# Best SQ songs you use for testing?



## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Just curious what songs are you guys using fortesting a SQ system to hear the FULL effect?

Some Ive found that are great:
The Cataracs - Julia (awesome mid-bass line very punchy with some good chimes mixed in)

The Cataracs - 2nite (blistering chimes mixed in with some great vocals from DEV)

Ellie Goulding ft. Jakwob (Dj Jonny Mix) - Starry Eyed (sweeping bass, steady midbass, multi channel switching)

Ellie Goulding ft. Jakwob - Under the Sheets (Dubstep form with steady punch both midbass and deep bass, tons of sounds going on here)

Hyper Crush - The Arcade (Great sounding 8-bit sounds including music from "Duck Hunt" and "Zelda" nice hitting beat across the board)

Probably my FAVORITE for giving those subs a thrashing (you'll prolly laugh)

Madonna - Rain (this song has some of the funkiest bass lines for a mainstream song, almost like the guy who mastered this made if for bass heads, subsonic bass in here, no sound just subs going retarded)


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

WOW how'd this get in here sposed to be in General. lol


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## bassfreak85 (Jul 26, 2009)

I like a broad range of music 
Alot of techno has that hard to aquire midbass to subbass transition and will easy tell you you tweeters qualities with the horns and high frequency information..
Dj trashy has to be the coolest.. Great vocals as well..
Another artist I like is phil Collins specifically in the air tonight and take me home..
Sick drum lines from just about ever frequency spectrum drums cover..

I know I'll get flamed for this but bone things and outlask has some good beats..
Bone-
Crossroads
Days of over livez
Look into my eyes..
Outcask
Spottieottiedopaliscious is my favorite..
Southerplayerlisticcaddalicmusic is sick too..


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Southernplayerlisticcadillacmusic is an awesome song, i used to piss off all my neighbors with that.

Ill check into Dj Trashy

Armin Van Buuren has some of the most sexy songs outta the Trance genre, he always has some great women singers doing vocals and his sweeps are amazing.


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## NWS Alpine (Aug 30, 2011)

Mr_Knwn2ActBad said:


> Southernplayerlisticcadillacmusic is an awesome song, i used to piss off all my neighbors with that.
> 
> Ill check into Dj Trashy
> 
> Armin Van Buuren has some of the most sexy songs outta the Trance genre, he always has some great women singers doing vocals and his sweeps are amazing.


I love AVB and have had Imagine in my cd player for a long time. I do have my ipod and iphone but don't always hook them up.


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## dragonrage (Feb 14, 2007)

There have been a million threads on this, but why not...


I like to use a mix of a bunch of different types of music. One that I like to use is a metal band called Ayreon. Their songs are long and have a lot of different influences / styles to them. "Amazing Flight" is one of many great songs of theirs that I have used for this purpose.

On a semi-related note - Emerson, Lake and Palmer is one of Ayreon's influences to the point that parts of some of their songs sound EXACTLY like ELP - and ELP itself is a great sound quality test band. For example, Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression.

Blues Traveler is another one I like to use. Hook is a great song and is a good test for certain aspects of SQ.

My first SQ-testing favorite song is also still one I use today: Bruce Hornsby and the Range - Mandolin Rain. When played on a good system, I close my eyes and listen to this song and it's incredible. When I built my DIY tower speakers in my home theater system and listened to this song, it was one of the best things I had ever heard. It was like a whole new world.

Classical music is also very useful for SQ. I like a fair amount of it. Richard Strauss is very good and what I have been listening to most often for classical music lately. You can actually find a good amount of classical music that have really good bass.


You want music that is very articulate and that you like, that will draw you in and which you will be able to pay close attention to. Music that you are familiar with and have heard on great systems and perhaps also on not-so-great systems so that you have a reference point. This is more important than just using music that people recommend to you here.

I've heard a LOT of people recommend Norah Jones for SQ, but I never bothered to give her stuff a try. On AVSForum, it seems that everyone who mentions speaker shopping says that they listened to her...


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## goodstuff (Jan 9, 2008)

sublime-jailhouse
dave matthews-lie in our graves
tool-sober
outkast-speakerboxx (bass test)
Southerplayalistic used to be louder in my old car, with the sunroof cracked, I agree it could piss off a few people.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Just made a great find today while cleaning out some old cd cases. Techmaster P.E.B. cd's. Great **** there.

