Thiel Owners

all i can say is that my 2.7's, and now 3.7's,  are very happy with the PS Audio BHK stereo amp.  wish i could get the mono blocks but not in the budget.

Excellent idea, 5 favorite albums  - ronkenthere are mine;Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething (2004)The Beatles - Sgt Pepper (1967)
The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed (1967)
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)

this will get the discs spinning anyway.Happy Listening!

To add to the topic idea proposed by ronkent, in no particular order:

-  "Brothers In Arms" Dire Straits (Mobile Fidelity, 180g, 45 rpm)
-  "The Trinity Session" Cowboy Junkies (Analogue Productions, 200g, 33 rpm)
-  "The Joshua Tree" U2 (Quality Record Pressings,180g, 33 rpm)
-  "Time Out" Dave Brubeck Quartet (Analogue Productions, 200g, 45 rpm)
-  "Blade Runner Soundtrack" Vangelis (Audio Fidelity, 180g, red vinyl)

These albums are what I use most when critical listening is needed, but I can get away by using two more than anything else.  First, I use "Brothers In Arms" as my rock reference:  "Money for Nothing" is an especially great track because of that explosive drum opening & Knopfler's searing guitar solo. The whole album is simply tremendous sounding, both musically & in an engineering sense.

"The Trinity Session" by the Cowboy Junkies is the second one. The entire album was recorded at Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity using a single microphone, so the feeling you get is very intimate & raw...you can hear every little breath, fingering on fret boards, foot taps, etc.  The recording is so revealing.  But, most of all, it's Margo Timmins' haunting vocals that make this a reference album.  If the female voice is the most difficult instrument to record & reproduce well, this album will show you what your system's capable of. I love this record...

Looking forward to what others have to share!

Arvin

Nice list -Arvinkeep me posted on any Audio shops that you visit there in Denver and surrounding areas.  Happy Listening!

hi Guys,   thanks for playing.   this is tough as i could have easily listed 50.  Half my collection is classical but i am going to focus on pop and rock since i play it more often when trying out new stuff.  Great list Arvin as i like all those, but mine are on silver discs as my trusty 37 year old Oracle/SME/Clearaudio does not get a lot of use.  Jafant:  which recording of DOFP as i never heard one sound great though i have always loved that album?
1.  James McMurtry-too long in the wasteland.  great songs and great recording.  the last cut is a total hoot and a real good test of a system's ability to place lots of vocals in space.
2.  Kim Ritchey-Rise.  she is such a great but quiet artist.
3. Yello-One Second:  totally fun.  the first cut alone makes it worth having.

4.  Mark Knopfler-Sailing to Philadelphia.   his duet with James Taylor is so great. 

5.  Speaking of JT.  Hourglass (preferably in SACD if you can find it).  cut 4 will bring down the pictures on the wall if you can reproduce what is going on there.