These are the tracks I'm using in my current listening tests, along with a brief description of why I chose it and what I listen for in each one. I'm putting this in a separate thread because I'll probably refer to it in other threads as I audition all the new headphone gear in coming days.
Note that while my current DAC is capable of 24bit/96kHz resolution (and the DA8 coming can go even higher), I'm using regular CD-rez tracks - 16/44.1 - because that's what I listen to 99.99% of the time. My source for all of this is the squeezebox via optical/toslink connection to the DAC.
1) Painter Song, from Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Amazing vocal presence, a lot like that classic Keb Mo track we all know. But this one has more instrumentation along with it.
2) Bare Bones, from Bob James, Grand Piano Canyon
Terrific SQ. Very tight bass. Good mix of instruments - piano, trumpets, etc. Lots of stuff going on.
3) Vallee d'Obermann, from Arcadi Volodos, Volodos Plays Liszt
IMHO the best technical piano recording I own. And some of the finest musicianship as well. Especially good recording of the bass end of the piano, which often lacks somewhat - either because of the recording technique and/or the voicing and abilities of the piano itself. In this recording, you can really hear the room, which seems to be a smaller recital room, rather than a really large concert hall. You can hear the resonance of the sound, and some saturation of the acoustics when the piano is going loud and full - and Volodos has POWER when he wants, and uses a lot of pedal in some places, such that there's a tremendous amount of sound.
4) Something's Got a Hold On Me, from Beth Hart + Joe Bonamassa, Don't Explain
Great vocals and bass line - Carmine Rojas (bass) is simply amazing. Also quite a lot of instrumentation - couple guitars, keyboard, etc. Lots of energy.
5) Come Together, from Brian Bromberg, Wood
Acoustic/string bass (only), with a lot of slap/pluck/slide/whatever percussive sounds that Brian does with his hands in addition to playing the notes. Very up-close recording, you're right there next to the bass, lots of echo in the instrument itself.
6) Hanuman, from Rodrigo y Gabriela, Area 52
Fast-paced music, with a LOT going on, this is a ~10 person Cuban band with trumpets and other stuff besides R&G's guitars. Rodrigo plays electric guitar in the style of Santana. A lot of layering of sounds here.
7) Partita #3 first mvmt, from Hilary Hahn, Bach Violin Partitas & Sonata
Solo violin. The tone of the violin is important, that it not be too bright/shrill. You can hear occasional physical instrument sounds like fingers sliding, bowing, occasional ring of a secondary string. I have discovered, though, that this recording suffers from some slight little distortion sound in the right channel - it's consistent across all the gear I've listened to (including speakers), so it's definitely the recording. Some gear is more revealing of this than others.
8) Priidite Poklonimsya, from Robert Shaw, Rachmaninoff's Vespers
Very large a capella chorus. Big choir, big dynamics. The key here is whether you can get some sense of individual singers spread across the stage, as opposed to just one big sound.
9) Athens to Athens, from Joe Bonamassa, An Acoustic Evening at The Vienna Opera House
Great live recording. This song is just FUN - a lot of energy, they're really getting into it. Some audience sounds. Good stereo spread, and mix of acoustic instruments and percussion.
10+11) Dances of the Young Girls + Ritual of Abduction, from Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic, Stravinsky's Le Sacre Du Printemps
Huge orchestral work, vast number of different instruments spread across the stage. Very aggressive and dynamic music with lots of low bass and bass drums.
12) Common Man, from Black Country Communion, Afterglow
Amazing musical energy in this song. Good SQ, especially the drums - and Bonham uses a lot of open toms rather than snares, which I like. Somewhat darker tone overall.
13) My Man's Gone Now, from Shirley Horn, I Remember Miles
Slow, serious, dark jazz. I like this one in particular because of the drums. There are two complete drum sets going here, left and right, along with two basses, trumpet, and of course Shirley's vocals and piano. There's a lot going on, but again the drum sounds are very much in the jazz style with a lot of little things happening - high hat ticks, brush strokes, etc.
14) Bach Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, from Virgil Fox, The Digital Fox
Pipe organ, the usual piece that everyone knows. Big big organ, lots of variations in tone. Obviously, low bass notes. The trick with this is both bass extension, and the ability to hear the high notes clearly even when there's a lot of bass at the same time. Some sense of room acoustics in this recording, and stereo isolation of different sets of pipes.
15) So We Meet Again My Heartache, from Melody Gardot, The Absence
Great song, musically. Very intimate recording of Melody's voice - she's got a wonderful sultry voice but it's not powerful, so she's always very close-mic'ed. Lots of interesting little things in this mix, percussion, a couple of guitars, acoustic instruments, and even a string orchestra.
