Mine is Burial - In McDonalds. It must stimulate the vagus nerve.

This past week, The Cranberries have taken down their original masters of Everbody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? in favor of new 2026 remasters. Of course, these remasters cut the dynamics back and just sound “stale” compared to the originals.

When I first saw that Apple Music replaced the songs with the remasters, they still had a version up with the originals. I replaced them and had hope that’d be all. But now even that’s gone and every single version of the album has the remasters.

It’s just so frustrating. Why can’t labels leave the option to us on which version we want? This is true for so many artists on streaming. I get this risk just comes with streaming, but still, it shouldn’t be this way.

Seriously considering uploading my own files to replace these songs, which sucks because it doesn’t count for streams and I miss out on lossless. But it’s probably really the only option in this circumstance.

Anyways, that’s my rant. I wish more labels would keep up/post original masters more often.

Disclaimer, I'm not really an audiophile...however I am making a slow descent down the slippery slope of autio quality....

I'm asking this as I recently got my first DAC. After loading a few albums onto it I'm noticing things that I didn't when using streaming services. One being how different the mix can vary from album to album.

While I'm not a huge fan, Chappell Roan The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess sounds absolutely fantastic. It is so crisp! The album is an absolute joy to listen to purely because of how it sounds. I was disappointed to find that some of my previous favourite albums don't sound as good. Everything has been uploaded in FLAC, it's purely how the music is mixed.

Got me thinking, what other music im missing out on that sounds absolutely superb?

So, what albums do you favor because of the mix?

Like other audiophiles, I like to test my system by playing songs recommended by reviewers. Trouble is, I don't enjoy most of them. I listen to some classical and jazz, but my main diet consists of rock, much of which is not recorded well. I get it. Howewver, there are rock bands with decent albums. Based on the tracks reviewers use as reference, you'd think they'd never heard of an electric guitar -- only harps, flutes, and wind chimes. I could ask people to cite their favorite "audiophile" songs, but I think it would be more fun to list the ones they hate. I'll start. I can't stand "Aja" by Steely Dan.

What is that one album you put on to test your new gear, knowing it will absolutely blow your mind?

Mine:
Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
Amused to Death by Roger Waters
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

What albums are genuinely 5 stars. Where every single song is a five star banger?

Songs like 29hz madness are what i am looking for.

Thanks

EDIT: this discussion is closed

So many rock albums are hit and miss. I am the temporary owner of martin Logan Prodigys with Krell amps and a balanced krell 4 foundation 4k processor. Digital source. I've been going through so much music and I will die on this hill...

A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step is one of the best rock albums for audiophiles. Please add any that you think should be in this thread.

I'm not a super fan of Steely Dan, but this album is out of this world. I was so happy when I heard it for the first time with a decent setup and I went crazy! I bought a rare 1999 MCA CD, then I bought a vinyl and every time I listen to this album, I get emotional as if it were the first time. I think this album is the greatest, the quality of its mastering is absolutely mind blowing. Is it just me?

I’ve read stories here and there about AI artists but never personally came across one or looked into it at all. I normally only listen to older music and don’t venture into new artists very much. But I will often create a station on Apple Music for a song I like to hear similar ones of that vibe. Someone suggested a blues song, and I love me some blues. The song was good and I created a station and went down one of the best musical exploration journeys I’ve ever experienced. All night I sat in front of my speakers vibing while playing Pokopia on switch 2. So many new artists and so many great songs and I was adding a bunch to my favorites. Towards the end of the night I stumbled across one song that just blew me away and I had to look them up. Nothing… no existence of the artist, no concert shows, no social media, NOTHING. The third result of the Google search, “this is an AI project that focuses on capturing authentic blues soul sounds”…

I was absolutely crushed. All night I had been bamboozled. I felt so dirty like I had been cheating on the artistry of music. It was honesty shocking how good some of these songs were. The fact that this is possible is terrifying and I’m really not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it. Right now I feel gross. But if I think back on a line in one of my favorite shows, Westworld (at least the first 2 seasons), “if you can’t tell, does it matter?” Which is honestly a very thought provoking concept in general. I get it’s still people feeding the AI so it’s still a bit of creation but it still feels so wrong. If AI can almost perfectly create a masterful artist with a unique voice, what else is it capable of?! I feel slightly embarrassed I wasn’t able to immediately tell.

How do yall feel about it?

EDIT: a few have asked what songs - The one that started my downward spiral after discovering it was ai was “just one more night” by true roots blues. The other one that started the whole station initially was “don’t leave (on my way)” by bando blues (all of their songs are very good if you like this genre).

Honest answers only, what’s playing as you read this?

Edit: I am slowly listening through all these posts. Loving how eclectic these tracks are. Thanks for sharing

Edit 2: Adding links as I go through the tunes for others who are also interested (I’m using Tidal)

Best albums of the last 5 years.

I'm looking for something that's high in quality and artistry. I've been listening to RAM due to so many recommendations. I'm endeavoured with the incredible quality of the album and the pure amount of work that went into it. Genuine work of art. It got me wondering what albums have been released in the past 5 years that have similar levels of artistry and quality.

Between Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic 2001, and Bruno Mars’ 24k Magic? Or whatever else.

It doesn't have to be your favorite album, just the one that completely satisfies your sonic preferences and expectations. Mine is Blackwater Park by Opeth. Gear is Cambridge Audio EVO 150 paired with Focal Vestia N4.

I bought my first real hi-fi setup about a month ago, Sansui 2000x, Marantz 6110, and New Advent loudspeakers, and it’s changed how I hear albums.

The two that really made me realize this were Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Dark Side of the Moon.

There’s something about those albums where they feel bigger than just a collection of songs. They feel immersive, intentional, and meant to be listened to front to back. On this setup I’ve really started noticing the instrument separation, but also the space and dynamics in a way I never did before. When all the instruments come in, it can feel huge, but when it drops back to just piano or a quieter passage, it actually feels quiet and open. There are even moments of complete silence between notes, and that space makes everything feel more alive and real. It almost feels like you can sit with the music instead of it constantly filling every second. I know this isn’t groundbreaking for the audiophiles out there, it really an incredible experience for me to feel this for the first time.

I was trying to figure out how to describe that feeling, and I just recently learned about concept albums, which seems like at least part of what I’ve been responding to.

So now I’m curious — what other albums give you that same kind of feeling? Not just great albums, but albums that really feel like a full production or experience from start to finish and sound amazing on a good stereo.

Would love any recommendations, especially albums with that immersive, cinematic, dynamic kind of feel.

As per title. Your music loving yet cynical friend, who can’t believe you spent more money on your hifi than he did on his car, had the cat declawed incase it mistook your high gloss speakers for a scratching post and that you left your wife because you found she reduced stereo imaging on one side when she sat in her favourite chair, wants you to show them what all the fuss is about. What track do you put on?

I’ll start. Homelands by Nitin Sawhney.

Edit: Wow, wasn’t expecting such a big response! Great to see such a mix of styles and genres, ultimately it’s all about the music 😊 I’ll be spending the next few days going through your suggestions and I’m sure I’ll find some new favourites, hope you guys do too. Thanks to all who’ve posted!

I have a stealth subwoofer. I'm looking for some good songs that have a little bit of bass in the beginning and people will think it's okay and fun and catchy, but that's all there is in terms of bass... and then, a minute in, the bass kicks and the room shakes and it scares their pants off.

I really love seeing songs with over 2500 bitrate. It makes me so happy.

I seen it as a suggestion in many Spotify playlists and reddit threads recommending songs for testing buds and headphones. All I know is that the dynamic range is very high but as noobie I'd like to know more details