My Best CD to test speakers -

Diana Krall - Live in Paris

Now I love the Rolling Stones but this is the ultimate test for your speakers IMO -

Vocals, piano, cymbals, bass, etc It is a great CD for everything. Just my opinion.


Awww crap, that's the one Diana Krall cd I left on the rack at the thrift store a few months ago. I knew I should've took that one too. I should go back and see if it's still there.
 
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You won't need the SACD - it is that good

I bought my Sansui amp from an affluent, retired audiophile. His basement was like a hifi museum and his goal before downsizing was to "own every piece of classic audio gear." When I went to demo the amp, he played Live in Paris as the demo into Onkyo Scepter speakers. I was impressed and I bought the amp. Later I bought the Live at Paris CD. It sounds good on my AR-3as as well.
 
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While I do love Diana Krall, there are several jazz combo artists and recordings I enjoy more, especially for the pianist.

Modern Jazz Quartet ivory-man John Lewis' spare style has really grown on me over the years, since I first encountered their recordings when I was a young man of 24. The Complete Last Concert is a great choice, imo.

Thelonius Monk's Dream is another favorite of mine.

Brubeck and Desmond's 1975: The Duets is another, as well as the full Quartet's Time Out, of course.

And here I've gone and stepped in it... how could I leave off Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and quite a host of other keyboardists of various styles? From Corea (especially Return To Forever's Mothership Returns) to Jarrett to Bud Powell to Herbie Hancock? To a ton of others I'd usually rather hear than Krall, and are too numerous to mention.

The truly great players do more with four notes than she does so often with forty, is sorta my take, though I do love her, too. Her sultry, though range-limited voice and pretty face haven't hurt her career any, either. Let's face it. The music and dance.
 
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Telarc 1812 Overture, Sheffields Drum track, Mobile Fidelity's recording of 4449 or 8444. E power Biggs, toccata and Fugue by Bach. Telarc CD's with sound effects. Strauss waltzes for instance.
 
None.

I prefer using higher resolution 24 bit content as arbiter. Or, well done pre-digital analog. No vinyl from digital masters.
 
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