What are the best sounding classical CDs

Reference Recordings, Delos, Cisco, the Living Stereo Re-issues on Classic Records, are some of the most consistent and excellent recordings. M*A, Goldberg Variations performed by Ito Emma deserves an award for performance and sonic quality. These would be my first tier for sonic quality. The second would be Sony Classical label--not their economy essentials, but the Sony Classical label. Many Telarc discs (but certainly not all--they tend to run the full gamut on sound quality) would also be in this category. MFSL is a great audiophile label, that never really got classical right. The engineers clearly knew more about rock and jazz than classical--but they didn't do too much classical anyway.

I'm surprised noone mentioned Decca/London label. I have a few of their CDs including some from the Decca Legends series and I though the sound AND the performances were excellent. My system is not expensive but neither is it midfi (Spica, Densen, Monarchy, Rega), and almost all Decca CDs are very enjoyable. To pick one ... Decca Legends "Romantic Russia". recordings from 1966 and 1956 which sound like they were made yesterday.

I guess my name is noome.

I am pretty surprise that there is no advocate of Harmonia Mundi or BIS. For Baroque music, they both make excellent recordings.

Also Deutsche Harmonia Mundi produces some good recordings.

Happy Listening!

Otto

Sorry sugarbrie .. I didn't see your later post.

DG is a strange label. Usually good performances (in my limited-knowledge-opinion), usually bad sound (to my ears, on my system).

The reason I like Decca so much is they seem to get the perfect balance between reproducing the reverb/ringing of a large concert hall, without overdoing it and letting the sound becoming too much of a mush from all the ringing.

DG seems to have very very dead acoustics .. almost like it was recorded in an anechoic chamber. Perhaps that's the German taste ?