Which CDs to test a component?


What CDs do you like using to test new components?
128x128turnaround
after doin' the usual female/male vocal voice tests ( i recommend "the unaccompanied voice" on the secretly canadian label; fairfield four, "standing in the safety zone"; lyle lovett, "joshua judges ruth"; and, eva cassidy, "live from jazz alley," among many), you should move on to some more complex stuff with which you're familiar. my choices (this week) include: phish, "rift," bands 3&4; radiohead, "kid a"; pink floyd, "the final cut" band 1; mark knopfler, "sailing to philadelphia"; and, the eagles, "hell freezes over." i then move to some "dynamite" tracks as a final test; these include, by way of example: stephen stills, "stills alone," "treetop flyer"; lou reed/john cale, "songs for drella," "open house"; "strike a deep chord: blues guitars for the homeless," "brother can you spare a dime" and "america the beautiful" (dr. john & odetta); the eels (i have this on a cd done by a dutch radio station), "susan's house"; rickie lee jones, "pop, pop," "dat dere"; and, hugh masekela, "hope," "stimela." with the cd's listed, i can listen to any component in any system and judge it within an hour or three. it must again be emphasized these are MY test discs/tracks. you should develop your own, based on YOUR tastes and YOUR listening experiences. moreover, MY choices change from month-to-month and week to-week. -cfb
cfb-Your intrest in Kid a surprises me, I found it to be way to confusing, perhaps I don't have the cerebral capacity to compute it. Any way enjoy it :)

Everyone-Thanks for some new suggestions!!! keep 'em coming!
Want to try "punishing" your amp and speakers ? Throw on a disc by Master entitled "Faith is in Season" and crank the volume. This will tell you how well a system ( speakers especially ) can hold up doing very fast, long excursions and still sound cohesive. The most ferocious attack of low frequency kick drums that i have ever heard. Do NOT play this at high volume with speakers that lack excursion, especially those with small drivers that are vented. The driver will be "unloaded" and you WILL do damage to them. One salesman told me "this is the kind of stuff that breaks equipment". I have no idea what would happen with panel type speakers. Keep in mind that this is "real" metal, so you might not like the music or some of the graphics inside the disc. You have been warned. It IS offensive and it DOES "jam".

You might also try Ian Anderson's "Divinities: Twelve Dances With God". One track has an excellent recording of a bell that literally floats foot by foot across the soundstage. Quite a nice disc to listen to also. I've brought this disc with me on a few occasions to demo used equipment at individual's houses. Everybody has loved it and i've gone through about four copies so far : ) NOTHING like Ian's Jethro Tull days though, so don't expect that.

How about Loreena McKennitt's "The Mask and the Mirror". If you are not totally engulfed in a 3-D soundstage on the opening cut, you've got work to do.

Another good disc is Patricia Barber's "Companion". Not a bad recording overall with some very quick and lively percussion. Some spots are excellent for judging instrument seperation, attack, body ( especially on the bongo's, as most systems make them sound "thin" ), etc... There are also some very quick and hard bass "slaps" that may startle both you and your system. This disc was recorded live, but may surprise you.

Much like "the Cornfed One", i use different recordings at different times. Sean
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Anyone can think of typical favorites- Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, etc.

However, here are a few of my absolute personal favorites you may not have heard:

1) Tears for Fears "Seeds of Love" CD... Track 1 "Woman In Chains" is just awesome! Listen for Phil Collins drums as well as Oleta Adams (guest vocalist) soaring in middle of track! Also- Track 2 has great variety of sounds...as well as male & female vocals. BTW- if your system can pick out what they are saying in the background conversations on the last track...you got a winner!!!

2) Sting "Soul Cages" Check out "Islands of Souls" and "The Wild, Wild Sea" Very different soulful CD from Sting. Recording is terrific!

3) Eurythmics "We Too Are One" CD Trust me...listen for the bell tones and rain sounds on "When the Day Goes Down" and Annie's voice on "Angel"...Heaven!

4) Roxy Music "Avalon" Listen to "Avalon/ India" back to back and just keep on grinnin'....

5) Blue Road-eo "Five Days in July" Go find this CD and kick back and get blown away by Track 6-"What is This Love" and Track 9-"Know Where You Go/ Tell me your Dream". Dont worry...not a "country" group as the name sounds! Sort of a mix of Neil Young and Cowboy Junkies- A+++

Then, let me know what you think!!!
RALGTO @ aol.com
* Patricia Barber: Café Blue
* Holly Cole(Trio); Don’t smoke in bed
* Enya, Water Mark
* Sade, Lovers Rock
* Dire Straits: Sultans of swing: the very best of D.S., hdcd
* mark Knopler, sailing to Philadelphia, hdcd
Happy testing :-)