Favourite CDs to test a new player

[mikeweil]

Dear friends, I just ordered a French micromega CD-30 player at an inventory sale at less than half price and can't wait until it arrives. I have my preferred discs for comparing the player to my old one, but I am curious what you would choose to see how the new toy sounds, regardless of musical style -  recommendations, please!

https://micromega.com/en/products/mo-range/cd-30/

[GA Russell]

Anything by Roy DuNann!

Congrats, Mike!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Looks like a nice player. Half price is a good deal.

Back when I did audio comparisons, I never really heard CD player differences. I heard mastering differences from CD to CD, but I can't remember a player making a certain CD sound good in one player and worse in another. I did use certain CDs to compare speakers though. I would just recommend using some favorites and see how they sound. You should have a few CDs that you know every note - for me it would CDs like "Kind of Blue", "Blue Train" or "Soul Station". I would use something like this.

[Teasing the Korean]

Henry Mancini's Combo.

Be sure it is the stereo version.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[jazzbo]

I've heard differences between players and transports and as a general rule I'd say you get what you pay for. Congrats! Seems like a great player.

I like to use Antônio Carlos Jobim "Stone Flower" (either the Japanese RVG UHQCD or the King Jazz Blu-Spec CD) and Duke Ellington "Indigos" (Impex Gold cd) and Duke Ellington "Jazz Party" (Mobile Fidelity Labs Gold cd) and Barney Wilen "New York Romance" (Sunnyside or Venus cd) to test playback. These tell me most that I need to know about how a CD player will play back my system, including low volume and rather highly compressed discs.

Edited April 6, 2022 by jazzbo

[mikeweil]

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Henry Mancini's Combo.

Be sure it is the stereo version.

Looks like an interesting disc - just ordered a copy.

Thanks for the recommendations all, I will post a list of what I used.

Edited April 6, 2022 by mikeweil

[Teasing the Korean]

25 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

Looks like an interesting disc - just ordered a copy.

Thanks for the recommendations all, I will post a list of what I used.

I have an original stereo LP on a RCA black dog label.  It sounds absolutely fantastic, and I always use it to test upgrades to my hi-fi.  The bass and drums are centered, and everything else is nicely spread side to side.  

It is an 11-piece group:  Five brass/winds and 6 rhythm.  Art Pepper is on clarinet.

This album incudes IMO the definitive version of "Moanin'", on which John Williams plays harpsichord.  Other money cuts include "Sidewalks of Cuba," "Swing Lightly," and "Playboy's Theme."

There are two novelty tracks that I find mildly or very annoying, depending on my mood, but I have no issues with the other 10.

 

[porcy62]

Micromega produced always excellent digital stuff, was the other choice back then when I bought a California Audio Lab. As cds I played what I know and love best, so I guess I decided by heart, not by ears, not very audiophile I think.

[mikeweil]

5 hours ago, bresna said:

Half price is a good deal.

Just saw I paid even less - list price was € 1.898.00 when it was introduced, most retailers sold it for around 1.600.00, and I paid € 685.00!

3 hours ago, porcy62 said:

Micromega produced always excellent digital stuff

I have their MyAmp and MyZic (headphone amp) in the bedroom, and the MyDac connected to the TV receeiver - all great components.

Edited April 6, 2022 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

Just got a shipping notice, it will de delivered tomorrow before noon.

[HutchFan]

42 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

Just got a shipping notice, it will de delivered tomorrow before noon.

Christmas in April!  

 

[mikeweil]

The listening pile - jazz and pop first - is ready.

[mikeweil]

After living with the player for a month I am still testing - my CDs, not the player. It is an extraordinary tool. Every disc sounds different than before, I could write a post on almost every one I played so far. The soundstage is broader, very detailed, so you can hear every note of a chord played by piano or guitar or both on unison, or in a horn section. I had intended this player for my bedroom where I have a MyAmp by Micromega with Foacl speakers and a 30 year old Pioneer CD Player which plays fine and makes good sound but might give in any day due to its age, but the soundstage is too wide for this small room. And since my wife liked the sound so much and insisted it stays in the living room, well, there it remains. 

Bass is softer, not as percussive as with the Marantz SACD player, with a somewhat lower pitched basic sound, drums are more in the background but with  more detail. Old Atlantic stereo recordings fare surprisingly well, sounding very natural. It tickles more detail out of old Blue Notes, setting horns clearly apart, makes pianos soundfiner and warmer even on old shellac transfers. But it is mercilessly displaying enginering weaknesses, espacially with some modern sessions with artificial room ambiance. Sometimes I was almost afraid of playing some of my favourites discs because I knew they would sound different. But saxophones sound fantastic, as if they are standing in the room.

Classical stuff recorded in good acoustics sounds excellent. I regained my love for early music which I didn't listen to for almost a year.

In other words, I have a new colelction of several thousand CDs.

Another surprise: It rewards treating CDs with a special spray (CD-Flux, a rather costly juice) with even more detailed soundstages, whereas the Marantz didn't give a damn. 

