I'll check different genres to get a sense of the speakers abilities.
Peter Gabriel - Growing Up The Pineapple Thief - Shed A Light David Sylvian - When Poets Dream Of Angels Donald Fagen - Mary Shut The Garden Door Aimee Mann - Humpty Dumpty D'Angelo - Untitled Zap Mamma - Ya Solo
Alice In Chains - Would?
As above David Sylvian "when poets dreamed of angels". The last section of the song will leave you looking left, right, and middle, at the 3 guitars positioned in the soundstage.
But also The Blue Nile debut album (a walk across the rooftops). Lots of clarity of instruments to feast on.
Mark Hollis - Inside looking out. You feel right up close in a small room with the artists. You can hear the chair creaking as he leans forward to play the guitar. The drawing of breath before singing. The realism should leave you captivated.
Also for low bass I try the song Before Today -Chicane Remix by Everything but the Girl. There is some low beats that come in around the 1minute mark and repeat a few times throughout the song. Some speakers will not even make a sound. I judge the loudness of those beats compared to the rest of the song as a bass test. I'm not mad on bass by the way.
Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Time is the key, for high frequencies. Tommy Bolin - Private eyes, for low frequencies. Supertramp - Brothers in arms, for overall sound. All vinyl.
Correction, Supertramp -Brother where you bound, also use Dire Straits - Brothers in arms, hence the confusion. Second side only, first side reeks of commercial.
Some good ones already mentioned. A few odd ones that I used over the years. Pink Floyd Dogs Depeche Mode Personal Jesus acoustic version John Hiatt Feels Like Rain Any drums recorded in the front hallway at Headly Grange . The best sound not recorded by John Bonham may be can’t get enough from bad Company’s debut record
Whenever I make a significant change I play Dave Brubeck & Tony Bennett live performance for president Kennedy in 1962. It touches all the bases. You are there, wonderful recording.
Aaron Neville "Everybody Plays the Fool" (if the system has issues with male vocals you'll know it here) Stevie Wonder "I Believe (When I Fall In Love)" (For the sub-bass synth line) A real LF workout especially for vinyl Jewel "Have a Little Faith In Me" (Or, just take the the whole 'Phenomenon' Soundtrack, almost every cut is reference-worthy) Jackson Browne The Load Out/Stay (Listen for the feedback in David Lindley's vocal monitors on Stay @ 6:45 - the monitor mixer has them right on the edge, and doesn't panic, he just eases them off a few dB, and saved the whole cut - masterful work) Everclear "AM Radio" (If the system can upack the layers in this mix, it can handle anything) And while you're at it listen to their anthemic version of "Brown-Eyed Girl" Sonny Rollins "Saxophone Colossus" Any cut - pick one The Mavericks "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down" Eee-hah!! Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny "Beyond the Missouri Sky" 'Nuf said. Paul Galbraith "Bach: Sonatas & Partitas" This couldn't be transcribed for a 6-string guitar - the finger positions were impossible - so he built a totally unique 8-string instrument with a second sound chamber, taught himself to play it, then transcribed and then played these 32 pieces. Just Amazing. And will test the midrange purity of any system.
Genesis - The Carpet Crawlers and The Lamia Nils Lofgrin -Keith Don't Go (yes overplayed) Buckethead - Super Human Jim James - Exploding Diana Krall - California Dreaming Catriona MacKay - Swan LK 243 Mary Chapin Carpenter - John Doe No. 24 Monsters of Folk - Dear God...great bass
I have these and a few more on a Roon playlist labeled 'Test Tracks'
Dave Matthews - Grey Blue Eyes Whitney Houston - Exhale (Shoop Shoop) Quincy Jones - Body Heat Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody Dave Brubeck - Blue Rondo a la Turk
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