The wife went to bed early tonight. So, its just me and the laptop and the music.

I've got the Sumiko Pearl riding shotgun on the Technics tonight. I've spun through the Faces Greatest Hits double album, and then I pull out something I've not spun in a while: the first Emerson Lake and Palmer album. There were a couple of near Holy Crap moments during play, but the most vivid Holy Crap moment came at the end of the 2nd side, while playing "Lucky Man."

I'm sure you've all heard this tune. However, tonight at moderate volume (can't wake the wife and kids), with Keith Emerson laying into the synthesizer towards the end of the song, the bass is shaking the room. The Technics, God bless its little well isolated, built like a brick outhouse soul, is totally unfazed by any of this bass reproduction, even though it sits about 3 inches away from the speakers. I'm truly feeling the bass notes in my toes, with my socks and slippers on no less, and it is sounding perfectly wonderful.

Got any "Holy Crap" moments that you'd like to relate?

Played a brand new Radiohead "In Rainbows" album.

Got to my favorite song so far, Nude on the first side.

Holy Crap! Full of distortion and it was unlistenable :smoke:

Pearl on the Thorens. John Klemmer "Straight from the Heart". Sat down...no sound...I know I flipped that cuing lever...just as I stood to check, the dynamic sax solo started...Holy Crap!

"Technics 1210 M5G turntable with Stanton 881S"

With that wonderful set up, I bet you have "Holy Crap" quite often :yes::yes::yes:

Rob

Got any "Holy Crap" moments that you'd like to relate?

Yeah, but it's "Holy Crap" in a different way.

A few months ago, I spent a couple hours playing a bunch of 78s. Wanting to hear something different & new, I crack open a sealed copy of Toni Childs "Union", slip the virgin vinyl onto the turntable and crank up the volume. It sounded so bad I couldn't believe it! Shrill, harsh and piercing, like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard. I suffer through side 1, thinking "that's it, this POS goes onto the reject pile". Then I noticed that my variable EQ preamp was still set to 150 turnover & 0 cut....which is great for 90 year old acoustic discs! DOH! :sigh:

BTW, "Union" is a fine album and definitely a 'keeper'. Just gotta remember the EQ settings. :D

I can't remember which LP it was on, but I nearly jumped out of my skin once, when I was listening at home, alone, and someone coughed a few feet behind my right shoulder, where a wall was. Scared stiff, I immediately swiveled my head around and saw... the wall. The speakers were more than twenty feet in front of me, but audience sound was clearly emerging behind me! I was already used to how the Infinity RS IIs put ambient sounds from the original recording (when the recordings are good) out past the side walls, below my floor, and behind the back wall. But how in the heck do they project audience sounds behind me? I still scratch my head over what physical and psycho-acoustic magic can do that. It was one of the most realistic sounds I've ever heard, too; the first time I heard it (and it repeated on subsequent listenings), I could have sworn someone was actually there. Unsettling at first, like having ghosts around, but once you get used to it, it just adds realism, especially if you close your eyes and imagine you are "there". Keep them closed for a few minutes, then it is unsettling for a second when you open the eyes and again, what you see doesn't match what you have been hearing. I think my living room (soft-plastered walls and ceiling, open doors and diffusers at reflection points) has something to do with it, though: most speakers I've been able to compare sound better in my living room than even in the tweaked-out showrooms.

I've had a bunch of "Holy Crap" moments lately, too. It's been a little while since I hauled the Infinity RS IIs out, which are my most revealing speakers, and I was getting used to very nice, but somewhat less revealing speakers like Dahlquists (Yes, the Infinities are even better imagers!) and TimeFrames. Recently got Yamaha NS-1000Ms, which are right up there in the "most revealing" category, too, though, and working through listening to my latest haul of LPs using them as the main speakers. Some of the LPs are duplicates of ones that I already have, so I've been comparing the dupes to pick the "keepers" and cull the others. I keep having "Holy Crap!" moments when I hear things in the music I thought I knew well enough, that I've never heard before. Have to love speakers that revealing, when the recordings are good!

Wanting to hear something different & new, I crack open a sealed copy of Toni Childs "Union", slip the virgin vinyl onto the turntable and crank up the volume.

Oh, man. I just had an '80's flashback. You're right, good album!

The wife went to bed early tonight. So, its just me and the laptop and the music.

I've got the Sumiko Pearl riding shotgun on the Technics tonight. I've spun through the Faces Greatest Hits double album, and then I pull out something I've not spun in a while: the first Emerson Lake and Palmer album. There were a couple of near Holy Crap moments during play, but the most vivid Holy Crap moment came at the end of the 2nd side, while playing "Lucky Man."

