So I've had my Axioms since February and they are all I had hoped they would be. I've really started noticing the difference between well recorded or produced movies and ones where they didn't put in too much effort.

So tonight, I put a CD in for the first time. My favorite disc from my favorite band... imagine my dissapointment when I found out that they are in the latter camp. Where is the range? The clarity? Why does everything sound muddy? Noooooooooooo!

I got 3 tracks in and I couldn't even listen to it anymore. So I took it out and put in some Colin James and later, Dire Straits. Ahhhh... much better.

So how many other Axiom owners have had a favorite bad of theirs dashed on Audiophile rocks? Mine was "A Perfect Circle: The Thirteenth Step"

Sadly
snazzed

Well. . .we take those CDs out to the car and listen to them while driving to work.

I was a little disappointed with Neil Young's "Live Rust", it doesn't quite have the clarity of some of the other acoustic cd's I have from the likes of James Taylor or Bruce Cockburn which is too bad as imo, "Live Rust" is a classic live album.

Yep.
That's where all my U2 CDs ended up.
The good thing about having an accurate sound system is that I find myself listening to genre I would not have listened to in the past.
Anymore, it's not about the genre so much as it is finding well recorded material and enjoying it.

Since being Axiomized, I buy only re-masters of my favorite older cd's. For sure, the differences in program material can be astounding. On the other hand, I've found some pretty cool stuff going on in music I haven't dragged out in a long, long time.

I'm rarely disappointed in new recordings, remembering, that with all of the studio technology, they must have wanted it to sound like that or it wouldn't have made it to the final master.

All things cool are not created equal. 1/2 the fun is the search for things on the frostier side of cool.

I don't think live rust was meant to be clear was it? One of my favourites by the way.

For me it was Yes. This is a band that produced complex music with layered sound, so you would think that they would pay attention to clarity so you can actually hear what they meant you to. Its not badly recorded, just sounds veiled. On the other hand, Clapton unplugged is a shear joy, as are The jazz CDs I own.

I really wish ELO's recordings sounded better. I'm not sure if it's mainly the remastering that makes them sound like crap or not.

I'm with you on U-2. With their budget, it is a pity to not have better sound quality in their albums.

The funny thing for me is, some of my U2 CDs sound fantastic in my car. Big bass that I don't get in the HT setup, even with my EP500. Must be mastered toward car systems or lower grade home systems.

I remember with John Cougar Mellencamp's Scarecrow, he talked of how it was recorded/mixed/mastered with an eye towards the kind of sound system in an American pick-up truck, as it was felt that that was where a lot of people were going to be listening to it, mostly on cassette. When the remastered version came out later, they aimed more at the home listener with better equipment. I've got both masterings - it's a great CD - and I've been meaning to A/B them to check out his claim.

I have not listened to Scarecrow in years! Maybe I had it on cassette which is why I can no longer find it.