Why organ music

Interesting observation. While CDs can, in theory, get the bass notes better than all but the best-cut records, I believe that you're right. Maybe the reason is in part that the recorded space for most organs is a big part of their sound and is usually quite reverberant. This can lead to some overtones becoming a bit strident and bright in the frequency range where digital has its weaknesses, perhaps? Also, I find that redbook digital's inability to capture the last "tail" of a note's decay realistically often makes CD organ recordings sound a bit unnatural. I will say that I have heard a lot of very good recordings of organs on CD, most of them being more recent recordings. And the SACD recordings I have of organs sound very close to analog recordings, with better bass reproduction to boot.

Get yourself a copy of Felix Hell's "Organ Sensation" Reference Recordings RR-101CD.

This is one of the best performed, recorded and mastered organ CDs ever. If this doesn't sound good on your system, you may need to look at your source player.

Thank you all for your well-considered responses. I am definitely not overdriving the system which is 400 watt per and being played at moderate volume. I could be that my CD's of organ are fairly lousy. They are mostly from the very first years CD came out and I particularly dont like the Telarc ones. I will get a copy of Felix Hell's and try that. If anyone else has great CD's of Bach etc to recommend I love to recieve them.
Joe

joe, "Pomp and Pipes" Reference Recordings also has real good Organ music. Of course Felix Hells is good too. But I agree 100%.Organ music sounds (so everythings else, even electronic music) exceptional on Vinyl. Although with RR you will come close.

Early Telarc digital organ recordings sound quite bright to me as well, I don't think you're alone there. For Bach, I like the Christopher Herrick cycle on Hyperion, which is pretty well-recorded. The Hell recording is quite good, and the kid is a terrific organist, full of excitement. Be aware, though, that the recording is in a comparatively dry venue, won't sound like a recording in a great cathedral by any means. Much of the program for RR was also recorded on Felix's own label from a concert I attended at the Sacred Heart Basillica in Newark a few years ago, when Felix was 17--that's a pretty good facsimile of the Sacred Heart acoustic, worth picking up online.