Promise not to laugh....
I hate to admit it, but to test my system, I put on the Best of Enya.
These are some of the most amazingly produced recordings on the planet! The first thing I always notice is the deepest bass that I ever heard.....and it's crystal clear (that is if your system can handle it). It goes lower than 20 Hz! Turn up the volume, and you'll feel it in your chest. I love that! Also, there's like 200 overdubs on each track...each one is panned a little differently, so imaging is otherworldly as well.
It's actually three tests in one....bass, imaging and distortion.
I hate to admit it, but to test my system, I put on the Best of Enya.
These are some of the most amazingly produced recordings on the planet! The first thing I always notice is the deepest bass that I ever heard.....and it's crystal clear (that is if your system can handle it). It goes lower than 20 Hz! Turn up the volume, and you'll feel it in your chest. I love that! Also, there's like 200 overdubs on each track...each one is panned a little differently, so imaging is otherworldly as well.
It's actually three tests in one....bass, imaging and distortion.
Built a new amp .. attached it to new planar speakers. ... Listened to the usual suspects, then discovered an old copy of Muddy Waters "Folksinger" on DVD-Audio disc. ... Now Thats a great test song / album. 24bit 96K stereo and a benchmark conversion / remastering of a very good studio recording ... A very young Buddy Guy as rhythm guitar = he was very good even then. 
The best music to use is stuff you really know.
take 5 (d Brubeck )- great stage and air, could have been recorded with 1 stereo mic, feels like your in the room with them
Afraid of Americans (the version By Nine inch nails with Bowie)- great low end (like most of Reznors stuff)
Take to the Sky (Tori Amos)- Great piano and vocal sound and pop with dynamics
Take California ( Porpeller heads)- Punchy dance music, great production
Any movie Randy Thom has won an acadamy award for (theres a lot) My personal favorite is The Incredibles (and the movie is alot of fun,not just for kids)
The transformers movie- lots of stuff blowin up and great vehicle sounds (the camero rattles windows)
Saving Prvate Ryan- the best real war sounds ever movie
Star wars (the first new one)- the pod race rattles neighbours windows and uses your surrounds like no other (they mixed this 20 min race for 3 Months, and you can tell) No music for 10 mins lets the sound FX take centre stage.
Could go on and on!
take 5 (d Brubeck )- great stage and air, could have been recorded with 1 stereo mic, feels like your in the room with them
Afraid of Americans (the version By Nine inch nails with Bowie)- great low end (like most of Reznors stuff)
Take to the Sky (Tori Amos)- Great piano and vocal sound and pop with dynamics
Take California ( Porpeller heads)- Punchy dance music, great production
Any movie Randy Thom has won an acadamy award for (theres a lot) My personal favorite is The Incredibles (and the movie is alot of fun,not just for kids)
The transformers movie- lots of stuff blowin up and great vehicle sounds (the camero rattles windows)
Saving Prvate Ryan- the best real war sounds ever movie
Star wars (the first new one)- the pod race rattles neighbours windows and uses your surrounds like no other (they mixed this 20 min race for 3 Months, and you can tell) No music for 10 mins lets the sound FX take centre stage.
Could go on and on!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
(I love the syths/bass)
BT - Satellite
(test for depth and clarity)
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity & Canned Heat
Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train
(specifically this remix: http://www.aeap.se/music/tangerine.mp3)
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Radiohead - Everything is in it's Right Place
Amorphous Androgynous - The World is Full of Plankton
(this is hard to find, but is amazing)
En Vogue - Free Your Mind
-I love early 90's R&B and pop & stuff.. it seems like that is when CD mastering came into it's own and there's a lot of "Pure Sound" on albums from that time period - like En Vogue's albums.
(I love the syths/bass)
BT - Satellite
(test for depth and clarity)
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity & Canned Heat
Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train
(specifically this remix: http://www.aeap.se/music/tangerine.mp3)
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Radiohead - Everything is in it's Right Place
Amorphous Androgynous - The World is Full of Plankton
(this is hard to find, but is amazing)
En Vogue - Free Your Mind
-I love early 90's R&B and pop & stuff.. it seems like that is when CD mastering came into it's own and there's a lot of "Pure Sound" on albums from that time period - like En Vogue's albums.
I took a friend of mine to daddy's junky music because he wanted some decent speakers,
he was considering buying a pair of large JBL speakers but didn't like any of the Cd's they had there for a demo, so he went next door to the music store and bought Edgar Winter's Frankenstien,
I thought he was nut's, but I have to say it was an excellent choice, and yes the JBL's handled it nicely..
he was considering buying a pair of large JBL speakers but didn't like any of the Cd's they had there for a demo, so he went next door to the music store and bought Edgar Winter's Frankenstien,
I thought he was nut's, but I have to say it was an excellent choice, and yes the JBL's handled it nicely..
there are few CDs I usually carry with me, which have a solid variety and quality :
- DALI sampler CD
- VERVE Jazz Next Generation Vol.2
- CHESKY Jazz Sampler Vol.1
- PHILIPS Pure Perfect Sound of Compact Disc - 2
..and if you're looking for most neutral and natural recordings
- OPUS 3 Test CD 5
- DALI sampler CD
- VERVE Jazz Next Generation Vol.2
- CHESKY Jazz Sampler Vol.1
- PHILIPS Pure Perfect Sound of Compact Disc - 2
..and if you're looking for most neutral and natural recordings
- OPUS 3 Test CD 5
Andy Mckee- Heather's Song or Into the Ocean (both played on harp guitar)
Coldplay-Don't Panic from Parachutes(still their best album)
Damien Rice- Delicate(drivers w/low sensitivity will struggle here)
Dave Matthews live @ RR- #36 (mainly just for Carter's intro)
Eva Cassidy- Ain't no Sunshine (killer female vocal)
Feist- So Sorry (another good vocal)
Hooverphonic-Inhaler( really covers a wide frequency range)
Zeppelin-Moby Dick(for drums obviously)
Massive Attack-Angel (great bass line)
Norah Jones-Sunrise( one of the best female vocals in my collection)
Portishead-It Could Be Sweet( covers just about every area of the sound spectrum)
Radiohead- Subterranian Homesick Alien (good test for midrange)
Sarah Mclachlan-Elsewhere (yet another great female vocal)
Tool-Reflection( for Danny Carey's drums)
This is my current test disk in it's entirity.
Coldplay-Don't Panic from Parachutes(still their best album)
Damien Rice- Delicate(drivers w/low sensitivity will struggle here)
Dave Matthews live @ RR- #36 (mainly just for Carter's intro)
Eva Cassidy- Ain't no Sunshine (killer female vocal)
Feist- So Sorry (another good vocal)
Hooverphonic-Inhaler( really covers a wide frequency range)
Zeppelin-Moby Dick(for drums obviously)
Massive Attack-Angel (great bass line)
Norah Jones-Sunrise( one of the best female vocals in my collection)
Portishead-It Could Be Sweet( covers just about every area of the sound spectrum)
Radiohead- Subterranian Homesick Alien (good test for midrange)
Sarah Mclachlan-Elsewhere (yet another great female vocal)
Tool-Reflection( for Danny Carey's drums)
This is my current test disk in it's entirity.