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Songs you use when auditioning gear

What are some of your favorite songs to play when auditioning gear?  I often listen to Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.  Just about anything off of Gaucho or Aja by Steely Dan or Joni Mitchell’s Hejira or Hissing of Summer Lawns usually gets spun up too.  Dreams, in particular, is such a great song and is recorded with the balance I really like as well as a full and wide soundstage.  Wondering what some of yours are to see what I’m missing.

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ellajeanelle's avatar
ellajeanelle
386 posts
 

The Turn of a Friendly card by Alan Parsons Project since I am so familiar with the sound because I have been listening to it from the time I got my first descent stereo in the early 80's and have heard it in every system I ever owned.  It allows me to gauge what I am listening to in great detail. 

After that I listen to a good recording of a piano, which in my opinion is the most difficult instrument to fool you into sounding live on a recording. 

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,011 posts
 

Anything but popular songs...

Guess why ?

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 

Ma recordings.

Chesky recordings.

Blue Coast recordings.

immatthewj
1,898 posts
 

I haven't auditioned gear for quite a while, but if I was going to I'd probably use the Cowboy Junkies cover of Sweet Jane off the Analogue Productions SACD.  I have a couple of Patricia Barber Cafe Blue SACDs and I'd probably use assorted tracks from one of them.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,195 posts
 

Dorati 1812 Overture on Mercury Living Presence especially the final movement where all heck breaks out. 

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