My favourite New World is Istvan Kertesz conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Which I think is also superior to his later version with the LSO. I’ve also heard this piece live a number of times, most recently last year.
Live music still remains the reference for what systems can and can’t do and help keep things in perspective.
Tonight we’re off for some Mahler and I always point out to my wife how loud it is in the concert hall - to properly reproduce the dynamics similar volume is needed at home.
My Focals do a pretty good job on large scale orchestral and obviously the OP should make sure he listens to this material in any demos. The noodly jazz often used for demos doesn’t strain the system in the same way.
Out of curiosity, why “cannot” (with hifi, not personal things like a bed)? On the thread subject, my speakers are excellent, and would cost almost £30k new today, yet my total system, with a high level DAC and very good amp cost only about 2/3rds of that. (Speakers and amp bought secondhand, both within the past 2 years.) Speakers, and most likely amp, will likely outlive me, though the amp would likely benefit from a service every 20-25 years.
I come to four, if we include his 1957 and 1977 recordings with the Berliner, for EMI. I prefer his 1985 with the VPO although wouldn’t present it as a best case benchmark for sound quality.
Last week I was disappointed with the sound my system reproduced when listening to some classical recordings. Then at the weekend my system’s sound improved.
In the first instance I was listening to the much loved ballet suite no.4 by Shostakovich. It was so underwhelming; perhaps it was to do with a degraded power supply after the storms? The second instance I listened to Vaughan Williams’ sinfonia Antarctica. I had not played this for some 40 years and I heard it again as if I had never listened to it before. It made me want to listen to more classical music.
I bought my Ovator s600 second hand to replace SBLs largely because they handled a range of music well - to my ears anyway. Last week I nearly regretted that decision, all be it over 10 years ago.
That is a very good point. I suppose that we put it down to ‘modern’ recording techniques and the loudness wars. From my experience, I hear much better dynamics now with my 300 series compared to my old NDX2/SN3 with the same speakers. In reality my speakers and room will be limiting the dynamic potential of my system.
I listen to a wide variety of music through Qobuz and am not consciously choosing music just for the sound but perhaps there is some bias at play.
However, my listening room is multi-purpose and therefore not possible for the necessary treatments. It follows that there is no point in me exploring very dynamic speakers.
I hope that I never hear one because I am very content with my system (classical is not my main taste in music) and would be devastated to think that I would have to make more changes! Ignorance is bliss!
Remember our ears are not constant, and changes are not infrequent, sometimes minor, sometimes more noticeable (temporary and variable, sometimes very short term, sometimes lasting days or even weeks - and nothing to do with age-related hearing loss).
Thanks @NAC72 . Found this on Qobuz and will try it in the near future. I already have one of his with the LSO and must not have rated it as much as Karajan. I am no expert though and my preferences may be based on ability to hold my attention rather than any technical aspect of the musicians/conductor/orchestra.
I think the 1957 EMI recording is with the Philharmonia in London. There’s also a DG issued recording from 22nd June 1940 with The Berlin Philharmonic.
Earlier posts mention background tube noise. Not checked the full set to see what the music is, but one of Karajan’s 1940’s Berlin recordings includes unaccredited accompaniment by the RAF.
It is just something about me - I have never bought anything second hand except for earlier cars and houses. After 60 odd years I doubt that this will change!
However, if I ever feel the need to improve on my current system and more dynamic speakers cannot ever be ruled out, I would have to go second hand. As you say that yours were worth £30k, I suspect that to get an appreciable improvement I may have to enter that sort of price bracket and to me, that would be totally unaffordable as a new purchase.
To this end, I may stop reading this thread in case I see some tempting speaker alternatives!
Istvan Kertesz might well have become one of the last century’s great conductors (he was a popular guest conductor of the LSO, and recorded all - or most of - the Dvorak symphonies with them).
Sadly, he drowned while swimming off the coast of Israel, aged in his early forties.
Interestingly, the better question might be around: Rooms for big symphonies?
Surely the scaling, particularly in the lowest frequencies, needs a very big room.
In 48 years of car ownership I have never bought a new car, and have no intention of ever doing so as I don’t consider the price premium / ownership cost worth it - I’d rather spend whatever I feel I want to spend on a better secondhand model. As for hifi, unless I were to have a substantial lottery win, spending on the most expensive but long lived components, primarily speakers but also amplification, it is the only way I can afford the kind of system I want. It shows how we are all different!
