best songs to discern a good system


I have been building an arsenal of music to test certain aspects of speakers for some time. Below is a list of what I use and why. I am interested to find out what others use and what they listen for in each selection.

Jennifer Warnes "Way down deep" off the cd "the Hunter". This is a great song and the lower bass is an african drum that is actually squeezed in order to get a unique sound. It is very tough for a subwoofer (the one note only kind) to reproduce this.

Vital Tech tones "VTT" this is a fantastic example of musical bass not just earth shattering low notes. Victor Wooten plays amazingly, even though this track is just to introduce the band it is one of my favorites.

Nine Inch Nails "into the void" I have heard this sound incredibly convincing on a pair of revel ultima studios. I use this track once I have found a system that has great imaging and soundstaging to test to make sure the kick drum sounds like a skin being struck and not a speaker.

Greg Brown "who killed **** Robin" great male vocals. The breathieness of the track is very lifelike on the correct system.

Diana Krall "Frim Fram Sauce" I use this track to see how liquid the system is. To determine if the instruments sound smooth and fluid from top to bottom.

Patricia Barber "Touch of trash" Mobile fidelity original master version. This is a great track to here image and sound stage of a small band and vocals.

The Eagles "Hotel California" from the JVC XRCD reissue. Great guitar to test the smoothness of the midrange.

The Sheffield Lab Drum and track Disc (JVC XRCD2 reissue). I try not to listen to test tracks even when auditioning new speakers, but tracks 1 and 2 speak volumes to how a good system can recreate a drum kit in your room.

Please let me know what you use. Thanks.
hahnzie

Showing 4 responses by timrhu

Just ordered "Honey In the Lion's Head" from cdbaby.com. That one isn't listed on the Red House Records sight. Thanks for the info.
I guess I ought to answer the question as you've been so gracious.
For male vocal I like the "Dead Man Walking" soundtrack. Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Steve Earle are few of the contributors with distinctively different vocal attributes.
For female vocals Jane Siberry -- "When I Was a Boy" has a track in which Siberry shares vocal with kd lang. When a system demonstrates a distinct space between the two singers, (a rarity) then I figure things are right. There's another track on this cd with Holly Cole singing a couple of lines. I think it was a pair of Meadowlark Audio Shearwater hot rods I had that sent me to the liner notes to verify the singer.
An old stand by is "Joshua Judges Ruth" by Lyle Lovett. This is good for bass reproduction. It's a well recorded cd all around.
Hey Fish, I've listened to "Honey in the Lion's Head" twice now. You sold me on the "Who Killed Cock Robin?" track. The sonics are terrific on this, thanks.
If you don't own it, his "Covenant" cd is a good one also. I first heard him on a Red House Records compilation disc titled "A Nod To Bob." This HDCD disc, featuring the label's artists performing Dylan songs in a tribute to Bob's 60th birthday, is one of my favorites.