I'm sure you've all heard this tune. However, tonight at moderate volume (can't wake the wife and kids), with Keith Emerson laying into the synthesizer towards the end of the song, the bass is shaking the room. The Technics, God bless its little well isolated, built like a brick outhouse soul, is totally unfazed by any of this bass reproduction, even though it sits about 3 inches away from the speakers. I'm truly feeling the bass notes in my toes, with my socks and slippers on no less, and it is sounding perfectly wonderful.

Got any "Holy Crap" moments that you'd like to relate?

Yep! I know the exact moment to which you refer: when Keith switches the range on one of the oscillators from 16' to 32'. For such a small synth the MiniMoog is a helluva piece of artillery. I first "crapped my first holy" at a friend's house way back in '77. He had a 30WPC Heathkit amp feeding a pair of Speakerlab S1's. I don't recall the TT/cart he was using, but that bass note in Lucky Man just about knocked the breath out of me.

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!

:lmao:
I can just imagine that! I think your story should win some kind of prize! :thmbsp:

Wish you a speedy recovery, too!

I didn't realize that a TT was the kind of machinery I wasn't supposed to be operating while taking pain meds.

Put down that cleaning brush and step away from the table.

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!

Great story! Hope you're up and around soon.

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!

Now there is coffee all over my keyboard! HOLY CRAP!:yes:

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!


I just did this myself last week on a Brian Eno "Ambient Music" LP! Didn't know it until I flipped it over to side 2. (I had put it on 45 RPM - to clean the album side quicker). I think I liked it better at 45 RPM. :nutz:

I'll preface this with I'm just 2 weeks and a day post-op on total replacement of my right knee. I'm taking oxycontin every 12 hours and 2 oxycodone every 6 hours. A couple of days ago I was spending an hour on the CPM and ice machines listening to some jazz on my head phones. My wife put on the 2nd record and it was playing too fast. I asked her if she changed the speed to 45 to brush it and she hadn't. HOLY CRAP I had just listened to both sides of the previous all instrumental LP at 45 rpm!


Done this on 10" singles many times. (some wrong at 33 and some wrong at 45) I guess there is no "standard" for 10" discs. Some I have are 33rpm and others are 45rpm, some of these even go so far as to be totally lacking of any markings to indicate speed, and this must be "discovered" by playing them.

Lucky Man does sound considerably awesome on your stereo than over the radio.

Phoebe Snow - self-titled LP w/Poetry Man. I always thought this song was mushy pop when it first came out. I found a copy awhile back. The album is recorded very well, and the bluesy slide guitar and vocals blew me away.

Neil Diamond - Stones(LP). Another really well recorded album that surprised me.

Santana - Aquamarine. This jazzy instrumental sounds bright, but near the end the bass guitars fill in and will rattle your face.

Numerous Mono Jazz albums.

I will have to pull ELP out tonight I think! My favorite holy crap that sounds incredible is: Donald Fagen "Morph the Cat". I got the CD first and love it. Then found it on Lp. HOOOLY CRAAAPPP that sounds good. My second favorite would be Peter Gabriel Mercy Street. The entire album is excellent.

Just got home with the new springsteen LP , I have been listening to a FLAC download that I buned to Cd for a few days until I could get to the store . Got home , washed it up and slapped it on the rig , same amp , same headphones as always . side 1 starts out without bass for the first bit and then the bass kicks in . Well I never really took notice of that on the digital copy too much , but on the LP , it was a "holy crap " moment . It really made me take notice .Now on to side 2

Santana - Aquamarine. This jazzy instrumental sounds bright, but near the end the bass guitars fill in and will rattle your face.



I love the whole album - it's off Santana's "Marathon" album, right? That album and "Inner Secrets" are two of my Santana faves.

I just had one of those monents.. Listening to The Clash COmbat rock.. First off.. DAMN fine sounding LP.. great system show off,

...but the OH WOW moment came when the song Straight to Hell came on, and I relized that was the sample MIA used for thier song Paper Planes.. WELL.. if you're gonna copy someone, might as well be something good you admire..

Aside fom letting the manual turntable play throughout the night, one time after installing a new Ortofon MC20 I found my Abbyssinian cat comfortly perched on the TT lid while a record played..HOLY CAT! I had to approach him as if I werent paying attention before I carefully peeled him off so he wouldnt lurch and destroy.

Last night...


Dave Brubeck-Time Out...I hadn't played this LP in a long while, as I have the 7.5ips R2R tape, but I put my mono LP on last night and I was just blown away....

Yes-owner of a lonely Heart. I had never heard this on vinyl, and so I played it last night....WHOA it sounds amazing! Dynamics and sound quality is just great...

Aside fom letting the manual turntable play throughout the night, one time after installing a new Ortofon MC20 I found my Abbyssinian cat comfortly perched on the TT lid while a record played..HOLY CAT! I had to approach him as if I werent paying attention before I carefully peeled him off so he wouldnt lurch and destroy.