Another good one from Tool is "Jambi"


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

dragonrage said:


> There have been a million threads on this, but why not...
> 
> 
> I like to use a mix of a bunch of different types of music. One that I like to use is a metal band called Ayreon. Their songs are long and have a lot of different influences / styles to them. "Amazing Flight" is one of many great songs of theirs that I have used for this purpose.
> ...


Mandolin Rain is a great song on a great system, shotty equipmet doesnt do that song justice.


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## Metal Guru (Jun 14, 2011)

I use Joe Walsh's "Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)" for testing mid-bass/sub-bass. The bass on that song stresses a lot of speakers.

Pink Floyd's _The Wall_ is also an album I use extensively for testing. Very dynamic and gives the system a workout.


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## Micksh (Jul 27, 2011)

Jennifer Warnes - Almost anything from "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Michael Buble - "Come Fly With Me" or "Feeling Good"
Michael Jackson - Songs like "Man in the Mirror" or "Bad" are just a couple, all are pretty good.
Eagles - "Hotel California" or others from "Hell Freezes Over"
Fleetwood Mac - A lot of their live music, including "Landslide"
Lisa Loeb - "Do You Sleep" or "Sandalwood"
Stuff from Adele or Norah Jones is good
Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"

And if you want to REALLY test the low frequency extension of your subs, along with good sound overall, the theme music from Back to the Future on the album "Star Tracks II"....music by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (Don't mess with this track if you have a ported enclosure tuned high, this track goes EXTREMELY low)

That's all I can think of right now...


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## bmiller1 (Mar 7, 2010)

Deftones-Diamond Eyes will put mid bass through some testing.

NIN-All the Love in the World and the album "Ghosts I-IV" is fantastic if you've got the patience. 

Tool-Reflections

Peeping Tom- The whole album. 

Aesop Rock-Labor Days especially "Battery"


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

I apprecate all the insights, help me build my library some for some SQ songs. 

Deftones are great, I like them alot where most people dont know who they are


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## ousooner2 (Jan 6, 2011)

A Perfect Circle

wicked midbass in some songs. I'll have to look and get song names again


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## smgreen20 (Oct 13, 2006)

I mostly use a single persons whole album and that would be Tori Amos' "Boys for Pele". It has some of the most dynamic sounds along with a wide range of freqs. She openly admits that she is a SQ recording artist and uses some of the ut most high quality recording tools. From the mics, to the location/place, to the $170+k Bosendorffer piano.


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## Bluliner (May 16, 2011)

For getting the EQ right w/o an RTA; 10,000 Maniacs Unplugged.

Natalie Merchant's voice is very difficult to reproduce...reproduce well at least. Women vocalists with a deeper voice, like Sade, will give poorly tuned systems hell. I have to dig it up, but I have an old John Coltrane CD that was minimally remastered (basically turned a mono recording into stereo) that also gives poorly tuned home/car systems absolute fits. 

For imagining; Rolling Stones 'Stripped' - Wild Horses.


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## FartinInTheTub (May 25, 2010)

I like to play Old Love by Eric Clapton... Sounds phenominal on a well balanced system.


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## jab4au (May 31, 2010)

FartinInTheTub said:


> I like to play Old Love by Eric Clapton... Sounds phenominal on a well balanced system.


Indeed..... I like the entire Unplugged album. Another favorite of mine is Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms". Also, Sting's "Ten Sumners Tales" is great to test out a SQ system.


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## bmiller1 (Mar 7, 2010)

ousooner2 said:


> A Perfect Circle
> 
> wicked midbass in some songs. I'll have to look and get song names again


Definitely. "The Hollow", "Oresetes", "Blue", "Gravity", are the ones that come to mind.


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

I've to this hairbrained, totally CRAZY idea for you.... 





Search, this is a SQ forum... My guess is this question has been asked a time or 1000.... 

OMG, what is this... 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-sq-forum-technical-advanced/914-strickly-sq-music.html

Holy ****... it's amazing... 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...-reference-quality-commercial-recordings.html


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

you all fail BTW...


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## Fricasseekid (Apr 19, 2011)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> you all fail BTW...


Just cause you drive a Subaru doesn't mean you gotta be 
super-rude! 
The reason this thread has come up 1000 times is cause it's a fun topic! Besides in your imaginary dream world where every SQ topic only gets ONE thread, this forum would have no new threads aside from the OT and classifieds. 
Give it a rest!

