Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio good tunes for testing a new stereo?

Imaging, I would go for anything Alan Parson's Project that was originally recorded in digital format. They won several awards in the music biz for having the cleanest well thgouth out recordings.

Transient vocals, Melisa Etheridge "Enough" or Tracey Champman "Crossroads" have always been at the top of my list, as well as my agreement with dnewma04 on the Modonna disc.

Transient music, any of the Alpine IASCA discs. Tocatta (SP?) in D minor from the '90 disc has always been my favorite. Can't beat a 5 second 18Hz pipe organ blast!

Bass, Boston Rally Bass Collection, Bass Freaks, Techno Jam '98 have been pumpin some major beats.

Now, it's time to install my shiznit in my Contour and get it on...

The Eagles disk is a good one. Try the Tomb Raider soundtrack. Tracks #3-5 have some really good bass. My subs pound louder with that disc than with most of my bass discs.

try flem & the bbs in the jazz section. tricycle is a great if you have a qulity stereo. if you not into jazzthe group spies is another good choice.

DVDs actually have the best sound recordings, unfortunately, unless you happen to have a DVD player in your car, the CD player can not read the DVD.

I also concur on Madonna's immaculate collection. Of all her sonds to test a sound system I would have to say "vogue"

It has voices, pounding bass, violins (these are actually one of the most difficult instruments for a speaker to playback, especially when at high notes) and a host of other instruments.

Don't know if anyone has heard it but the theme song from Dead Presidents(Track #14 on CD) is a great song for both imaging and bass. Has a full string section and a very good percussion track alomg with some piercingly high winds mixed in. This song has been a make or break track for a good system to me.

To be honest, playing this track on my MB Quarts has made me wish to have my 93 Taurus SHO with Kicker Resolution 6.5 comps back! I love the MB's but there was just something about those Kickers...maybe it was the fact that they had silk dome tweeters and a little punchier midbass? Very underrated components IMHO.

For bass: Bass Mekanix- has a whole lot of bass test, any rap CD

For full range: Metallica, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method (nice a clear, good bass too), Limp Bizkit and Korn (clear and lots of bass).
Just my opinions.

IASCA test discs are usually good test discs
Madonna: Immaculate, Ray of light(#9), Music(#6)
Telarc produces some excellent discs...
as mentioned, 1812 Overature
Great Fantasy Adventure AlbumYou ALL must buy this album
Sample Surround(Toccata & Fugue in D minor, Fanfare for the Common Man)
Dave Matthews Band
Metallica
Guns 'n' Roses: GNR lies

Do a search in this forum and the Off Topic for a very similiar thread.

Collective Soul is IMO the greatest band in the universe. Except maybe Men Without Hats... sorry, that was frightening "you can dance if you want to..." man the eighties sucked hard! Seven Year itch just came out and there is not a bad track on the CD. If you haven't heard Collective Soul try this CD. It is a compilation of thier best stuff and I think they chose well. Thier guitar work is some of the best and most dynamic you'll find.

my favorite for sub setup and setting up crossover's and gain's has been photek "the rain" or "the lightning" but i like pink floyd's dark side of the moon for imaging.

I agree with those of you who picked Hotel California as a great song.

When I got my new MP3 deck and speakers, I started listening to all the old mp3s I had on disc. One of them was Hotel Cali, and when it came on, my GF and I sat in the car at 3 am just to listen to how fantastic it sounded, and that was in MP3 form!

For bass, I like Fat of the Land by Prodigy (firestarter and breathe, among others).

Metallica is good (and fuN!).

For clarity, get the remastered Kind of Blue by Miles Davis -- even if you don't like jazz, this is the one jazz album to have. Great music for relaxing or having sex. If you have sex in your car, you're one step closer.

Brian