ACI Reference Recordings

Many of you have asked which specific recordings we use to evaluate audio gear (not just our own ACI speakers, but everything). Well, we use a lot of different recordings for judging a variety of qualities that we are trying to retrieve from our systems and our speakers. There are no gimmicks, no trick CDs...everything that we use is music, pure and simple. 

The language of audio (and now video) is critical if we are to make ourselves understood. The bad news is that most of our vocabulary is borrowed from photography and other visual arts. Terms like “imaging” and “focus” really have no place in a audio, but they have become terms of art that we all use without thinking about them. Even the oft used term “bright” refers to brilliance of light rather than anything even remotely related to sound. Still, it's just too late to buck the semantical system, so with each issue of the ACI Confidential we add some of the most notable CDs, LPs and DVDs that we use. Please note that some of these will be easy to find, while some are a bit rare. 

A good starting place is Amazon.com as their search system allows you to find CDs by a number of different criteria from performer, piece of music, ensemble, label and catalog number. Good luck and happy hunting!

ACI Reference Recordings from August  2003 Confidential

Band of Brothers: Part History, Part Lesson...

Band of Brothers / Widescreen anamorphic format / 6-Discs / 2002: 
Take my word for it, you do not have to be a WWII nut to enjoy and treasure this marvelous work from HBO. Based on the book of the same name by the late Eisenhower Library Director, Stephen Ambrose, this is one of the very few examples of a film version totally eclipsing a book. Band of Brothers in the story of an amazing paratroop infantry regiment founded in Georgia well before the start of the war. The citizen soldiers of this regiment (and the company which is the prime focus of the film) went from Normandy, to Holland, fought the Battle of the Bulge, held the line in the Bois Jacque Forest outside of Foy and Bastogne and finally captured Hitler’s own Eagle’s Nest high the mountains of Austria.

Much more than a war story, Band of Brothers tells of the closeness and camaraderie than can only be attained by soldiers drawn together under fire, men who know each other better than anyone else in the world and men who know that they can only rely on the man next to him in his trench. It is a story of humbling heroism and selflessness drawn on the horrible canvas of war. The casting and superb writing make it unique, while the excellent cinematography and effects make it griping. The battle sequences are awesome and frightening with hissing bullets and the ferocious sights and sounds of artillery shells bursting and igniting trees like so many matchsticks. The six disc set includes a handy field manual to help the viewer understand military lingo and there are interviews with some of the surviving members of Easy Company. As the saying goes, “Where do we find such men?” We are truly lucky that such men have always stood at the ready when their country was in need. Band of Brothers is more than a film, it is a lesson to use all.

Allison Moorer / Show: Part Video, All Music...
I am no fan of videos. As Don Henley once said, “I’d rather see a bad video of a good song than a good video of a bad song.” But hey, that’s just me. As the CD and DVD technologies become more intertwined we’re likely to see more of this. This latest release from Allison Moorer contains both a DVD and CD. The DVD is a simple and straightforward concert that was filmed in Nashville in January of this year, and the CD contains the very same musical material. If you ever liked k.d.lang (I never did) you will just love Allison Moorer. Not just a great voice, but a great singer and writer of songs. The power and lilt of her voice almost overcomes her. In fact, it is when she reigns it in that the real magic happens. I would pay the full retail for this CD just to hear her sing “Let Go.” Her voice is heaven, draped in vulnerability and effortless power. Her intonation is truly the best and most consistent that I have ever heard and that includes formally trained operatic singers. This record would make great audiophile test material, but that would almost seem like a waste. It’s just about the music, and that’s all you’ll need.

ACI Reference Recordings from April  2003 Confidential

New DVD Reviews from ACI

Road to Perdition
This is a fine Tom Hanks period piece set in depression-era America. The video presentation is exceptional. The screen measures a wide 2.09:1 anamorphic ratio, and it is clean and clear. The depression-era tones are suitably muted though well represented while the images are rendered sharply. In fact, many of the scenes possess such vibrant color saturation that they actually grow to create a sense of tactile depth. While far from monochromatic, it is the sense of subtle shades and hues that most impresses about this DVD’s video presentation.

