whats the finest recorded cd you've heard?

The Usher Audio demo disc is, BY FAR, the best sounding CD I have ever heard. It is a 24-bit mastered recording. If all CD's sounded like this, I'd seriously think about ditching vinyl. Until then, vinyl rules!

There are so many. Here are a few just off my head:

Any CD from FIM. FIM makes great CDs. If you are getting only one, buy the Audiophile Reference IV.

Rickie Lee Jones: Flying Cowboys. This is absolutely stunning recording. Her voice is warm and delicate. Drum shots are so realistic and dynamic. It sounds more like master tape than CD. Absolutely no digital noise.

Mickey Hart: Dafos. A classic but it might be difficult to find.

Master Of Chinese Percussion. If you want to show off the dynamic and transparency of bass production, this is it. Just make sure you know the limit of your system and turn the volume up slowly or you might risk damaging your speakers.

The FINEST? Thought it said the FIRST... (my bad)

While Thriller is pretty good on its own (Q. Jones is a certified genius), The JVC/XRCD of Holst's "The Planets" is outstanding.

Jerry Gonzalez - Y Los Piratas Del Flamenco. This is the most natural sounding cd I have on all instruments. I have a lot of great sounding cd's but many of them are great on guitar or piano or voices but may lack i another area. This one is beautiful across the board. Drums/percussion are precise and snappy and the horn/trumpet playing sounds perfectly real and guitars are full bodied.

Arvo Part "Tabula Rasa" (ECM)