I use different kinds of music to explore various performance characteristics of speakers, ie:
One of my favorite torture-test tracks in the 3rd category is Donald Fagen's "Morph the Cat" (title track of that 2008 recording). The opening note is a huge transient built up of countless bass instruments & other things in the studio. Few other cuts show just how large & loud a speaker can get (in a hurry).
- Well-recorded acoustic jazz to explore timbre, detail/speed & soundstage
- Well-recorded large scale classical and choral to explore time, detail/speed, soundstage, and dynamics
- Well-recorded blues, Afro-pop, reggae, electronic/chill to explore overall tonality, bass depth/impact & dynamics
One of my favorite torture-test tracks in the 3rd category is Donald Fagen's "Morph the Cat" (title track of that 2008 recording). The opening note is a huge transient built up of countless bass instruments & other things in the studio. Few other cuts show just how large & loud a speaker can get (in a hurry).