Good music reference CD suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[Darren_T]

I realize this may be a bit off topic for this forum but I'm testing DIY speakers. I'd like to know what CD's you use to judge your componenets and speakers. I mostly listen to rock and alternative music. I'm not a critical listener but I do appreciate vocals and strings when reproduced well. I'd like to have a couple CD's around to use in comparing speakers and components. The closest thing I have would be my Eagles Hell Freezes Over DVD. I run it in PCM stereo for my comparisons.

If this is deemed too far off topic please let me know or move it to the appropriate group.

Thanks.

Darren

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Off topic or not, "Marvin, the album" by Frente! is usually one of my first CD's after finishing a set of speakers. Angie Hart's voice has a real delicate quality to it that I enjoy... especially when coupled with an acoustic guitar. I must admit, I really didn't like this album much until I built my first DIY speakers and it sounded like she was singing in the room with me.
For heavy-duty bass, I like to pull out "Vegas" by The Crystal Method... It doesn't qualify as Rock or Alternative like you're looking for, but it gives my Shiva a workout.
Otherwise, I just throw in Strykes Basszone test CD and make the room rattle.

 

[Daniel J]

I've got a couple of favorites...
Selling England By the Pound by Genesis- 'Firth of Fifth' is a particularily good track- starts out with a beatiful piano solo, then moves to great vocals and guitar/drum work (Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins!). Get the 'definitive edition remaster' from Atlantic.
The Great Fantasy Adventure Album from Telarc- a beautiful compilation of some of the best film pieces around. Everything from Williams to Goldsmith to the Terminator theme, this is an excellent test disc, both in terms of the types of music and the quality of the recording. Watch out for the FX sequences- I scared the pants off the guy demoing a set of speakers for me with the "T-Rex!" track- He said he was sure the wall was falling on him!

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

1. Tears of Stone - The Chieftains - Guest artists Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, Natalie Merchant, Bonnie Raitt, Sissel, etc. - BMG 09026-68968-2
2. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - The Fairfielld Four - Warner Bros. 9 46698-2
3. Requiem: John Rutter - Turtle Crek Chorale - Reference Recordings RR-57CD
4. Le Cenerentola: Rossini - Chailly, Bartoli - London 436 902-2
5. The Healer - John Lee Hooker - Capricorn 314 538 689-2
6. The Columbia Radio Music Hour, Vol. 1 - COL 66466
7. Return of the Grievous Angel/a tribute to Gram Parsons - AMSD-80024
8. Virtuosa Valentina, Vol. 2 - Valentina Lisitsa - Audiofon CD72070
9. Grateful Heart: Blues & Ballads - Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters - Bullseye Blues BB 9565
10. Slow Down - keb' Mo - Okeh/550 Music BK 69376
11. The Roy Haynes Trio featuring Danilo Perez & John Patitucci - Verve 314 543 534-2
12. Arnold:Chamber Music - English Piano Trio - Naxos 8.554237
13. A Quiet Eye - June Tabor - Green Linnet GLCD 3129
14. Companion - Patricia Barber - Blue Note/Premonition - 7243 5 22963 2 3
15. Bruckner Symphony #4 - Gunter Wand, Berlin Philharmonic - RCA 09026 68839 2
16. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda WIlliams - Mercury 314 558 336-2
17. J.S. Back: Sonatas & Partitas - Paul Galbreath, guitar - Delos DE 3232
18. Road Tested - Bonnie Raitt - Capitol CDP 7243 8 33705 2 8
19. Ports of Call: Iber, Chabrier, Sibelius, etc. - Eije Oue, Minn. Orch. - Reference Recordings RR-90CD
20. Truth from Lies - Catie Curtis - Gaurdian - 7243 8 35435-2 6
21. This One's for Blanton - Duke Ellington/Ray Brown - Pablo OJCCD-810-2
22. Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Snow - DCC Compact Classics Inc. - GZS-1051
23. Don't Smoke in Bed - Holly COle Trio - Manhattan CDP 0777 7 81198 2 1
24. Tutti! Orchestral Sampler - Referenc Recordings RR-906CD
25. Spirit & the Blues - ERic Bibb & Needed Time - Earthbeat!/Opus 3 - R2 75686
26. Beethoven Bernstein - Hilary Hahn - SOny Classical SK 60584
27. Hell Freezes Over - Eagles - Geffen GEFD 24725
28. Forget about It - Alison Kraus - Rounder 11661-0465-2
29. Love Scenes - Diana Krall - Impulse! IMPD-233
30. Party Doll and Other Favorites - Mary Chapin Carpenter - Columbia CK 68751
31. Mozard Portraits - Cecelia Bartoli, Vienna Chamber Orch. - London 443 452-2
32. Live at the 1990 Concord Jazz Festival - Third Set - Concord Jazz - CCD-4454
33. Trios - Rob Wasserman - MFSL UDCD 752

 

[Daniel J]

You also must remember to listen to the song at least ten times on a variety of sound systems you are familiar with before you can get the full benifit from using it as a reference.
If you have a choice between using crappy music you know really well and perfectly recorded music you've never heard before, the crappy music will still give you a better idea of what the system you are testing can do. (On CD, anyway; it's different if the crappy music is a casette recording of music being played through a telephone- that would lack any useful frequency response )

 

[Darren_T]

Wow! Looks like I have a little listening to do...
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll also try and listen to a CD and not a cassette through the phone
Thanks everyone.
Darren

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

Here are my favorites right now

Dave Mathews Band-Crash
BlueMan Group -Audio
Lord of the Rings Sound Track (it is really good!)
American Beauty Original Score soundtrack (not the music from disck)