CDs with heavy, fast bass and/or long drum solos

I second MoFi's suggestion of the Sheffield disk. It is available from Acoustic Sounds in both cd and xrcd form.

Following the release of the Sheffield Track Record in 1982, which is one of the two originally direct-to-disk lp's which are included on the cd and xrcd (the other being the Sheffield Drum Record), Harry Pearson proclaimed it to be "absolutely the best sounding rock and roll record ever made." I think that a good case could be made for that still being true today.

Regards,
-- Al

If you feel like testing the limit of the woofer, I'd highly recommend Tchaikovsky 1812. Telarc issued SACD with Erich Kunzel and Cincinatti Pops has thunderous cannon fires that will stress test the power amps and woofers.

Careful with that one! :)

When it was initially released, on LP in the early 1980's iirc, you could literally see where the cannon shots occurred by looking at the record, from even a foot or two away. On some of the shots the grooves made nearly a 90 degree angle, and the record was untrackable on many and perhaps most systems.

Reviewer comments abounded cautioning people that if they didn't keep the volume down they risked blowing up their speakers, and perhaps the amp as well. There is not only enormous low frequency energy, but enormous high frequency energy as well, during the initial "crack" of the cannon shots.

I think they may have ultimately remastered it and tamed it somewhat.

Regards,
-- Al