What's the best jazz cd to test sound equipment?

[medjuck]

I agree with using music with which you are very familiar. I distrust "audiophile" productions. Too often they are aiming for sonic effects that "wow" but are not natural over extended listening. If you want a completely unfiltered recording, try something like Trio X from CIMP, or pretty much anything from their label. About as transparent a CD yyou ar elikely to find.

I would add: don't compare systems to systems or discs to discs. Compare each system to what you have heard "live." The more you go to live shows, the better you will be able to identify those audio components that come closest to how musical instruments actually sound.

I find that one so rarely hears unamplified music anymore that what I hear live is not necessarily what I want.

[shaft]

Hi,

My suggestion is to listen to CDs that you are familiar with and music you love ;-)

I mean what are you going to listen to when you have the new equipment home - test CDs???

However:

A jazz CD i really like alot and is very well recorded is by Thom Rotella 4-tet.

http://www.amazon.com/4-Tet-Thom-Rotella/dp/B000ZJ2ZU4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1289902704&sr=8-2-catcorr

He is usually a fusion guy but this is good ol' straight jazz/blues in a mostly acoustic setting (apart from electric guitar) in a Wes Montgomery style.

Happy listening!

/Shaft

[jazzbo]

I agree with using music with which you are very familiar. I distrust "audiophile" productions. Too often they are aiming for sonic effects that "wow" but are not natural over extended listening. If you want a completely unfiltered recording, try something like Trio X from CIMP, or pretty much anything from their label. About as transparent a CD yyou ar elikely to find.

I would add: don't compare systems to systems or discs to discs. Compare each system to what you have heard "live." The more you go to live shows, the better you will be able to identify those audio components that come closest to how musical instruments actually sound.

I find that one so rarely hears unamplified music anymore that what I hear live is not necessarily what I want.

In my case most of what I hear live is routed through a PA. . . even when it shouldn't be, such as a little combo in a small club. Exasperating!

[porcy62]

Most of the suggestions above are excellent, I'd add a truly bad sounding cd, possibly harsh and etchy. I mean that there are some equipments out there that can handle bad recordings better then the super analitic "audiophile" stuff, (and in my life I owned lots of them) without sacrificing too much the "truth" of music, for whom believe there exists such thing in the audio world. For me I believe that listing to music at home has much more in common with "pleasure" rather then "truth".