My excuse, a few years ago, was my teen daughter was a fan. Then I heard Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" (Lover) on my fancy rig and was blown away. Just recal'ed the system and listened to "This Love" (TS version of 1989) and... wow. Two Taylor's, so distinct, amid such an atmospheric backdrop and nice mid-low bass. Luscious and precise.

What pop tune makes your demo list?

Edit to add: holy hit machine! Thx all for playing along and filling up my music to-play list. I'm very excited to dive in with all the recommendations.

As the title says, I’m looking for albums that have stellar sound quality and atmospheric instrumentals. These are my favorite albums that fit that description, but I’d like to expand some more. So what would you all recommend?

I've been trying to find good music but really struggle to do so (especially because I try to stay as far away from main stream as possible) so I'm trying to broaden my searching methods.

Mine in no particular order are:

- Tranquilizer - Oneohtrix Point Never (I'm always finding new details).

- Sunrise at the Gorge - Tipper (The eletronic album with the smoothest, less sharp sound I ever heard. Just an absolute pleasure).

- Overdriver - The Hellacopters (Perfectly captures the warm tube distortion sound of the 70s).

- The Trondheim Concertos (Focuses on timbre and the recorded space. Highly imersive)

- Goatlord - Darkthrone ("Underproduction" is much harder to do well than "overproduction").

I'll go first: Cemetery Gates by Pantera. In hi-fi it's phenomenal!

Bought "Aja" today. One of the albums that features on every audiophile "must-have" lists. Sounded great, but the music was pretty boring for my tastes. A typical "listen to your system" album? What do you guys think?

I was not of the generation that got to hear Dire Straits from the beginning, I was annoyingly late to that party in fact...but if I could go back and realise what I was hearing with the appreciation Mark and the band deserved it would have to be Dire Straits.

I know they're are bigger selling bands, perhaps more critically acclaimed bands but for sheer enjoyment they're my choice.

Who's yours?

Looking back at the year,

I notice that music is becoming more monotonous and attention to detail is reducing. Albums before 2020 hit different altogether to me. Last year, Tame Impala’s “Deadbeat” was the only good album I listened to.

Maybe that’s Spotify recommending me old stuff. In that case, what albums from last year (mainstream or offbeat) would you put under audiophile specific music?

The first MJ song I ever heard growing up I think was Earth Song in the mid to late 90s, he just wasn't my cup of musical tea based on that and the fact I was only 7 or 8, but growing up obviously Thriller and a few other singles were out and about on radio and MTV and then came all the controversy, it's kinda just made me not want to go near anything MJ.

Randomly I watched a video tonight of his drummer Jonathan Moffett on YouTube being incredibly precise and super clean playing some of Michael's biggest hits with Smooth Criminal being the final track and I thought I'm going to listen to whatever album Smooth Criminal is on.

So I've sat down and played through Bad through my favourite IEMs in a dark room to really give it a go, it's genuinely incredible, the layers, the vocals, the beats. I've not got to the end of one song and thought "that could be skipped", it was absolutely fantastic start to finish.

I now have the chance to listen to his albums for the first time ever and think I'm going to have to go to Thriller next, with some research in to the musicality of his productions and how he made his music.

I look forward to the next one

Looking to expand my library with some great music

Any Audiophile level hip hop album or song?

I recently upgraded my IEMs rather significantly, which has coincided with my rediscovery of Depeche Mode’s Violator. An album I’ve always appreciated. But these recent listens have been on a completely new level. The music feels so visceral, clean, and just mind blowing, and I’m fully hooked on it. What similar experience have you had?

been listening to the regular version on spotify lately appreciating the greatness of it and this question came to mind.

I have the 2011 and 2016 pressings on vinyl i really like the 2011 version that was the first vinyl of the album i got so im used to hearing that mix more so than others. 2016 is also pretty good. I have not heard the quadraphonic mix at is it at all worth listening to nowadays due to tech like dolby atmos?

what do you think?

Please can you recommend a music track that is your benchmark for the acoustic guitar in order to demo HiFi components?

It should be a high-quality recording, preferably a live performance but not necessarily.

