Ravel by the Minnesota Orchestra
Hawkeye
Posts: 1,313
I bought this piece from F1nut and it arrived today. I was excited to hear it so left work a bit early this evening. Cracked open an adult beverage, warmed the stereo up with some Yes and proceeded to start with the Ravel. By the way, this piece is immaculate! I didn't see a fingerprint on the case, let alone the disc.
I just finished listening to the disc. My system does not do SACD, but I was stunned none the less. Every once in a while, I'll play a disc and the goosebumps will stand up. I had the bumps for the whole disc. This is the finest piece of recorded music I own. This far exceeds ANY XRCD I own and I prefer them to any process available. I'd like to say it is perfect, but I did detect a couple (2-3) times where a percussionist may have hit a stick or tamborine while sitting it down. I know, knit-picky!
What I found interesting is that I had to dial up the volume much higher than I normally listen at. My normal is about 35% and I had to go up to 50% I was still only at about .5 watt on the meter on average, but during the Pavane, I was hitting peaks of 50. If it wasn't so late, I'd have dialed it up.
My favorite cut had to be the La Valse. Once the tympani and bass drum started dueling, I thought the JL's were going to punch me in the mouth!! The gong was very impressive, and the harp was very soothing throughout the entire disc. I think the ESL's had a lot to do with that. All stringed instruments, especially the double bass and cello were superbly accurate. I use Patricia Barber, A fortnight in Paris as a reference for nicely done bass and this was right there if not a bit cleaner, not much, but still there. The brass was where it was supposed to be and what might sound weird, not overly brassy. Woodwinds, most notably the contra-bassoon (sic)was scary deep!
The orchestra was obviously well directed and had practiced more than once. I would think that even a casual listener of the classics (as I am) would enjoy this recording. I purchased it mostly for my wife, one, for picking up my SDA's today and two, she will enjoy this CD to no end.
Thanks, Jesse!
Gordon
I just finished listening to the disc. My system does not do SACD, but I was stunned none the less. Every once in a while, I'll play a disc and the goosebumps will stand up. I had the bumps for the whole disc. This is the finest piece of recorded music I own. This far exceeds ANY XRCD I own and I prefer them to any process available. I'd like to say it is perfect, but I did detect a couple (2-3) times where a percussionist may have hit a stick or tamborine while sitting it down. I know, knit-picky!
What I found interesting is that I had to dial up the volume much higher than I normally listen at. My normal is about 35% and I had to go up to 50% I was still only at about .5 watt on the meter on average, but during the Pavane, I was hitting peaks of 50. If it wasn't so late, I'd have dialed it up.
My favorite cut had to be the La Valse. Once the tympani and bass drum started dueling, I thought the JL's were going to punch me in the mouth!! The gong was very impressive, and the harp was very soothing throughout the entire disc. I think the ESL's had a lot to do with that. All stringed instruments, especially the double bass and cello were superbly accurate. I use Patricia Barber, A fortnight in Paris as a reference for nicely done bass and this was right there if not a bit cleaner, not much, but still there. The brass was where it was supposed to be and what might sound weird, not overly brassy. Woodwinds, most notably the contra-bassoon (sic)was scary deep!
The orchestra was obviously well directed and had practiced more than once. I would think that even a casual listener of the classics (as I am) would enjoy this recording. I purchased it mostly for my wife, one, for picking up my SDA's today and two, she will enjoy this CD to no end.
Thanks, Jesse!
Gordon
2 Channel -
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
Post edited by Hawkeye on
Comments
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I'm glad you are enjoying it.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
....
What I found interesting is that I had to dial up the volume much higher than I normally listen at.
Gordon,
I have a very well-recorded version of this piece as well (not the same, though).
The reason you have to turn it up so much more is DYNAMIC RANGE. There's a much larger difference between the loudest & softest sounds. Funny, but the majority prefer compressed music for this very reason--they have a hard time hearing the soft passages then get blasted away when the big artillery comes on. Whenever someone says "I heard things I've never heard before!", many times it's from a "remastered" (i.e., compressed) recording that puts everything near the same loudness level... *sigh*
You'll have to bring yours over sometime & we'll compare...TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
Boy, can I kill a thread, or WHAT?!?TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
Sorry, Rabbit, but I've always thought that was my role.
(I've killed many a thread....) Hopefully someone will bail me out on this one. -
Very good, Gordon, but you didn't actually identify the specific disc. Ravel is one of my favorites and I've suggested Minnesota recordings of Ravel conducted by Skrowaczewski to our members in the past, but I'd like to know if this isn't something that I have.
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No guys, I killed my own thread! John K is right, I should have identified the disc better:o
It is the Ravel/Bolero conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. By MOFI, SACD #4002. Sorry!
Gordon2 Channel -
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8) -
Nice write up Gordon it is a remarkable piece of music and performance . . . now go and get yourself an SACD player and prepared to really get wow'd!!!:D
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Joe, I'd have to bring a very fine player into the mix before I ever thought about giving up the MD1K combination based on the amount SACD disc's I have. Now the MD1.1K is due out soon which will have SACD but the cost is out of my reach until they start hitting the used market. The player I have is no slouch, but I imagine this disc could sound a "bit" better through a SACD player. Should have kept that old Denon 2900 I had!:D:D
Gordon2 Channel -
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8) -
Thanks, Gordon; I do have that one and it certainly is excellent. If you don't have the companion disc containing the exquisite music for Daphnis et Chloe, Ma Mere L'oye and Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, if anything I like it even slightly more and suggest it highly.
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Joe, I'd have to bring a very fine player into the mix before I ever thought about giving up the MD1K combination based on the amount SACD disc's I have. Now the MD1.1K is due out soon which will have SACD but the cost is out of my reach until they start hitting the used market. The player I have is no slouch, but I imagine this disc could sound a "bit" better through a SACD player. Should have kept that old Denon 2900 I had!:D:D
Gordon
Gordon, even an inexpensive SACD player would do those SACDs justice. I use a Denon 2900! Is it a Musical Fidelity kw, hell no but it does get the job done. I just saw a Denon 2900 here in one of the threads for $160 some dollars.
