# Music to test new equipment???



## karlsoren (Dec 19, 2017)

When you got the audiophile store, what do you bring? 
I made a compilation cd with:
1. 2 of the faster choral movements from he B Minor Mass: the complexity shows the speed and depth of the speakers. The counterpoint allows for easy A-B testing if they have that set up.
2. Some spare instrumental music: something from the Bach solo for violin; some Beethoven quartets: to test the purity of the sound and make a clear comparison. 
3. Some piano music: Last movement of the Moonlight. to get the sound of a piano, which is a good test for a new speaker. 
4. Some New Age and some world: to get the obscure world percussion and the clarity of a voice; and the use of guiitar. 
5. Familair Voice: James Taylor which I've heard a million times. Familiar voice: arias from La Boheme which I've also heard a million times. 

6. Rachmaninorr Symhonic Dances: the beginning has a great dynamic range and fabulous bass.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I bring the Monteverdi Vespers by Robert King on hybrid, also the Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6 by Munch on hybrid.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

For the past 30 years whenever I have tried out new amps, receivers or especially speakers, there's been one disk that I take, silly as it may seem: Star Wars soundtracks with the Utah Symphony conducted by Varujan Kojian on Varese Sarabande. The dynamic range is utterly stunning - at least as good as any sacd or blu ray. The sound quality is still, by any audible standards, stunning. The orchestral timbres brilliantly caught. The percussion thrilling and lifelike. This disk sounds better than ANY other Star Wars soundtrack disks bar none. Any component/system that can handle this disk can easily play any large scale orchestral work, chamber music, vocals - anything. The last time I took it along (to purchase a new surround sound receiver) the salesman was so blown away he wanted to buy the disk off of me! But you can get it cheap on eBay.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 will test that gear pretty rigorously, especially the first movement.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I cannot remember when I last went out to audition new audio equipment, nor is it likely in the foreseeable future ... but if I did, then it would be...

Shchedrin's _Carmen Suite_ with Yuli Turovsky conducting I Musici de Montreal and the Ensemble Repercussion ... strings, timpani and 47 different types of percussion instruments will stress test any system.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I must admit that when I have listened to audio equipment to buy, I take one disc Annie Lennox 'Diva'
Then close my eyes and listen to her voice


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I have always brought recordings of the organ works of Messiaen to try out audio systems. The full ensemble of the pipe organ will bring some sound systems to their knees and make speakers crackle. 

My Sony STR-DE725 and a pair of KLH 9154's stood up and passed all my tests when I bought them in 1998. 
Still the same solid sound today as they were almost 20 years ago. Makes the whole house rumble with those deep bass tones of the organ.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

For CD I take :The Great Organ of Saint Eustache, Paris/ Jean Victor Arthur Guillou (organ)
Ian Bostridge sings Schubert volume 1 and Tosca on Decca for CD and L.P.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

I want accuracy of reproduction over anything else. 

With its complex harmonics the piano has to be the hardest instrument to reproduce through a pair of speakers so a couple of piano works are a must. I choose ones where both dynamic range and pitch range are prevalent.

The voice is also hard to reproduce so a well produced vocal recording is also in the list.

Sound stage and depth come next. String quartets where the imaging has been excellently recorded will give me a good idea of this.

Next, a large choral work where the producer gets things right.

Finally, how deep and (more importantly) accurate is the bass. Here I tend to either use an organ work that uses 32’ pipes or something like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehamer” to assess this facet.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Unaccompanied classical soprano voice at real-life volume should do the trick - one of the hardest tests (besides choral works).


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Paul Mealor's "Stabat Mater" from Decca's "A Tender Light" performed by Tenebrae

Howard Hanson's "Symphony #1" on Delos performed by the Seattle Symphony

Barber's "Knoxville Summer of 1915" on Nonesuch performed by Dawn Upshaw

Poulenc's "Sonata for Violin and Piano" on Newport Classic performed by Beverly Somach and Harriet Salerno

Pat Metheny's "First Circle" on ECM's "The First Circle" performed by the Pat Metheny Group


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