What songs (w/ artist) do you all use to really show off or enjoy your Klipsch Speaker Setup?

[wstrickland1]

All are either DVD-A or SACD:

Norah Jones.....excellent

Eagles HFO......excellent as well (7 Bridges Road) and off Hotel Cali, New Kid In Town(i used to think this song sucked, but when listened to on DVD-A @ 110 db it is outstanding)

Queen....Another One Bites the Dust is OUTSTANDING, so is Bohemian Rhapsody

Steely Dan......Gaucho, all songs are good

Missy Elliott.......very good (watch out woofers)

David Sanborn........excellent

and lets not leave out Chesky's insane, absurd, amazing, whatever whatever 5.1 surround show. Silly stuff but excellent show-off material.

[Griffinator]

Dream Theater-Images and Words

Definitely a great system test. The dynamics and imaging of "Metropolis

Part I:The Miracle and the Sleeper" will bring out all the finest

qualities (and a lot of the weaknesses) of any system....

Radiohead's "OK Computer" pushes the limits of most systems as well, particularly "Exit Music (From a Film)"

[Audible Nectar]

For the theater (6 Cornwalls):

Video:

Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense (the supreme music video)

Roger Waters: In The Flesh

The Band: The Last Waltz

Steely Dan: Two Against Nature

Phish: Bittersweet Motel

For the 2 channel system (Mac tubes w/Belles)

Steely Dan: Aja

Supertramp: Crime of the Century (MFSL)

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (MFSL)

Tracy Chapman (self titled)

And for the live 2 channel experience.....

Phish: Slip, Stitch, and Pass

String Cheese Incident (with Keller Williams): December 31, 2002 at the Bill Graham Civic Center, San Francisco (Time Traveler's Ball)

[Tim_in_NC]

Thanks again for all the great replys...

You have all given me some great CD's to pick up and further enjoy my Klipsch setup...

-TIM

[michael hurd]

There are lots of great selections, one of my favorite vocal ( no instruments at all ) track is one by Alanis Morrisette, on her Jagged Little Pill album. The album lists only 12 songs, but there are actually 14 recorded. You can directly access the 13th, but to get to the 14th you have to either fast forward or play the 13th track.

If you listen to the 13th song, or ffwd through it, you will notice that it ends at 4 minutes and 7 seconds. At 5 minutes and 11 seconds, there is an amazing 3 minute solo vocal performance that will really give your speakers a workout at high volumes.

For the last week I have repeatedly played a track by Rockwell (w/ Michael Jackson ) called Somebody's Watching Me.

[kenratboy]

Massive Attack "Angel"

Breakbeat Era "Terrible Funk"

Front 242 "Headhunter - Front Line Assembly Remix"

Artist/Song: Killswitch Engage - "When Darkness Falls"

I'm always looking for heavier "well recorded" music... how do

they sound? And others?

2nd on Massive Attack and FLA.

'Protection' has great bass in every song. It is simple enough

music to be able to 'hear the difference' without getting

confused. 'Blue Lines' is aging very well, '5 Man Army' is a cool

track (I am actually listing to it right now!). 15 years old -

wow.

'Civilization' off the same-titled CD is a great one. ~1:30 intro with a fast transition into loud, low bass.

I have got so many CD's with good bass.

Also, if you are daring, Autechre has some awesome music. Very 'technical' and Klipsch does a awesome job playing it back.

[m00n]

So many great suggestions have been added, yet there is one little gem that's not been mentioned.

Animatrix Soundtrack. There is something for just about everyone on that. Well, except for country songs. Probably the best sounding CD I have as far as sound quality goes. The debth and soundstage on some of those songs are just unbelievable.