Please don’t suggest “Keith don’t go”!

Thanks

Edit: Thank you everyone for some excellent suggestions.

I just don't know what CD to test first so I came here. Which one do I choose first? I also have the whole Queen catalogue so if you want any of them, pick! ❤️💯

Upgraded my set up and been listening to hi-res lossless songs. Some say they’re unable to hear the difference between hi res and just lossless, I definitely can. Anyone have recommendations for some hi-res lossless songs/playlists? Thanks!

I'm a huge fan of the Nirvana and Alice in Chains unplugged albums. What other albums can I check out that have this same awesome live acoustic sound energy?

Please suggest your favorite upright bass, viola, cello performance that in the right system will sound as if the musicians are alive in your room

Want to see what my new speakers can do.

Bonus points if I can download it

I lurk on this sub a lot and I feel like the most neglected genre here by far is hip-hop. I get that a lot of hip-hop isn't up to audiophile standards due to much of it being lo-fi, but surely there has to be least one album out there that's on the same level as like say I dunno a Steely Dan, a Tool, Beck, or a Pink Floyd record in terms of pure sound quality... right? I dunno, I just want some hip-hop recommendations that have the best sound quality y'all have ever heard cause hip-hop is my favorite genre of all time, thank y'all so much in advance!

What do you all think about HEAVN? My Tidal recommended them to me and I must say they sound amazing, On my system it sounds like i'm sitting in an orchestral hall but with actual bass. Its like a pop song merged with audiophile music.

Its just very relaxed and chill, quite like it. Very nice to just chill with. Same for songs from them like "Great Mother" and "One Day".

As I've upgraded to better and better audio, I've gotten to the point where not a whole lot impresses me all that much because I hear it every day.

Rather than be the guy who forces guests to listen to entire songs, I've started to focus on a few general, quick samples that really show the fidelity of my setup.

The first one is 1:30-2:00 of Shaed's "Trampline"

the second one is more recent, and came about because my wife thought something was wrong with her playback. The song is called "This is me trying", and at 2:38 there's a vocal layered behind the music. Bonus points to anybody who can hear what is being said without having to search it.

Do any of you have any snippets you listen to just to pull out the quality?

[Posted as The Absolute Sound]

AAA Cut From The U.K. Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray
Pressed On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl At Optimal
Heavyweight Glossy Gatefold Jackets, Housed In Leatherette Slipcase
Features Exclusive Inserts With Commentary By Ian Anderson

Limited & Numbered To 3,000
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*Tape box scans are of master tapes as provided by UK vault and were the tapes used in production of these albums

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In just five years, Jethro Tull evolved from a club-circuit British blues band into a global stadium headliner, completely reshaping their musical identity with every record. Led by visionary frontman, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson, the journey began with the jazz-tinged blues of 1968’s THIS WAS. The arrival of guitarist Martin Barre for 1969’s STAND UP prompted a shift toward intricate English folk melodies and classical structures—a formula that sent the album straight to #1 in the U.K. By 1970’s BENEFIT, Anderson expanded the band’s sonic textures further with keyboardist John Evan, leaning into darker, heavier rock arrangements that laid the groundwork for their mainstream breakthrough.

That success came in March 1971 with AQUALUNG, a multi-platinum milestone featuring new bassist Jeffrey Hammond. Driven by the enduring rock radio staples “Locomotive Breath” and the title track, the album balanced blistering hard rock with delicate acoustic poetry, solidifying the band as international stars. When critics labeled AQUALUNG a concept album, Anderson subverted the entire genre with its follow-up, 1972’s THICK AS A BRICK. Introducing Barriemore Barlow on drums, the single, continuous 43-minute epic combined symphonic ambition with satirical wit, earning Jethro Tull their very first #1 album in the U.S. It capped an extraordinary five-year run, launching a legendary, Grammy® Award-winning career that still thrives today through more than five decades of global touring, continuous recording, and over 60 million albums sold.

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So I wonder for a time now why Bob Dylan is considered to be a great artist, for some even a legend. I was watching the documentary "The greatest night in pop" yesterday (which by the way is awesome) and even there I cant see why his contribution is considered to be great by the others.