If you could only choose one...

I love music based on sonic textures, silence and mysterious narratives. Don't care much for melody or rhythm. Unfortunately this doesn't go down well with guests, so if I had to show off the kit I would go for:

Michel Wintsch, Banz Oester, Gerry Hemingway - Less is More (Clean Feed)

Wintsch is one of the more interesting, wittiest piano jazzers around today. Lots of extended techniques bring out some amazing textures. closed mic recording makes you feel this trio is playing inside your head CD-44/16. 

OR, 

John Taylor, Marc Johnson, Joey Byron - Rosslyn (ECM)

Relatively ordinary piano trio material, but the recording is absolutely sublime. Makes all arguments for hires, vinyl, etc. void. CD-44/16.

Diva - Annie Lennox

London Grammar - If You Wait

Up - Peter Gabriel (200g vinyl)

Annie Lennox for the clarity of the recording, most people likely to hear my system are probably my friends who are mostly my age group and will know Annie's work but will possibly have never heard it sound so good.

London Grammar - superbly recorded with the most fabulous vocals - tremendously well produced! (Most enjoyable too)

Peter Gabriel because it's one of the best recorded and dynamic pieces of vinyl I have ever had the joy to hear.

A good bit of vinyl always gets the listener's attention because they can't believe it's vinyl ;-)

We don't show off the system. Outside this forum and Audience Bath, I can't remember the last time I had occasion to mention it, although I do have a lot of discussions with people about music and concerts. We've had three people sat on the sofa in the last ten years to listen to our system. One was a chap who wanted to buy my Audio Innovations amp, Jason from Naim, who with Ian from Audience Bath had spent a morning rebuilding our system from the floor up, relocating the HDX off rack and soldering on speaker connectors, and a friend who wanted to hear something he liked in 24Bit. On all three occasions I asked them to chose. There's little more irritating than being made to sit and listen to something I'm not interested in or don't like, accompanied by a description of why it sounds so good. I don't use dealers like that anymore. A good system, matched to the room will get out of the way no matter what is slung through it.

Harry, you've not really taken on board the question fully, I've previously explained that it's not about showing off but when people are genuinely interested in listening to your system then what music do you like to put on.

stimmy

I know I haven't fully entered into the spirit of your OP and I mean you no irritation. To condense it, my answer is "anything" and if it's more a case of what's my favourite album the answer is "it varies". If I had to sit in a room for a week with one album to play that I have truly rediscovered since having the capability of getting and playing it at 24/96, it would be 2112. The week after it will likely be something different. I'm now off to listen to a 24Bit version of Yesshows I downloaded this morning. This might render my above choice moot.

Happy days.

Doug, It's Joy Division's debut album, Unknown Pleasures.

No worries Harry, I must admit I've not really heard much by Rush but Im always open minded and willing to give new things a try, I really must get into 24 bit music to appreciate that extra quality

Not that I'd accuse some good 16Bit stuff as being inferior - there's a lot more worms in the can - but 2112 and a couple of years back, Moving Pictures in 24Bit were brand new introductions for some of us, despite knowing them so well.

Never really got into showcasing my meager system but if I did I would play music familiar to the person I am trying to impress, to give him a perspective to judge from.

Interesting choice and comment. Diva is my personal example of a common phenomenon referred to in Naim-like contexts - it's an album that I have fond memories of, had a cassette copy of it years ago but always had to consciously listen 'past the sound' to the songs. It always sounded terribly dull and muffled no matter what I played it on. Re-bought it on CD recently, listened to in car and still didn't get on with the sound despite still enjoying the music. Finally got round to putting it on my system recently, and listened in amazement - for the first time ever, it sounded right. I didn't have to listen past the sound any more, but could properly relax and enjoy the music - for the first time in twenty years! A wonderful experience, and a prime example of why a decent system can be seen as worth the money, perhaps.

Mark

Mark,

Perhaps I have always had a suitably "good" system to enjoy Diva from when I first bought it.

I remember hearing the singles on the radio  and thought they were "great". 

I then one day went for a demo of something (I can't remember what) and my dealer pulled out "Diva".

I bought a copy of the CD on my way home and it has never failed to bring a smile to my face!

Even on a CD3/Nait3/Royd The Minstrels set-up, it oozes quality, PRaT, dynamics etc. the bass goes super low, the treble is sweet and even without that, the songs are superb!!

I've never heard it sound "dull" to be honest!

Pleased to hear you now enjoy the music 

The 2 Bears

John Grant - Pale Green Gohsts