Recommendations for really well-recorded music for high-end audio system demo


I’m using my system to give some local high-end audio demos for fun, and although I have a good selection of tracks I can always use more and am sure you guys have some great ones out there.  First and foremost I’m looking for really well-recorded material that shows off what a good system can do — you know, the “wow your friends” tracks we all have, and if it happens to be good/fun music as well that’s a nice bonus although not necessarily a requirement.  I’d recommend listing the artist, album, and track so it’s easier to find the right version, and if you feel like elaborating on anything notable that makes it particularly good for a demo that’d be helpful/interesting but not necessary.  As an example…

  • Patricia Barber, Companion, “Like JT” — Great live jazz club vibe, fun instrumental with excellent imaging/depth/3D soundstage.

Thanks for anything ya got!

soix

Lotsa great suggestions here, and I’m going through every one so thanks!  Keep’em coming cause you can’t have too many of these, and no I’ve no plans to go to a high school (although prob not a bad idea to infect them with our disease while they’re young — certainly plenty of worse things they’re being introduced to). 

The Cisco Kid by War on World is a Ghetto. Recorded with the most sophisticated equipment of the era. I have seen reviews where they use this as a reference recording.

The engineer, Chris Huston, got a grammy nomination for the effort.

ghdprentice:

Yes, Body and Soul is a great rec.

One of the last few dozen albums I purchased before selling most all of my playback gear in 1986.

As I had a lot of stuff recorded to cassette I only kept a Nakamichi 550 tape deck and a tiny portable Sony stereo radio with a line input for the deck.

The Sony was pretty good @ low SPL's.

 

DeKay