The audio reproduction is on par with the video especially in Dolby Digital 5.1 (Dolby Stereo Surround is also available). The film is rich in sonic effects from the rapid concussion of machine gun fire to the gentle and delicate sound of rain falling on the street. Though the range of effects and total dynamic range is wide, there’s always a fine balance between the effect, the dialogue and the score, making the movie easy to watch and enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Widescreen)
I will spare you any description of the plot or characters of this movie as I am quite certain that those of you who are Harry Potter fans know it all better than I and those who have never heard of Harry have also probably never heard of DVD. I can’t quite put my finger on why the video quality failed to impress. While competent, it is possessed of a pervasive film grain that I just don’t like. The transfer measures a ratio of about 2.13:1 across a normal television. Though pleasant enough, the video lacks essential clarity and at times is somewhat diffuse. It is only slightly better than average and that just isn’t good enough these days.

This is wide dynamic range material, and that’s not always appropriate in a DVD. You may almost have to resort to the old mastering trick of Gain Riding to assure that the effects don’t blow you out of your seat if the most softly spoken dialogue is to be readily heard. A good home theater will almost always enjoy a greater dynamic range compared to a true theater for reasons of the HT’s smaller size and lower ambient noise. It almost seems as if the dynamic balance of this DVD is more suited to a larger environment than most HTs.

For our Classical and 2 Channel Friends

Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 Suite No. 2 for two pianos, Op.17* Martha Argerich piano Nelson Freire piano II* Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly (Op. 30) PHILIPS 50 464 732-2

This is a value priced disc that conveys a remarkable sense of recorded acoustics and warmth. Since the subject matter is the renowned Rac3, I felt that some of you could buy this CD as sort of a First Foray into large-scale classical music without breaking the bank. Some CDs are blanched and hard sounding, but not this one. You will hear a massive recorded acoustic and marvelous piano in all extremes of dynamics. It’s a slam dunk...

Fryderyk (Frédéric) Chopin, The 21 Nocturnes, Maria João Pires piano, Deutsche Grammophon 447096-2 

I discovered Maria Pires some years ago on an obscure Erato LP, again, playing Chopin. Her warmth and power was entrancing, and I am pleased to report that she still has it and more! This is the very pinnacle of late romantic interpretation: Pires puts the swell and power of the music ahead of technical pizzazz and that’s a trade that I can readily validate. There’s a compelling sense of drive, pace and life to her playing that sweeps the listener along. The recording is exceptional and stands as thankful proof that the days of hard and fast DG recordings appear to be in the past.

ACI Reference Recordings from November 2002 Confidential

• "The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Extended Edition)": First of all, you do not have to be a dyed in the wool Hobbit-Head to enjoy this movie. In fact, the movie really stands on its own in terms of plot and character development. This extended version has no fewer than four DVD and contains more than 30 extra minutes that were not a part of the theatrical release. For once, the extra materials are more than just an afterthought and add quite a bit of value to the collection. The video and audio quality are excellent. The blending of digital and natural beauty is seamless. The flesh tones and light are glowing yet natural. The scenes on the lake with the massive statues on each side must be seen to be appreciated. Flash: This collection can now be had for under $30 at many online stores.
  
• For all of you hip, jazz cats out there we have a new release that reminds you that there’s still life to be found in this classic if often cliché ridden American form of music. The CD is called "Introducing Brad Mehldau" and it’s on Warner Bros. Pianist Mehldau brings classics by Rodgers & Hart, Coltrane and Cole Porter and gives them a new yet respectful treatment that sound fresh and alive. There are also a couple of nice cuts penned by Mehldau himself that really round out this excellent CD. The sonics are among the very best that we have heard in terms of natural piano dynamics and jump factor.
  
• Steve Earle just won’t stand still, and now he’s getting people all worked up. The once rockabilly cult icon has been to the edge of the abyss and fought his way back. His latest CD asks some hard questions, takes some uncomfortable stands and is required listening for lovers of the pop arts and lively discussion. There are elements of bluegrass mixed with hip-hop and an overall eclectic sensibility to the CD. Earle seems happy to use whatever is needed to make his point. Not for the weak-kneed, Steve Earle’s "Jerusalem" is a classic statement made to music.
  
