what are the "must have" CD's

The one cd I use for demos is, Thom Rotella Band, also the name of the cd. Track 3, "Naima" is awesome-if your system can play this loud, you'll be blown away. I just checked, it's available on Amazon. This is on the DMP label, CD-460.
Alan

the rolling stones-england's newest hitmakers....kicks you in the balls anytime you begin to think that 'spending on equipment' can make a primitive recording sound not so primitive.

Surely the best way to show off your system is with the lesser quality engineered cd's, no?

ZZ top's Greatest Hits Cd has a lot of tracks with very low bass that can really rattle a room. Also Via Las Vegas has some nifty sonics contained within it.

Big bandfs come to mind as well, and the one's I like to play for people are:
Illinois Jacquette "Jacquetes Got It"
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band "Swingin' for the Fences" & "XXL"
Johnny Nocturne Band "Million Dollar Secret"

Larry Carlton's "Sapphire Blue" is a killer front to back.

Milt Jackson's "burning in the Woodshed" is super and his vibraphone never sounded better amidst his bands covers of some pop & jazz standards.

Santana also puts out some great low end noise on both "Supernatrual" & "Shaman".

Fourplay's "heartfelt" will show off your rig top to bottom with Bob James' & Larry Carlton renditions of jazz on acid.

Quincy Jones' "Q's Jook Joint" runs the gamut of RB soul and is a lot of fun cover to cover containing and exhibiting all those audiophile traits one wants to have on tap... imaging, pace, extension, noise floor, etc., as do most of those named above.

For classical, the RCA Living Stereo hybrid SACDs are good to collect. Vibrant recordings from the Golden Age of Stereo and good to great performances.