I have a few favorites but my ABSOLUTE favorite is "Hard Killing Floor"- the first track from Buddy Guy's "Blues Singer" album. It's a song where I turn off the lights sit down in the darkness and listen. It really sounds like he's sitting on a fold out chair in the middle of my listening room.

JBL 4301Bs with monoblock tube amps. :)
 
Cool songs, thanks for the Youtube links.

For anyone listening from Youtube, type "Madonna la isla bonita hd" for the HD version. For any given song, there is almost always a 720p or 1080p version someone has uploaded, which is a considerably higher bitrate than 480p and below.
 
I'd have to say voices. Whenever something I'm playing raises an ear-brow, so to speak, it's the voices that still sound natural through the Quads. As I am still occasionally surprised by something I'm hearing, I sometimes need to remind myself: "That's what's on the recording", instead of questioning my system. Having the voices always sound right gives me that confidence. Now, the bronze pair is a little bass-shy compared to the black pair, which are quite full, and as a consequence hard rock tends to come up short. There's nothing like real blaring to reproduce the sound of blaring, I suppose. Anyway, the Quads will never do DSOTM or Crime of the Century as well as the K-horn copies of my youth, alas.

Conversely, the K-horns will never get Mary Poppins or Yoko Ono just so completely right. ;)

Prioritization is Determination.
 
I played Pink Floyd's Shine on you Crazy Diamond on my main rig just yesterday for the first time. I've heard the song many many times on my MC2255-ADS1530 rig and I'm familiar with how it sounds. I was not prepared for what I heard though the big SDA's though as they shamed the 1530's presentation of that particular song. Some songs are pure magic through the Polk SDA's and I discovered one more yesterday
 
I have a few favorites but my ABSOLUTE favorite is "Hard Killing Floor"- the first track from Buddy Guy's "Blues Singer" album. It's a song where I turn off the lights sit down in the darkness and listen. It really sounds like he's sitting on a fold out chair in the middle of my listening room.

JBL 4301Bs with monoblock tube amps. :)
Am I correct to assume JBL 4301Bs have holographic, 3 dimensional soundstage?


Cool songs, thanks for the Youtube links.

For anyone listening from Youtube, type "Madonna la isla bonita hd" for the HD version. For any given song, there is almost always a 720p or 1080p version someone has uploaded, which is a considerably higher bitrate than 480p and below.
You're welcome.

Well like I said, B&W DM302s make everything sound organic, so they sound great for latin percussion. That's why I mentioned Flyin' Away and La Isla Bonita. I have yet to try Miami Sound Machine on the system, I bet they sound great too.


I played Pink Floyd's Shine on you Crazy Diamond on my main rig just yesterday for the first time. I've heard the song many many times on my MC2255-ADS1530 rig and I'm familiar with how it sounds. I was not prepared for what I heard though the big SDA's though as they shamed the 1530's presentation of that particular song. Some songs are pure magic through the Polk SDA's and I discovered one more yesterday
The Polk SDA sounds interesting, could you elaborate more?
 
The Polk SDA sounds interesting, could you elaborate more?

Sure; they each have 2 rows of 4 6'' drivers with a row of 4 tweeters in the middle. The outside array is the dimensional array. They have an out of phase signal running from the left channel which goes to the dimensional array on the right. Same thing on the right channel with an out of phase signal going to the dimensional left array. There has to be a special interconnect between the speakers to accomplish this and I also use a ground isolation transformer in the interconnect so I'm able to use mono-blocks. This eliminates cross talk interference and creates a very realistic 3D holographic image that is much wider, more defined, and deeper than any image I've yet to hear since I brought them home in 2011. All recordings sound better on them than my other 2 pair of large speakers (1530's and khorns) and some recordings such as Pink Floyd are exceptional.
 
Yeah, it's tough with Youtube as Hi-res audio is only there when HD videos are uploaded. Here's a decent one to give the system a test as it is mixed very well, though it sounds better on original vinyl IMHO, even though they employed early digital effects (even better live when I saw them back in the day at an industry event...with Miles Davis of all people...they used top of the line equipment and were super tight):
 
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"Spanish Harlem" by Rebecca Pigeon in HI rez - double DSD. I designed my system for the female voice.