So now I can return to posting in the "listening now" threads. 

Edited May 8, 2022 by mikeweil

[jazzbo]

Fantastic news Mike!

[Teasing the Korean]

15 hours ago, mikeweil said:

After living with the player for a month I am still testing - my CDs, not the player. It is an extraordinary tool. Every disc sounds different than before, I could write a post on almost every one I played so far. The soundstage is broader, very detailed, so you can hear every note of a chord played by piano or guitar or both on unison, or in a horn section. I had intended this player for my bedroom where I have a MyAmp by Micromega with Foacl speakers and a 30 year old Pioneer CD Player which plays fine and makes good sound but might give in any day due to its age, but the soundstage is too wide for this small room. And since my wife liked the sound so much and insisted it stays in the living room, well, there it remains. 

Bass is softer, not as percussive as with the Marantz SACD player, with a somewhat lower pitched basic sound, drums are more in the background but with  more detail. Old Atlantic stereo recordings fare surprisingly well, sounding very natural. It tickles more detail out of old Blue Notes, setting horns clearly apart, makes pianos soundfiner and warmer even on old shellac transfers. But it is mercilessly displaying enginering weaknesses, espacially with some modern sessions with artificial room ambiance. Sometimes I was almost afraid of playing some of my favourites discs because I knew they would sound different. But saxophones sound fantastic, as if they are standing in the room.

Classical stuff recorded in good acoustics sounds excellent. I regained my love for early music which I didn't listen to for almost a year.

In other words, I have a new colelction of several thousand CDs.

Another surprise: It rewards treating CDs with a special spray (CD-Flux, a rather costly juice) with even more detailed soundstages, whereas the Marantz didn't give a damn. 

So now I can return to posting in the "listening now" threads. 

Interesting, but I thought the kinds of details you are describing would be attributed more to speakers or amps than to CD players.  I didn't realize the model of the CD player could make this much of a difference.  Glad it is working out for you!  

 

[jazzbo]

No surprise to me, I've been pursuing quality cd playback for a long time and there are remarkable differences between players, transports and DACs.

[mikeweil]

8 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Interesting, but I thought the kinds of details you are describing would be attributed more to speakers or amps than to CD players.  I didn't realize the model of the CD player could make this much of a difference.  Glad it is working out for you!  

 

My experience tells me any component in the chain can make a huge difference in sound.

[Late]

For some reason, I've always used this set for my "first disc played" A/B comparisons. Room sound does indeed sound different from player to player.

[scooter_phx]

Dianne Schuur with the Count Basie Big Band... absolutely great sounding CD.

 

[mikeweil]

I ended up using the new Micromega player in my bedroom as it sounds better with the Micromega MyAmp amplifier than with the Marantz. With the latter I had to turn the volume up so much that the neighbours started complaining. In my (smaller) bedroom I am closer to the speakers (Focal as in the living room) and the higher frequencies are more prominent. And the CD-30 sounds excellent, very detailed, with the MyZic / Focal Spirit Classic combination. I'm satisfied. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

4 hours ago, mikeweil said:

I ended up using the new Micromega player in my bedroom as it sounds better with the Micromega MyAmp amplifier than with the Marantz. With the latter I had to turn the volume up so much that the neighbours started complaining. In my (smaller) bedroom I am closer to the speakers (Focal as in the living room) and the higher frequencies are more prominent. And the CD-30 sounds excellent, very detailed, with the MyZic / Focal Spirit Classic combination. I'm satisfied. 

There is much to misunderstand here so I think I'll have to watch how I say here... a different amplifier cannot make the music louder. Audio amplifiers don't do anything but amplify. If you were turning up the Marantz louder than the Micromega, that's you, not the amp. What was making you turn it up the Marantz more than the Micromega?

[mikeweil]

The different acoustics of the rooms, I suppose, plus sitting at greater distance from the speakers. But the Marantz makes a mellower, less contoured sound. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by mikeweil

[CJ Shearn]

On 7/18/2022 at 8:15 AM, mikeweil said:

I ended up using the new Micromega player in my bedroom as it sounds better with the Micromega MyAmp amplifier than with the Marantz. With the latter I had to turn the volume up so much that the neighbours started complaining. In my (smaller) bedroom I am closer to the speakers (Focal as in the living room) and the higher frequencies are more prominent. And the CD-30 sounds excellent, very detailed, with the MyZic / Focal Spirit Classic combination. I'm satisfied. 

I love Focal. I have a pair of Focal Chora 826's which sound fabulous with my Audiolab CDT6000 (which Lon recommended to me) Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC, Sony X700 blu ray player (for SACD and Blu ray audio) and Marantz NR1200 preamp and Marantz MM7025 power amp 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

MFSL Crime of the Century 

Donald Fagen The Nightfly West German 

 

[mikeweil]

Anybody here with experience with micromega amps, especially the IA-180? I could get one of these at half price .... 

Edited December 17, 2022 by mikeweil