I use a couple of 60s Columbia LPs that I am very familiar with:
Stravinsky conducts Rite of Spring, Columbia Symphony (really the New York Phil, but contractual limitations...)
- a truck drives by the hotel where they recorded, at a quiet moment on the first side. Prince Igor also stomps his foot during the Game of Rape (I think). It still makes me think someone is kicking my porch...
Bernstein conducts Bartok Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta, New York Philharmonic, Columbia
- in the stereophonically-written second movement, Lenny quietly mutters "one, two, three!" under his breath, desperately trying to keep his two string orchestras together in one of the more treacherous multi-meter passages. I listen to see how much resolution the turntable/cartridge is capable of...
The Sheffield Labs Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet, that someone above recommended, is indeed an amazing disc, but I think it would sound decent on an average table. But it is a dry recording, so it would be interesting to use to see if the dryness is attractive or not.
I also have an old 1969 pressing of Arthur by the Kinks. It is fairly worn, so I use it to see how fine a stylus is, if it can retrieve grooves under the scratches. Benz MC carts win here. But you are testing tables, not carts...
Stravinsky conducts Rite of Spring, Columbia Symphony (really the New York Phil, but contractual limitations...)
- a truck drives by the hotel where they recorded, at a quiet moment on the first side. Prince Igor also stomps his foot during the Game of Rape (I think). It still makes me think someone is kicking my porch...
Bernstein conducts Bartok Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta, New York Philharmonic, Columbia
- in the stereophonically-written second movement, Lenny quietly mutters "one, two, three!" under his breath, desperately trying to keep his two string orchestras together in one of the more treacherous multi-meter passages. I listen to see how much resolution the turntable/cartridge is capable of...
The Sheffield Labs Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet, that someone above recommended, is indeed an amazing disc, but I think it would sound decent on an average table. But it is a dry recording, so it would be interesting to use to see if the dryness is attractive or not.
I also have an old 1969 pressing of Arthur by the Kinks. It is fairly worn, so I use it to see how fine a stylus is, if it can retrieve grooves under the scratches. Benz MC carts win here. But you are testing tables, not carts...