[bvbull200]

I will second the Eagles choices. The DTS-Audio of Hell Freezes Over is awesome for showing off the reproduction of a live performance (Hotel California). There is another Eagles DVD-Audio (with both DD and DTS) that is titled Hotel California, that is more studio quality, but still in 5.1 Channel and is pretty freakin' amazing. The Crystal Method- Born Too Slow in DTS is pretty good to listen to. Diana Krall- My Love Is in DTS is pretty good too. Her percussionist is snapping to keep the beat throughout the whole song and if you close your eyes, you can picture exactly where he is standing in the studio at all times and tell when he moves around. Last one and I'll shut-up, but The Blue Man Group feat. Dave Mathews- If You Think I'm Alone (I think that's what it's called) is quite an experience too.

[Rsoxfan]

Artist/Song: Muse - "Absolution" Snow Patrol - "Run" Coldplay - "The Scientist" Death Cab For Cutie - "Expo '86" Killswitch Engage - "When Darkness Falls" Diana Krall - "Almost Blue" Radiohead - "Paranoid Android" Billie Holiday - "I'm A Fool To Want You" Nightwish - "Creek Mary's Blood" Avenged Sevenfold - "Seize The Day" The Snake The Cross The Crown - "The Field of Lus" Alkaline Trio - "Time To Waste" Dredge - "Bug Eyes" Miles Davis - "Freddie Freeloader" Rachmaninoff - "Symphony No. 2 in C Minor"

I'm a big fan of Killswitch but they do not bring out the best in any speaker....

[nicholtl]

True, I just had to throw it in there because I love them so much.

[oldtimer]

Lots of what has been mentioned already, especially Steely Dan-Aja, because it is representative of consummate studio recording. Try ELP's Pictures at an Exhibition (msfl vinyl), for an unbelievable live recording, which is as good or better than Stop Making Sense as a recording.

[Anakin26]

I bought Michael Jackons "Bad" this week. A CD I lost a few years ago.

When listening to it, i realized just how great it is mixed. If you want to show off what you RF-7s can do when it comes to deep bass.... you should try "Dirty Diana" or "Smooth Criminal" which are also great songs even after almost 20 years.

Nick

[m00n]

Anakin26

I'm just going to write what 90% of everyone else is thinking but too polite to say. We here in the USA see ol MJ as a pedifile. Most of us are not willing to go out and purchase his music and support him. []

[Rsoxfan]

Anakin26

I'm just going to write what 90% of everyone else is thinking but too polite to say. We here in the USA see ol MJ as a pedifile. Most of us are not willing to go out and purchase his music and support him. []

dead on.......

[crazytubepower]

To test out gear you cannot go wrong with supertramp, bloody well right is a very dynamic song, perfect for testing

[theryugobuddy]

Anakin26

I'm just going to write what 90% of everyone else is thinking but too polite to say. We here in the USA see ol MJ as a pedifile. Most of us are not willing to go out and purchase his music and support him. []

dead on.......

Shoot--he got off, didn't he? A jury of his peers saw the evidence--we didn't. I don't think he's a pedophile as much as he's a self-absorbed hermit who never had a childhood or a real love in his life. He was incredibly successful yet truly a tragic figure because of his naivete and lack of trusted friends. Those people came after him for his money, plain and simple. He had everything to lose, and he did. I feel sorry for the dude. And I believe OJ did it--

I don't even like his music, at least after Thriller----------

Oh yes---I play Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds", and ELP's "The Endless Enigma" to blow away someone with Klipsch.

[HellSh0k]

