Only two tracks to test your system, forever!


If you could only use two tracks/songs for the rest of your life whenever you wanted to test a change to your system, what would they be?

128x128gladmo

@mjmcubfn Tidal’s search is just as bad. Leave out anything and it won’t find it. They really do need to incorporate a level of "intelligent closeness" and offer suggestions better. And oftentimes I do better by searching for the song title rather than the artist.

Whoever mentioned Patricia Barber, thanks. I need some "audiophile grade pap" like her on this cold, grey, gloomy, rainy December day.  Never had heard of her. And whoever mentioned Deeper with its 25Hz bass, thanks. Good finds. At least something "new" to me. Bass extension is important. 

 

Because I’m non-conformist:

 

- Baaba Maal, Mansour Seck, Djam Leelii (space, middle to hi end)

- Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Toure - Talking Timbuktu (overall)

- The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (bass)

- Richard and Mimi Farina - Joy Going Round My Brain (vocal and harmonica duet details)

- Paul Robeson - Deep River (THAT voice!)

- The Moody Blues - Tuesday Afternoon (atmosphere)

- The Moody Blues - Thinking is the best way to travel (special effects)

- Fennel - Hi-Fi A La Espanola on Mercury Living Presence (that Mercury sound)

- Max Roach with Abbey Lincoln - We Insist (abbey’s voice, the snare)

- Mahler - 5th - von Karajan (Adagietto, the cellos)

- Bruce Springsteen - American Skin (separation of the 4 voices, crowd ambiance)

- Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore (For the interplay between Robert Plant’s and Sandy Denny’s voices)

- Tito Puente - Ran Kan Kan - the 12” 45rpm version (for slam)

- Laura Nyro - Tom Cat Goodbye (quiet and dynamics)

A$AP Rocky -- L$D

Chance The Rapper -- Summer Friends

Bonus Track: Yosi Horikawa -- Bubbles

Alternate Selection: Brian Bromberg -- The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers

Lease-breaker Special: deadmau5 -- Raise Your Weapon

Little Girl With Guitar: Ana Popovic -- Navajo Moon

This thread for me confirms easily the worst thing about audiophiles: their taste in music. Of course the answers are going to be middle-of-the-road audiophile-approved pap like Patricia Barber and Diana Krall. And yes, let's not forget Flight of the Snoring Hippo and the Eagles' live version of Hotel California (now in quadrilliophenia on a special pixiedust-infused disc so you can buy the precious recording for the twelfth time).

Your 20-year-old self would hate what you've become. Tell me I'm wrong.

@passthedutchie People are sharing songs they find well suited to critical listening and testing system changes. I don't think most people are looking for a round of applause and acceptance. Neither are most of us interested in injecting judgementalism into the thread.