Only two tracks to test your system, forever!

A recording of my son singing and playing guitar is the ultimate test

Bruce Colburn and Rob Wasserman live - any song

not possible

@moonwatcher had a nicely worded response .. describing what makes for a great track ..

Placement, staging, resolution, timbre have become the fine points I etc long to seek out, once deciphered, I can then rest that my standard catalog will sound as good as it can.

But one additional point .. I find that a recording of natural acoustically recorded instruments yields me the best quick analysis of performance.

I have rested on the early Jim Keltner Shefield Drum track .. ( the HDTr transfer is not a great representation of the recording, find an early Sheffield album or disc, the early work is amazingly different in heft attack, and dynamics) ..

and 2) if so blessed to find the early produced test disc by Opus 3 Test Disc 1 (track 1) "Tiden Bara Gar" has female voice. Both discs feature winsomely instruments placed for depth, sonic placement, and resolution. The Opus One features a few other choice cuts on there that are amazingly resolving due to the care in capturing the original recording.

Thanks to the contributors for the many cut suggestions .. am anxious to explore many of these!

Sara Barielles - Gravity from Live at Variety Playhouse

Phil Collins - Don’t Care Anymore (incredible drums that really show sound stage)

A lot of great suggestions here, some I have in my collection, many I do not and will have to check out.

@jay2 Being a fan of smooth jazz, I went on YouTube and gave Pete Belasco "Deeper" a listen - great suggestion. Even streaming through my 12 year old MacBook, it sounded good. Defiantly has the bass. Went on Amazon Music and ordered the CDs of "Deeper" and "Lights On"

thanks.......Jim

Very much enjoyed this! Added 7-8 songs listed here to my existing testing and positioning playlist. There are quite a few I already had on my list. Cheers to all that have participated. 

@duckworp 

Lana Del Ray - Venice B**ch.  The width and depth of this marvellous production and the layering of the textures will really test the system.  Can the system present this complicated production as a homogenous whole? Does the sound completely fill the room as it will on a good system?

FKA Twigs - Home With You.  That orchestral ending is tough to get right.

Nice choices.

Prince- When the Lights Go Down

Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars 

For me it all depends. Am I looking for a system or speaker that has a realistic and rich tapestry with tonally accurate midrange, meaning singers sound the way you would expect them to. 

These two are exceptional! Both on Qobuz

Artist: Yuri Honing Trio

Album: Alive

Track: Isobel

Artist: Arne Domnerus/Lars Erstrand

Album: Live is Life

Track: Drum Boogie

Dream on dude!!

@ebm What album is that on??? Need the info!  Get on it ASAP!!!

Coming soon!!

Promises, promises ... hold one's breath. 

🤔

Joy Inside My Tears - Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life (BluRay disc)

Gypsy in My Soul - Van Morrison, Magic Time (closely followed by Celtic New Year)

Jack of Speed              Steely Dan

Love Shack                  B-52's

SledgeHammer          Peter Gabriel

Does anyone remember Pink Floyd? Certainly, "Us and Them" and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Part 1)" are great system testers. And, your 20 year old self would be proud of those choices.

Southampton Dock

The Final Cut. Pink Floyd

Happy Listening, 

From SWFL

With only two tracks to listen to I’d give up, audio drag racing just isn’t the point.