Interesting question, I normally make the music I like to show off. I have been making electronic music with lots of different programs, I would call it writing but i cant read music. Any form of FULL spectrum electronic music, or what most people call "techno" has been my choice to brutalize any amplifier/speaker combo I have ever purchased. It makes all the shortcomings of any piece of audio equipment show itself (normally faster than any other type of music) to the listener. That said it gives your audio equipment "a workout like nothing it has seen before." Kind of like orchestrated pink/white noise. Amplifiers can either handle it or start clipping or catch fire, and its always harder to play 20-20Khz than only parts of the spectrum. Speakers' cones, voicecoils, and enclosures have been known to FAIL in all sorts of ways when they aren't well designed or manufactured well(I have thrown many a VC,torn surrounds and oh ya FUSING VOICE COIL TO POLE on cheap setups). As far as I have ever seen, without a good combo of amp/speaker you lose audio information and witness degredation of sound and/or the equipment. You can go through all this without electronic music it just takes longer to find the shortcomings of your "hardware," it just would take a good long time to listen to a collection of music to put equipment through the test. I can do in one 5 minute program, what it would take a normal listener their whole collection to be able discern and evaluate their equipment. Dont get me wrong I love MUSIC, everything from classical organworks to punk/speed metal/industrial to opera and beyond, but when its time to show off and really enjoy music, I sit in front of a computer that is set up with a HeadRoom Total BitHead and IEM(in ear monitors) and music creation application of my liking and make what I enjoy. After that I can put it onto any type of media (whatever it needs to be on for input to anyone's system) and "workout" the system, and dance around with a grin from ear to ear!!! Basically a 5 minute set of my programming and I can fall in love or totally destroy a set of speakers, and that too makes me grin more. I know I am new to the forums, but I have been a audiophile for many years. After reading all of these posts and seeing so many different lists(most of ALL listed I have sampled at some point), I just had to say something. I like all the lists and if I havent heard any of them, I will be hunting new stuff down for sampling as I am always looking for more notes/tones/noises to fill my ears.

[skonopa]

Some of the CDs that I found are good tests on my system:

Aryeon - The Final Experiment - This CD is very, very well

done, especially the 10-year re-release (which I have). This CD

also has everything, from some serious hard-hitting power-metal type

riffs to some very nicely done, and delicate sounding classical type

sections. Also, the bass in some tracks is just awesome to hear

(and feel) on my setup.

Aryeon - Into the Electric Castle - Pretty much the same reasons as The Final Experiment.

Aryeon - Actual Fantasy Revisted - The DVD that came with

this includes a very nicely done 5.1 mix of the entire album.

Sounds friggan incredible on my setup! Especially like track #7

"Back on Planet Earth" as well as Track #2 - "Abby of Synn"

Lacuna Coil - Comalies - This is also nicely done CD. I especially like how Track #4 "Humane" sounds on my setup.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve - I am

still impressed with how good those TSO CDs are done (I am so looking

forward to thier next one). That first track, which is the title

track "The Lost Christmas Eve", is just something else on my

system. Not very often do I get so emotionally moved, but just

hearing this on my setup literally has brought tears to my eyes.

Also, having had an excellent seat at a live show really gave the

chance to see and hear they are live, and to compare on my own setup,

considering that I got to see/hear a track from this CD "Christmas in

Blues" performed live with the exact same vocalist as featured on the

CD. The CD on my system sounded It exactly like the friggan live show on my setup! I was friggan completely blown away!

Sonata Arctica - Silence and Reckoning Night - Two

excellent CDs that I love cranking on my setup to just show-off just

what this thing is capable of doing! Also great for showing off

my car system. Nothing like cranking up "Don't Say a Word" so

friggan loud it pisses off the dude blasting his rap crap in the car

next to me at the light![6]

Animusic DVD - This is definitly an awesome DVD for showing off the sonic (and visual) capabilities of the system.

Nighwish - Wishmaster - Particularly Track #10 "Dead Boy's Poem". Another one that just sounds so good that it actually moved me emotionally.(Edit) Also to Add: David Arkenstone (and I thought I had some hair! []) - Quest of the Dream Warrior - This

is a pretty cool ambiance/new-age CD with some great sounding

tracks. I especially love Track #4 "The Voice". Great

lyrics/vocals (to bad David does not do more vocals to his music) and

some excellent bass as well as great synth work.

That are some of the main ones that I like to show on my system.

However, I do agree with the sentiment that if anybody wants to really

listen to my system, to bring thier own material that they are familier

with (it seems this is the only forum that I frequent where I find a

number of folks with similiar/same tastes in music that I have.