My favorite reference tracks are:

Red Hot Chilli Peppers- Apache Rose Peacock (mid bass and lots of it)

B.B. King- Ain't That Just Like a Woman (great song I'm familiar with)

Bass Mekanik- Tocata in B (lots of highs and very low bass)

Led Zeppelin- Moby Dick (4 min. drum solo)


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

Fricasseekid said:


> Just cause you drive a Subaru doesn't mean you gotta be
> super-rude!
> The reason this thread has come up 1000 times is cause it's a fun topic! Besides in your imaginary dream world where every SQ topic only gets ONE thread, this forum would have no new threads aside from the OT and classifieds.
> Give it a rest!
> ...



What exactly does what I drive have ANYTHING to do with this ???


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## Fricasseekid (Apr 19, 2011)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> What exactly does what I drive have ANYTHING to do with this ???


Word play... I dunno. 

Thought maybe it had something to do with smugness kinda like people who own a Prius or Smartcar. Pretentious much?


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## FartinInTheTub (May 25, 2010)

Yup... No need to be sarcastic. It's like being in school and asking a question and someone saying "WTF!!??? Don't you ****ing know this?? God! You're an idiot!" lol. Really doesn't help the guy. I like you Aaron but sometimes you attack people for no reason. Give the guy a break.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> I've to this hairbrained, totally CRAZY idea for you....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Are you off your meds again?

EDIT: To keep this relevant... Anything off of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon or Echoes on Meddle is what I use.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> I've to this hairbrained, totally CRAZY idea for you....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


1st of all your car SLOW as a muthafucka and if you wanna run 'em i can set ya up title for title, no $$$, daylight your ass 3 cars. 

2nd of all who gives **** bout your opinion, only true music heads in here, giving REAL comments. Thank you please drive through.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Perfect Circle is pretty good, I totally forgot about them.

Led Zeppelin is great, Robert Plants vocals are sometimes hard to reproduce on a ****ty system


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## bmiller1 (Mar 7, 2010)

Mr_Knwn2ActBad said:


> Perfect Circle is pretty good, I totally forgot about them.
> 
> Led Zeppelin is great, Robert Plants vocals are sometimes hard to reproduce on a ****ty system


I agree. I feel the same way about Chino's vocals (Deftones). I was just discussing this with another member the other day; the only time that I ever feel like my highs are too bright is when Chino just lets it rip. That guy has got some pipes. I wouldn't necessarily compare him to Plant, but getting the upper end of the range is a trait that they share.


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## ƒÆ§tÇµm (Feb 5, 2011)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> I've to this hairbrained, totally CRAZY idea for you....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


jajajajajaja!!!!, that's like catching someone misplace a book at the library, then yelling at them for misplacing it and knocking the entire book shelf over in a rage...niceoneqawkface! :laugh:


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## FairladyZ (Jan 30, 2011)

OK....We are talking old school SQ here (240Z TURBO)...but I always like to hit em with FLIM and the BB's TRICYCLE. Track 3 is called "Lunch Hour Wedding March"....Anyone that was there when SQ became SQ will understand!


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## smgreen20 (Oct 13, 2006)

I'm not an admin, but Knowntoactbad and [email protected], both of you play nice. Where this racing for titles came in at from car audio, IDK. To me that's someone who thinks they have a faster car (and they might) but is stating it to make up for a lack of something.....

Aaron, I agree with the tub, you jump the gun to much sometimes on people. This question doesn't warrant a search to me for the simple fact that new music comes out all the time and is constantly changing. Therefore new SQ material.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

smgreen20 said:


> I'm not an admin, but Knowntoactbad and [email protected], both of you play nice. Where this racing for titles came in at from car audio, IDK. To me that's someone who thinks they have a faster car (and they might) but is stating it to make up for a lack of something.....
> 
> Aaron, I agree with the tub, you jump the gun to much sometimes on people. This question doesn't warrant a search to me for the simple fact that new music comes out all the time and is constantly changing. Therefore new SQ material.


I dont have a fast car but stupid posts like that get responded to by stupid posts. I asked a simple casual question about some SQ material that I might not have known was out and you get some idiots that cant seem to function in life without putting someone else down and whatnot so that to me seems like someone is trying to make up for something.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Anyways back to the topic at hand......


