Music to test my ears and my Hifi

[Baron Reg]

In addition to those already suggested;

Dark Side of the Moon - the heart beats go way down into the 20hz range. Good for finding out if you have any loose windows.

Roger Waters/Amused to Death - really spacious sound. With the right system this will throw images way beyond your speakers.

Stevie Ray Vaughan/Couldn't Stand The Weather - boogie factor.

Black Sabbath/Paranoid, Metallica/Black Album or Rage Against the Machine - Turn it up, and find out just how loud your system will go!

Porcupine Tree/Warszawa - great live album from (IMHO) the best band around at the moment.

Edited by Baron Reg on Friday 9th May 15:39

[AL600-or-so]

A well-recorded performance of Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna' sets systems apart IMO.

[harley the husky]

Greetings.
I'm sure it's been said already, but PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS by Dire Straits.

I've a 4k Acoustics sounds (ASP) PA which plays that song like you would never believe... takes bottles off optics at about 100 yards.... Happy days!


Regards
Eddie

[BigAlinEmbra]

For the live suggestion
AC/DC Live and Underworld's Everything, Everything.

Hernan Cattaneo's Sequential, Dave Seaman's latest Renaissance, and a Digweed album, possibly MMII.
I'd probably run through some Hendriz and the first 4 led zep albums too.


Also got to add in Dark Side, even if it gets me an e-kick in the chops.

[ratbane]

Polly Harvey - Meet Ze Monsta will really give it a go.

Also, one that a mate at Audio Excellence used to test gear with was Gold by TAFKA Prince, particularly Endorphinemachine, and Shy.

Kate Bush, The Dreaming (Pull out The Pin) and Hounds.

Nick Ward - Outside Looking In

ELP- Brain Salad Surgery.

[SJobson]

Massive Attack - Mezzanine, but Teardrop in particular for me. Bass should be tuneful not boomy or one note.
U2 - Rattle and Hum. The gospel version of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For should be beautifully airy and flowing.
Goldfrapp - Train. I was listening to this on my iPod the other day and thought it might demonstrate whether a system has PR&T quite well. Haven't actually done any demos with it, but I'm taking it along next time.

[scott.s]

Listen to your favorite music and if it put's a smile on your face then you have the right hi-fi for you.

I have so many customers who buy music to make there systems sound good, that's not what a hi-fi is for.

A good system will play all types of music well at any volume.

I like to play fat larry's bands "zoom" on 12" on a wonderful high-end turntable based system at hi-fi shows, people love it.

And remember never never ever play "hotel calafornia"

[Colonial]

SJobson said:

Massive Attack - Mezzanine, but Teardrop in particular for me. Bass should be tuneful not boomy or one note.

Just on that, I find Track 1 - Angel very, very useful for testing out the bass.

Sounded good on my Blaupunkt 10" Velocity comp sub in my last car. Not so good in the standard Bose 6' sub in the new car.

[CRACKIE]

Stunning recording which tests so many aspects of a well set up system. Bass detail, transient speed, low level detail, air and decay. Anyway forget about the hardware and get a copy of the album Beyond Boundaries performed by arguably the best ever ~ Michael Hedges. It contains a studio version of Aerial Boundaries. It's worth checking out the attached link if you've not seen Michael Hedges playing before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8GZGhK-8m0&fea...

His recent death robbed us of someone very very special.

Edited by CRACKIE on Friday 16th May 09:25

[SJobson]

I spent a couple of hours demoing (and buying) equipment yesterday - interestingly, two Madonna tracks (Ray of Light and Don't Tell Me) showed up the inadequacies of equipment much more than obviously testing tracks. Nora Jones is also good (Sunrise being the track I used) because it's one of the few current CDs which isn't full of clipping.

[Yugguy]

Play the second track from Tool's 10,000 Days album, forget its name but it rocks.

[scott.s]

if you want to find out just what a good sysytem is capable of then try the white strips "elephant"
it has no compression and is about as good a recording as you can get.
Ball and Biscuit is the track to demo.

Also go out and buy St germains "Tourist" that also is very well produced and a very cool album.

Your new system will need running in and warming up before it's sounding anywere near what it's capable off.

[garycat]

Baron Reg said:

In addition to those already suggested;


Porcupine Tree/Warszawa - great live album from (IMHO) the best band around at the moment.

Edited by Baron Reg on Friday 9th May 15:39

Agree about Porcupine Tree, especially if your system has DVD-Audio capability and 5.1 surround. Superb band and the production quality is excellent.

[esselte]

smiller said:

"Spem in Alium" by Thomas Tallis

Ah the choral surroundsound......

[bodhi]

I'm currently giving my system a workout with Pendulum's new album In Silico. It's very well produced, and you need a deep but agile bass and a clear midrange for the full effect. Luckily my Marantz KI-Signature/Mission combo isn't disappointing. Fairly certain it's annoying my neighbours however...

[telecat]

garycat said:

Baron Reg said:

In addition to those already suggested;


Porcupine Tree/Warszawa - great live album from (IMHO) the best band around at the moment.

Edited by Baron Reg on Friday 9th May 15:39

Agree about Porcupine Tree, especially if your system has DVD-Audio capability and 5.1 surround. Superb band and the production quality is excellent.

DO NOT USE DOLBY 5.1 SURROUND. Only true 24/96 5 channel DVD Audio surround is usable as an Audio workout. The ".1" indicates you have a "Lossy" Audio system designed for Film not Music.

[scott.s]

The .1 indicates that you have a subwoofer and does not indicate that the system is not for music.

Move out of the 80's and into the present day.

if you want to talk about true play back performance then let's talk turntables!

[Le TVR]

Baron Reg said:

Dark Side of the Moon - the heart beats go way down into the 20hz range. Good for finding out if you have any loose windows.

But even better for finding any cross modulation products between the bass line and chimes etc...
Loose windows are for the Beach Boys 'Heroes and Vilains' (no, seriously!) or Arnold Layne.

The ones where you really feel that the group are in the same room are:

Joni Mitchell 'Hissing summer lawns'
Beach Boys 'Holland'
Al Stewart 'Year of the cat'

And if you really want to test the system there is a late 70s Decca recording of Tchaikovsky 4th symphony - final movement.

These are all vinyl, I have yet to hear any digital source that gets close.....

[scott.s]

Cd players have got very good in the last 5 years, take the Moon Andromedia and if you can get to listen to the DCS Scarlatti that's the best disc spinner in the world.

[smiller]

CRACKIE said:

Stunning recording which tests so many aspects of a well set up system. Bass detail, transient speed, low level detail, air and decay. Anyway forget about the hardware and get a copy of the album Beyond Boundaries performed by arguably the best ever ~ Michael Hedges. It contains a studio version of Aerial Boundaries. It's worth checking out the attached link if you've not seen Michael Hedges playing before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8GZGhK-8m0&fea...

His recent death robbed us of someone very very special.

Edited by CRACKIE on Friday 16th May 09:25

What an incredible player!