it really, really is.

The fact that I have 2,000 albums and only 17 are in my rotating list of "extremely well mixed/mastered albums" is a tragedy. And across those 17 different albums there's only 3 or 4 different engineers involved. The pool for highly talented engineers is very small.

Now to be fair my small list is unfortunately limited by music taste. If I had a limitless taste with zero bounds it would probably be much larger.

Like I'm not going to sit down and pretend to enjoy Steely Dan just because the recording is a masterpiece.

you check s*** out on an engineer basis, if so who the best in the game by your standards.

Bob Ludwig hands down. The next best is a mile away.

Next best engineers include Ted Jensen, Joe LaPorta, Dave Kutch, Tom Coyne (RIP), Chris Gehringer, Greg Calbi, and Bernie Grundman.

Honorable mention to anyone at Sterling Sound Studios

mixing?

That was all mastering engineers.

I don't have a #1 favorite mix engineer but they include Tom Elmhirst, Steve Albini, Dre, Jimmy D, and Tom Maserati.

Tbh I don't notice as much of a level of consistency from mix engineers as I do from mastering engineers.

just the answer i was looking for. Mixing tends to be a much more complex job in my experience not to shade mastering

I feel you. While I tend to appreciate mastering engineers more, their work couldn't be done as well if their material wasn't already mixed very well.

also I gotta throw Andy Wallace into the mixing list

This a crazy stat

Master and Dynamic MW60 - MW65

I'm glad you asked

I'll start with the two that I wrote a bit about in the OP

(Original Swedish pressing)
this compilation is by far one of the best sounding albums I've heard in general, there's some amazing classical pieces on it too. Purcell's New Ground, Kabalevsky, Bach, Widor, Shostakovic

(Original German pressing)
breathtaking performances on an amazing pressing, beats out the HDTT, CD and SACDs i've heard of it.

(180g Limited Edition)
With it's cool average dynamic range of 25! the Folia sends you back to the medieval ages but sounds so fresh. It takes breaks to give you SPINE CHILLINGLY clear touches of s*** you wouldn't expect to hear.. (Spoiler!) .....speaking, laughing, a crazy jazzy intro of few seconds, a chain saw, air balloons, a pocket computer game, an intro with saxofon that reminds the „PINK PANTHER-THEME“, the intro to Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” on the sitar, a VW beetle and other strange things…

(Dutch 1st Pressing)
The best performance (bar Miles Davis') and also happen to be the best engineered. the Dynamics are so true, the quiet parts are very calm and the loud parts will throw you back. Pepe Romero really hits the nail on the nose with his performance. And take a look at the bottom left of the cover, how often do you see that on classical records! hahaa

(1981 H.S.M. LP)
The 1990 CBS Masterworks CD is also very good. Gershwin's ghost on the keys

(2012 Mercury Living Presence box set)
Yep, real CANNONs! howdy do motherfucker it's Piotr baby

(Argo ZRG654 LP)
This is thee Seasons to have

Gidon Kremer

Ight i'ma stop here, might post more later if anyones interested

Adding Ghost - Meliora to my playlist (for now)

Mixed by Andy Wallace and mastered by Brian Lucey

man I wish I was still in a private tracker to be able to download s*** like this, I had got into what.cd and was getting my ratio to god status, then the site shut down a month later smh

hate to hear it

ktt2.com/messages :ninja:

Just got the Hidizs S8 in today, this thing is so tiny but omg the sound is cleaaan

I sort of regret getting the Hidizs rebranded version instead of the Tempotec "Sonata HD Pro" seen as it's a lot cheaper though a different build and less cables included

$40
amazon.com/TempoTec-Sonata-HD-PRO-Android/dp/B084YX4MZD

$80
hidizs.net/products/hidizs-s8-hifi-decoding-amplifier

iphone support is crucial sadly

the S8 comes with the cable for iPhones, I don't think the TempoTec version does but I'm sure they can be bought separately elsewhere

AudioTechnica headphone’s >>>>

Goat for mixing music

This thread

Had a pair but they sound so boring tbh, only good for mixing tbh but I'm not a sound engineer myself

just copped with some dt 177x's

My picks for modern rap albums that are mixed well:

the thing measures extremely well audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hidizs-s8-usb-c-headphone-adapter-review.10823