One recording for system evaluation?

[christoph]

One recording for system evaluation? Beethoven’s ninth Symphony would be one place to start.

Which recording with what composer and what orchestra is your favorite?

 

[bonzo75]

Which recording with what composer and what orchestra is your favorite?

For easy access get the Solti on Decca or speaker's corner

 

[christoph]

For easy access get the Solti on Decca or speaker's corner

Is it also available on Qobuz?

 

[bonzo75]

Is it also available on Qobuz?

Should be. Qobuz you can try various. Once you get the symphony you will enjoy many variations. Performance wise furtwangler and Szell are quite better but not sure if non original recordings are any good

 

[christoph]

Should be. Qobuz you can try various. Once you get the symphony you will enjoy many variations. Performance wise furtwangler and Szell are quite better but not sure if non original recordings are any good

Thanks Kedar.
Will give some versions a try

 

[PeterA]

Which recording with what composer and what orchestra is your favorite?

I am not familiar with many versions. I like the Solti/Chicago on Decca, though sadly I only have the reissue. My parents took me frequently to hear the CSO when I was young, and Solti was often conducting. I have fond memories of those trips and sleeping in the car on the two hour drive home.

 

[christoph]

I am not familiar with many versions. I like the Solti/Chicago on Decca, though sadly I only have the reissue. My parents took me frequently to hear the CSO when I was young, and Solti was often conducting. I have fond memories of those trips and sleeping in the car on the two hour drive home.

Thanks Peter

 

[bonzo75]

I am not familiar with many versions. I like the Solti/Chicago on Decca, though sadly I only have the reissue. My parents took me frequently to hear the CSO when I was young, and Solti was often conducting. I have fond memories of those trips and sleeping in the car on the two hour drive home.

Here the Decca and reissue is equal. The original is not from the golden era it is not special. Have both I can't make out the difference

 

[Al M.]

Beethoven's Ninth is not sufficient as a single evaluation piece, even though it will hit several critical markers. Will not reveal all the possible distortion points of a system (e.g., with solo violin or piano). Also, while it does have strongly rhythmic passages, it will not reveal all potential problems with rhythm & timing as critically as other music.

For the latter, the live jazz rock album of Trio of Doom (John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams) is my main reference, and I would at least include some other jazz and rock as well.

But again, just like Beethoven's Ninth, also Trio of Doom is not sufficient for evaluating all system parameters. The idea that a single recording suffices is preposterous. And no, a sampler LP or CD is not a single recording.

 

[PeterA]

For easy access get the Solti on Decca or speaker's corner

Nice videos Bonzo, but my neck is sore.

 

[bonzo75]

Nice videos Bonzo, but my neck is sore.

These are horns. use your ears

 

[PeterA]

Beethoven's Ninth is not sufficient as a single evaluation piece. Will not reveal all the possible distortion points of a system (e.g., with solo violin or piano). Also, while it does have strongly rhythmic passages, it will not reveal all potential problems with rhythm & timing as critically as other music.

For the latter, the live jazz rock album of Trio of Doom (John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams) is my main reference, and I would at least include some other jazz and rock as well.

Al, I never said it was SUFFICIENT. I think we all agree on that. I said it was "one place to start". It does offer some variety with large scale, dynamics, strings, timpani, solo voices, chorus, lots of great stuff. And the music is familiar. You can criticize it sure, but the thread title asks for one recording. You can choose to ignore the question and offer five recordings and then qualify that and say they are not enough either. I am not disagreeing with you, but I am responding to the OP. You have been asked to name your five recordings. I am curious also as to what they might be.

If I could choose five, they would be:

1. Beethoven String Quartet
2. Beethoven solo piano
3. Beethoven 9th/Holst Planets/Scheherazade
4. Holst Savitri
5. Johhny Hartman, Once in Every Life

And that would not be sufficient either.

 

[PeterA]

These are horns. use your ears

HA. I usually close my eyes because of the instability of your videos. This is impressive sound for sure. I'm just waiting for the video where your finger touches the reverse button and we see your face up close and slanted bopping to the rhythm instead of the speakers and system at 90 degrees.

