Favorite reference material?

drummer86
drummer86 Posts: 441
edited March 2012 in Music & Movies
Did some searching on this but I know tastes change as new things come out. Just wondering what everyone's go-to reference material is. Favorite music tracks? Favorite Blu-ray scenes? When you're checking out new gear what's the first thing you reach for?
Display: LG 47" LCD | AVR: Marantz SR5005 | BD: Panasonic BDT-210 | CD/SACD: Oppo 980 |
Amps: Rotel RB-990bx | Marantz MA-500 | Speakers: Totem Mite : Totem Mite-C : RC60i | Sub: HSU VTF-2 MKIV

HK AVR635 | Polk R30 | Sony DVD/SACD Player
Post edited by drummer86 on
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited March 2012
    Vinyl poco blue and grey.

    Digital doc Powell doc Powell - studio master
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited March 2012
    Playboy magazine, mostly. JK :cheesygrin: Steely Dan stuff, mostly.
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited March 2012
    Had any good blue crabs yet ????
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,132
    edited March 2012
    Steely Dan stuff, mostly.[/QUOTE]
    I Agree I like to bring AJA along for the demo and the song of choice is Black Cow
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited March 2012
    OOOOH OOOH ! Iforgot, a few tracks from Brothers in Arms also serve as benchmarks.:wink:
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    edited March 2012
    Artist...Pink Floyd
    Album...Meddle (vinyl)
    Track...Fearless
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited March 2012
    I am auditioning my newly spiked SDA2Bs at this time with Steely Dan: aja. I like the following:

    Adele: 19
    Diana Krall
    Pink Floyd: Meddle (very well recorded)

    I have a few obscure pieces I will put in to listen to depending on what I am looking for.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,132
    edited March 2012
    PreCd wrote: »
    I am auditioning my newly spiked SDA2Bs at this time with Steely Dan: aja. I like the following:


    Pink Floyd: Meddle (very well recorded)

    AJA turn it up a bit when Black Cow comes on Best track on that CD my favorite anyways, Meddle awesome recording also Floyds Obscured By Clouds is another well recorded one
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
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  • drummer86
    drummer86 Posts: 441
    edited March 2012
    gdb wrote: »
    Had any good blue crabs yet ????

    Haha no but I'm counting down the days until they're in season. Another month or so...
    Display: LG 47" LCD | AVR: Marantz SR5005 | BD: Panasonic BDT-210 | CD/SACD: Oppo 980 |
    Amps: Rotel RB-990bx | Marantz MA-500 | Speakers: Totem Mite : Totem Mite-C : RC60i | Sub: HSU VTF-2 MKIV

    HK AVR635 | Polk R30 | Sony DVD/SACD Player
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited March 2012
    Almost all the Steely Dan albums are very well recorded, but I'd put the top three in this order:

    - Two Against Nature
    - Gaucho
    - Aja

    Gaucho and Aja are really comparable quality wise, but Two Against Nature is in a league of its own. All three won Grammys for best sound engineering of the year.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited March 2012
    drummer86 wrote: »
    Haha no but I'm counting down the days until they're in season. Another month or so...

    Warm weather brought the season early....lots of crabs being caught right now and they can't find enough pickers to work the plants !:eek:
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2012
    Lifescapes - Smooth Jazz and Mexico (DDD 24 bit sourced CD's)
    Sara Evans - Restless (for excellent female vocals)
    Steely Dan - Pick one, though I mostly use 2 against Nature
    Donald Fagan - Pick one
    A couple of 24bit/96k flac albums I have from the Linn record store (excellent dynamics, superb recordings)
    Sarah Mclachlan - superb recordings, beautiful voice
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • 67jason
    67jason Posts: 57
    edited March 2012
    I almost always use music as my reference when making changes to my system. Most often used are:

    Depeche Mode - violator and ultra albums
    NiN - prety hate machine
    morrissey - bona drag


    I have never really used movie scenes as reference material for myself after I have made changes to my system, however I do frequently use action scenes from blu's to show off my system, Iron movies, transformers movies, LoTR movies, star wars are frequent favorites.
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  • Gatecrasher
    Gatecrasher Posts: 1,550
    edited March 2012
    I really can't nail down one or even a few albums or songs I would call a favorite "reference" since I have thousands of CDs and even more lossless music in my HTPC but I was playing one today that just rocked the block. It was the Clash "I'm Not Down" from the Remastered London Calling 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition.

