Tracks that reassure us that our stereo is OK

I've recently discovered the Marantz Hi-End Audiophile Test Demo CD.

Although this is only a RedBook CD the sound quality is really quite astounding.

If this sounds good you are in the clear so to speak......

Fade to Black - On Every Street (Dire Straits) is a good 'n.

'Edith and the Kingpin' from Joni Mitchell's "Hissing of the Summer Lawns" from HD Tracks. if the atmosphere is there then all is right with the world. 

If my system doesn't sound up to par then there is usually something wrong like a displaced cable or the system needs a power down. I don't need a particular track for reassurance, I enjoy all my music.

1  HiFi News & Record Review Test CD

       Track 5, Handel, Entry of the Queen of Sheba.

A superbly rerecorded Baroque orchestra, if I can't hear the Harpsichord in the orchestral tutti, then the resolution's off or the level of background clutter has increased (typically caused by RFI in my system).  If it sounds bland then the musicality's gone.
       Track 6, Vivaldi, Four Seasons, Spring,

Any changes to changes in HF timbre or HF distortion are instantly shown up by the period instrument recording.

2  Sibelius, Four Legends; Gotteburg SO, Jarvi.

       Leminkainen's Return: If I'm not elated and exhausted after the ride, the timing and emotional connection are off.  This is an amazingly good recording, even if it is red book.

3  Tavener, The Repentant Thief, LSO, Tavener.

        If the change from tracks 9 to 10 doesn't make me jump so much I think I'm going to have a heart attack, then the transient performance is off.

4  Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid

        Mirrorball:  Look for changes in bass response, timing and vocal timbers.

Thanks guys for your thoughtful advice. I look forward to  chasing down your suggestions,

should be fun! My system is relatively  simple,  Unitiserve, superuniti  and s400s with power line. It is very revealing of source recording quality, and this combined with occasional "hifi neurosis" can mean I can be disappointed with lesser quality CDs at times. There is a great second hand cd shop locally, so will get cracking! 

Personally I believe that an equally important part of the equation when selecting test music is the ears doing the listening and the brain connected to them!

This just inspired me to listen to those test pieces again...

Not only is my system still working well, but even after 4 months, my ND5 XS + Nait XS-2 system is still getting better!

There must be different versions of this

Mine has track 5 as "Blues for Klook

QoSheba is 2 tracks, 19 & 20, test mic types & its a full orchestra

Looks like it, I don't think I'd have got those mixed up!

I also use the LF test tones to adjust the sub <> main speaker integration.

Mine has 99 tracks in all,  I haven't used a lot but do use all the effects & music tracks

- Track 3 & 4 "Bass Desires" has some awesome speaker/system bass tests

T4 has the mix build up in stages & it sure does let you know if your speakers get to sub bass when the 17Hz underpin mix kicks in

- I use the 3rd octave pink noise tracks to plot speaker balance (speaker building & repairs is a hobby thing)

Hm, good question,

Simon and Garfuncle Greatest Hits track 2

Rush, the Camera Eye

Dire Straits, love over gold

Dido, Sand in my shoes

Suzanne Vega, Calypso

Are a few I use

Try 'I Can't Tell You Why' from The Eagles 'Long Run'.

At a decent volume of course.

Harmonies nice and distinct? Not overwhelmed by the kick drum?, bass nice an tuneful?, etc etc..

G

Since I've gone CD-Less,  I am still sorting my fav test tracks. 

So far ..... & all WAV files  Hi-Res if indicated

HiFi News Test CD (ripped 16/44.1kHz) (as mentioned above)

Track 3 & 4 = bass & more bass listen to the 17Hz breaking thru,  its augmenting the bass line, but can your speakers reproduce it & does it rattle the knick-knacks on the sideboard.   

All the rest are great albums, not just the tracks I mention

Eagles "Hotel California"   24/192kHz. Track 1 - the kick drum at the end of the intro,  if you have woolly bass its a thud, on a good system you hear & feel the skin.

