Returning to hi fi after 10 year absence. What would you listen to first and why?

What's your musical preference?

I you're into classical or jazz, I think ecm records has many good albums. I like them because of theire spatial character and clear recordings.

cheers

Aleg

Some music I really liked and which was well recorded. Such as Cake. Or Lucinda WIlliams World without Tears. Or some Led Zep.

+1 for something on ECM just because they're usually so well recorded. Pat Metheny, perhaps? Offramp, perhaps?

But then again...

Just play whatever you want. There's no point in playing somethign just because it's well recorded. For years I'd play Tender Blue by Everything But The Girl (from their Eden album) when I bought a new bit of stereo. These days I don't care what it is. I usually play the album I've bought most recently.  

Play some Hi-Res music of the genre you like, 24/96 or even 24/192 and treat your ears after they have been in that mp3 wilderness for a decade. 

The how is more important.

Lights down, no distractions and with plenty of time to savour things. Possibly with my better half as well as music is often shared in our house.

What? Probably King Creosote/Jon Hopkins 'Diamond Mine'.

Bruce

 I'm also recently back from the wilderness although with a uq2 and nap 100 so I have recent experience of the pleasure of revisiting albums I have known for years and hearing, for some of them, as though it was a new album.  I started off on my favourite artists because I know them best and can best judge the quality, then spent a couple of weeks on female vocalists because they sounded wonderful. At the moment I'm listening to a mix of rock music that I know well and albums I've rarely ever listened to and its this latter that is still giving me a buzz and catching me by surprise.  Whatever you listen to I hope you enjoy it

10 years.  What odd people you are.  :-)

Play what you enjoy.  That's kind of the point.

I know how you feel.  After 20 years, my Meridian gear packed up,

and I listened to iTunes off my Mac for a few years.  In 2010 I read

about the Uniti and decided I could afford it.  I had always admired

a friend's Naim setup, so was happy to get on board.  Now have 

the SUniti + 250/2.  Music is now the centre of my life and I am

grateful to Naim for producing such great products.

You have made good choices and will enjoy a whole new world

of music appreciation.  I agree with others: download a few hidef

albums in a variety of genres from Naim or Linn.  You should take 

advantage of the ND5XS  and hear what  24/96 brings to your ears.

The only thing you need to prepare for is the big smile on your face,

and at times a tugging of the heart!

California Jim

At the risk of being boring and answering the question :-)

Chris Jones - roadhouse and automobiles because it is excellent AND superbly recorded

shelby lynne - just a little lovin for the same reason

the 24 bit remaster of Lazy by Deep Purple not because it's 24 bit but because it captures the interplay of the band 

and 

Daft punk - random access memories very loud because you need to be nailed to the wall by your new system

.....and then I'd settle down to wish you were here and beethoven's seventh and wait for a couple of weeks for the system to come on tune!

I would start with Penis Envy by Crass. Systematic Death is the way to warm up any new system.

What did you think of the programme Char?

Like you, Macbags, I too have recently returned to the world of hi-fi, having opted for a SuperUniti and   NAS "combo". The quality is so good that, as many commentators have said, old albums are a joy to re-visit and re-discover. Stick something on that you think you know inside out and be prepared to hear things you've never heard before. I couldn't wait to play a selection of Steely Dan: first, Aja, then Gaucho. Third World Man was just exquisite, with the volume well cranked up.

For a more recent offering, try out Glacier by John Grant...guaranteed to give you a "hairs on the back of your neck" experience.

My only regret: I do have problems with streaming; every so often the SUniti can't connect with the NAS. Everything's hard wired and the router is Sky's latest hub model. Any ideas, anyone?

It doesn't matter. Keep the good stuff to when the system is settled down.

Indeed you'll most likely be disappointed on first listen and think you have mad a desperate mistake. 

Certainly have it playing for a least 2 hours in the background before you start any serious listening. 

Expect a a few ups and downs for at least a week, then get out

1. Zuma, Neil Young, Cortez the killer
2. The Beatles, blue album, Strawberry Fields
3. Led Zep IV rock n roll
4. The Police, Walking on the Moon
5. The Pixies, wave of mutilation from Doolittle
6. Adele, rumour has it
7. David Bowie, Sound and Vision, Low. 

Or maybe your your own favourites?

SJB

I would play Ry Cooder's soundtrack to "The Border" first, John Hiatt's "Bring the Family", and then James Hunter  "People Gonna Talk" and "The Hard Way".  Then Alison Kraus and Union Station "Live", and Mary Gauthier "Mercy Now".  These are among the best demo albums I know, particularly for a Naim system.  Too bad you don't have vinyl.   There are some phenomenal demo 45's out these days.

I agree that you should play what you enjoy. For me it would be the first album by 'Hatfield and the North'. it's not the greatest album ever released but it has very special memories and has been a reference disc throughout my audio upgrades.

Whatever you choose, have fun!

Thank you all for responding.  Some interesting comments and a lot of suggestions that I'm not familiar with but will look into with interest.

Even from my recent demo's I recognise  there's a huge amount to be eeked out of my old favourites and I suspect my wife will have to get re aquatinted with John Martyn ( Glasgow Walker album in particular) Neil Young ( harvest moon was a revelation at a recent demo) amongst.

keep the suggestions coming!

If you like John Martyn then 'Heaven and Earth' is a wonderful album superbly engineered.

G

Thanks Graeme,  you've reminded me as that's the posthumous album and the only JM I don't have.....all the others are hiding away in boxes in the loft waiting to get re-ripped as flac.

Its  gonna take forever to re-rip all my cd's ....chances are only 20% will ever get listened to!

How do you know when to stop.  My wife got me ripping Stephen TinTin bloody Duffy the other night.....thankfully I have an excuse not to play it until the ND5 arrives!  

The beauty of a ripped library at your fingertips will have you listening to far more of your collection in my (and others) experience I'd wager.

STTD (sounds like an undesirable and embarrassing infection) might even get an airing!

G