• Now for something completely different: Some sublime female vocal stylings from Allison Moorer on her latest CD, cleverly titled "Miss Fortune." This is hard material to pigeon-hole which is just the way we like our music. It has elements of country, new age, torch music and it’s all excellent. Moorer makes a point on her CD’s cover to state that there are absolutely no vocal processors used on her records. Good for her, but with a gorgeous voice like hers, who needs processors? This is one of the most lyrically beautiful releases that we have heard in a long time.

ACI Reference Recordings from April 2002 Confidential

Joe Jackson: Body and Soul / A&M CD-5000
An odd CD from another era and an amazingly successful effort and blending rock, ballads and broadway musical stylings. A fine, if somewhat hard, sounding recording that suffers little from CD to LP.

Beethoven-Liszt: Piano Transcriptions Symphony No.6 Glenn Gould / Sony SMK 52639.
Want to hear Beethoven’s Pastorale symphony as if for the very first time? That’s what it’s like to hear this wonderful Lizst transcription of this sadly overplayed, yet marvelous piece. By giving a solo piano virtually all of the symphony’s themes, Liszt strips the melodies and harmonies of this piece bare. One can hear much further into the piece without all of the timbre and “voices” of the full orchestra.

Diego Blanco: Popular Guitar Music BIS CD-133
A superb collection of lesser known classical pieces for guitar presented here by a an equally unknown virtuoso.

Patti Smith: Dream of Life Arista / ARCD8453
An unheralded rock classic from this icon turned recluse. This CD reminds us of her power as a songwriter and makes us wonder where she has gone.

Richard Thompson: Industry / EMI Records HNCD1414
Thompson here is at his most brilliant and enigmatic. Not the perfect primer for this great guitarist of the 70s, 80s, 90s and now the new millennia, but a must for the devoted of the great man.

Roy Hargrove: Diamond in the Rough / RCA 3082-1-N (LP)
A fine player, lost in the shadow of Wynton Marsalis. His trumpet is clear and confident and this stands as one of the best debut jazz recordings that I can name.

André Previn and his Pals: West Side Story / MoFi MFSL-1-095 (LP)
A rare meeting of great players, great music well interpreted and an amazing recording. Makes lovers of digital sick to their stomachs when they hear what they are missing.

Gabriel Fauré: The Two Piano Quartets The Ames Piano Quartet / Dorian DOR-90144. 
The entire CD is the very pinnacle of the genre in both performance and recording. A good system has to place each of the three string instruments in their own sound field with the piano well focused, yet expansive. A weak system will have the notes of the piano jumping (seeming to come from different positions as the pitch changes) and the strings may become crowded together or unnaturally spread out. Again, not the easiest CD to find, but it’s out there and in print. 

Brahms-Schoenberg: Piano Quartet in G minor Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / Vox Cum Laude MCD 10018. To my knowledge, the only current release featuring Schoenberg’s orchestral transcription of this seminal piano work by Brahms at the height of his creative powers. The job of recreating the sense of a full orchestra in one’s listening room is at once irresistible and impossible. The scope and sweep of the dynamics are just too much, not to mention the sheer space and complexity that the music presents. Still, we must try!

Calamus: The Splendor of Al-Andalus / MA Recordings M026A 
Obscure? Indeed. Arresting and beautiful? Without a doubt. Just buy it.

Liz Story: Solid Colors Windham Hill / WH-1023
Is new age? Yes, but it is so very inspired and original that I include it here with pride. Anyone with a weakness for melody and the voice of the piano will find the magic here.

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky L.A. Philharmonic / Telarc CD-80143
A huge piece, played well by the underachieving Los Angeles Philharmonic. The dynamic range is amazing and challenging to even the best systems.

Bill Evans: New Conversations / Warner 2-3177
A rare and hard to find CD by a true master that is somewhat uneven. Still, the entire CD is worth its price if only to hear Evans play the final cut, Reflections in D.

