What are good songs to test speakers? Any suggestions?

[staccatiss]

Here are some songs I use:

"Needed Time" - Eric Bibb (Opus 3 recorded)
"Private Investigations" - Dire Straits
"Stimela" - xxx
"The girl in the other room" - Diana Krall
"When I feel the sea beneath my soul" - Tiny Island (Opus 3 recorded)
"Tiden bara gaar" - Opus 3
"Hotel California (live)" - high rez version
"Introduction" by Marcus Miller
"The beat hotel" - Alan Taylor
"Radioactivety" - Kraftwerk
"Stop those bells (live)" - Sarah K
"If this isn´t jazz" - Patricia Barber
"Moanin'" - Sly Dunbar (Telarc)
"Army of me" - Bjork
"Poor boy" - Michael Ruff (Sheffield Lab version)
"Big Drum_Small World -12- Drummer's Reel" - Dhol Foundation



/Staccatiss

[gferrell]

surprised that nobody has mentioned the JBL "Sessions" 2 LP set

on side 4 , the last cut is Hoyt Axton singing "Joy to the World" , it was made to show off JBL's and does so very well

Never heard of it or heard it but I will because I just bought it.

[joeybuckets]

I always used pink floyd (dark side if the moon)

[Dave_72]

I always used pink floyd (dark side if the moon)

I'll throw one from left field: The Stooges-'The Stooges' Surprisingly a good recording, considering it's proto punk!

[therk320]

Tommy Bolin's Post Toastee for a good all around test.

[SEAWOLF97]

Never heard of it or heard it but I will because I just bought it.

did it ever show up ?

[gferrell]

Yes it did, I listened to it last weekend. Very informative, I learned what to listen for. Nice songs for testing speakers and it was in pristine shape. I believe it will be a collectors item.

[Ken Pachkowsky]

Tommy Bolin's Post Toastee for a good all around test.

LOL yes, it will rattle the windows.....pretty compressed from what I remember. My old JBL 4350's used to like it.

[Mr. Widget]

LOL yes, it will rattle the windows.....pretty compressed from what I remember. My old JBL 4350's used to like it.

Now that takes me back! I haven't listened to that genre of music in decades, but in the foggy recesses of my brain I do vaguely remember my college dorm and playing Post Toastee turned up to 11.


Widget

[4313B]

I listened to that entire CD just last week in the car. It really needs a good remastering.

[SEAWOLF97]

Yes it did, I listened to it last weekend. Very informative, I learned what to listen for. Nice songs for testing speakers and it was in pristine shape. I believe it will be a collectors item.

I got mine from the JBL dealer . Was released from the USN in '72 and had purchased Pioneer CS-77a's from the PX. Almost immediately began looking for something better.
Lusted after L100's at Fred's Sound of Music, but at $273 each, well that was a months pay back then.
Some AR3's presented them selves and became my new mains, but I still kept looking at the L100's ...dealer must have taken pity (or revenge) on me and handed the "Sessions" LP's over . Didn't get the L100's until early 80's ($4 , needed rehab) ...they got passed on to my son, but I still have the records.

[sparky2]

I got mine from the JBL dealer . Was released from the USN in '72 and had purchased Pioneer CS-77a's from the PX. Almost immediately began looking for something better.
Lusted after L100's at Fred's Sound of Music, but at $273 each, well that was a months pay back then.
Some AR3's presented them selves and became my new mains, but I still kept looking at the L100's ...dealer must have taken pity (or revenge) on me and handed the "Sessions" LP's over . Didn't get the L100's until early 80's ($4 , needed rehab) ...they got passed on to my son, but I still have the records.

My brother-in-law still has some L100's he bought in 1973 or so, and they are still cranking. I replaced the foam grills for him in the mid-1980's, but they have had no other problems since. Nice walnut cabinets, too. I used to want a pair of them really badly. I just finished rebuilding a 1969 model 4320 for my old high-school friend. It is basically the same as an L200. They all were made around the same time frame. -Sparky2-

[RLock]

Jeff Beck Blow by Blow - Works out the drivers

[SEAWOLF97]

for those of youz of the classic persuasion , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets

or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanfare_for_the_Common_Man

and ELP's version too ..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanfare...6_Palmer_song)

or even ... (maybe only available on LP) ...The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zodiac:_Cosmic_Sounds

http://www.aural-innovations.com/iss.../zodiac01.html

According to music critic Richie Unterberger:
Divided into 12 separate tracks, one for each astrological sign, it appeared just as both psychedelic rock and astrology itself were coming into vogue in the youthful counterculture. In some respects it was similar to other instrumental psychsploitation albums of the time, with a spacy yet tight groove that could have fit into the soundtrack of 1966 Sunset Strip documentaries, played in large measure by seasoned Los Angeles session musicians. In other respects, it was futuristic, embellished by some of the first Moog synthesizer ever heard on a commercial recording, an assortment of exotic percussive instruments, and sitar. The arrangements were further decorated by haunting harpsichord and organ, along with standard mid-1960s Los Angeles rock guitar licks. For those who took the astrology as seriously as the music, there was the dramatic reading of narrator Cyrus Faryar, musing upon aspects of each astrological sign in a rich, deep voice without a hint of irony.

[Radley]

On most systems I work on, I tend to use acoustic music. The Ramones and AC/DC might "RAWK" but with the distorted electric guitars you might not know if you have problems or not.

Allison Krauss & Union Station had some great SACDs that I use.
Also the last track from "Sketches of Spain" by Miles Davis is astounding. I think God himself uses that one.
Martina McBride's "If I Had Your Name" is very good too, especially if there are subwoofers in the system.
Dolly Parton's "Grass Is Blue" is another keeper (Grammy winner).

Too many times I see guys using iPods for playback at demo's. Wrong on so many levels. I also kill anyone attempting to play Steely Dan.

There are some good rack mount Denon & Tascam CD players so there is really no excuse for not bring a good hi-fi source to the sites.