What Cd Do You Use To Show Off Your System?

Hey there,

I'm interested in what CDs people throw on when they are giving a demo or showing off their gear to someone else. Not that I want to be a show off (not much anyway), I'm more interested in trying some new CDs out to hear how my new Aslan speakers and Consonance CDP goes.

Any genre. Just keen to hear some great "sounds".

Apologies if this has been asked before. I forgot search is my friend. To the TT fans, include Vinyl as well if you like for other people's benefit.

John

howzabout getting the ball rolling and telling us yours!

Here's a few:

Love Over Gold - Dire Straits

The whole album but especially Private Investigations

Waiting For Columbus - Little Feat - Live

Dixie Chicken is eleven minutes plus of sheer genius

Take Five - Dave Brubeck

Everybody knows the title track, but there are many better on the album. The recording is stupendous

Beethoven's Ninth - Karajan - 1977 recording

The slow movement is sublime

Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas for Violin - Schzeryng

The "Chaconne" is nothing short of awesome - if your setup can render this well, you're getting somewhere

Josquin (1440-1521) - L'homme arme Masses - The Tallis Scholars

They don't make "acapella" like they used to. The way the voices blend is spine tingling

The Collection - Mary Black

A great female voice, great accompanists, brilliant recording - check out Dream of Columbus and Song for Ireland

howzabout getting the ball rolling and telling us yours![/b]

Ok terry, good point. Keep in mind, I was asking for a reason (not sure I have any good ones)

"Talented Mr Ripley" soundtrack for the classical music arranged by Gabriel Yared

Ben Harper - Both sides of the Gun CD1. It is a 2 CD set but CD1 is more laid back acoustic in style

Ben Harper - Lifeline (recorded an all old Paris studio an all Analogue equip)

Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic vol 1 - Just him with a guitar, piano and a packed house (he is quite funny between songs actually)

Ngariki - self titled. He is a Newcastle muso. It is a good CD to hear the different recording sessions he had (by the location of the musos on different songs). - similar to Robert Cray in style

Since getting my new gear, the system has played many many CDs. These are the ones that get repeat plays over the weekends.

I have picked up some new stuff lately (Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse, Paul Kelly + more) that I'm still getting used to. The above ones I know very well so i used them as a reference over the past months when selecting new gear. Just getting a little tired of them - hence the reason for the post.

John

Here's a few:[/b]

Thanks Brumby - I'll see if I can get a few tonight at JB's

I throw on either:

Beck- Sea Change

Lucinda Williams-Live At The Fillmore, or

Women In Blue- Various Artists 2 disc ( if I want to showcase vocalists through my full range speakers)

plus countless others, but these are probably the 3 I play most often in this situation.

Chris

Thanks Brumby - I'll see if I can get a few tonight at JB's[/b]

You're welcome scuzzi, but don't be in TOO much of a hurry. In the first place, your tastes and mine might not be the same. When I "test" a system, I'm more into the music I like to listen to than I am to "hi fii pyrotechnics".

In the second place, a couple of the ones I listed are a bit obscure. I doubt if you'd find them at JB.

Hi Scuzzi,

I am off the opinion that your are better to a play music genre that is to the likeing of your guests.

This will normally have greater appeal than audiophile stuff they don't always identify with. If your guests like classical:play classical.Jazz, Play Jazz. Then expand on that later with new material into the listening session.

Having said that, for an SNA GTG I do try and find new material I haven't presented before, to see how many pens and papers get pulled out taking cover notes etc,

There will be recordings in your CD/LP library that will marry well with the tonal balance of your system in your room. These may not always work well on everyones system.

Tony C

Hi Scuzzi,

I probably should have added my preference is for music of an acoustic or non amplified nature.

So I would rather have a piano, than a keyboard.

Rather an a Double bass playing in preference to a bass guitar.

Real drum kits please. Not those artificial pads or drum machines. YUK.

Look for recordings where the microphones are suspended in the acoustic space rather than recording miked to the mixing desk.

General comments but worth thinking about.

Best Tony C

'Still got the Blues'- Gary Moore, up as loud as you can.

'Little Wing' - 'Stevie Ray Vaughn'-" " " " " "

'At Last' and 'I'd rather go blind'.-Etta James-

And any drum solo you have.

Hmm, various stuff really:

Joe Jackson: Body and Soul - great music very well recorded (vinyl)

Beethoven's 7th - '63 Karajan - possibly my favourite piece of classical music, simply sublime. (vinyl)

At the gtg at my place I put on U2 Vertigo 2005 Live from Chicago DVD 'cos I like it loud and it came back at me at 105db (DVD)

Recently reissued vinyl is always good: Creedence Clearwater Revival's debut self titled album and Jethro Tull's Aqualung are great for listening to the system.

