Referrence music....

When I was auditioning new speakers a few years ago every shop I went into played Jennifer Warnes "Somewhere, somebody" from her "Hunter" CD so I've kept using it for that purpose. It also works well to convince your friends they should upgrade their own systems.

Both previous posters have excellent comments regarding using records which have the music you like and have instruments playing that you are familar with. A record I have found useful (in the extreme) in evaluating equipment as well as set up issues, especially set up issues, is called Depth of Image by Opus 3. It has a series of tracks which include vocal, solo instruments, small groups, small bands, etc and the record jacket tells you what you should hear when you play a particular band. Apart from that when I demo equipment I usually do NOT use high quality discs - if I do I just start listening to the music and forget what I came for! I have about 5 discs with borderline problems. For example one has a piano recorded too closely - on a piece of equipment with tilted up highs it becomes etched and unmusical. Same for a vocalist and the sibilance issue. I like simple recordings with multiple spaced instruments to see how well they are differentiated from each other and spaced apart. I do not use large scale orchestral demo records unless I know all about their production - these can sound good on lesser equipment and give you the wrong impression of the quality of what your going to buy.

Hi! I used to like how Metallica "Black Album" sounds, and actually still do like how it sounds in my car. But ever since my system evolved and became more resolving, I simply can't listen to this album anymore- it sounds very compressed and kind of edgy and fatiguing. Still like Metallica though. Regards.

Among many recordings, I like any of the piano trios performed by the Beaux Arts Trio. Just nice and clean violin, piano, and cello (high, mids, and mid bass) on one recording with many solo sections for each instrument.

I find that usually if the piano sounds right, everything else will fall into place. So some solo piano is a good secondary.

I agree female vocals are also on the list. Then some Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich symphonies to make sure a full orchestra does not become mud.

To top things off, Dave Brubeck's "Time Out"....

A CD that's really useful is Holly Cole's "Temptation." I will do a great job of testing how your system handles female vocals, piano, bass (acoustic) and silence.