Audiophile vinyl is great when you discover it. I've been seeking out the various Record Companies, Recording and Mastering Engineers and even pressing plants for a comprehensive list to pick selections from. Even after several yrs of searching and discussions the list is growing. The hidden gems are discovering stuff that had no mass market release much less reviewed yet the recordings are crystal clear and engaging as well as being obscure.
There are allot of fine suggestions already mentioned in this thread and don't know if I'm repeating anything here but a brief sampling to start would be any 1/2 speed mastered LP's, by Audiophile & MoFi , Analogue Productions, Classic Records(Blue Note), Verve, Columbia 6 Eye, Decca to recent Japanese pressing from Universal and Fontana. Engineers like Rudy Van Gelder, Alan Parsons, and Brian Eno. Mastering by Steve Hoffman, Stan Richter or houses like RTI & Kundun stamped in the inner groove. I may post a list eventually, but perhaps some Supremeus will beat me to it and actually be more comprehensive. BTW, in general many 45's can sound better than their 33.3 counterpart, but that's a whole other can of worms, even 7" & 10" vs 12".
Another point of clarification. 180gm doesn't necessarily mean quality, it has to be HQ Virgin Vinyl. 200gm is usually pretty good. The finer point is that many reissues today by Compact Jazz Series, Scorpio and a few others have done a real lousy job of 180gm pressings, many are warped/cupped, have surface rubs and dimples from being pulled from the press too soon before cooling and also remastered like crap.
Additionally, colored vinyl doesn't necessarily mean audiophile either, a marketing gimmick, and picture discs are worth a couple of good plays but really for collectors.
Finally, vinyl is making a comback, people are paying attention and as a result there has been allot more attention given to the audiophile w/ NEW vinyl releases. So while the market may seem small the SQ has gone up since the 80's when vinyl saw it's demise.
Good Luck, S.L.
P.S. You like White Stripes? Then you're cheating yourself by not buying the vinyl version of "Icky Thump". For only having about 45db of dynamic range, this vinyl will remind you just how impacting it can really be. Note: not many moderate TT systems can fully reproduce Tchaikovsky's 1812 cannons so don't fret if you hear something lacking, it's just an indication that it's that time again to UPGRADE. Likewise, "Icky" will challenge your system too, but with joyful bubbles.