 

[PeterA]

Hum.? Perhaps i was not clear.
As my law professor use to say don't fight the hypothetical. Less you provide the right answer to the wrong question.
Imagine if someone asked me what recordings I would take to a deserted island. Of course I would to take all the good ones. Of course that answer would neither be practical or in the spirit of the question. The question implies some limitation on your choice.
Allow if forced to chose just one what would it be?

Edit: Post #4 - "A wide variety should be auditioned before final evaluation."
gregadd

Gregadd, I like your OP, but there still seems to be some confusion as to what you are asking.

Both the thread title and the OP ask for "one recording". I take that to mean, one album, say a symphony or a sample LP with two sides of test or sample tracks. Some people think you mean "one test track". This is one song. I think we all agree that we would want more than one song or even one entire album to fully evaluate a system's performance, but you make it clear that you want some limitations on the choice. I get and respect that.

I suggested Beethoven's 9th and am curious what one recording others would suggest. Ron suggested Thelma Houston's song. That one surely tests a system's dynamics and rhythm. Her voice is excellent too and should be very present and immediate. One will know if his cartridge is set up properly.

 

[twitch]

Ok, my previous pick was an album (Thorens 125th Anniversary), as for picking 'one' song..........

Chuck Mangione - Children of Sanchez

 

[microstrip]

I need many recordings to evaluate a system - although I have a few favorites I am afraid of using the same recordings again and again. But since long I try to avoid samplers or demo recordings - usually they are remastered or equalized to sound captivating and spectacular.

Most direct comparisons of gear are just evaluating compatibility or sinergy with the recording technique of the particular recording being used for fast listening. Peter referred to the Beethoven 9th - an hard piece to sound optimum. I found that we can easily tune a system to make the soloists particularly real and impressive with a specific recording but lousy with other recordings of the same piece.

 

[christoph]

HA. I usually close my eyes because of the instability of your videos. This is impressive sound for sure. I'm just waiting for the video where your finger touches the reverse button and we see your face up close and slanted bopping to the rhythm instead of the speakers and system at 90 degrees.

Blair Witch Kedar

 

[Derainer]

@all
Maybe I have a little advantage.
I use my own LP recordings because that way I know how it sounds right.

They are mostly recordings with wind orchestras and big church organs.
But there are also piano - flute - harpsichord - choirs - and guitar recordings.

Since I conducted and mixed the recordings myself, I know very well
how it should sound over my stereo system.

best regards Rainer

 

[TooCool4]

@all
Maybe I have a little advantage.
I use my own LP recordings because that way I know how it sounds right.

Nice recordings they are too, as I have one of those records.

 

[tima]

Thankfully we're not, but If limited to just one record that has multiple facets, one that I use all the time for equipment evaluation is Finzi's Intimations of Immortality. (Lyrita SRCS-75) It has a moderately large orchestra with percussion, choir (male and female) and tenor soloist, none of whom are world class but are suited to the music and venue. An HP list favorite early on, Finzi's 45 minute one-movement composition uses Wordsworth's Ode of the same name as his libretto.

Mid-20th C. British. It lacks huge climaxes a la Mahler or Shosty, and of course Finzi is not Beethoven, but sonically many of the audiophile elements are there.



I listen primarily for clarity and flow, how well the choirs sound like groups of individuals singing together, dynamic gradations and timbre from the soloist and particularly from the percussion section. Lyrita seems to have a knack for recording percussion. Some of the singing is done in rounds, so I listen for vocal clarity and articulation as each wave launches over its predecessor.

edit:
Other records I may use for component evaluation:
- Six Symphonies Op.3, JC Bach from The Rise of the Symphony collection, Marriner - Philips 6707 013
- Trio, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Warner Bros. 9 25491-1
- Symphony 1, 4, 5 or 6 Sibelius, often Maazel or Ansermet on Decca, Karajan on DG
- Violin Concerto, Heifitz, Rosza LSC-2767 or Bruch LSC-2652 or Sibelius, LSC 2435
- Die Zauber Flote, Mozart, Bohm BPO Fischer-Dieskay, Wunderlich, Lear, etc., DG 136 440
- Kraftwerk, you pick, sometimes Electric Cafe
- Blood Sweat & Tears, Spinning Wheel, 45rpm Columbia / ORG 133
-