Choice cds for auditioning...

Lsi9

My choice has got to be one the greatest (acoustic) guitar cds ever, a great cd for high freq. response >CLICK<

nadams

Anything Enya. Especially the album Watermark with the songs Storms in Africa (I and II) and Orinoco Flow. Other than that, I just cycle through my collection of 60s-80s Yes and anything else from the 70s (minus disco)

DooD

Edit- for something a little more on the contemp. side of music, I use my Blue Man Group CD, Audio. Mostly the song "Rods and Cones," but all of their songs have a good mix of frequencies in there. Plus they do make some cool rhythm from time to time :-).

VR3

Dream Theater - Scences From a Memory

Terrax

Enigma!

TroyD

I would suggest picking up (they probably still have it) Telarc Sampler Vol 2

Track #1 - The Magnificent Seven Theme by Kunzel and the Cinci Pops -THE demo song (thanks again George) for your system not to mention there is no song better for getting the testosterone flowing. I listen to this every time I have to give a sample for the fertility clinic, I KNOW it gets my boys swimming a little faster

Track 3 - Holst: The Planets - Mars

Track 8 - Puccini Nessun dorma! from Turnadot ....I just LOVE this track

Track 12 - Bizet: Les toreadors for the Carmen Suite

all in all, a GREAT demo CD. Something for everyone.

I picked this up a couple years ago on the Telarc website for 2.99

BDT

eeagle

Madonna - American Life

This is especially good on a set of SDA's...soundstage is 6-8 ft beyond each speaker.

John K.

Excellent sound and performance of Gliere's IL'ya Murometz on Telarc 80609.

organ

Sarah Brightman "Harem"
Sarah Brightman "Eden"
Carmen (1965 recording with Maria Callas)


Maurice

Tour2ma

Flim & the BB's "Tricycle"
Exceptionally sharp attacks in the title track.

Stravinsky's "Firebird" - Dutoit and Montreal on London
Tracks 12 - 15's dynamics are a true test.

Robbie Robertson's "Storyville"
Richly recorded

Prince's "Kiss"
Uncomplicated detail to be revealed.

MJ's "Man in the Mirror" off of "Bad"
Shimmering highs; special recording process.

INXS' "Kick"

The above are good for any system. Then there are specialty lists for SDA and bass that a serch will turn up...

Steve@3dai

Originally posted by Terrax
Enigma!

You're darn right!

New album Voyageur came out today, it's great!

tonyv1

I use "Poem" by Delerium. I have the limited edition that contains "Terra Firma" and I also have the vinyl version of regular mix version.
Thanks for the Enigma news. All Enigma fans should check out Delerium, Conjure One and Balligomingo.

Ceruleance

A lot of Dave Matthew's Band's stuff has well recorded drums that are easy to isolate from the rest of the instrument which I find makes for good comparisons between speakers.

Specifically there's a drum solo on 'Live at Red Rocks' on the beginning of the track called #36

Lsi9

TALKING TIMBUKTU >CLICK< the first link from before is dead...

since listening to this cd, I have discovered other African musicians and realized the cds they make are so unique because of the instruments they use and their untrained way of playing...soundwise these cds are great, they are a feast for the ears... heres some good ones:

Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Kanda Bongo Man
Youssou N'Dour
Salif Keita

RCR1

Linda Ronstadt - Cry Like A Rainstorm-Howl Like The Wind

Track 3 - All My Life - Duet with her and Aaron Neville
Track 5 - Don't Know Much with Aaron Neville sounds really good.

The whole album is really well produced and just a really clean sound.

Pauly

What? No B. Marley? Kidding me

Steve@3dai

Originally posted by tonyv1
I use "Poem" by Delerium. I have the limited edition that contains "Terra Firma" and I also have the vinyl version of regular mix version.
Thanks for the Enigma news. All Enigma fans should check out Delerium, Conjure One and Balligomingo.

Definately Delerium, I got my signed album cover of Chimera

http://imagehost.peanutbuttermonkeyball.com/Chimera1sm.jpg

Conjure One is definately good as well, I really like Sinead's and Poe's songs on there, very beautiful.

Berty

Try the soundtrack of Braveheart, great bass. I just listen to Paradigm Studio 60 v2 with that CD and they clip at less than the half of the volume of the amplifier (70 watts)

Bert

ohskigod

dire straits, on every street is pretty good.

gtbiker

OutKast, the love below by Andree 3000. I have the LSI9's and that CD really amazed me with what the 9's can do and I've had them for a year. The instruments are super clear and detailed.

mikejz84

I know at the local audiophile store here the owner has a collection of over 1000 cds that you can listen to:) While I was demoing some stuff one of his albums stuck out at me "Slant 6 Mind" by Greg Brown http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000001BBK/qid%3D1065217415/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-2939548-0524808


Listen to track 3--Mose Allison Played Here

walk

One word: Zappa.

thehalo8

Well this does not seem to be the choice of music for most of the people on this post, but I would have to go with Nine Inch Nails DVD "And All That Could Have Been" (DTS version). There are some instrumental only songs that sound amazing. I believe track 10 is the first one.