Keith Jarrett's Staircase is good for listening to piano reproduction, great music too.

Well that's what I use - Aqualung is good as it has tracks with lot's of electric guitar and some mainly acoustic tracks.

DS

I have to mention one of the best CD recorded I have ever heard.

"Manger Demo CD"

1 Gütersloher Glocken: Volles Geläut

von Das Gütersloher Nachtsang-Geläut

Hörspiel (Auszug)

2 Der Himmel deckt alles mit Stille zu

Autor: Jean Paul, Regie: Annette Jainski, Produktion: SWF 1993

Klavier

3 Bruno-Leonardo Gelber: Beethoven, Sonate Nr. 8, C-Dur, Op. 13

von Beethoven, Piano Sonatas, DENON, COCO-9740

Männliche Stimme

4 Hermann Prey: Beethoven, Ich liebe Dich

von: DENON Professional Test CDs

Streich-Oktett

5 Sonatori de la Gioiosa marca: Vivaldi, „Der Winter" aus „Die 4 Jahreszeiten", 3. Satz

von A. Vivaldi: „Les Quatre Saisons", DIVOX, CDX 79404-F

Sinfonie-Orchester

6 Leipziger Gewandhausorchester, Herbert Blomstedt: Haydn, Sinfonie Nr. 67, F-Dur, 1. Sat Erstveröffentlichung

Sinfonie-Orchester, weibliche Stimme

7 Berliner Philharmoniker, Olga Borodina (Mezzosopran): Stravinsky, Pulcinella, Tarantella

von Le Sacre Du Printemps, PHILIPS, 446 698-2

Klassische Gitarre

8 Stefano Grondona: Tárrega, Capricho Arabe

von La Guitarra De Antonio De Torres, DIVOX, CDX 29701

Kontrabass

9 Renaud Garcia-Fons: Ghazali

von Oriental Bass, ENJA

Jazz-Quartett

10 The Treya Quartet: Fauré, Pavane

von The Treya Quartet Plays Gabriel Fauré, DIVOX Jazz, CDX-49802

The Whistling Livingston Taylor

11 Livingston Taylor: Isn't She Lovely

von Ink, CHESKY RECORDS, JD 162

Gospel Chor, a capella

12 Livingston Taylor: Grandma's Hands

von Jazz & World Music Celebration, CHESKY,

Jazz Trio

13 The Yuri Honing Trio: Walking On The Moon

von Star Tracks, JAZZ IN MOTION

Rockn'Soul

14 Marla Glen: The Cost Of Freedom

von This Is Marla Glen, DISQUE VOGUE

Percussion Ensemble

15 The O-zone Percussion Group: Jazz Variants

von La Bamba, KLAVIER RECORDS, KD 77017

http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/p/MGR-Dem.../Manger+Demo+CD

Woofer cooker ? just (about) kidding :biggrin:

i let them bring their own cd's. then they understand how bad mp3's are when i show them the original recording

the discs i like are here are some

mike oldfield amorok

dire straits on every street

pink floyd the wall mobile fedelity

chesky woman of song

Elis Presley is back the song called fever

I threw on Dire Straits "love over gold" last night when we got back from dinner.

The Mrs wasn't too happy that I preferred to listen to that over her (which was a continuation of the same discussion at dinner).

Love track 2 "private investigation". Heard many new sounds from an old CD. Thanks for the tip on that one.

Will have to dig up the "Sultan's of Swing -greatest" CD from them. It's in HDCD but regardless of that, the reproduction of the CD would be more advanced and listen to "Private" on that.

Couldn't find a lot of the ones mentioned. Will do a more extensive search over the weekend.

Did purchase the new Dylan 3 CD pack though and a Chet Barker re-release that seemed worthy of purchase - don't know much about Chet but he plays a track on "ripley" so figured he was pretty significant.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?...76862&BAB=E

However, I've gone off topic.

The suggestions don't need to be solely based on what you use to demo. They can be what you play to hear your system at it's best.

I threw on Dire Straits "love over gold" last night when we got back from dinner.

The Mrs wasn't too happy that I preferred to listen to that over her (which was a continuation of the same discussion at dinner).

Love track 2 "private investigation". Heard many new sounds from an old CD. Thanks for the tip on that one.

Will have to dig up the "Sultan's of Swing -greatest" CD from them. It's in HDCD but regardless of that, the reproduction of the CD would be more advanced and listen to "Private" on that.

Couldn't find a lot of the ones mentioned. Will do a more extensive search over the weekend.

