Songs you use when auditioning gear

very interesting ...

Thanks for the information...

 

The other is a recording of Didos Lament ("When I am Laid In The Earth") featuring Emma Kirkby. It starts off very quiet, and Kirkby doesn’t have the biggest voice compared to others that have recorded it (Jessye Norman, etc) but the volume and intensity ramp up and Kirkby has laser like intonation; I have found that systems that get this right will do well by vocal recordings

Dire Straits: The Man’s Too Strong from Brothers in Arms

From the Fifth Element Soundtrack: Diva Dance

Pat Metheny Group First Circle: Forward March into Yolanda You Learn

I Love Dynamics

LP unless otherwise indicated. The list has grown over the years, but the constants are:

Dire Straits - "Ride Across the River" - Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits - "Telegraph Road" - Love Over Gold

Pink Floyd - "Time" - Dark Side of the Moon (Harvest)

Yello - "Oh Yeah" - Stella

Muddy Waters - "Long Distance" - Folk Singer

Grateful Dead - "Ripple" -  American Beauty

Ricky Skaggs - "Country Boy" - Country Boy

Ismael Lo - "Nafantav" - Jammu Africa (CD)

Patricia Barber - "Bye, Bye Blackbird" - Night Club

Harry Connick, Jr - "Don’t Get Around Much Anymore" - When Harry Met Sally OST

The Buffalo Bills - "Sincere" - The Music Man OST

KD Lang - "Halleluiah" - Hymns of the 49th Parallel

Disturbed - "The Sounds of Silence" - Immortalized

Robert Shaw & Atlanta Symphony - Orff: "O, Fortuna" - Carmina Burana

John Williams - "Theme from Superman" - Superman, The Movie

Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony - Handel: "Halleluiah Chorus" - The Messiah

Trevor Pinnock - "Alla Hornpipe" - Handel: Water Music, Suite in D/G Major

George Solti, LA Philharmonic - "Jupiter" Holst, The Planets

Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra - "Ode to Joy" - Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (SACD)

 

This list allows me to hear every type of music. Not all systems play all types of music well, but since I literally listen to everything, this list represents the best sounding songs I have for each genre, plus, they are really solid songs!

 

 

Here is a short list of tracks I use when auditioning gear. Hopefully you use at least CD quality to get the full impact of these tracks. Enjoy!

Steve Gadd Band - 70 Strong CD - Blues for..., Desu, Sly Boots, Dukes Anthem.

Michael Hedges - Strings of Steel CD - Ragamuffin.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather CD - Tin Pan Alley