It seems the local FredTalk forum, where I also frequent, everybody

there is caught up in the usual drek that is heard on the radio.

I am sorry, but I've heard that new Gorillaz CD that everybody over

there was all talking up, and personally, I thought it sucked! - but I

digress....)

And about "Wacko Jacko", I did like him back in the thriller days

(although not enough to actually buy the album - even in those days, I

was not very much into that "poppy" stuff). Now, I will not even

download any of his music. I don't give a damn whether he was

found not guilty or not, but that dude just creeps me out and I have no

desire to support him or any of his music.

[skonopa]

You can go through all this without electronic

music it just takes longer to find the shortcomings of your "hardware,"

it just would take a good long time to listen to a collection of music

to put equipment through the test. I can do in one 5 minute program,

what it would take a normal listener their whole collection to be able

discern and evaluate their equipment.

Is it possible to get a sample of your work? I'd love to try your

"5-minute program" on my setup. I've thrown some pretty intense

techno/electronica at my system, and at some serious,

ear-splitting levels (I've managed to peg my Rat-Shack SPL meter), and

the system rendered it without even breaking a sweat. I

probably could've squeezed a few more watts out of my B&K amp, but

geez - I damn near cracked a window!

Would be interesting to just see (hear) what you got!

Also, I've dabbled with sequencing/mixing some of my own music several

years ago, on a (then) cutting edge 486DX2-66 with a Yamaha DB60XG

synth card mated to a Sound Blaster 16 ASP and using Cake Walk Pro MIDI

sequencer. Pisses me off to this day that that damn 420meg

harddrive crapped up royally and pretty much lost all my work!

[HellSh0k]

I tried to post last night after I saw the message, but somehow the forums went down in the middle of my typing. I copied it out to save and here it is. Sorry if it doesn't make sense, I am disabled and it is petty hard to write on this much morphine.

Do you have any specific media-type or format for me to make it into(SIZE matters)? I do it as a hobby so it doesn't bother me to alter it into a format to suit you, I know what it sounds like, just remember the limits/compression of any format. I'm not too sure if I want to let perfect originals go, not that I plan on geting paid for them, I just don't want issues over anyone elses copyrighted bits/samples that have been manipulated by me. I try to stay out of trouble that way, but I have aproximately 450GB of samples from microphone recordings that I captured on micro-cassette to anything and everything from anywhere and anyone that I have compiled over the years. My last effort is INSANE to say the least, but it is basically a "one hour studio mix programmed electronically across a 64 channel application with lots of manipulaion and effects" saved as an LARGE MP3(320kbits/sec, about 150Mb)while I was pushing samples and adding noises on the fly. It is considered "Freeform/TranceCore" and hovers around 180BPM and I haven't really named it, but it should be labeled "EarEquipmentBeware"(not a bad title, on my drive its called "test!"). I have played it on a 150,000 watt(no kidding)Turbosound HILIGHT system at a rave and I can tell you the reaction was incredible,it is basically flat(most rave setups are for vinyl not a computer, so it needed to be able to be tweeked for full effect), it was run through that monster system and I was the "tweeker" for the recording but most of the tweeking was done post process on Pioneer DJM-600 mixer and EFX-1000 performance effector. OK enough said, I can convert it into almost any format, but I am also in the middle of a 4 drive 1TB RAID-10 build to move all my samples and projects off of all my different types of storage into 1 massive structure(way easier to move and use bits and pieces). I do not feel like cutting it into pieces, as I LOVE IT and think that if you want to hear it you need to listen to it ALL. It is a beautiful piece of artwork, and I am not looking for a review on it, everyone has opinions and I am not going to go into detail on any of the samples or how and what I used to do it(way too many samples and lots of manipulation was done). THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, AND I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING! AND I MEAN ANYTHING!

p.s. I would love to give it a whirl on a SUPER hi-end Klipsch commercial setup (I love the sound of horn loaded speakers) if anyone has access.