Well, ya gotta give him credit for mounting the TT gently enough to not bounce your tonearm from here to the moon... but HOLY CRAP nonetheless.:yes:

Had several 'Holy Crap' moments so far with me, the V15 RS cart is so darn good to my ears, but I think one that I had was while listening to a beat up, original copy of 'Boston'. Even though there was pops and cracks up the wazoo on it, the vividness of the music sent a chill up my spine. Hearing 'More Than A Feeling', 'Peace of Mind' and 'Foreplay/Long Time' as I've never heard them before was a 'Holy Crap' moment that repeated itself again when I first played an Epic Legacy 180 gram re-press of the same album.

Hmm...I might just try listening to my 33 1/3 RPM Metallica and Megadeth vinyl at 45 RPM to see if I like it! :nutz:

Had one of those earlier tonight...wife and child were out playing in the snow, and I had just finished installing the rear-channel speakers for our system.

I put on a Tool 10" picture disc that I picked up somewhere a long while ago (don't even remember where I got the thing) and played it for the very first time. Now, keep in mind that this is the first time I've listened to Tool on vinyl ever. Always been on CD or iPod, etc.

Holy Crap! There are bits on that record that I've never heard before, and Maynards voice comes through so good on it. Good stuff! :music:

I just played an original Decca wideband pressing of the Beethoven Piano Concerto #5 with Curzon and Knappertsbusch.

The microdynamics and transparency of the piano are absolutely incredible. The London blueback I have of the same record is not even close.

Of course, you could never get anything like that with CD.

Holy Crap I miss my record collection....then again I say holy crap when I play a survivor and wonder why in hell I ever purchased it. I guess my music tastes have changed considerably however would still like to have kept some classics....H.C.:)

and then I pull out something I've not spun in a while: the first Emerson Lake and Palmer album. There were a couple of near Holy Crap moments during play, but the most vivid Holy Crap moment came at the end of the 2nd side, while playing "Lucky Man."

Got any "Holy Crap" moments that you'd like to relate?

The ELP is definitely a "Holy Crap" moment for me as well. Especially at high volumes. But since I have to choose a different moment I'll go with the "Theme From the Boat Weirdoes" from Joe Walsh's "But Seriously Folks" (1978) Great SQ on that album. Still sealed copies floating around. Soundstage Direct has deletes of the album for sale for only $3.99 :yikes: :yes: !!!http://www.soundstagedirect.com/media/joe_walsh_but_seriously_folks.jpg

When I first heard my Sanyo turntable after I replaced my old BSR with it. I was blown right away from the sound quality!

When I first connected up my EQ to my stereo. Once again, BLOWN RIGHT AWAY!

I can't remember which LP it was on, but I nearly jumped out of my skin once, when I was listening at home, alone, and someone coughed a few feet behind my right shoulder, where a wall was. Scared stiff, I immediately swiveled my head around and saw... the wall. The speakers were more than twenty feet in front of me, but audience sound was clearly emerging behind me!

I've had this happen to me before with live classical recordings (London FFRR, Deutsche Grammophon, etc... ). I could hear a cough over there, a whisper on my other side... a cough behind me... I almost felt like yelling at the other people in my empty room to keep it down! It really was something.

Holy Crap. :thmbsp:


Philip.

I have had a few moments, but the most recent one was while listening to The London Symphony Orchestra with Pierre Monteux (on London FFRR) performing Brahms Variations on a Theme of Haydn. I was really digging the interpretation and the players when I heard a page turn. "Heh" I thought, "Good resolution!" Then a movement or two later I heard another one and realized it was the conductor flipping pages!

The performance is great, the sound is very, very good, and I like some of the agressive tempo interpretaions and contrasts between variations. (And the audible-but-barely-so page turns being left in was kind of cool, I thought.:))

Just had such a moment. Got in the mood for swing, and put on a copy of "Harry's Choice"-Harry James Orchestra. A Capitol recording, early stereo,
recording made in 1958. Good gawd, the depth of sound on this thing is scary good!! I bought this record in a larger lot of albums a while back, and don't think I've ever listened to it before. Wow!:music:

I have had a few moments, but the most recent one was while listening to The London Symphony Orchestra with Pierre Monteux (on London FFRR) performing Brahms Variations on a Theme of Haydn. I was really digging the interpretation and the players when I heard a page turn. "Heh" I thought, "Good resolution!" Then a movement or two later I heard another one and realized it was the conductor flipping pages!

The performance is great, the sound is very, very good, and I like some of the agressive tempo interpretaions and contrasts between variations. (And the audible-but-barely-so page turns being left in was kind of cool, I thought.:))

That was originally an RCA Living Stereo shaded dog, LSC-2418. Decca got the rights after the breakup of the RCA/Decca partnership in 1967. The reissue on London is an STS, not an FFRR.

