What music/albums do you guys use as demos?...

[chops-tube]

When feeling the urge to demo "audiophile" grade recordings to show off your system or to really enjoy a late night session in the dark, what music do you use?

Stuff like what they use in the big shows like RMAF, CES, TAVES, T.H.E. Show, etc, etc. I'm looking for full albums preferably. Stuff that is recorded properly. Stuff that I can actually sit and listen to on my own system to see what it is really capable of.

List them up fellas!

Many thanks in advance!

[crwilli]

Here are a few weeks ideas

Sara Bareilles - Brave Enough, Live at the Variety Playhouse (album)

Annie Lennox - Nostalgia (album)

Chuck Mangione - Children of Sanchez ( track ) [thanks Dave!] Dynamics Baby!

Jamie Cullum - I only have Eyes for you ( track )

James Taylor - Gaia ( track ). Wait for the drums at about 4'

[chops-tube]

crwilli... Thanks for starting off this thread! I'm listening to Sara Bareilles' live album right now. If there's two things these speakers do really good, it's female vocals and piano. I'm liken' what I'm hearin'!

[-E-]

Damn... Should have saved that cape playlist of mine...

[EfeTe]

I would agree with most and those are on my cue when I demo. However, I also tend to do something different namely Foo Fighters and / or Queens of the Stone Age.

I do this deliberately as I tend to have trouble finding most of their recordings "pleasant sounding" enough, and they really put the speakers to the test. My reasoning being, I can always play a Chuck Mangione or a Yellowjackets (you should try that!) disc and have fun if the setup does pass the FF / QotSA experience then it could handle anything

[Antonmb]

I have a list of go-tos for guests, for my own listening pleasure and for evaluating system changes:
Paul Simon - Graceland
Bach: Cello Suites - Mstislav Rostropovich on EMI
Bach: Double & Triple Violin Concertos - Rachel Podger & Brecon Baroque on Channel Classics
Beethoven: Last Three Piano Sonatas - Arturo Pizarro, Linn Records
Alison Krauss - New Favorite
Chet Baker - Chet's Choice
Frank Sinatea - Sinatra's Sinatra (MFSL)
John Hiatt - Bring The Family (MFSL)
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette - Standards in Norway
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 - Budapest Festival Ochestra, Ivan Fischer, Channel Classics
Marialy Pacheco - Introducing
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Stan Getz, João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (MFSL)
Steve Earle - Jerusalem
Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya

[chops-tube]

Excellent choices guys! Keep em' coming.

Being subscribed to Tidal allows me to get a lot of this "new to me" music and artists.

[SteveSem]

I like Van Morrison's "Wavelength." The opening title track in particular shows off a lot of different things. The initial synthesizer starts out focusing on the upper mids and treble and slowly expands to the full mid-range. Then, when the drums come in, the bass really jumps out in a way that let's your ears focus on that. The rest of album is pretty good too.

[robfine]

Jen Chapin
Revisions: Songs of Stevie Wonder

A girl, a baritone sax, and... Nothing!

One of the most amazing recordings you will hear.

[prepress]

Since you have an Oppo, I'll suggest a blu-ray: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Borodin: Symphony No. 2 by the Berliner Philharmoniker with Simon Rattle conducting.