[jamato8]

I like well recorded music. I have friends who could care less if it is mono or recorded on a cassette if it represents a period they like. For me, I find that difficult and enjoy good music and well recorded sound to bring out the best with the dap I am using. So while this is a portable source gear forum, I would like to know what you think is the music that brings out the best or worst of your portable source gear. 
 
One of my favorites is Neil Young's, 92 live album. It gives me the hall sound of a live recording and the realism I like but it requires that the dap be able to deliver this and the better the source gear, the better this album gets, IMO. I also enjoy a few cuts of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. There are others but those are two I enjoy. 
 
And hi resolution or cd rips?

 

[H20Fidelity]

A lot of....
 
Alison Krauss (especially the Essential Alison Krauss Album)
Andrea Bocelli (especially the Sogno Album)
Diana Krall (especially the live in Paris Album)
Norah Jones (especially Come Away with Me Album)
Maria Mena (especially the Cause and Effect Album)
 
I'm a bit of of vocals freak, so I spend much time focusing on vocal detail, tone, weight, extension trying to extract that perfect balance (and obviously) as much detail possible. Some Andrea Bocelli tracks can give me instant goosebumps with the right gear.

 

[jamato8]

  A lot of....
 
Alison Krauss (especially the Essential Alison Krauss Album)
Andrea Bocelli (especially the Sogno Album)
Diana Krall (especially the live in Paris Album)
Norah Jones (especially Come Away with Me Album)
Maria Mena (especially the Cause and Effect Album)
 
I'm a bit of of vocals freak, so I spend much time focusing on vocal detail, tone, weight, extension trying to extract that perfect balance (and obviously) as much detail possible. Some Andrea Bocelli tracks can give me instant goosebumps with the right gear.

Did you buy this in hi rez or is a cd rip?

 

[H20Fidelity]

Did you buy this in hi rez or is a cd rip?

16/44 FLAC (each one)

I don't venture any higher, and definitely not any lower.

The OP question is all relative to the IEM being used for each album. Andrea Bocelli sounds best with my ER4S, Norah Jones with something a little warmer, thicker and the source is the same story.

That's the secret in my opinion, pairing the IEM with the genre (and to some extent the DAP and especially DAP / IEM synergy)

 

[FFBookman]

RHCP's Blood Sugar Sex Magic is good at 24/96.  More life, more funk, more layers than the CD.
 
The Cars self-titled at 24/44 sounds as good as vinyl.  Big dynamics, big 80's analog production, big analog synths, great stuff.
 
Stevie Wonder's Fullfingness First Finale and Innervisions both sound pretty good at 16/44. I am waiting for 24bit versions of that stuff.
 
If you have a really good DAP, 16/44 FLAC will sound far better than a CD player or a laptop. I have a PonoPlayer and that's my experience.  If you get 24bit versions, it really sounds like you are in the recording studio. I've been in lots of recording sessions, trust me, 24bit is the sound of the studio.

 

[jamato8]

Just got from HDtracks:
 
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek. too warm for me and lacks imaging, layering or transparency  24/96
Diana Krall: Wall Flower, good vocals, fairly transparent lacks some detail and again, realistic layering.  24/44
 
Listening again with some different headphones. The Diana Krall album sounds better. Still no real layering or depth. Nice sound and enjoyable but lacking in a feeling of realism due to no real separation of the sound, like it is over processed. Tony Bennett and Lady G., is a little bit better on some cuts. 

 

[jamato8]

I have been ripping some of my over 3000 CD's and I find that I prefer my own rips to those I buy on line that are even in higher bit and sampling rate. I don't know that the online stuff is really high resolution and when I rip my own, I hear more acoustical space, better dynamics and contrasts within the music. And, I already bought the music. 

 

[Rearwing]

Relayer by Yes, it is an album that I have always had to listen carefully to, in order to appreciate it; and because of that, it has become my reference piece.

 

[proedros]

  Just got from HDtracks:
 

 
after i discovered the vinyl-rip thing , i am a happy man - and the money stays in my pocket
 
vinyl rips > HD tracks (and i only use 16/44 FLAC files , due to limited space)

on topic, most albums recorded after 2000 tend to sound like **** - way too loud , low dynamic range , overcompressed aand brickwalled to death
 
thankfully i mostly listen to music made between 1967-1998 so all is well (and i can find vinyl rips for most of these albums that put all those hd tracks sites to shame)

some albums with great SQ , off the top of my head
 
 
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Steely Dan - Aja
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Dead Can Dance - Spiritchaser
Fleetwood Mac -Mirage
Bryan Ferry - Boys And Girls
 
great albums from start to finish , great production , great sound (all hail the vinyl rippers out there)

 

[KT66]

The same test records I use for amp and speaker evaluation

Muddy Waters MFSL cd and lp

Time Out classic records 45 rpm (needledrop)

XTC Skylarking MFSL Cd

Mofi cds sound better than hi rez to me

 

[Conext]

   
The Cars self-titled at 24/44 sounds as good as vinyl.  Big dynamics, big 80's analog production, big analog synths, great stuff.

Well I'll be...
 
A while ago, I had the opportunity to digitize all the old LPs that my folks had lying around. The Cars was one of them. I hadn't bothered listening to it yet, but your description intrigued me.
 
Yeah, you're right. This album does have a great sound to it. It's always nice to find something with an interesting sound and a good dynamic range.