CLASSICAL

Edward Elgar

Cello Concerto in E minor (op 85). 28 minutes

Now a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire.
Written in 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War, it's the last major work by the composer.
"While the instrumental forces remain basically equivalent to those used in the Violin Concerto, Elgar has amplified the tender, searching intimacy of that earlier work to such a degree that one might call the Cello Concerto not just introspective but searing and almost ascetic. It is an exceedingly complex but immediately touching work that makes a fitting epilogue to Elgar's lifetime in music."

JAZZ

Miles Davis | John Coltrane

Kind of Blue. Side 1. 24 minutes

"You know I don't like the word jazz, right?" Miles Davis.
"Kind of Blue is an album by trumpeter Miles Davis recorded on 3-track tape in 2 sessions in New York and released in 1959. Its influence on music, including jazz, rock, and classical genres, has led writers to also deem it one of the most influential albums ever recorded. It's based entirely on modality (musical modes rather than chord progressions as a harmonic framework) and is a very approachable record even for non-jazz fans."

System Playing

DIGITAL

Streamed DSF files (SACD)

Support Rack
Quadraspire
X REFERENCE Equipment Support Racks
Cables
The Chord Company
ChordMusic
Source
Aurender
W20 Reference Music Server
dCS VIVALDI Digital Playback system
Vivaldi 2.0 DAC
Vivaldi 2.0 Upsampler
Vivaldi 2.0 Clock
Amplifier
T+A
Pre-amp P3000HV
Power Amp A3000HV
Power Supply PS3000HV
Speakers
KEF
Blade

Prize Draw

1st Prize

Chord Epic Reference speaker cable 3 metre pair
Value £900

2nd Prize

Entreq Garbo feet
Value £170

3rd Prize

Quadraspire Soundstage
Isolation Platform
Value £100

ROCK(ish!)

David Bowie

Blackstar

David Bowie’s swan song, recorded in secret and released on his 69th birthday - just 2 days before his death.
An instant No1 in the USA and UK plus in 22 other countries. Even Amazon sold out and within a week of his death Bowie had 12 albums in the UK Top 40!
“Singular in its unique sound & vibe, it is majestic music spun from daydreams and made for gliding in and out of life.”

System Playing

DIGITAL

Standard CD

Source
Chord Electronics
Blu MK.2 CD Transport
DAVE Reference DAC
Amplifier
Chord Electronics
Pre-amp CPA5000
Mono Power Amps 2 x SPM6000
Speakers
Wilson Audio
Sasha Series-2
Support Rack
Quadraspire
X REFERENCE
Cables
The Chord Company
ChordMusic

Prize Draw

1st Prize

Chord
2Qute DAC
Value £995

2nd Prize

Astell & Kern Junior Personal Music Player
Value £399

3rd Prize

Quadraspire Soundstage
Value £100

POP(ish!)

The Beatles

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

2017 Giles Martin Stereo Re-mix/Re-master

It’s all beautifully done, as you might expect from Beatles’ label Apple Corps.
Giles Martin’s remix is a vast improvement on the old stereo version – more muscular, bigger soundstage, clearer and with a better balance of drums & bass. Ringo Starr's drums are so much more present, Paul McCartney's incredible bass playing is positively vivid. George Harrison and John Lennon's guitars are likewise more alive. Vocals are clearer than ever. Even the original mono mix, personally supervised by the Beatles (unlike the original stereo) seems lacking in comparison.

System Playing

ANALOGUE

Vinyl LP

Source
Pro-Ject
Signature 12 Turntable with 12inch Unipivot Tonearm Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti
Ortofon ST-80se step-up transformer
Amplifier
Phono Stage: Unison Research. Phono One
Pre-amp: Audio Research. REF 6
Active Speakers (integrated Power Amps)
ATC SCM100A
Support Rack
Quadraspire
X REFERENCE
Cables
The Chord Company
TheMusic

Prize Draw

1st Prize

ATC SCM 7 speakers
Value £820

2nd Prize

Ortofon DS2 stylus gauge
Value £200

3rd Prize

Quadraspire Soundstage
Value £100