Yo-Yo Ma: John Tavner The Protecting Veil / Sony SK62821
Not what one would call carefree or light, but this record is worth hearing for Ma’s amazing range and willingness to take musical chances that Rostropovich or Casals would never even tried.

Iris DeMent: My Life / Warner 9 454931-2
DeMent is somewhat of an acquired taste, but her songs are so simple and honest that they are irresistible to me in this day of tuneless songs and unintelligible lyrics.

Lou Reed: New York / Sire 9 25829-2
Love him or hate him (I’ve done both), you’ve got to admire Lou Reed for his uncompromising devotion to his art. New York is the best straight rock studio recording that I’ve ever heard and is worth owning for this reason alone. Don’t be shocked if you begin to appreciate some tracks more than you ever would have thought.

ACI Reference Recordings from December 2001 Confidential

In the last issue of The Confidential we told you about some of the CDs that we use for product evaluation and your response made it clear that you wanted to hear more. You also let us know that the LP was still very much a viable source of music for your systems, just as it is here at ACI. Be warned: The golden age of the used LP has come and gone. Some of the LPs that we will discuss here will be very hard to source in any, let alone mint, condition. Still, with used LPs much of the fun is in the search. Each gem that you unearth will provide you with a lifetime of enjoyment, if properly cared for. Let’s hope that our CD collections endure as well.

• In the early 70’s, before the term audiophile had come into common use, a recording was made that unknowingly adhered to every audiophile convention that are now the subject of so much of the hype that infects today’s audiophile labels. The record is Joni Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon (Reprise RS 6376). First of all, this LP is among the last of the big label LPs that were lovingly pressed of only the finest vinyl. ACI’s pressing is pushing 30 years old, is free of pops and ticks and tracks just as it did those many years ago. Here we have the challenging registers of the female voice, trading focus with cello, clarinet, piano and more. Can you hear the shadings that make the clarinet stand clear from the voice? Do you hear the floor boards resonate beneath the cello? The truth is in the details, and this LP has a wealth of them. The recording is beyond reproach, and the compositions are sublime and timeless. The bad news: This baby will be very hard to find. Good luck!
• Sorry to follow up one needle in a haystack LP with another, but this one is another LP that will become an essential part of your collection, if you can get a hold of a copy. It is the 1984 release by guitarist George Cromarty, Wind in the Heather (Dancing Cat Records {a division of Windham Hill} DC3001). This is an amazing collection of short solo guitar pieces. Each of the 13 original compositions are melodic masterpieces in their own right, and the recording is simply luscious...easily the finest recording of acoustic guitar that we have ever heard. The mastering was done by Bernie Grundman and you will never hear a cleaner pressing. Like the Mitchell LP, this LP is invaluable for listening to a systems critical ability, or sometime unfortunate inability to render both a natural sound space and retrieve the essence of the acoustical truth of the music. Does the guitar emanate from clear space, or does it feel bound to the speakers? Do the overtones of each note connect to the fundamental pitch of the note, or does one come from here and the other from a over there? Acoustic instruments demand coherence, and this is always a challenge for a multi-driver loudspeaker.
• But what, you may ask, about the non-acoustical truth? We’ve got that too! Find yourself (this will be much easier) a copy of the 1975 classic from Steely Dan, Katy Lied (ABC Records ABCD-846). Again, here we have audiophile sensibilities before audiophile pretensions. The back cover of the album notes not only the use of a Neumann VMS 70 lathe, but also advises strict adherence to the RIAA curve. Who says the ‘70s were an empty decade? This is great stuff, rock with wit and intelligence played by some of the hardcore studio guys of the era (including Rick Derringer, the late Jeffery Porcaro, and a pre sellout Larry Carlton). My friends, these guys could play. No ACI speaker systems leaves the factory that is unable to play "Chain Lightning" with Derringer’s sharp & wicked guitar riffs and Porcaro’s thundering drum fills both loudly and with ease. Rest assured, they all can. Can you speakers do the same?
• Here’s something you can buy new that represents the state of the art in vinyl today. The artist is Sonny Landreth, bayou slide guitarist extraordinaire. The LP is called Outward Bound and you can buy a new pressing of this from none other than Classic Records (RTH1032-1), and while you can also get it on CD, why would you? For a modern rock recording, Outward Bound is dynamically challenging for a speaker system. The players showcased here don’t spend much time taking it easy. Mastering, once again is by Grundman, and while the pressing is good, it doesn’t measure up to the oldies that have discussed previously in this section. Again, this material needs to be recreated at full volume, yet always in complete control and with all of its original tonality and timbre intact.

