tough sounds to reproduce ???

Stand in the street, right beside a parade that is passing by. Add the sound of twenty or more US Marines marching in perfect cadence and striking their drums in perfect synchronization.

This is so startling that I cannot describe it. The dynamics and overtones went from the extreme highs to well below the pavement and into my bones. I don't think this could even be accurately recorded, much less played back.

sean: if you can find the xrcd2 of "brothers in arms." you'll hear some well-produced thunder. and music.
-kelly

The Female voice singing transitional opera (i.e. a vibratoed note going from soft to loud, etc.). Almost every system I've heard includes an edgy little distortion product that drives me goofy.

The lower octaves of a piano, more than the highs. I like to use piano music as part of my demo of audio gear. If the piano sounds right, the other sounds usually fall in place pretty well.

Sean there are too many to mention. As Albert notes the sound of a marching band as it passes. It is about impossible to get even close to the immediacy, dynamics and sense of each individual instrument. I never heard an audio system come even close. Funny Albert mentions it as I always get the same feeling everytime I hear a live marching band.

Also as Dweller notes the transition of the operatic soprano voice. It is just murder getting that the way you hear it live. As Sugarbrie notes, piano is tough also. My conclusions are a bit different though feeling the upper registers are the toughest to get right, generally seem to lack the air and presence that you hear from a live piano.

So far as thunder I have an excellent recording on Telarc with Kunzel and Cinncinati Pops Overture to "Phantom of the Opera". The opening involves a frantic woman walking in the rain with cracks of thunder in the background. It appears she is being followed. There is a dramatic increased pulsing of her heart as she walks faster. Cats screeching and heavy doors closing with the climatic scream and fall into the abyss as the organ opens the overture. It is VERY well recorded with some interesting sound effects. The decay of the thunder goes on to infinity, just like it really does. Other than the absolute volume of real thunder, the dynamics and sense of space are quite believable.