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The absolute best and worst-sounding CD you own ?

This could be a tricky one. Many audiophiles and music lovers will care more for an artist they like in mediocre sound than a artist they can't stand no matter how great the recording is. Still, I am interested in finding out what truly outstanding recordings there are out there. Of course there are listening biases and all that can be said about the equipment.

My personnal best: Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall

My worst: The standard cd issue ''YES-Fragile'' just plain bad no matter on what you play it on. OK so this is a ''rock'' cd and they are all supposed to sound bad right?, still, there is no excuse for this turkey.

Let's have your choice...
sonicbeauty
billspecfoc
103 posts
 
Don't know about the best, have to think about that.

The worst: love the music, but the recording is just god-awful.  Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes: Tooth, Fang, and Claw.
simao's avatar
simao
1,758 posts
 
Some CD's that sound absolutely blissful in terms of sonics, presence, and tangible, holographic feeling when playing:

1. Ponty, DiMeola, and Clark - Rites of Strings ('95, I think). Exquisite production and atmospherics, not to mention virtuoso, melodic playing.

2. Herbie Hancock - The Joni Letters ('07). Absolutely three-dimensional presence here. Great music to listen to your system through.


jafant
18,995 posts
 
scott_w

I, too, bought the bulk of my CDs during the 80's. Most (99%) of these discs are flat transfers from the LP sources. Very little remixing, futzing with the original material going on there.  The 1st real wave of re-mastering, remixing (not always revealed to the consumer), occurred in 1994.
Another big over-haul or 2nd wave of re-mastering/remixing occurred in 2000 to correlate with the HDCD codec.
Later on during the 2000's as pro-tools came online and 2010 forward with auto-tune, most of these discs are not flat transfers.
Happy Listening!
jafant
18,995 posts
 
Another +vote for M*A Recordings.
Happy Listening!
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astewart8944
499 posts
 
best--Gaucho Steely Dan Redbook CD
worst--Trout Mask Replica Captain Beefheart--I had my entire family listen so they would know what awful really sounds like :-) 
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