Best tracks to test system

[quickervicar]

Looking to start an on-going list of tracks that everyone uses to showcase/enjoy their system to. I'm hoping for clarity, even frequency response, stereo imaging & bottom end presence. Songs that you put on when you want to impress yourself & enjoy the music. I'll start:

"Lucid Dreams" by Franz Ferdinand

Don't write this one off. I'm not a huge Franz Fan, but my eyes were opened to this one by a audiophile friend. Typical Franz until around the 4:00 mark, where things start building into a fantastic display of stereo imaging & bass response. It has become a real go-to track for me lately.

"Thin Air" by Pearl Jam

Off of one of their best--yet overlooked--albums, IMHO. Miking techniques on the guitars & drums are wonderful. Bass fills up a huge space. Alternative tracks off of Binaural: "Of the Girl" or "Rival"

"The Beast and Dragon, Adored" by Spoon

Clarity & sonic space. Perhaps one of the most impressive albums to showcase proper recording techniques since the Beatles. Full of subtle nuances.

[GunMetalGrey]

"You Know (Radio Mix)" Pimp Code
Nothing better than some dubstep! Wavering bass and nice sharp highs!
"Get By" Talib Kweli
I hate rap, this is hip hop. It is true to life, good strong music, nice bass lines.

[Jean]

haha, really?

No, look up some classics with some good dynamic range and not some compressed crap.

[Gooch]

1. "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones. Listen for Norah's voice to sound natural, and centered in front of you.

2. "Diamonds and Rust" by Joan Baez. Listen for strong vocals, and for the instruments to be set across a wide sound stage.

3. "No One" by Alicia Keys. Listen for clarity in Alicia's vocals and spacious background sound.

4. "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Listen for the clarity and dynamic range during the opening guitar solo, and of course the powerful drum beat.

5. "Boom Boom Pow"by the Black Eyed Peas. Listen for powerful, accurate bass beats, even at full volume.

6. "Rock that Body"by the Black Eyed Peas. Listen clear, intelligible lyrics over the powerful, persistent bass beat.

7. "Hide and Seek"by Imogen Heap. Listen for the enveloping ambience of the song, building on the openness and dynamic vocals.

8. "He Mele No Lilo" by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu from Lilo and Stitch.Listen for the ambience and staging as the children's chorus is offset by powerful bass.

9. "Bird on a Wire" by Johnny Cash. Listen for the clarity in Johnny's distinctive voice, and his guitar to sound natural and free of any coloration.

10. "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box"by Radiohead. Listen for the punch from the percussive bass, and the ring of the steel drums.

Borrowed from here.

[Jean]

That's better :)

[u3b3rg33k]

Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet.

Preferably not a hot mastered recording (like 99% of crap today; for those that don't know, if the bass "drowns out" everything else, it's probably hot mastered. Classical music usually isn't, and the average system can't do it justice). Needs some serious dynamic range to sound good, and when it does...

Molossus, from batman begins. a damn fine piece of work. I've burned up slow-blow fuses on that one.

[mightywhitey]

Patron- Paul Wall




Fuse melter.

[GunMetalGrey]

haha, really?

No, look up some classics with some good dynamic range and not some compressed crap.

Generation Difference ;)

[briansjacobs]

My system sounds amazing at HMS, the straight pipes seem resonate off the banked walls when at WOT.

Ohh Stereo, I dont have one of those.

[gehlmauer]

A few of the folks who made it to the last Pilgrimage might remember, Fim and the BB's, Big Notes. This is the most dynamic recording I've ever found. I've never found a speaker, Other than Klipsch, that can handle the entire range of dynamics this song can dish out.

[Ray Smoodiver]

Chemical Brothers - The Private Psychedelic Reel

[george graves]

Recommending song that the person doesn't know might be ill advice. It should be something your are very familiar with and have hear 100 times. But I'd take a few things with different styles you like.

[g.ruff561]

Try "Primal Scream" by Maynard Ferguson. Bass, horns. Fusion Jazz at its best. Great Track to test your system. Just try it. Even if you dont like jazz. The bass and instrumentals are top notch.

[svn2002s]

James Newton Howard and friends -Sheffield labs.

[Erik j]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRCkAumK5b4