    "Moving" is the only way to describe it. Unbelievably crisp and powerful.

    972182.jpg


    The 2004 remaster of what is considered by many to be one of the best rock albums of all-time is fabulous.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited March 2012
    Donald Fagan-Kamakiriad
    Flim and the BB's-This is a recording, Tricycle
    Dream Theater-Pull Me Under

    to name a few.....
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • bmbguy
    bmbguy Posts: 416
    edited March 2012
    halo71 wrote: »
    Donald Fagan-Kamakiriad
    Flim and the BB's-This is a recording, Tricycle
    Dream Theater-Pull Me Under

    to name a few.....

    Gary, just curious -- would you consider other Flim/BBs stuff in the same league, or just specifically that recording? I've got a copy of 'Neon' and 'Tunnel', as well as Billy Barber's 'Lighthouse', all on the DMP label.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited March 2012
    Not sure really as I have not heard any of their other recordings. I do have a 3rd cd of theirs 'Big Notes' and it is of the same caliber I would say.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • bmbguy
    bmbguy Posts: 416
    edited March 2012
    That's cool -- just thought I'd ask. I picked up the Flim/BBs stuff because I liked the Billy Barber album so well. Long ago.
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  • jmwest1970
    jmwest1970 Posts: 846
    edited March 2012
    Spies, Music Of Espionage is one of my favorites. The beginning of track 3, Interlude, will test the dynamics of any speaker.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited March 2012
    Definitely some good stuff! I know they seem to be sorta obscure. I don't know many that have ever heard of them before. My Dad got me into them several years back.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • drummer86
    drummer86 Posts: 441
    edited March 2012
    Great responses, guys! I'm partial to the Left disc of NIN - The Fragile. Really well recorded IMO.

    Anyone have favorite scenes from movies they they always carry along when checking out HT rigs?
    Display: LG 47" LCD | AVR: Marantz SR5005 | BD: Panasonic BDT-210 | CD/SACD: Oppo 980 |
    Amps: Rotel RB-990bx | Marantz MA-500 | Speakers: Totem Mite : Totem Mite-C : RC60i | Sub: HSU VTF-2 MKIV

    HK AVR635 | Polk R30 | Sony DVD/SACD Player
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited March 2012
    Ryuichi Sakamoto "Left Handed Dream". This is one of the best sounding redbook CD's I've heard. Very dynamic, clear and reference quality. Outstanding quality music as well.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • ROHfan
    ROHfan Posts: 1,014
    edited March 2012
    bmbguy wrote: »
    Gary, just curious -- would you consider other Flim/BBs stuff in the same league, or just specifically that recording? I've got a copy of 'Neon' and 'Tunnel', as well as Billy Barber's 'Lighthouse', all on the DMP label.

    I own their entire catalog and I think "This is a Recording" is their finest by far. That said, I think the drums are sometimes a little too "up front" in the mix. Could be a Bill Berg ego thing.
    TV: 65" Samsung QLED 4K
    Fronts: Energy RC70 --- Center: Energy RC-LCR
    Front Heights: Polk RC65i --- Rears: Polk RC85i --- Sub: Power Sound Audio XS15
    Pioneer VSX-1120K --- Parasound HCA-1000A --- Oppo BDP-103
    Vincent Audio SA31 preamp --- Teac UD301 DAC
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  • bmbguy
    bmbguy Posts: 416
    edited March 2012
    ROHfan wrote: »
    I own their entire catalog and I think "This is a Recording" is their finest by far. That said, I think the drums are sometimes a little too "up front" in the mix. Could be a Bill Berg ego thing.

    That one's on my list. Just picked up 'New Pants', but haven't listened to it yet. 'Pants' is not on the DMP label.
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