Spendor A6r. Sony TA-A1ES / HAP-Z1-ES

Nat King Cole on vinyl sounds great on the system too.
 
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Classic rock really seems to open my drivers up more than other genres. The sound stage seems to expand out a little more. Always been really partial to Boston.

Other wise $uicideboy$ (horrorcore, a sub genre of rap) sounds really good for some reason. I suspect it's because heavy slow bass sweeps play nicer with the 15" woofers than sharp punchy base of other rap genres.

As much as I like hard rock the upper end seems really harsh and muddled on my system which is unfortunate.

System currently: Onkyo Tx-866, Pioneer CS-99A, Bose acutosmass passive sub
 
Donald Fagan's "The Goodbye Look" off of The Nightfly, and "You and Your Friend" from Dire Straits "On Every Street".

Or at least these are the records I spin to impress anyone unwitting enough to come into my house and ask about "that stereo you keep posting pictures of".
:beatnik:
 
Sure; they each have 2 rows of 4 6'' drivers with a row of 4 tweeters in the middle. The outside array is the dimensional array. They have an out of phase signal running from the left channel which goes to the dimensional array on the right. Same thing on the right channel with an out of phase signal going to the dimensional left array. There has to be a special interconnect between the speakers to accomplish this and I also use a ground isolation transformer in the interconnect so I'm able to use mono-blocks. This eliminates cross talk interference and creates a very realistic 3D holographic image that is much wider, more defined, and deeper than any image I've yet to hear since I brought them home in 2011. All recordings sound better on them than my other 2 pair of large speakers (1530's and khorns) and some recordings such as Pink Floyd are exceptional.
Talk about ambience!

So, the speakers have certain circuitry to isolate out of phase signal, and send it to the opposite loudspeaker, am I correct? Perhaps it's the same principle as Hafler circuit, but the out of phase signal is sent to the opposite speaker instead of surround speakers, isn't it?
 
Talk about ambience!

So, the speakers have certain circuitry to isolate out of phase signal, and send it to the opposite loudspeaker, am I correct? Perhaps it's the same principle as Hafler circuit, but the out of phase signal is sent to the opposite speaker instead of surround speakers, isn't it?
Yes it's a fairly complicated crossover. There are upgrades for the crossover available and some are 5G's for the bigger ones! There is a good amount of ambiance but no it's not like the Hafler circuit where the out of phase signal is sent to the rear speakers. Caver tried something similar with electronics back in the day with their sonic holography circuit.
Proper set up plays a big role to. No toe in and minimum 3' from a side wall are a couple of musts.
 
Telarc, Sheffield, Original Masters, and Reference Recording performances.
Yes - have quite a few of those!

Lucky lad that I am, I participated (in a very minor way) in Telarc's ASO recording of The Firebird. One of my mentors was both a member of the ASO board and a TAS reviewer and was instrumental in getting Telarc there. He even donated a new bass drum. Another favorite chock full of dynamic range is Carmina Burana where he sings bass in the chorus.

His close friend gave me a copy of the tasty multi-channel sampler he put together for them after playing it for me on his "Super Maggie" system. :)

telarc.jpg
 
For my temporary front system (Fisher receiver with re capped Pioneer CS88s) it is all about the jazz...I am listening to "Love For Sale" with Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton and Ray Brown through Spotify Premium........and it is amazing.

32536967_1905261569493781_236064214475603968_o.jpg
 
For any given song, there is almost always a 720p or 1080p version someone has uploaded, which is a considerably higher bitrate than 480p and below.
Which tops out at lossy 192 kbps. If you really want to hear what that recording can sound like, locate the 12" 45 RPM version. It's 5:20 run time spans an entire side and is uncompressed.
 
So much music, so little time. Each sample in the posts above gave the urge to follow the genre / artist and listen for a while. Alas, the day called and now further duties await. But thanks to all for the hints as to further music to explore.
 
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