Did purchase the new Dylan 3 CD pack though and a Chet Barker re-release that seemed worthy of purchase - don't know much about Chet but he plays a track on "ripley" so figured he was pretty significant.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?...76862&BAB=E

However, I've gone off topic.

The suggestions don't need to be solely based on what you use to demo. They can be what you play to hear your system at it's best.[/b]

I usually ask my guest's what they would like to hear,but must say ,when I go listening to other gear,esp. demo's in a shop...I will take my "Dali Demo disc" and "The Gladiator" soundtrack...between those two Cd's ,believe me ,they have brought some very expensive speakers to show up their limitations...the Dali disc has some great music on it,and I was lucky to score that one in Germany...with Vinyl I demo all the Dire Straits mentioned above and his duett with Emmy Lou Harris...Amanda Mc Broom"Dreaming" ,love the latest Bruce Springsteen "The Seeger Sessions" on LP ,on the classical side ...Reference Recordings"Symphony Fantasticue" and "El Cid" Massenet...great stuff,too many too mention...cheers Helmut

I usually ask my guest's what they would like to hear,but must say ,when I go listening to other gear,esp. demo's in a shop...I will take my "Dali Demo disc" and "The Gladiator" soundtrack...between those two Cd's ,believe me ,they have brought some very expensive speakers to show up their limitations...the Dali disc has some great music on it,and I was lucky to score that one in Germany...with Vinyl I demo all the Dire Straits mentioned above and his duett with Emmy Lou Harris...Amanda Mc Broom"Dreaming" ,love the latest Bruce Springsteen "The Seeger Sessions" on LP ,on the classical side ...Reference Recordings"Symphony Fantasticue" and "El Cid" Massenet...great stuff,too many too mention...cheers Helmut[/b]

I'm sure this is the one I have as well.

The Dali disc has a few very well recorded tracks which are both enjoyable as far as music and recording quality go.There are now a handful of copies floating about good ol SNA.

I'm sure this is the one I have as well.

The Dali disc has a few very well recorded tracks which are both enjoyable as far as music and recording quality go.There are now a handful of copies floating about good ol SNA. [/b]

Hello Joz,

Yes I would 2nd the Dali disc recommendation (thanks Glenn) and add that the Focal demo disc is also quite good (thanks Focal Rep and Geoff at eHome)

Best

JA

Some Ultimate Demonstration Disc Tracks are very demanding of a system and also Beethoven's S9 Scherzo.

The Dixie Chicks' first album.

The valves just love the vocal harmonies, guitars and fiddles/violins.

Dead Can Dance - Serpent's Egg (a favourite demo by Stereofile Magazine in the past).

Closely mic'd voices, big drums and eerie synth to an ethnic flavour through to Olde English - can be very dynamic and very haunting!

For a classical feel I'll play the sound track to Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within.

A very, very good recording indeed.

Living Colour - Stain

It has really good music that sounds great on a well setup system especially Never satisified and Nothingness.

When I first heard the cd through my headphones it was like a completely different cd than I had heard on my average stereo at the time.

Well for me it is all about 3D soundstaging and the ability to portray emotional elements rather than an acoustic fireworks display.

In this regard here are some of my favourites......

When Joy Kills Sorrow.......Various Aussie Musos

Damien Rice..........O

Karrin Allyson...........Ballads

Chris Isaak.........Baja Sessions

Lisa Ekdahl.......Back To Earth

KD Lang....Hymns From The 49th Parallel

Mary Black....By The Time It Gets Dark

Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy....Adieu False Heart

Willie Nelson......You Don't Know Me

Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band...Tsirkus

Guy Clark......Keepers

Hi All,

CDs......

Bliss [Quiet Letters]

Muddy Waters [FolkSinger]

Doug MaCleod [Whose Truth Whose Lies]

Midnight Oil [20,000 Watt R.S.L]

........there are many others but these would be the ones I'd reach for first.

Vinyl.....there are many but a couple that standout are:

Thelma Houston's [i've Got The Music in Me]

Dire Straights [brothers in Arms]

Cheers,

Keith

While my speakers are certinly not high end, they do sound nice playing Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance"

It is a good recording of there live performance

Pink Floyd's remastered 25th anniversary release of "Wish You Were Here" comes accross very well too.

Those two I guess.

starting to look into home audio rather than my first love, car audio, and most discs i use for car stereo demo'ing are the same that i am now using to test home stereo components...

damien rice - o

sarah mclachlan - surfacing

diana krall - the girl in the other room

JJJ 'like a version' vol.1 (don't knock it till u try it, some VERY good live recordings on there)

Chesky UDD

Rodrigo Y Gabriela, self-titled