It is very interesting to listen to the original RCA mastering in contrast to the Decca remastering. The RCA will have much sweeter and more articulate strings, while the London will have more solid bass and lower midrange.

If you're interested, there's also a Classic Records reissue, but that would probably come in third.

"Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II" - King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic LP

All so-called "Heavy Metal" bands owe a debt of gratitude to KC.

:thmbsp:

Last nite my buddy brought over a new 200g release of Zappa's Hot Rats which I probably haven't listened to in 30 years. The entire album was a "Holy Crap" moment. The man was a genius!:yes:

My first "Holy Crap" moment last night was a little different...

In rearranging albums "A thru Be"... I realized I actually have an original copy of "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" !! :lmao:
I have no idea what it sounds like and only vaguely remember buying it. I guess I should get past the cover and actually give it a spin. :lmao:

The second was the ending of "Aja" by Steely Dan, the album, of course, by the same name. I know Steve Gadd's work. I love Chick Corea's music and Steve has recorded with Chick on more than one occasion; but, the ending of "Aja"... ..."Holy Crap", the dude is just a groove MONSTER!!

I love the whole album - it's off Santana's "Marathon" album, right? That album and "Inner Secrets" are two of my Santana faves.

Yup... Marathon. I like Inner Secrets a lot too. I'm a long time Santana fan. If you like that one try Santana's solo effort - Blues for Salvador.

The song Bella is downright beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bJouVEzr0k

The first time I heard Tubular Bells was right after I had seen The Exorcist. I had borrowed my friend's record and I had it cranked up through headphones. I was grooving along to the instrumental, then a guy speaks near the end of the 1st movement, freaked the crap out of me.

Out in the shop the other day I spun up an old Bonnie Raitt album-Green Light .
Many songs on that album gave me a Holy Crap moment of ; That's great !
I hadn't palyed that one in Eons' . She can belt "it" out and play that slide guitar of hers !
Steve

The following is a tape moment I'm afraid, but hopefully it will catch the same essence of this thread.

Circa 1988. Had my drivers licence for under a year. Studying natural remedies with a few friends. Playing "The Wall" while driving in thick multi-lane traffic. The car had a new graffic equaliser/amp and four drivers of about 60 watts each. Then we heard a helicoptor circling around the car at the traffic lights! It was a "Holly Crap Moment"

The first time I used headphones was a moment, and there have been many more since. Tonights example would be the vocals in Pavlovs Dog "Julia". Now that sends a chill down your spine!



Lee

My "Holy Crap!" moment came the other day when I was listening to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" (Conducted by Seiji Osawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Silverstein on violin) on vinyl (Japanese import/W. German pressing). Granted it is a TELARC "Digital" recording, but damn, the clarity of the music and so on was just amazing!!! :music:

Yes-owner of a lonely Heart. I had never heard this on vinyl, and so I played it last night....WHOA it sounds amazing! Dynamics and sound quality is just great...

City of Love is another... in fact that whole album is pretty good.
---

Back to OP - First time? I was with my dad at a hi-end stereo store in the late 70's and the salesman was demo-ing the just released Fresh Aire III by Mannheim Steamroller on vinyl with a McIntosh system hooked to KHorns. He just opened it up, and the first track is called Toccata. It starts off with crisp, electronic beeps, progresses to low-frequency, literally earth-shaking synth tones, and then out of nowhere cracks the sound of really hard drum hits. I thought the sky was going to split open. Even the salesman jumped, obviously overestimating the initial volume. If you know this album, you know what I mean. Although frollicky, that first cut is a great demo for dynamic range.

The car horn on "Country Honk" off of "Let it Bleed" darn near always gets me when I'm driving.

My most recent moment came when the wife went to bed and I put on a "two-eye" copy of "Cheap Thrills" and listened to "Summertime" at low volume. Holy smokes.

Ken

1. The very first time I played the track "Jungle" on ELO's Out Of The Blue with headphones, I got the scare of my life when a backing vocal growled "Come and join us if you so desire!". I could have sworn the voice came from behind me and to my left. This was about 20 years ago.

2. I'd just aligned my Dual with a printed alignment gauge, and I spun up Heart's Dreamboat Annie. I just dropped my jaw when I started hearing glockenspiels and the actual noises of picks hitting guitar strings. I'd never, ever noticed them before.

I can only imagine what a top-shelf TT and cart must sound like!

Tom

I was listening to Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it is" on the radio and decided to haul out my vinyl copy. Wow. Just wow.

I can only imagine what a top-shelf TT and cart must sound like!

Tom

Save your pennies. If you can afford to own a car, you can afford to spend the same amount on your stereo!

At that rate, refurbing my bicycle is about right.
Tom