Only two tracks to test your system, forever!

The last two movements of the Saint Saens Symphony 3 - Charles Munch/BSO RCA Living Stereo CD. A great test of dynamic range/bass power!

Live FM radio broadcasts on WCRB of the Boston Symphony Orchestra are my make-it-or-break-it test.

It’s the raison d'être of the system and all else follows.

By a welcome gift of fate, a few years ago they relocated their broadcast tower to six miles away and I have a fine tuner.

The way they mike the orchestra, you can hear every little thing right in its place, and the whole room.

As for test tracks, I’m so used to playing dozens that to narrow it down to just two…

You’ve got me thinking and it’s going to take a while.

@prndlus 

Live FM radio broadcasts on WCRB of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

I have heard some of the broadcasts on their stream, and yes, they do sound absolutely amazing. My guess is the BSO employs someone to mix sound for them, and WCRB takes a feed from it (although it's very possible it's a special mix just for radio). Either way, the method of getting that audio back to mission control (WGBH/WCRB) is top notch. There isn't much if any cascading bit reduction taking place. To the crew making this happen - GREAT JOB!  

Two tracks? The first is easy; the other is a toss up:

1) Jimi Hendrix - Machine Gun (live from Band of Gypsies)

2) Either Tedeschi Trucks Band - Made Up Mind or a relative unknown, Kadavar's song Last Living Dinosaur. All the instruments come in separately and sound simultaneously clean and fuzzy. It's a good system test because I know very very well exactly how it SHOULD sound. Great question, btw. 

@gladmo   Good thread.  Good music is harder to find then good gear.

@bgross Good tracks.  See have similar tastes.  I use one of those myself.  Check out Blacksnake by The Wolf and The Bear.   And Crossroads by Calvin Harris.