So here is the question: what are your Top 3 music pieces to evaluate a system?
The songs should be complementary to cover a wider range of features, but not necessary. If you only listen to one type of music, it would make sense to only evaluate with this type.
Bonus: identify one good part of the piece where you pay extra attention because this is where the difference between systems is more visible.
I'll start:
Holly Cole Trio - Girl Talk - My Baby Just Cares For Me Highlight: The vibrating cord at 1:59
MaMuse - All The Way - Glorious Highlight - The clean guitar and the high drum beat that rythm the whole piece
Metallica - ... And Justice for All (Remastered) - One Highlight - The first drums at 0:53, but the whole guitar as well
Doing this myself, I realize it's very hard to only pick 3!!
I would agree with the anything by Steely Dan. They use a wide variety of instruments. An old song but Do You Know What I Mean by Lee Michael’s. And for good guitar licks, the band America.
Listening for soundstage and detail retrieval I use music I know inside and out.
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love - Fantastic 3D soundstage. It will wrap completely around you, 360° if the system is capable.
Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath/Fat Man -There's a definite "buzz" after bass note hits on Locomotive Breath. After Fat Man ends there'e a "hunphhh" from Ian Anderson. If these are easily discernible, the system is pulling out some detail.
TELARC - 1812 Overture - What can I say? First you have to keep the needle in the groove if it's on vinyl.
Honorable Mentions: About anything by Pink Floyd, E. Power Briggs, Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, or any well recorded aorchestral pieces.
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