Note that while my current DAC is capable of 24bit/96kHz resolution (and the DA8 coming can go even higher), I'm using regular CD-rez tracks - 16/44.1 - because that's what I listen to 99.99% of the time. My source for all of this is the squeezebox via optical/toslink connection to the DAC.
1) Painter Song, from Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Amazing vocal presence, a lot like that classic Keb Mo track we all know. But this one has more instrumentation along with it.
2) Bare Bones, from Bob James, Grand Piano Canyon
Terrific SQ. Very tight bass. Good mix of instruments - piano, trumpets, etc. Lots of stuff going on.
3) Vallee d'Obermann, from Arcadi Volodos, Volodos Plays Liszt
IMHO the best technical piano recording I own. And some of the finest musicianship as well. Especially good recording of the bass end of the piano, which often lacks somewhat - either because of the recording technique and/or the voicing and abilities of the piano itself. In this recording, you can really hear the room, which seems to be a smaller recital room, rather than a really large concert hall. You can hear the resonance of the sound, and some saturation of the acoustics when the piano is going loud and full - and Volodos has POWER when he wants, and uses a lot of pedal in some places, such that there's a tremendous amount of sound.
4) Something's Got a Hold On Me, from Beth Hart + Joe Bonamassa, Don't Explain
Great vocals and bass line - Carmine Rojas (bass) is simply amazing. Also quite a lot of instrumentation - couple guitars, keyboard, etc. Lots of energy.
5) Come Together, from Brian Bromberg, Wood
Acoustic/string bass (only), with a lot of slap/pluck/slide/whatever percussive sounds that Brian does with his hands in addition to playing the notes. Very up-close recording, you're right there next to the bass, lots of echo in the instrument itself.
6) Hanuman, from Rodrigo y Gabriela, Area 52
Fast-paced music, with a LOT going on, this is a ~10 person Cuban band with trumpets and other stuff besides R&G's guitars. Rodrigo plays electric guitar in the style of Santana. A lot of layering of sounds here.
7) Partita #3 first mvmt, from Hilary Hahn, Bach Violin Partitas & Sonata
Solo violin. The tone of the violin is important, that it not be too bright/shrill. You can hear occasional physical instrument sounds like fingers sliding, bowing, occasional ring of a secondary string. I have discovered, though, that this recording suffers from some slight little distortion sound in the right channel - it's consistent across all the gear I've listened to (including speakers), so it's definitely the recording. Some gear is more revealing of this than others.
8) Priidite Poklonimsya, from Robert Shaw, Rachmaninoff's Vespers
Very large a capella chorus. Big choir, big dynamics. The key here is whether you can get some sense of individual singers spread across the stage, as opposed to just one big sound.
9) Athens to Athens, from Joe Bonamassa, An Acoustic Evening at The Vienna Opera House
Great live recording. This song is just FUN - a lot of energy, they're really getting into it. Some audience sounds. Good stereo spread, and mix of acoustic instruments and percussion.
10+11) Dances of the Young Girls + Ritual of Abduction, from Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic, Stravinsky's Le Sacre Du Printemps
Huge orchestral work, vast number of different instruments spread across the stage. Very aggressive and dynamic music with lots of low bass and bass drums.
12) Common Man, from Black Country Communion, Afterglow
Amazing musical energy in this song. Good SQ, especially the drums - and Bonham uses a lot of open toms rather than snares, which I like. Somewhat darker tone overall.
13) My Man's Gone Now, from Shirley Horn, I Remember Miles
Slow, serious, dark jazz. I like this one in particular because of the drums. There are two complete drum sets going here, left and right, along with two basses, trumpet, and of course Shirley's vocals and piano. There's a lot going on, but again the drum sounds are very much in the jazz style with a lot of little things happening - high hat ticks, brush strokes, etc.
14) Bach Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, from Virgil Fox, The Digital Fox
Pipe organ, the usual piece that everyone knows. Big big organ, lots of variations in tone. Obviously, low bass notes. The trick with this is both bass extension, and the ability to hear the high notes clearly even when there's a lot of bass at the same time. Some sense of room acoustics in this recording, and stereo isolation of different sets of pipes.
15) So We Meet Again My Heartache, from Melody Gardot, The Absence
Great song, musically. Very intimate recording of Melody's voice - she's got a wonderful sultry voice but it's not powerful, so she's always very close-mic'ed. Lots of interesting little things in this mix, percussion, a couple of guitars, acoustic instruments, and even a string orchestra.
