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go-to test records, anyone?

Gibstone

Gibstone

Member
Please forgive me if this is a total noob question (I'm a total noob). I did search the threads a bit and didn't see anything, and...

...I thought it would be fun and informative to hear about what particular records you all think of as ideal for assessing the effects of system changes/updates/experiments etc.

I've been trying out a couple different cartridges over the past couple weeks and I keep going back to:

Dire Straits / Dire Straits

A couple others too but this one seems to express changes in a very evident way.

Also Steely Dan, always good to check sound.

Interested to hear your thoughts about testing your setups too.

Thanks!
 
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The Eagles - Hotel California album

Of all my rock albums, the Eagles albums were very well engineered and offer a very good soundstage for testing.

Chicago Transit Authority - Introduction and South California Purples

These two tracks from their debut album offer bass, horns, and guitar, all are great for checking for balance from VTA adjustments.

I try to stick to songs that I am very familiar with because they are easy for me to hear small differences with balance, soundstage, etc.
 
Van Morrison: Moondance (Differentiating the two saxophones, Piano, Well recorded)
Carlos Santana: Abraxas (Awesome percussion, guitar, and if you have Polk SDA's....)
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (Super familiar and extremely well recorded)
Alan Parsons: Eye In The Sky (The Godfather of Rock And Roll Engineering)
Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session (With the right setup, one can hear the church)
Eva Cassidy: Night Bird (Fantastic live recording of female voice, good piano and bass)
 
Santana Abraxas. ( I have SDA-SRS2's)
Dark Side of the Moon; Although since going to the 73 Detroit concert, It is getting a bit stale.
Anything by Sphongle will give your system ( and your brain) a workout.
 
Dire Straits first album

Simon & Garfunkle "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme". The cymbals shimmer on the left channel at the reprise of the second track, first side "Patterns" is a great test for the clarity of the high's. Seriously.

Roxy Music "Country Life". side 2, last song-"Prairie Rose" between stanzas you should be able to hear Bryan Ferry whisper "Texas"

Van Halen "1984" "Hot for Teacher". The drum track on the opening for that tune is super for the clarity of low mids

The Beatles White Album: side 1 track 2-"Dear Prudence" The bass track on that is perfect for tuning in the lows.

Led Zep 2, side 1 track one "Whole lotta Love"...you should be able to hear Robert Plant cough just before the first guitar riff

Supertramp "Crime of the Century"- at the leadout of side one you should hear a cuckoo bird once at the end of the tune "asylum"

Ian Hunter-self titled, side 1 track 2 "Who do you Love" lead in...some chick says "Do It" clear as a bell

Neil Young-"After the Gold Rush"-end of side 1 leadout of "When the morning comes" you should be able to discern Stephen Stills adding harmony. You should be able to definitely tell it's Stills.

ELO-if you can understand the lyrics on any ELO album you have good clarity lol

Floyd-"DSOTM"...after the first tune, first side, when you hear the footsteps running left and right in the airport, you should be able to hear the runner huffing and puffing as well as running.

Yes-any version of "I've seen all good people" you should at some point clearly hear them sing "all we are saying is give peace a chance" over and over throurghout the song

Paul Simon-"Graceland" beautifully engineered and beautiful sounding.

The Doors-"The Soft Parade". The title track. If you can understand the spoken dialogue as it occurs throught the song, you're doing well. If you haven't heard it, you're in for some amusement.

Traffic-"Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys"- title track. during the long instrumental intro, there is New Years Eve noise maker type thing just before it's get's serious. Before I tweaked my system, it was there, but now it's prominent. Lot's of examples like that.


If you have your table singing properly, and your system has good clarity, you should be able to hear all of these somewhat nuanced aspects of these recordings. I put as many in as I could think of off the top of my head so that maybe more people would find something in their collection
 
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Absolutely Dire Straits first album. So well recorded, very 3D and good "air" between the instruments. Six blade knife is good to see how a cart/stylus handles sibilance, all the songs are good to test bass definition/boomy-ness. It's interesting to see where different setups place the vocals in the mix, and vocals clarity. Knopflers Strat can sound either sweet or a bit bright and brash if all is not well. Great drum miking etc.

When all is good it sounds like they're in the room with you. Love this album!
 
percivilla said:
Absolutely Dire Straits first album. So well recorded, very 3D and good "air" between the instruments. Six blade knife is good to see how a cart/stylus handles sibilance, all the songs are good to test bass definition/boomy-ness. It's interesting to see where different setups place the vocals in the mix, and vocals clarity. Knopflers Strat can sound either sweet or a bit bright and brash if all is not well. Great drum miking etc.

When all is good it sounds like they're in the room with you. Love this album!
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couldn't agree more. All their albums are great imo, but the first one is a test record for me for exactly the reasons you said.
 
Ortofon Test Record. Gives you measurable channel separation, resonance, tracking ability and more.
 
gadget73 said:
Don't laugh, but many Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass albums are very well recorded. Herb Alpert is the "A" in A&M Records.
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I also agree...Herb and the boys put out excellent quality records...they sound outstanding and would serve as an inexpensive test record.
 
When I was 18 & moving into my first apartment ( 1973) I needed a stereo system quick! My dad took me to the fine home of a work mate of his who had some speakers for sale. They turned out to Bose 901's on the tulip stands.
As my dad & bud smoked & drank, I listened to the entire Abraxas album & that session has stuck with me all of these years.
I still have the speakers, the B&O Beogram 3000 TT & the Sony 7065 receiver that I started this addiction with.

Remember when most young men moved out of the parents home ASAP after turning 18?? Heh...Heh
I grew up near Detroit & had friends who when seniors in high school had apts. & worked the night shift at one of the 'Big Three' plants.
 
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