Want to try "punishing" your amp and speakers ? Throw on a disc by Master entitled "Faith is in Season" and crank the volume. This will tell you how well a system ( speakers especially ) can hold up doing very fast, long excursions and still sound cohesive. The most ferocious attack of low frequency kick drums that i have ever heard. Do NOT play this at high volume with speakers that lack excursion, especially those with small drivers that are vented. The driver will be "unloaded" and you WILL do damage to them. One salesman told me "this is the kind of stuff that breaks equipment". I have no idea what would happen with panel type speakers. Keep in mind that this is "real" metal, so you might not like the music or some of the graphics inside the disc. You have been warned. It IS offensive and it DOES "jam".
You might also try Ian Anderson's "Divinities: Twelve Dances With God". One track has an excellent recording of a bell that literally floats foot by foot across the soundstage. Quite a nice disc to listen to also. I've brought this disc with me on a few occasions to demo used equipment at individual's houses. Everybody has loved it and i've gone through about four copies so far : ) NOTHING like Ian's Jethro Tull days though, so don't expect that.
How about Loreena McKennitt's "The Mask and the Mirror". If you are not totally engulfed in a 3-D soundstage on the opening cut, you've got work to do.
Another good disc is Patricia Barber's "Companion". Not a bad recording overall with some very quick and lively percussion. Some spots are excellent for judging instrument seperation, attack, body ( especially on the bongo's, as most systems make them sound "thin" ), etc... There are also some very quick and hard bass "slaps" that may startle both you and your system. This disc was recorded live, but may surprise you.
Much like "the Cornfed One", i use different recordings at different times. Sean
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