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## Wesayso (Jul 20, 2010)

dragonrage said:


> There have been a million threads on this, but why not...
> 
> 
> I like to use a mix of a bunch of different types of music. One that I like to use is a metal band called Ayreon. Their songs are long and have a lot of different influences / styles to them. "Amazing Flight" is one of many great songs of theirs that I have used for this purpose.
> ...


Good to see Ayreon noted outside our small country. I love the album "Into the Electric Castle". I's pretty much a one man band (Arjan Lucassen) with lots of guest mucisians. 

To add to this thread, I like to listen to older songs like "Golden Years" from Bowie, Witchy Woman from the Eagles, "Victor should have been a Jazz Mucisian" by Grace Jones, "Summer in the City" cover from Joe Cocker, "Wild Horses" from Gino Vanelli, "The Pro's and Cons of Hitch Hiking" from Roger Waters, "School" and "Dreamer" from Supertramp...

Songs other people recommended me where "The Race" from Yello (fun song with all the different drums), "The Ipcress File" by John Barry (very Dynamic)...

Oh yeah, check out Africa from Toto and see if you can hear the laughter in the first few seconds .


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## Bruno Sardine (Dec 19, 2009)

Wesayso said:


> Oh yeah, check out Africa from Toto and see if you can hear the laughter in the first few seconds .


Lol... I've actually noticed that that's a pretty good song for tuning. I've used that and "Rosanna" a few times. There's quite a bit of 80s stuff that seems to work pretty well. Talking Heads, Tears for Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joe Jackson, to name a few. I just have to do it away from people so they don't hear what I'm listening to.


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## dragonrage (Feb 14, 2007)

Oh, yeah, Africa and Rosanna are also choices of mine. Forgot to include them. Love those songs and they sound amazing on a good system. I like Bruno's choices as well. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime is pretty good.


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

k, this is the "no question is dumb" section, so even if someone asks about something that has links to it on the first page of other sections, all the extra is unnecessary.

on sq tracks, start with music you know really well, stuff you've listened tobfor years. just don't use an mp3 copy, get the original disc. 

after that, look for new stuff in genres you like, and try to find different things to bring out different aspects of your stereo.

search this forum and the sq technical forum for "sq songs" and you'll have plenty of suggestions.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Thumper26 said:


> k, this is the "no question is dumb" section, so even if someone asks about something that has links to it on the first page of other sections, all the extra is unnecessary.
> 
> on sq tracks, start with music you know really well, stuff you've listened tobfor years. just don't use an mp3 copy, get the original disc.
> 
> ...


Yea most of the stuff i dont have a disc for i usually download it but keep it in WAV format or iTunes lossless, its close as you can get without having the "actual" cd.


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## sqcomp (Sep 21, 2009)

Madonna's Rain certainly surprised me...

It's 9:30 am, I'm sitting in the car in the garage, I burned the song to a WAV file, plug it in, skip down the menu to the file then the track listing. Nestle myself in the seat and press the button to play.

Oh my! Tickle me where? Where the hell did that bass come from? 

I can just see my wife sitting on the couch as I come back from the garage, her saying sarcastically, "can you hear it enough?"


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

sqcomp said:


> Madonna's Rain certainly surprised me...
> 
> It's 9:30 am, I'm sitting in the car in the garage, I burned the song to a WAV file, plug it in, skip down the menu to the file then the track listing. Nestle myself in the seat and press the button to play.
> 
> ...


I'm telling you that song is crazy. Dj Magic Mke or somebody musta mastered it for her. The bass line just keeps going and going. I woulda never thought about that song if a buddy of mine hadnt demo'ed it for me a couple years ago, now its one i keep close when i need to do some tuning, but its one i go to a place near NOONE so they dont hear me, lol

Glad you liked it, lol


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## sqcomp (Sep 21, 2009)

I've got my sub dialed back 11 dB on the Bit One and the gain barely cracked...

I made the mistake of listening to Rain on cans and saying, meh it sounds okay. I keep forgetting that headphones don't really give you the tactile low end response that a real woofer does.

I'll trade you a fun track for that suggestion, take a listen to Funkwear from Vibesquad. Get back to me on your bass response after you listen to that track...


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

alright ill take that, give me a few and ill get back with you


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

That song is great, ive got my sub dialed down 6db and even with no sound deadening as of yet, sounds amazing, those sweeps are great. Thanks for that i previewed some more and that "Double Dutch Oven" is nice also.


