What's your favorite...?

[Loogey Clapp]

I am wondering what is your favorite tune to show off your sound system? You know... something that has both great bass, treble, separation and all that kind of stuff. Include the title and artist because some have had so many remakes done. Perhaps we could get a good list going here and turn others on to some music they may not be familiar with. Who knows, maybe some killer playlists will come outta this. A few of my favorites are:

Morning Dew by Nazareth
Comin' Home Baby by Melvin Taylor
Fur Elise by Esteban

[elerner61]

I've used Aja by Steely Dan when tuning my install. But by far, if you want to show off a soundsystem's capabilities and also reveals it's weaknesses reach for a cd titled James Newton Howard and Friends. The recording quality is fantastic, dynamic range is wider than God's wingspan and every single instrument, particularly percussion hits and cymbals, are turned up to "11". You may not like the music, but it gets down to business.

"She", "L'Daddy", "E-Minor Shuffle" and "Slippin' Away II" would be four of the stand out tracks

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by elerner61

I've used Aja by Steely Dan when tuning my install. But by far, if you want to show off a soundsystem's capabilities and also reveals it's weaknesses reach for a cd titled James Newton Howard and Friends. The recording quality is fantastic, dynamic range is wider than God's wingspan and every single instrument, particularly percussion hits and cymbals, are turned up to "11". You may not like the music, but it gets down to business.

"She", "L'Daddy", "E-Minor Shuffle" and "Slippin' Away II" would be four of the stand out tracks

LOL, boy that's old, recorded in 1983. I have that CD, It's a "Sheffield Labs Direct from the Masters" CD. Quality of the Sheffield Labs stuff was always first rate. I haven't heard it in years, gonna have to break it out for a listen Aja is a first rate recording. Great separation of instruments and depth. Tom Scott, "Them Changes" is also a good choice. It's a GRP Cd, high quality recording and a great performance also. The bass is very good on this CD. I've used it to tweak the adjustment of my 7 band EQ for real world listening after adjusting it first with white noise and sweep tones.

John

[StickMon]

Steely Dan is timeless. Big fan. I Have my XM set to alert me whenever they're playing.
My favorite test tune is Ministry - Everyday is Halloween.
Oo Oo Bop BopBop!
And to think I'm in my 50's.

[strokeoluck]

I'm not a real audiophile so don't know how well these tunes stretch the stereo system (which I love in this car), but here are two of my favs: Eminem/Lose Yourself, and Jason Aldean/Those Flyover States.

[elerner61]

Originally Posted by antennahead

LOL, boy that's old, recorded in 1983..
John

Yeah, thanks for that.

Actually, thinking about tracks I've used for testing, there is one classical organ selection that is so dense (particularly at the ending, along the lines of the 1812 Overture) that it's the only cut that quickly overcame my home amp (nothing huge, an old Adcom unit) and made it shut down. I never really listen to classical music in my cars, the dynamic range is just too high in comparison to the road noise....and I just find it incredibly boring to listen to classical in a car (can't really close my eyes and concentrate).

I'll check for the name of this organ track when I get home.

[elerner61]

Found it!

Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor "Organ". The last 30 seconds of that thing sounds like nothing short of a pair of Krell Monoblocs will do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hopaQjQFUYw

[Shipkiller]

Taos
Album: Topaz
Artist: Rippingtons