ACI Reference Recordings from August 2001 Confidential

Tone, timbre and ambiance: Three tests, one CD, One Minute and thirty-four seconds! The Cowboy Junkies / The Trinity Sessions (RCA 8568-2-R) Track 1: “Mining for Gold.” This classic traditional tune, sung  a cappella by Margo Timmons will tell you more about what your system can and can't do than any other minute and a half of recorded music can. It was recorded using the famed Calrec Ambisonic microphone in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. What you should hear, what you must hear, is the sense of the church's physical size and space even before Timmons starts to sing. In the center of the space you should hear Timmons’ earthy, smoldering yet sweet voice at once anchored and yet floating in the center of the soundstage. Can you hear it? If you can you're already most of the way there. If you can't, it's time to start working on your system. Until you get this most basic test right, your system is stuck in neutral.

Midrange pitch precision and speed of attack and decay: Laurel Zucker & Susan Jolles / Images for Flute & Harp / “Sonatine for flute & harp” Victor Frost (1952-) (Cantilena Records 66016-2) Track 14 Moderato edeciso. Lots of luck finding this gem...it took us weeks to find it. The flute and harp cast their notes squarely on pitch and the interplay between the distinct “voices” create quite a challenge. Listen for any tendency for the flute to sound wispy or tonally dispersed. It is not a function of the recording. The harp's strings start and stop quickly so any sense of slowness or muddying tells you that something bad is happening. As an aside, this is a truly fine piece of modern classical music in a sea of musical junk. This CD is worth the trouble of finding it.

Small scale ambiance & image placement: Gabriel Fauré The Two Piano Quartets / The Ames Piano Quartet (Dorian DOR-90144). The entire CD is the very pinnacle of the genre in both performance and recording. A good system has to place each of the three string instruments in their own sound field with the piano well focused, yet expansive. A weak system will have the notes of the piano jumping (seeming to come from different positions as the pitch changes) and the strings may become crowded together or unnaturally spread out. Again, not the easiest CD to find, but it's out there and in print.

Large scale ambiance & image placement: Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet in G minor / Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Vox Cum Laude MCD 10018). Again, not an easy one to find but a treasure. To my knowledge, the only current release featuring Schoenberg's orchestral transcription of this seminal piano work by Brahms at the height of his creative powers. The job of recreating the sense of a full orchestra in one's listening room is at once irresistible and impossible. The scope and sweep of the dynamics are just too much, not to mention the sheer space and complexity that the music presents. Still, we must try: What we want here is a sense of size and majesty without strain. A great system will be able to approach this ideal and lower volume levels and the poor system won't be able to get it right at any level. Listen also for a natural portrayal of shifts between the loud and the soft and everything in between. Anything to draw the presentation of the music toward the speakers, like light from a flashlight is bad and is illustrative of its limits.

Dynamic shifts, tonal consistency & complexity: Beethoven-Liszt Piano Transcriptions Symphony No.6 / Glenn Gould (Sony SMK 52639). Want to hear Beethoven's Pastorale symphony as if for the very first time? That's what it's like to hear this wonderful Liszt transcription of this sadly overplayed, yet marvelous piece. By giving a solo piano virtually all of the symphony's themes, Liszt strips the melodies and harmonies of this piece bare. One can hear much further into the piece without all of the timbre and “voices” of the full orchestra. A system will also reveal if it has any problems recreating a sense of tonal complexity without a feeling or tendency toward confusion. Gould's playing and the recording are beyond reproach. A superb system will keep the tonal nature of the piano consistent whether the notes are played fast or slow, loud or soft. How does your system capture these essentials?

More to come!

ACI, Sound that Satisfies...Since 1977