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What is your favorite goto "test" music?

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Too many to list:

First Impressions pressing of Cantate Domino
Direct To Disk James Newton Howard and Friends
Mussorgsky Night On Bald Mountain RCA 2 x 45 rpm 200gm
Bach Cantata Aus Der Tiefe Ruffe Ich Herr Zu Dir. Telefunken
DSOM
LEd Zep 2 Classic Records 200gm Clarity pressing

Dozens more which I'm too lazy to list.
 
pictures at an exhibition by lorin maazel and the cleveland orchestra on TELARC. LP preferred but the reissue SACD Hybrid would be next. the regular CD would be my last choice. a perfect performance, and the digitally recorded LP was available long before the cd. LP copies can still be found, check discogs.
 
Marcus Miller - Afrodeezia. Great album, and it's a bass test for my speakers. Just fantastic bass playing on his albums.
 
A few tracks I use. Paula Abdul: Spellbound: #3 Rush Rush. At first I thought it was recorded badly because the highs I heard sounded harsh. Ends up the speakers I had couldn't handle the high-treble. With better speakers the highs came through nice and clear with nice clean mids. I turned out it was very well recorded, your system has to have the resolution to bring it out.
Next is Angela Bofil, The Definitive Collection, Still in Love. Good recording of female vocals.
Next: Hiroshima, Go. Best track? Pick one, they're all good. One of my favorites.
 
Oh wow, I can't say for sure which because as we can see there are so many good albums.
But here's what I do..... I have a "Audio Test Record" from Nautilus. Circa 1977-78.
It was marketed by Orion Marketing.
According to the album cover this record was designed to reveal major problems that plague audio systems.
After you set the cartridge up for weight, and overhang, first test is anti-skating.
From there is moves on to:
Stereo desperation
Speaker balancing
System phasing
Intermediation distortion test
Trackability test
The rumble test and finally a complimentary song.

It was because of this record I discovered a new cartridge I got wasn't performing correctly and sent to back.
 
Things I Saw Happening At The Fountain On The Plaza When I Was Visiting Rome Or Amore
~Buck Owens

 
It doesn't matter what piece of gear I'm trialing my "go-to" is always Laura Branigan's Gloria.

Besides being an awesome song it's downright critical of gear. I'm sure there's better songs/albums out there but my ears are tuned for Gloria.
 
If i want to crank it up I use any CD by Flim and the BB's. Amazingly well recorded.

If i want to hear vocals it's Sentimental Hygiene by Zevon.
Sentimental_Hygiene_album_cover.jpg

If i want acoustic guitar it's 'All The Ways I Want You' from Bruce Cockburns' Dart to the Heart CD

If vinyl, then Crime of The Century.
 
This disc should be in every classical lovers collection. Frederick Fennell/Cleveland Symphonic Winds, Holst and Handel. This is on the Telarc label. The bass drums alone will get your teeth rattling.


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OnTheBlitz said:
Hello AK'ers,

When ever I add/replace a new piece of Gear or make any tweak to my system, I have a favorite "goto" Album I use to listen and evaluate the change.


If you happen to do the same as me:
Please list Artist, Album Name, Media Type, Record Label, Record Label number and Picture of the Album cover, if possible (I grab my pics from Google images).

My "goto" is:
Artist: Special EFX
Album Name: Double Feature
Media Type: CD
Record Label: GRP
Record Label Number: GRD-9559
Album Picture:
View attachment 804438

Thanks
Click to expand...

Geeze Chris, when are you coming back to AK?
 
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