So, you have purchased you £40,000 system and...

[crmcatee]

Strange one here but when testing new bits for mine I always play this..

George Michael - Move On.

This Youtube does nothing apart show what crap quality the audio recording of the track this one is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntoi6bAz8Jc

The whole thing is very very tight and the bass when it kicks is in lovely and a touch of sax..

[Mr_Yogi]

crmcatee said:

Strange one here but when testing new bits for mine I always play this..

George Michael - Move On.

This Youtube does nothing apart show what crap quality the audio recording of the track this one is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntoi6bAz8Jc

The whole thing is very very tight and the bass when it kicks is in lovely and a touch of sax..

Can't see the youtube clip now, but is that the track with the audience/ diner party chatter at the start, form Older?

If so, it is a great recording, and not a bad track either

[brickwall]

WhoseGeneration said:

This, classical, organ, orchestra, voice and piano.

For me preferably using original instruments.

Recordings that are not compressed too much where engineers have tried to provide the maximum dynamic range possible within the limits of the medium.

A good recording of Tocatta from the 5th symphony by Widor is always a good place to start. The mixtures and 2' reeds in the right hand arpeggios testing top-end clarity while the pedals getting the bass going. If you can't hear the 32' pedal stops the stereo ain't good enough.

I prefer Simon Preston at the Abbey (old recording, but still great clarity), though for ambiance Stephen Cleobury at King's is wonderful.

For orchestral and choral stuff I try the 1977 Phillip Ledger recording of I Was Glad, or the final movements of Rattle's recording of Mahler 8.

[crmcatee]

Mr_Yogi said:

Can't see the youtube clip now, but is that the track with the audience/ diner party chatter at the start, form Older?

If so, it is a great recording, and not a bad track either

Thats the one.

[dudleybloke]

leo anibaldi - bassbar.

[CRACKIE]

Very hard to nail down one track but

The Cure ~ If only tonight we could sleep.

backups
Joe Jackson ~ Its different for girls.
Sade ~ You're not the man.
Roxy Music ~ Stronger through the years.
Robin S ~ Luv 4 Luv.

[Some Gump]

john metcalfe - 95 (track 1 of the inner line). Awesomeness.

[Great Dane]

I have two I play one for testing the quality Ry Cooder- Little Sister and since this was the first track I played on my first ever hifi system... KC & The Sunshine Band That's The Way

[liquidken]

There's several tunes I use to ascertain the capability/show off a system.

Ben Harper - Whipping Boy
This song is superb to assess soundstaging.

Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps
This really helps to push a system to it's limits. A very busy song which is a great test from a dynamics point of view.

Antonio Carlos Jobim/Astrid Gilberto - Girl from Ipanema
One of the best live recordings I've ever heard which will only really be captured by an excellent, well-tuned system.

Leftfield - Afrika Shox & Bjork - All is Full of Love
Perfect for testing bass response.

[crmcatee]

Just remembered - I've got the Sheffield Drum Record on vinyl at home.

That will test a system. Fairly useless if you don't like drums though
Jim Keltner and Ron Tutt bashing the sticks...

[nogsk]

Probably the album High by the Blue Nile.

Then the 25th Anniversary remastered DSOM

Then George Michael Patience - fantastically detailed production

[Magistrate]

Kayleigh - Marillion every time!

[Zod]

Magistrate said:

Kayleigh - Marillion every time!

You must be popular in hifi shops.

[Morningside]

So are we saying here that any test can only be done from a vinyl source as modern production is too 'false'?

What is the bit rate used in studio production?

[FellowPazzini]

Funk said:

This one is the one to test a new system with. Phenomenal production, serious test of separation, clarity, thunderous bass and ultra-high frequencies. A masterpiece, in short.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xST2jjvUQfg

P.S. Do not drive to this music, it's dangerous.

Blimey! Did THX do the sound for that

There's nout wrong with a bit of Dubstep to blow test your speakers out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCcaizeVwho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe_zXhiqK2c

[Beardy10]

I'd agree that Classical is a great way of testing a system but as I hardly ever listen to it. I use tracks off the following album's

The Healer - John Lee Hooker

Mezzanine - Massive Attack

The Bends - Radiohead

International Superhits - Green Day (surprisingly good production)

Ray of Light - Madonna

Oh and for something with surprisingly st production pretty much anything by U2.

[Seeker UK]

Beardy10 said:

Oh and for something with surprisingly st production pretty much anything by U2.

As dull as they are, the one thing you can't say about U2 from "The Unforgettable Fire" onwards is that Eno's production is in any way st.

[Morningside]

Actually listening to 'Dark side of the moon' last night. I think this may be my first one to try.

[Beardy10]

Seeker UK said:

As dull as they are, the one thing you can't say about U2 from "The Unforgettable Fire" onwards is that Eno's production is in any way st.

Well I have to say I disagree with that...I love a lot of their music but some of it sounds shocking on a good system. It sounds to me like it's recorded to sound good on cheap systems. But we are all entitled to our own opinions

[TonyRPH]

Beardy10 said:

Well I have to say I disagree with that...I love a lot of their music but some of it sounds shocking on a good system. It sounds to me like it's recorded to sound good on cheap systems. But we are all entitled to our own opinions

Agreed. I think the same thing.

Another artist that rarely (never?) sounds good on a decent system is Meat Loaf.

Just like U2, the production always seems to be screechy and 'thin' sounding.