Car Audio - Recommended Testing CDs

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Car Audio - Recommended Tweaking & Testing CDs

	Stereophile magazine CDs (especially the second one) Classical, jazz, test tones, specifically designed to tweak audio systems.
	Sheffield/Autosound 2000 CDs - especially "My Disk" and "Amplifier Setting CD" Jazz, classical, test tones, used to set and check everything.
	IASCA Set-up Disk Great reference CD to tweak all aspects of your audio system, especially if you are into competition.
	Chesky Records - "Guide to Critical Listening - The Ultimate Demonstration Disk" Jazz, classical, etc. This CD guides you through the different tracks. Check an audiophile quality system.
	Chesky Records - "Jazz Sampler Vol 1" Half of the CD is impeccably recorded music and the other half has different tests.

Testing Limits of Audio System

	Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - "The Great Fantasy Adventure Album" Movie soundtracks. Dynamics! Takes your system to the limit. Check the Jurassic Park tracks for high SPL.
	Kitaro - "Kojiki" Jazz/Japanese music. Transients in the lower and upper ranges.
	Rusted Root - "When I Woke" Pop. Lower-end transients (bass and midbass)
	Morphine - "Yes" Rock. A lot of bass guitar and horns. Will push mids and midbases to the limit.
	Tchaikovski - "1812 Overture, Nutcracker" Classical. Dynamics, staging and imaging. Listen to the cannons at the end of 1812 Overture.
	Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" Rock. Dynamics, lower end (kick drum and bass guitar should be distinguishable).

Audio CDs

Collections/Various
	Focal CD: "Disque de Demostration - Focal Automobile - No 1" The best reference disk you can own. Different types of music to test staging, imaging and detail.
	Sheffield/Autosound 2000 CDs - "Drive" Another great reference CD. Jazz, classical, used to check everything
	Boston Acoustics CDs - Especially the first 3 (jazz mix, bass and imaging) They might be very hard to find, but are worth getting.
	Roundup Records - "Roundup the Unusual Suspects" Sampler - all kinds of music. Transients, vocals, etc.
	Northern Exposure - "Music From the Television Series" Rock, classical, pop, jazz, etc. Dynamics (track 7), overall balance.
	Chesky Records - "The Collection Series No. 1" and "The Vocal Collection" Jazz. Transients, vocals, staging and imaging.
Albums
	Basia - All her CDs Jazz/pop. Transients, female vocals.
	Ray Obiedo - "Iguana" Jazz. Good to test dynamics, bass/midbass transition.
	Acoustic Alchemy - "Back on the Case" Jazz with acoustic guitars. This CD has a lot of detail for midrange testing.
	Spyro Gyra - "Collection" Latin jazz. Dynamics, staging and imaging. Use to test limits of midbass drivers.
	Fourplay - "Between the Sheets" Jazz. Test bass/midbass transition. Lots of bass guitar.
	Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing" Rock. If you have any problems in your lower end, the title song will bring them out.
	Commitments - "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Rock. Test vocals, staging, system dynamics.
	Diane Schuur - "Love Walked In" Jazz. Great CD to test vocals (midrange performance).
	Nana Mouskouri - "Veille Chansons de France" Easy Listening. Vocals, high frequency details.
	Cats - "Selections From the Original Broadcast" Broadway musical. Vocals. Test the limits of your mids, overall balance. Should sound very natural.
	Guys and Dolls - "The New Broadcast Recording Another Broadway musical. Vocals and great music.

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