Records with wide soundstage

Hi everyone. I think one of the biggest advantage of a nicely set up stereo system is showcasing how immersive the music can be. It doesn’t have to be home theater to hear the center channel or the depth.

I thought everyone can share their favorite tracks. If you remember to the first listening session to those tracks on your stereo system, which sounded jaw droppingly amazing. Also on my Focal Aria speakers (some would say too forward, but I love the almost on stage experience instead of further in the back seats experience) the depth is amazing too.

I love Dusk till Dawn how much that percussion effect hits right next to my ear, such a deep soundstage without using any surround channel.

Also Thriller by Michael Jackson, you can follow the steps from right into the middle to the left, amazing.

Marilyn Manson - The gardener starts with wooshing effects around your ears after the close vocal whispering.

Of course, Eagles - Hotel California, unbelievably wide soundstage.

Bon Jovi - You give love a bad name - the guitar right before the verse coming from the center right into your face almost.

One of my favorite songs to test the bass notes and standing waves is Sia - House on Fire. The bass notes in your headphones might sound consistent, and equally loud, but the room can distort that very badly.

Johnny Cash - Hurt - sounds like he is in the room. Unbelievably real.

Chris Stapleton - Death Row. The instruments sound so real, amazing recording.

Radiohead - Creep, as you would jump in a rehearsal session of the band, like playing in front of you. You can point where, what is happening.

Naim does make music sound more realistic and even less great sounding recordings to sound even better. Kind of like a burger with a secret sauce is always better. What were your impressions when switching to Naim and listening to soundstage?

What are your recommendations to showcase soundstage capabilities? I’ll give them a listen. Happy listening everyone and thanks in advance.

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Check out Slomo - by Slowdive on their last album.
Starts dreamy and distant then the bass line kicks in way up high from the soaring firebird bass. Then stabs of foundation troubling bass pads before the main lilting melodies come.
Should give the sense that the music is slowly shifting and waving upwards… love it.

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God I love this band.

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A fun demo of what can be done with soundstage is Roger Waters’ “Perfect Sense Pt. 1” from “Amused to Death.” I use it sometimes as a speaker placement test track. Left-to-right there is a greater than 180 degree soundstage when everything is set up properly.

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I don’t know about wide, but I’ve just heard RoyWoods ‘I wish it could be christmas’ for the first time on the 252/250. Did you know there are at least three sets of christmas bells playing on that track, all separately placed.

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I’ve moved this to the Music Room, as it seems more appropriate there.

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In The ballad of Bill Hubbard from Amused to death by Roger Waters, if all is positioned correctly the spoken voice comes from your direct left, as if the old soldier telling the tale is sitting next to you on the sofa. It was an eerie effect when I first played it

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Quite a lot of 70’s rock uses the whole stereo soundstage. Guitars can be found hard-potted (on the mixer) into the left or right channels, such that they appear to be outside the 2 speakers. Genesis are an example.

Drums were often recorded with just 3 mikes, but then mixed to cover a large part of the soundstage. Led Zepellin are my pick, here.

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Willy DeVille - Assassin Of Love 12inch single

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Jean Michel Jarre oxygene or equinoxe always sound very wide to me.

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Thanks everyone. Tracks and artists I’ve never heard of. That’s what I was hoping for. :blush:Happy listening.

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Ignorance can be bliss!

Lol.

Some that come to mind:

Low - Laser Beam
Biosphere - The Things I Tell You
This Will Destroy You - The World Is Our ___
Max Richter - Sarajevo
Alice in Chains - No Excuses
Hybrid - Empire
Massive Attack - Teardrop

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Arriving Somewhere but Not Here by Porcupine Tree has some very wide effects that go right to the edge of my room - if you like good rock :sunglasses:

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Pink Floyd: Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast

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The Muppets: Mahna Mahna
I concede its a little silly and specifically Henson’s ‘vocals’, but worth a fun listen.

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Slightly freaky coincidence; I’ve had this in my head all afternoon (why??). Then I saw this post…

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Fun fact, the original version (before the muppets) features vocals by the chap who did the whistling for ‘a fistful of dollars’.

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Flip side of the 7 inch mahna mahna was “half way up the stairs” from Kermits little nephew robin.
Instilled in my ears more appreciation for height rather than width.

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