If you know anyone with the DTS version of this dvd (most are only dolby digital) definitely take a day to listen to the instrumental only songs. Well you can always listen to both entire dvd’s from the set too

wlrandall

Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms. One of the cleanest, all digital recordings I ever heard. Also has awesome L/R imaging for you two channel folks.

Jstas

Northern Exposure -- Original TV Sound Track


Tracks of special interest are:

Track 1: Northern Exposure theme. Has a tribal drum beat to it, very distinctive and easy to localize. Also has some off-key vocals in the background.

Track 2: Jolie Louise - Daniel Lanois. This a very Creole or at least a French/Lousiana/Cajun sounding track. Could even be French Canadian. There isn't much special about it but is a smooth and flowing song with a few key changes that can show weaknesses. Also, it has a steady bass rythm comprised of your typical drum kit and a bass fiddle. It can get deep and subtle. Big, booming bass is a good test but you will only be able to find accuracy with such a subtle and dynamic range that can come only from a bass fiddle.

Track 3: Hip Hug-Her - Booker T. & The MG's. It is an instrumental where the predominant instrument sounds like an old Hammond B3 organ. Not necessarily the cleanest recording but between the high pitch Hammond B3 harmony and the heavy bass fiddle, it can challenge the accuracy and range of a system well.

Track 6: Alaskan Nights - David Schwartz. This is again an instrumental. It is a very nice recording. It has some hiss to it but it is a quiet and mellow jazz tune that has a pleasant air to it. There is nothing exteremly powerful about this track at all. The benefit here is that it is a multipiece band playing and the lead is what I think is a clarinet. It is a decent recording in the sense that at certain times, you can actually hear the musician taking a breath and you can hear the drum brush scraping across the drum head. That is in addition to the sounds that both those things are supposed to make. It's a good recording for a test on anything.

There are a total of 12 tracks on this CD and any one of them including the recording of Lynard Skynard - Gimmie Three Steps is worthy of a test track. There is also a track that is operatic if not an actual opera track. I don't know much about opera but it is a good way to test the way a speaker reproduces vocals. that track is track 11: Bailero (from "Chants D'Auvergne") - Frederica Von Stade

This CD can be and is hard to find, although I think Tower Records has it in stock for like 12 dollars. It is not the only CD I have used to test sound systems but it is one of the best ones I have used for the main reason that there is such a diverse range of music decently recorded on the album. Hell, I like the album too! There are even recordings from Nat King Cole and Etta James on there too. It's worth it just for that alone!

Lsi9

interesting choices...a good live cd can audition speakers well...

one I like is 'Mingus in Antibes 60' by Charles Mingus, a great jazz cd, very intimate, clean and hardly any room resonance... all this and it was recorded in 1960!!...borrow it from your local library

mrgoodcheese

Originally posted by thehalo8
Well this does not seem to be the choice of music for most of the people on this post, but I would have to go with Nine Inch Nails DVD "And All That Could Have Been" (DTS version). There are some instrumental only songs that sound amazing. I believe track 10 is the first one.

If you know anyone with the DTS version of this dvd (most are only dolby digital) definitely take a day to listen to the instrumental only songs. Well you can always listen to both entire dvd’s from the set too

Absolutely agree with you. That DVD gives the ultimate workout / test to any speakers. It is my all time favorite.

gidrah

Funkadelic-Maggot Brain Great HF testing with some screeching guitars.

Rossini-William Tell Overture (telarc) Great test of dynamics.

Moby-Verb (What's a happening) (Schoolhouse Rock) Great musical bass that is easily muddied.

SunRa-Lanquidity Great test of imaging.

Vivaldi-Four Seasons Great test for mids with plenty of massed strings.


After I have these attributes narrowed down I put in Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here, crank it up and see.

torotot

I like Bass 301 CDs

tonyv1

Hey Jstas!
I stole the Northern Exposure CD from my sister. She doesn't even know! I love "Don Quixote" by Magazine 60!!!!
Still waiting for the series to come out on DVD. Fortunately I have ALL the epsiodes recorded, labelled and referenced.
Joel and Maggie forever!

Jstas

Originally posted by tonyv1
Hey Jstas!
I stole the Northern Exposure CD from my sister. She doesn't even know! I love "Don Quixote" by Magazine 60!!!!
Still waiting for the series to come out on DVD. Fortunately I have ALL the epsiodes recorded, labelled and referenced.
Joel and Maggie forever!

You know that there is a 2nd Northern Exposure sountrack CD? It's called...get this...More Music from Northern Exposure. It's also a pretty good CD but has more of the "weird" music that Chris played in the radio station. I like both CD's and I'm also waiting for that show to come out on DVD. It had to be one of the best written dramas on T.V. at the time. I liked it best because alot of the jokes and situations you had to think about to get. Now all they do is show peoples' butts and bedroom scenes and call it a good drama. I was sad when it went off the air.

[Deleted User]

Sounds like you like acoustic guitar. Have you ever heard of the compilation CD's on Windym Hill that were compiled by Taylor Guitars? Taylor is probabky the preminent builder of fine playable acoustics today and they are populated by people very into their art. They assembled two or three CD's in conjunction with Windym Hill that are pretty terrific. I still like the first one the best but they are all good. You can find them among other places at Taylor's website at this link:
http://216.120.92.69/taylorware/category.asp?categoryid=1005