High quality CDs

Many (but not all) BIS CDs are well recorded and mixed. They are not minimalist recordings but are clean. If you get them as downloads from eClassical.com, you can get a refund if you don’t like a particular release.

Oddly enough, given their origin as the low-priced label, Naxos has released some excellent-sounding recordings. The series of Malcolm Arnold symphonies was recorded by Chris Craker with a minimalist technique. Most of their guitar recordings -- I am thinking of the Laureate Series -- are recorded by Norbert Kraft, himself a fine guitarist and someone interested in minimalist recordings.

There are a lot of good suggestions here for quality CDs. I'd add Erato Records  and Todd Garfinkle's boutique label MA Recordings. Sure, a lot of MA recordings are more in the ethnic genre than out-and-out classical, but they are scrupulously minimally miked & produced, and are recorded in atmospheric, off-beat, interesting locales.

I would add Hyperion to the list of good labels.

Thank you all so much!!! I had no clue, I had so many choices.. This is awesome!! 

Plus one for ma recording s they are phenomenal! I would also give the jvcd xrcd and xrcd 11 a really high recommendation. Yes they play in any red book CDs. Xrcd was about the process of recording the cd. Mfsl are ok better than most regular CDs but in my opinion don't come close to the three former labels I talked about. I have a large group of the audiofile CDs I loved buying them. It slips my mind but the label that recorded Sara k  I'd really good as well. In actual fact I would say of the ones I have I believe as a group I like the ma recording s the very best. They are stunning and in a tip of the line redbook cd player they are  the most fluid sounding vinal type sound that I have found on CD.  On  other types of music country to be exact I have always liked rounder recordings. Also a stupid thing I did and was quite success with was buying CDs that were packaged in a cardboard cover somewhat like a lot jacket. Generally speaking I managed to stay away from awful recordings that way. If you are looking around a used CD store I find any packages like that are far more likely to be half decent than the ones packed in the jeweled case. 

The higher the CD player was up the food chain the even better the reference cd recording s sound. A fuild  dynamic  tonally correct recording is even better on a top end player compared to a simmer player. I have owned a number of players over the years and bright CDs sound very bright on basic bright players but the sonic purity really shows with a top of the line player and recording mated together. Sheffield sound labs is another good label. Cheskey records is another great label. That is the one I was thinking of earlier that Sarah k recorded on. I have .any of that labels recording s. 

Regards