While I encourage all recordings, regardless of sound quality or resolution to be released as SACD/CD hybrids, I live in the real world in which not all recordings are equal in the sonic realm. Just having an SACD logo does not guarantee either high resolution or excellent sound quality.
These are average ratings as many recording companies will have SACDs in one or more of these categories.
Cream of the Crop (Highest recommendation)
This recording company produces SACDs that take full advantage of the SACD format from the deepest bass to the highest treble with a realism I have only experienced in an excellent concert hall.
- Telarc (especially their DSD recorded SACDs)
Highly Recommended
The "highly recommended" recording companies on this list, will reveal most of the aural and sonic capabilities of the SACD format and help any newcomer with a window into the musical enjoyment possible with this wonderful format.
- Audioquest Music
- BSO Classics
- Chandos
- Channel Classics
- Channel of China
- Cisco Music
- Cryston
- DMP
- Exton
- Fidelio
- First Impression Music
- Fonè
- Groove Note
- Hyperion
- Opus 3
- PentaTone Classics
- Philips Electronics
- Red Rose Music
- Reference Recordings
- Rounder
Recommended
The "recommended" recording companies on this list, are just a shade lower in resolution and sonic abilities and will reveal many of the aural and sonic capabilities of the SACD format.
- Alia Vox
- Alpha
- Analogue Productions
- Archiv Produktion
- Artegra
- Arts Music
- ATMA Classique
- Audio Fidelity
- Audio-B
- Audite
- Barsukk
- CCn'C
- Chesky
- Delos
- Farao Classics
- Harmonia Mundi
- Heads Up
- Herbie Mann Music
- Hungaroton
- MA Recordings
- Market Square
- Mercury Living Presence
- Mercury/Polydor
- Mobile Fidelity
- Musicaphon
- Philips Classics
- Sketti Sandwich Productions
- Songlines
- Sonoma Records
- Tacet
- Talent Records
- Top Music International
- Turtle Records
- Valley
- Vanguard Classics
- Varese Sarabande
Recommended with reservations
The "recommended with reservations" recording companies on this list, many of which still reveal the resolution and sonic abilities of the SACD format are not sonically perfect in my opinion. These are sometimes enjoyable recordings but not close to realm of possibilities of the format, thus would not be worthy to judge the format by and would not be ideal starting points for newcomers to the format.
- 2L
- A&M Records
- A-Records
- ABKCO
- Alba Records
- BIS DSD recordings
- Blue Note
- BMG (Hong Kong)
- Bona Nova
- Brilliant Classics
- Capitol
- Capriccio
- Caro Mitis
- Challenge Jazz
- Chess
- Clarion
- Columbia
- Concord Records
- Coviello Classics
- CPO
- Cybele
- Decca Classics
- DHM
- Dutton
- EMI
- Epic
- Fantasy
- Geffen
- GRP
- Hannibal
- Harvest
- HighNote Records
- Island
- Jive
- JSP Records
- Koch Records
- Linn Records
- Lost Highway
- Lyrinx
- Mariinsky
- MCA
- MDG
- Melba Recordings
- New Classical Adventure
- New West Records
- Non Profit Music
- NorthWest Classics
- Oehms Classics
- Ondine
- OUR Recordings
- RCA
- RCA Living Stereo
- Red Ink
- San Francisco Symphony
- Simax Classics
- Six Degrees
- Sony BMG
- Sony Classical
- Steamhammer
- Sugar Hill Records
- Tudor
- Universal SHM-SACDs
- Velvel Records
- Vertigo
- Verve
- Virgin
- Vocalion
- Zoe
- ZoomTone
- ZTT
Sometimes recommended with reservations
The "sometimes recommended with reservations" recording companies on this list, very from atrocious sounding to sometimes nearing greatness. These are very uneven recordings which vary greatly from title to title.
The "sometimes recommended with reservations" recording companies on this list, very from atrocious sounding to sometimes nearing greatness. These are very uneven recordings which vary greatly from title to title.
- BIS PCM recordings
- Deutsche Grammophon
- Naxos
- Universal (Japan)
- Universal Records
- WaterLily Acoustics
The recording companies on this list, while having more resolution than the best audiophile CDs on the whole do not easily reveal the sonic capabilities of the SACD format. Indeed even the most atrocious sounding ones still sound like high resolution, just awful sounding high resolution. For some poorly made recordings lower resolution may indeed sound better as it will mask many of their problems. So if you have no trouble with the sonic color and sound of 44.1kHz PCM and CD then you may actually enjoy some of the SACDs on this list, just do expect them to take you to the level of refinement SACD is able to deliver when used to at least minimal effect.
- Albany
- Blue Coast Records
- Cala Records
- Hip-O
- Interscope
- Membran
I thought your favorite classical SACD was a title from Vanguard... but Vanguard is only in category 2. Most of the Telarc SACDs were newly recorded on DSD, while MFSL did only the mastering, like many other labels. And I heard a few Telarcs... which I wouldn't chose into category 1.
ReplyDeleteI think the list is not very helpful....
Yes, two of my favorite SACDs are indeed analog recordings from Vanguard: Virgil Thomson's "The River/The Plow That Broke the Plains" and Morton Gould's "Latin American Symphonette". As great as analog is, it does not have the ultimate resolution of a PURE DSD recorded SACD, especially one from Telarc. Also the rating of recording companies is based on each company's total output, not just one or two titles as I have said most record companies have recordings that fall in more than one category.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised to see how low you rate Lyrinx. These are wonderful DSD recordings with valve preamps. Unfortunately these french SACD's are hard to find outside France (even in France!). A friend brought me recently one I was after: Albeniz's Iberia (H.Billaut). This is the best piano recording I've ever heard of any label (Channel included).
ReplyDeleteLikewise you do, I rate Telarc within Top league. I just think you have severely underated Lyrinx - is it the valve preamp you dislike?
As I said these are average ratings, individual SACDs from the same companies could be rated higher or lower. "Recommended with reservations" is not a low recommendation as they are still recommended. I do love tubes indeed my preamp is tubed. However I only tried one Lyrinx SACD "Beethoven: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 and 3 - Jean-Claude Pennetier (piano) Serge Baudo, Orchestre Philharmonic de Monte-Carlo" and was not very impressed with it sonically, though it does sound considerably better than a CD. What got it knocked down to Recommended with Reservations was the lack of deep bass. You are correct Lyrinx SACDs are hard to find, perhaps this was not one of their more successful ones?
ReplyDelete