What music do you use to assess your system?

I love going back and reading old posts by myself to see how my audio hobby has progressed.

I recently got a pair of new speakers and they make everything sound better so there's no need to play a song I've heard 1,000 times to pick out slight differences because everything sounds awesome.

I have found that songs with Piano or classical (large orchestral) music will showcase a systems weakness but I also found that you can asses tone, attack and decay, transient snap, bass articulation, imaging, and frequency extension on many songs.

I have also found that Classical music will showcase dynamic swings and will let you asses if you speakers still sound detailed and impactful at low volumes (whats this called by the way?)

I have also found that one of my old "go to" songs I used to asses my system sounds about the same on most speakers (sounds good) and that there isn't much going on to test a speakers performance.

I've found that complex passages where there are many instruments being played at once are good songs also.

I guess in retrospect, I'm wondering now if its not more important to improve your listening skills and asses your rig on any and all music rather than the 10 songs you've heard 1,000 times...

I like to use the opening of the vinyl LP Genesis, A Trick of the Tale. It has a nice, broad range of notes. Bad, digital listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJIVuinJlsU

B.

I'm such a gear head that I don't actually use music to assess my system. I use many other criteria though, such as; looks, cost, number of knobs and believe it or not weight. I figure the more something weighs the more stuff is in there so it has to sound good. Oh yeah, where you buy a component is also important. 8^)

+2 rja

I don't "assess" my own system, but when I am auditioning components, I usually use these: Something off Brubeck's Take 5 record. Desmond's alto will show up a honky or forward midrange like nothing i've heard. Nora Jones Feels like Home. Music isn't the greatest, but her voice is very well recorded and up front. Will also expose midrange and vocal forwardness and lack of naturalness. James Taylor JT. Vocals reach down to the baritone range and and will expose a tubby or thin lower midrange. This is often a function of the room, but it's still a useful tool. Lambchop Is a Woman - great low-level sounds like piano pedal and fretboard sounds show a system's ability to reproduce little sounds. That's pretty much what I go by.