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## sqcomp (Sep 21, 2009)

I like to think of it as a stoplight alternative to rap when some kid in a civic is farting out "music" from his pre-fab box...

I particularly enjoy the glitchy metallic sounds that Vibesquad uses. SQ? No, not really. Fun, definately.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Yea that is definately a good way to test if your tweets are tuned correctly, I actually had to adjust my HPF some, was too high sounded like someone scratching glass. lol

I like to use some crazy off the wall stuff to grab peoples attention at stoplights. Some of these younger people think rap is the only music to get bass from. They dont know what they are missing.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

You try any of those other songs i listed along side "Rain" from Madonna?

That "Under the sheets" original mix from Ellie Goulding is great. She has some amazing pipes on her


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

I think it is good to have a list of songs with you anytime you listen to a system. I have some tracks that I have heard on mega buck home audio systems as well as award winning car audio systems. This really helps in tunning and listening to other systems.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Dock thats why i started this thread, i like to think Im up on some good music but everyday i hear a song that someone has suggested that is great. Some are in genre's i dont listen to at all. I wanted to build my library with some diverse music


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## WLDock (Sep 27, 2005)

Mr_Knwn2ActBad said:


> Dock thats why i started this thread, i like to think Im up on some good music but everyday i hear a song that someone has suggested that is great. Some are in genre's i dont listen to at all. I wanted to build my library with some diverse music


Check out my review of the Pioneer PRS set here:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...-way-component-set-ts-c720prs-ts-s101prs.html

Those are some of my favorite tracks because I have heard them on so many different systems. I like to try and do that from time to time. I remember one shop let me listen for about an hour. The room was well treated and the system had B&W Nautilus 801's driven with all Krell. That was a good time. The two tracks below were seamless and really sounded better than I have ever heard them.

I just love these two tacks..they come alive on a good system...but fall apart on a bad system.

FOURPLAY – Between The Sheets
Track 1 – “Chant”

QUINCY JONES – Back On The Block
Track 7 – “The Places You Find Love”

I just saw the group FOURPLAY and Spyro Gyra live this past thurs....It was awesome to say the least.


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

im checking them out as we speak. preciate ya


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## Spreadman (Aug 29, 2011)

The Blenders - Songs from the Soul (1 & 2)...any track really. Sounds like they are performing right in front of you. Very rich and well balanced.

Steve Kahn - Mamá Cholá (Dave Weckl's drums sound amazing) (Album: Public Access)

Eric Kunzel and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Night on Bald Mountain (album: Chiller [Telarc disc])

The Rebel Pebbles - Wild Weekend (album: Jensen sampler I got from my days at Circuit City)

Yello - La Habañera (album: One Second) Also the track Rhythm Divine has Shirley Bassey and great as well.

<nerd> Marty O'Donnell - Convenant Dance (album: Halo CE original soundtrack) This is my go-to for testing rattling in door panels. </nerd>


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

Yesterday I ran across some of THE best music Ive heard in awhile. Mt. Eden Dubstep is the groups name, used to be Mt. Eden DnB, anyways this guys stuff is outta this world beautiful and rich in sound and those dubstep bass wobbles are phenominal. MP3skull.com has a ton of his works.


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## Wesayso (Jul 20, 2010)

I found another fun song for in the car,
George Benson's version of: The Getto




Great for checking out if you got "the groove" right


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## Mr_Knwn2ActBad (Aug 30, 2011)

haha yea where im living if i play that i would get the craziest looks, but eh who cares


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## GoodyearJ (May 4, 2011)

Too Shy by Kajagoogoo. 80's song with killer mids. Fairly dynamic. 
Another that surprised me was Hella Good by no doubt. Don't wanna fall in love(Shep Pettibone Remix) by Jane child sounds awesome. My favorite is Limelight by Rush


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## smgreen20 (Oct 13, 2006)

As of late, I've been using Mumford and Sons _Sign no More_ album.


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## BlackCGT (Oct 6, 2011)

Mr_Knwn2ActBad said:


> Yesterday I ran across some of THE best music Ive heard in awhile. Mt. Eden Dubstep is the groups name, used to be Mt. Eden DnB, anyways this guys stuff is outta this world beautiful and rich in sound and those dubstep bass wobbles are phenominal. MP3skull.com has a ton of his works.


Holy Sh*t.... WOW... That is some great music to enjoy in my new system next week. THANKS


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