Steely Dan Aja as reference for testing speakers

SuperLead100

"These go to 11"
I'm sure this is old news to many but I just recently got this cd and love the way it sounds on my system. I've always just heard these songs on radio and have never experienced them through my main gear. I think I have a new reference cd to add to the collection!
Anyone else use this album as reference for testing speakers?
 
I'm sure this is old news to many but I just recently got this cd and love the way it sounds on my system. I've always just heard these songs on radio and have never experienced them through my main gear. I think I have a new reference cd to add to the collection!
Anyone else use this album as reference for testing speakers?
Since the day it was released. Fagan’s solo effort The Nightfly - same.
 
Certainly a reference recording for many of us. A who's who of studio musicians and great liner notes also.
I've had the CD for years,but when I need a dose of Walt and Don these do it for me.
MFSL on the left---- 1977 ABC Dunhill on the right. Both indistinguishable from new.
Enjoy!image.jpeg
 
Mainly because I know it so well. I find it a little compressed, although not as bad as their earlier work (like "Katy Lied"). Gary Katz and Roger Nichols eased up on the Kepex machine here, with better results.
 
Nah - discovering something new is where it’s at, no matter how old it is!

He's one of today's lucky 10,000!

ten_thousand.png
 
Mainly because I know it so well. I find it a little compressed, although not as bad as their earlier work (like "Katy Lied"). Gary Katz and Roger Nichols eased up on the Kepex machine here, with better results.

Talk about compressed. The first batch of Steely Dan CDs issued on MCA were just dead sounding.
The "Katy Lied" collection was one of the earliest 'remastered,audiophile records'. Don't remember the label.
Think I'll enyoy my ABC release later. Thanks for reminding me how good it is.
 
I'm such a late bloomer...everthing my entire life!:rolleyes:
Well, don't feel alone here - I just bought it and it was delivered this Friday. I'm sure I've heard the radio cuts before but have yet to have this in my collection.
Allegedly mint condition but we'll have to see about that after initial clean up.
I too want to see what the fuss has been about.
 
Yeah, years ago I used the LP to judge systems (this was when records were the normal medium, before they were called vinyl and vinyls). The sound is great but save for a couple of songs I think the music is kind’a vapid. The drumming on the record is first rate though.
 
Talk about compressed. The first batch of Steely Dan CDs issued on MCA were just dead sounding.
The "Katy Lied" collection was one of the earliest 'remastered,audiophile records'. Don't remember the label.
Think I'll enyoy my ABC release later. Thanks for reminding me how good it is.
My cd is MCA but sounds really good...not overly compressed at all, but was brand new.
 
I don’t normally use a particular recording to check out speakers. However, the Steve Gadd drum solo on the track ‘Aja’ should tell you you how drums should sound on a well recorded song.

On the Steely Dan album ‘Gaucho’, the track ‘Time Out Of Mind’, on lesser audio systems that I have heard, Michael McDonald’s voice tends to get lost in the mix. His voice should stand out on the vocal backgrounds.
 
Last edited:
There is a song by Patricia Barber called Too Rich For My Blood that has a part where on a good system the bass player is riping up his bass guitar but on a great system it dons and astonishes you that the guy is playing a stand-up bass. Its a live recording that is well miked you can here the wood. Great for testing systems. I have used Aja in the past.
 
Mainly because I know it so well. I find it a little compressed, although not as bad as their earlier work (like "Katy Lied"). Gary Katz and Roger Nichols eased up on the Kepex machine here, with better results.

Talk about compressed. The first batch of Steely Dan CDs issued on MCA were just dead sounding.

One of my favorite albums, but, like DobieGuy, I thought the recording was over-compressed. To me, it verges on being sterile-sounding. No shame, though - that was one of the signatures of the era, for a number of reasons. I haven't heard any of the newer releases, so the compression issue may be a moot point now.

Reference album? Heck, yes. Even the earlier releases I'm talking about were clean, clean, clean. And music that good makes other issues irrelevant.

GeeDeeEmm
 
Back
Top Bottom