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UncleWill
Joined: 11 Dec 2012
Posts: 417
Location: Northern Virginia (outside Washington DC)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:28 pm Post subject: What are great demo Audio CDs? |
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So you wanna show off your HiFi with some CDs. What titles do you use for this?
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Depends what you're looking for I guess. I was listening to a lot on my newly installed car stereo, and one song that really sounded great was a semi rap version of Prince's 'Kiss' that featured tom Jones. Fantastic bass.
Ditto for the Metallica 'black' album if you're into hard rock.
One that isn't 'music' per se, but more effects, is a disc from about 12 years ago called 'time Warp.'
Also, on the jazzier side, any recording by 'Flim and the BB's' is good.
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kal
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UncleWill
Joined: 11 Dec 2012
Posts: 417
Location: Northern Virginia (outside Washington DC)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Could we get some examples or a time frame on that?
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kal
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ecrabb
Forum Moderator
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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What sort of music do you like?
Any specific aspect of the system that you're trying to show off, (i.e. dynamic range, bass, imaging), or just good sound in general?
SC
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UncleWill
Joined: 11 Dec 2012
Posts: 417
Location: Northern Virginia (outside Washington DC)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | What sort of music do you like?
Any specific aspect of the system that you're trying to show off, (i.e. dynamic range, bass, imaging), or just good sound in general? |
Give me the works, my friend. Whatever you recommend. 
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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BTW, it was told to me long ago that a single sax, guitar, etc will usually impress people more than some song that they don't know. Generally speaking, that's correct. Find some instrumental track that's very lightly arranged, or as I said, something that only has one instrument on it. It will sound insanely clean compared to processed, overproduced songs.
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Dead Can Dance : Into the labyrinth (album)
Pink FLoyd, wish you were here(Album)
Dido Sand in my Shoes( song)
Boston: Boston
Metalica Ride the lightning(Album)
Dexter Gordon: GO!
Bare Naked Ladies: Jane(song)
Earth Wind And Fire : Rise ( Album)
Son Volt: Trace (album)
The Smiths: meat is Murder( album especially the song How Soon is Now)
The Cure: Kiss me Kiss Me Kiss me( album)
Stellastarr*: Stellestarr*(album)
The Donnas: Anyhthing from them!!!! Especially The Donnas Turn 21 and Spend the Night
Too many to list Bill!!!!
Nashou
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
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Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:03 am Post subject: |
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| Curt Palme wrote: | | BTW, it was told to me long ago that a single sax, guitar, etc will usually impress people more than some song that they don't know. Generally speaking, that's correct. Find some instrumental track that's very lightly arranged, or as I said, something that only has one instrument on it. It will sound insanely clean compared to processed, overproduced songs. |
Yep. An acoustic instrument (piano, guitar, sax) along with a clear vocal will really show off a system (or show off its weaknesses). Plucked or hammered instruments expose dynamic range capabilities, and vocals really show off timbre and coloration - especially if you're quite familiar with the artist. Of course, this is also why so many jazz or niche artists get used for audiophile demo material; very little mainstream stuff is recorded very well, regardless of whether dynamic range is compressed or not.
Anyway, there are hundreds of great demo tracks. I'll give you a few, but you can also just google "best audiophile demo tracks" or similar - there are lots of personal and manufacturer playlists out there, with stuff from pretty much every genre. Here are a few of my favorites I can think of right off hand:
Acoustic Guitar
Song for George - Eric Johnson
New Favorite - Allison Krauss (this is available in multichannel DSD, and it's gorgeous)
Hotel California - Eagles (Hell Freezes Over) (nice bass, too)
Duende - Bozzio Levin Stevens (drums, too)
You Haven't Done Nothin' - Jen Chapin (great vocals and bass, too)
Shape of My Heart - Sting
Vocals/live/space
Hallelujah - Brandi Carlisle
Hallelujah - Chris Botti
My Love Is - Diana Krall (nice string bass, too)
Summertime - Scarlett Johansson (yeah, that Scarlett Johansson)
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
Here We Go Again - Ray Charles & Nora Jones
Somewhere, Somebody - Jennifer Warnes
FM - Steely Dan
Kyrie - Misa Crilla (Choral w/percussion)
Night Train - Christian McBride
Do What You Have To Do - Sarah McLachlan
Drums & Percussion
Poem of a Chinese Drum - Yim Hok Man
Jazz Variants - O-Zone Percussion Group
Bass
Solar Sailer - Daft Punk (Tron soundtrack)
Toccata & Fugue In D Minor - Bach
Hand Covers Bruise - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Headroom/SPL
I Feel Love - Blue Man Group
It's Oh So Quiet - Björk
The Man's Too Strong - Dire Straits (great vocals, bass, too)
Face the Face - Pete Townsend
There's a bunch more, but that's what I can find in a couple of emails on the subject.
SC
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ecrabb
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:05 am Post subject: |
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| Nashou66 wrote: | The Smiths: meat is Murder( album especially the song How Soon is Now)
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I don't know about it from an audiophile/recording perspective, but How Soon is Now is probably in my personal top five favorite songs. Definitely in the top ten.
SC
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jeffslife
Joined: 17 Apr 2010
Posts: 4190
Location: ohio usa
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:56 am Post subject: |
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Pink Floyd, Dark Side of The Moon, Half speed master recording.
U2, The Joshua Tree
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Bucketfoot
Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 698
Location: Centennial, CO
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Among many, I find myself leaning towards Alan Parsons produced material such as Dark Side of the Moon, Al Stewart's Time Passages or Year of the Cat, and of course the Parsons Project I Robot.
Some others would be multiple cuts from John Mellencamp's Words & Music, Dire Straits Brothers In Arms (SACD version is really good for showing off multi channel music).
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stridsvognen
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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If you have the perfect setup, Roger Waters amused to death.
It have amasing Q sound, and will be able to give you the ultimate surround experience, better than any multi channel setup, if your setup, and acustic alow it.
Or try these.
http://www.discogs.com/Kari-Bremnes-Svarta-Bj%C3%B8rn/release/1853953
http://astroshop.dk/selvudvikling-og-terapi/spirituel-audio-cd/musik-cd/majbritte-ulrikkeholm-the-door-to-silence-cd.html
http://shop.klicktrack.com/kkv/25855
Its some of the best dynamics/ High / Low frequence on CD i know off, sounds terrible on most setups, good to test your stereos potential, when it sounds clean and dynamic, you got a very potent setup.
If it have to be smooth, like chocolade in your ears, buy some of the audiophile cd`s they use to demo on shows and in shops, it can be played on any transistor radio, without stressing it.. Stochfish is a good example.
http://www.stockfisch-records.de/sf12_start_e.html
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