Dire Straits “Private Investigations”   The low level detail & nuances – the cat & bottle are the most well know bits,  but once you get very familiar with the track there is far more hidden & the better systems will pull it out.

Another low level detail album track

Pink Floyd “The Wall” track 10 “One of my Turns”   the groupie in the apartment "wanna take a bath?"

Listen to the room, the echo tells you how big it is & what about the bare feet.  

Can’t miss out “DSOTM” The whole album - The stereo effects, the low bass, those clocks,  awesome guitar

David Gilmour “On an Island” Track 8 “Smile”.  Is David on the carpet in front of you or only in the mix on the back wall.  The start of track 1, the deep growl & texture in the bass, plus edgy guitar & dynamic drums thru’out.

“Live in Gdansk” is a DG must have,  an outstanding work full of good stereo testing material.   

Bob Marley “Legend” track 1  “Is This Love”.  Startlingly sharp drums on the first bars of the intro.  track 2 “No Woman No Cry”,  it’s a great song but a crap recording & a good system makes it more so,  track 12 “Redemption Song”  is Marley singing in one room & playing guitar in another.

Norah Jones “Come Away With Me” 24/192kHz. The whole album oozes emotion & voice inflections & the recording acoustics change seeming like different venues/rooms. 

Diana Krall “Girl in the Other Room”. Again the whole album with emotion & some outstanding close mic’d voice & piano recording,  you can feel the piano timbre. 

Wintersun by Brendan Perry. cd

Xavier by Paradise Lost. cd

Runaway boys by Stray Cats.cd and vinyl

Dalai Lama by Rammstein. cd

Sentimental by Porcupine Tree (live) vinyl

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Album "IRM", Track 3 (Le Chat du Café des Artistes)

--> voice, strings and very nice deep bass

Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny, Album "Beyond the Missouri Sky", Track 11 (Cinema Paradiso)

--> I just love the bass, sounding as the musicians sit inside my room

Lars Danielsson, Album "Tarantella", Track 1 (Pegasus and rest of album)

--> to me one of the best sounding trumpets on my system

This is a good CD to test your system, the music is also very good!

I love that tune!

What do you look for when you use it as your demo piece?
I take it you have the UK original pressing?

Wat,

I would be curious to know how's the MOV reissue of the How Dare you! compared to the original pressing.

I reckon, they don't get the original analogue tape usually.

Back in the 80's, when auditioning cassette decks, I always brought along 2 lp's from which to make test recordings:

Jeff Beck Wired.  If the cymbals (hi-hat??) at the very beginning of the Blue Wind sounded like cymbals and not hiss, that was a good sign.

JJ Cale Troubadour.  

Thanks for all the ongoing suggestions. Have bought about 15 new CDs! Currently listening to Rammstein who are surprisingly good to my 55 yr old ears, it's nice to experiment with genres that normally one would never consider trying. Love Suzanne Vega, she was born same day as me, and Nora Jones and Dido better than I thought they would be having been played to death on radio 10 years ago. Must admit to struggling with early Genesis, embryonic prog rock with a bit much Peter Gabriel wailing. You must have a VERY good system to sit through Trespass, but like raw oysters or malt whiskey I guess one can developed a taste for it with recurrent sampling. And just love Charlotte Gainsbourg and late Pink Floyd. A very good use of the naim forum for me. Yes, my system is in good fettle, much appreciated.

Jessye Norman - Four Last Songs (high)

Dream Theater - Secenes of a memory, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - complexity, massive attack

U2 - Vertigo - does the rawness still sound good

Lang Lang - Painted Veil gentle ness and typical low 

Tocatta Bach on Organ multiple versions - reach of your system

multiple piano recordings for the high tones and the difficult rendering of piano music

I avoid the typical high end stuff which sounds good on any system

Isn't it just? In fact the whole album is excellent. Love Iron Hand, On Every Street and Planet of New Orleans.

Jethro Tull's "And the Mouse Police never sleeps" from their "Heavy Horses" album. Ian Anderson's vocal should convey real menace.