Best sacd's

[dobyblue]

Elton John - Madman Across the Water
Peter Gabriel - So (2ch only)
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

I know most people only consider 5.1 material appropriate for "best of" material, but So really shines on SACD compared to its CD counterpart and hence its inclusion.

 

[Sleestack]

Not SACDs, but the trio of Porcupine Tree DVD-As top my list of must have 5.1 audio.

Stupid Dream
In Absentia
Deadwing

Despite contrary opinion, I actually feel the SACD version of Norah Jone's Come Away With Me is must have if you have a proper 5.1 setup. The 5.1 layer is the only layer that does Norah's voice justice.

Alison Kraus & Union Station - Live - superb on every level

Buddy Guy - DJ Play My Blues

Jack McDuff & Joey DeFrancesco - It's About Time

Art Pepper -Art Pepper Meets the Rythym Section

Rossa Passos & Ron Carter - Entre Amigos

Oscar Peterson, Stephen Grapelli, Joe Pass, NHOP - SKOL

Muddy Waters - Folk Singer

 

[hopjohn]

A list of some SACD, DVD-A, & 5.1 DualDisc to give serious consideration
Pink Floyd - DSOTM
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Sting - Brand New Day
Police - Every Breath You Take - The Singles
B.B. King & Eric Clapton - Riding with the King
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company
Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
Eagles - Hotel California
Eric Clapton - Slowhand
Eric Clapton - Back Home
Queen - A Night at the Opera

There are many, many, classical titles that are very good.

A few worth mentioning are :
San Fran Symphony / Michael Tilton Thomas - Mahler Symphony Cycle
Berlin Phil / Claudio Abbado - Beethoven Symphony Cycle
Lang Lang Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody

 

[thunderbunnie]

Best SACD

The all time absolute no question BEST SACD all time is Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. If you love Pink Floyd's DSOM, you have to hear this one !!

 

[eljr]

Patricia Barber Companion (live) and Cafe Blue Both 2ch only, but amazing recordings. I'm not entirely crazy about her vocals on all the tracks, but the music overall is very good (jazz).

It seems J garcia is on the money.

 

[astrodon]

My Best 3 SACD List

1. The Carpenters: Singles 1969-1981
2. James Taylor: JT
3. Herman's Hermits: retrospective (though it is just 2 channel)

 

[Starmax]

Alison Krauss + Union Station, New Favorite
The Who, Tommy
Jorma Kaukonen, Blue Country Heart
James Taylor, Hourglass
Diana Krall, The Girl in the Other Room

I second both your choices of JT's "Hourglass" (especially "Gaia" and that kettle drum!) and "Tommy" by da Whoo (Pinball Wizard).

 

[Starmax]

Not SACDs, but the trio of Porcupine Tree DVD-As top my list of must have 5.1 audio.

Stupid Dream
In Absentia
Deadwing

Despite contrary opinion, I actually feel the SACD version of Norah Jone's Come Away With Me is must have if you have a proper 5.1 setup. The 5.1 layer is the only layer that does Norah's voice justice.

Alison Kraus & Union Station - Live - superb on every level

Buddy Guy - DJ Play My Blues

Jack McDuff & Joey DeFrancesco - It's About Time

Art Pepper -Art Pepper Meets the Rythym Section

Rossa Passos & Ron Carter - Entre Amigos

Oscar Peterson, Stephen Grapelli, Joe Pass, NHOP - SKOL

Muddy Waters - Folk Singer

I'm sorry. I've tried and I've tried, but Norah Jones is flat out BORING!

 

[j_garcia]

I don't dig Norah either.

 

[Starmax]

Re: Norah

Not that I'd kick her out of my home theatre room.

 

[hwkn]

Another good SACD is Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Boulevard[which nobody has mentioned yet afaik].

 

[Starmax]

Another good SACD is Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Boulevard[which nobody has mentioned yet afaik].

I've got that too, but it didn't stun me with its brilliance. Maybe I should give it more of a listen?

 

[avaserfi]

One that I haven't heard yet, but would like to get a hold of is Jazz at the Pawnshop. I have the redbook CD version and it is already probably the best recording I've ever heard. The only problem is, the SACD is quite expensive at around $50-60 (2 disc).

I managed to pick up Jazz at the Pawnshop (two disc SACD) for 20 bucks on half.com under the assumption that if I didn't like it I could sell it easily. It is a really great recording that makes you feel like you are at the venue.

The first time I put it in I just shut my eyes and was completely engulfed. The instruments sound as if they are in front of you, occasionally you can hear the whisper of another patron talking, but it doesn't take away from the experience, if anything it adds to the whole being their experience. The instruments sound amazing and extremely true to life. I would definitely say after a few listens this quickly became a favorite of my meager collection.

 

[fmw]

Spectacular three channel SACD reissue. That it is almost fifty years old boggles my mind.

Isn't it the truth. RCA did some incredible classical recordings in the 1950's. They were called "Living Stereo." They were made with great equipment, very clean without much signal processing. These were two channel recordings with only a little compression to allow them to be mastered to vinyl. I could be wrong but I believe it was the first time a major record company concentrated on the sound quality of a series of recordings.

Nowadays we have as many as 128 channels recording a symphony orchestra with all kinds of signal processing and a mastering job that sounds like studio music rather than a symphony orchestra in a great music hall. Sometimes I think the recording engineers just need to go to the symphony hall and hear what it is supposed to sound like.

By the way, Mercury, prodded by the success RCA had with the Living Stereo series, produced some great classical recordings they called "Living Presence." They actually mastered the recordings to 35mm movie film instead of tape. They are also excellent.

We have a lot of snazzy technology these days but sound recording in general hasn't really improved much over the years. We have more flexibility and options today than we did in the 1950's but not really much better sound reproduction. It still takes a moving diaphragm just like it always did.

 

[jliedeka]

Classical only

My SACD collection is limited to classical although I plan to at least get DSOTM on SACD.

The Reiner Scheherezade(RCA) kicks butt.
I also like my recording of Bolero/La Valse/Rapsodie espagnole/Debussy's Images for Orchestra by Munch. Also RCA.

I've heard people rag on Deutsche Grammophon for using a ton of mics and then not achieving a great mix but I've got some excellent CDs of theirs and the Carmina Burana(Thielemann) on DVD-A.

Jim

 

[dorokusai]

I'm fond of Peter Gabriels 3 or Melt. Biko is well known but the whole album flows quite nicely. It's one of my favorite whole SACD's.

Mark
Polk Audio CS

 

[j_garcia]

I read that Up from Peter is also good on SACD. I held off on that one due to the hub cracking issues, which I experienced first hand with my first copy of DSotM SACD.

 

[dorokusai]

I'll have to check that one out as well. Have you picked up any of the Genesis catalog on SACD?

Mark

 

[hwkn]

Up is stunning in 5.1 .

 

[supervij]

While some have said that Genesis' SACD A Trick of the Tail is so compressed to be unlistenable, I still enjoy it, along with the other four SACDs, Wind & Wuthering, ...and then there were three..., Duke, and Abacab. The surround treatment is really enjoyable, although at times a little too aggressive! I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Genesis SACD boxset!

Peter Gabriel's SACD Up remains one of my very favourite discs. The audio quality is incredible and the surround treatment makes the whole album quite a ride! Highly recommended.

cheers,
supervij