Test CD for positioning speakers and subwoofer

A Sterephile test CD and a Radio Shack meter for the bass works well, a Cardas Disc for set up (includes a "walk about" which I find helpful), and I use an Opus 3's "Depth of Image" to fine tune, as well as other ordinary disc's with which I'm very familiar and which have borderline problems if the room set up and the electronics are not ideal. In the end though you're still likely to have some compromise somewhere. The bass can be a bitch to get smoothed out as there usually are some room problems you can't correct.

XLO Test CD, track no. 3, is the best for setting up speakers, accurate to within 1/8 inch. No substitute.

I use the Rives audio test CD
http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=ARIVESCD2

Great test cd, calibrated to use with the Radio Shack SPL meter.

Ditto on the Rives CD - grand shtuff. Though it does become a love/hate thing, you know? I'd gone through some other discs & done the (trivial, in retrospect) calibration to the RS meter by hand, etc. Then I broke down and got Rives and got a bit more thorough. I also became acutely aware of nodes and stuff like that. Wound up turning the whole room 90 degrees, researching treatments (and doing entry-level stuff), and in the end it was the nodes and the math that kinda led me to just throw up my hands, kick back, and just listen. I did learn a lot with the Rives, though.

You do have to guard against becoming way too anal about it all - I mean, it's not like I've outlined the exact spot for my butt in the "A" listening position or anything like that...

Stereophile test CDs 1,2,3.