What are your go to LP's for evaluating new gear or new tubes?

A long time ago it was direct-2-disk LP’s (Sheffield Labs, etc.). Then it was the Water Lily Record label LP’s (A Meeting By The River, an album of duet improvisations between Ry Cooder and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt). Cat Stevens Tea For The Tillerman LP (first the original pink label UK Island pressing, now the Analogue Productions version). Talking Book by Stevie Wonder, and If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot. And the Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks album Striking It Rich. Produced by Tommy LiPuma, strings arranged by Nick DeCaro, engineered by Bruce Botnick. MaryAnn Price’s singing of "I’m An Old Cowhand" is absolutely salacious!

Holst The Planets, with Sir Adrian Boult conducting The New Philharmonia Orchestra With Chorus (EMI ASD 2301). Trevor Pinnock playing Scarlatti’s Sonatas For Harpsichord (CRD 1068, UK). Anything on Lyrita Records, and Harmonia Mundi (USA and France).

Oh, and a number of Roy Orbison's albums on Monument Records, including In Dreams, Only The Lonely, and Greatest Hits. Originals and reissues by Classic Records.

billpete,

Yes, I use a combination of poor and good recordings. Most of what I listen to was not recorded well, but I want it to sound as good as possible.

Also, specifically in my case, electric guitar must sound right or close to it, especially earlier John McLaughlin's electric guitar. Not to mention his acoustic guitar, of course.

"@billpete I do see some die hard old vinyl guys like me, switching to streaming nowadays."...

You can do both. Experiencing remastered content, and how learning engines of streaming works, and discovering more of the types of music you enjoy now, opens so many more doors of listening enjoyment.

Ask those same diehards if they quit streaming and went back to vinyl & CDs only. I’d venture to guess it’s a small percentage - if any. Quality streaming can be a game changer for those who try it and embrace it fully. Enjoy.

Lots of great comments. Thanks to all. I have some things to look for, in my collection and beyond and then the whole topic of streaming keeps coming up. I'll get to it someday.........if I live long enough. For now, I'm just admiring a "new to me" turntable. I finally picked up a Linn LP12 after 50 years of wishing I had one. I was not disappointed. Sounded really nice and still making other improvements in my system can only make it better. I went to a VPI 20 plus years ago and kind of forgot about Linns for awhile. I'm glad I never completely gave up on the idea. Anyway, this is supposed to be about vinyl so I'll leave it with what I tested the new toy with. Fresh Aire I, Fresh Aire III and Alan Parsons I Robot. Some happy listening. Most enjoyable.