. Do you have any F1 (or anyone else), and if so what do you think? Wondering what Holst's The Planets would sound like...

I have way too many.

What do I think? I think they are very good to exceptional. Sticky Fingers is a must have.

I don't have Holst's The Planets on SHM-SACD, but I do have it on SACD.

[BlueFox]

The only SHM SACD I have is "Exile On Main Street", and I love it. At first I hesitated about paying $50 for a CD, but someone mentioned that the more you play it, the less expensive it becomes. By now I have gotten my money's worth.

[Keiko]

Steely Dan-Aja SHM SACD
Steely Dan-Gaucho
All, Stevie Ray Vaughn on Mobile Fidelity SACD
Dead Can Dance-Into The Labyrinth
Fleetwood Mac-Rumours
Eagles-Hotel California
Dire Straits-Brothers In Arms
Pink Floyd-DSotM/Wish You Were Here
Simple Minds-Best of

[Toolfan66]

All Elton John..

[Tornado Red]

Hey, some great titles so far, feel like a kid in a candy store. Aja and Brothers In Arms look like good ones. I'd grab anything Pink Floyd in a heart beat, but I have the Immersion versions of WYWH and DSOTM already that contain the blu-rays.

[Dawgfish]

"Dawgfish should state which version of Norah Jone's "Come Away With Me" he means (the original or Analogue Productions')"

I'm not sure which version I have, I just know what I have sounds good ;-). I'm sorry to hear about your experience with DSOTM. There are many SACD versions of that also, perhaps you heard one that was not well done. It sounds fantastic on my system.

I also recommend any of the MOFI SRV as the others have noted.

A buddy of mine picked up a Marvin Gaye SACD which I can't remember the title. It was basically a SACD of his greatest hits. Anyways the sound quality of it was superb on his system. That one is on my shortlist to buy next.

[Tornado Red]

A big shout out to all here for your opinions. I received Tommy and Brothers In Arms today as my first 2 SACDs and they're just fantastic, what a great medium to start collecting in. I have a quite a few on my short list to get now from many of your posts, so thanks again for your input.

[thsmith]

WHere is the best place to buy SHM SACDs?

[BlueFox]

WHere is the best place to buy SHM SACDs?

The only place I know of is
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/s/index.html#home

[Tornado Red]

I'm in Canada, Amazon.ca seems to have quite a few SHM titles, and so does .com

[BlueFox]

I'm in Canada, Amazon.ca seems to have quite a few SHM titles, and so does .com

I didn't realize that. Of course, they cost $30 more than if ordering from Japan.

http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Fingers...words=SHM+SACD

[Tornado Red]

I didn't realize that. Of course, they cost $30 more than if ordering from Japan.

http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Fingers...words=SHM+SACD

Yeah, need to take out a small loan here to pick one up...

[headrott]

The only place I know of is
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/s/index.html#home

This is pretty much the cheapest place I know of and they have an excellent selection of SHM and non-SHM SACD's.

[ratster]

What is SHM?

[gdb]

I always like to play this symphony for people that don't like classical music, I can only imagine what a SACD would make it sound like.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...symphony_9.htm

Esoteric also offers this on 200g vinyl as part of DECCA's Master Sound Works "Limited Edition"

[F1nut]

Super High Material

The SHM coating is clearer than regular CD's allowing the laser to read the disc with less errors.

[ratster]

Super High Material

The SHM coating is clearer than regular CD's allowing the laser to read the disc with less errors.

Thanks.

[John K.]

Tornado, fortunately there's a good selection of excellent classical music available on SACD, and for a starter I'll suggest just one outstanding item available at very reasonable prices. The classic performances by Reiner of Scheherazade and Song of the Nightingale make for thrilling listening and should be in every collection. Available here and also from Amazon Canada and other sources.

[Dawgfish]

^^+1 on the Sheherazade^^ this is not only one of my favorite classical SACDs, but one of my favorite albums in general.

[Lasareath]

Don't forget that Bjork has a couple of SACDs too!

http://www.sa-cd.net/search/Bjork

[Tornado Red]

Tornado, fortunately there's a good selection of excellent classical music available on SACD, and for a starter I'll suggest just one outstanding item available at very reasonable prices. The classic performances by Reiner of Scheherazade and Song of the Nightingale make for thrilling listening and should be in every collection. Available here and also from Amazon Canada and other sources.

Thanks, I wouldn't mind having something classical early on in collecting. Price is certainly right, I was going to order EJ's Madman Across The Water from Amazon.com soon, maybe I'll pick this one up at the same time....