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Audiophile Test CD For Speakers
Missy Elliot - This Is Not A Test (Elektra)
At the risk of a Missy misdemeanour being targeted at us, we ignored her album title and used this as a test disc. And the gamble paid off: the deep, fierce beats were crucial for our micro system test - a quick spin at even modest volumes and the bass weaklings were soon exposed. It's tempting to opt for Pump It Up, Missy's duet with Nelly, which has an effect that'll make you think your woofer's due for retirement, as a test track, but Pass That Dutch's combination of wicked beats and swift handclaps gets our vote. Production is as slick as Missy's lip-gloss and your system should accurately deliver the speedy percussion and keep hold of the forbidding bass.
Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra - Jack O the Green/Small World Big Band Friends 3 (Radar)
It's almost a quarter of a century since Holland first left the embrace of Squeeze and a full decade since this band got together, but this set contains heaps of enthusiasm and his impressive boogie-woogie piano playing is a great test of system realism. With guest appearances from Sugababes to Shane MacGowan, there's a test track for everyone. I'll Be Seeing You, featuring Jimmy Scott, demands a system able to show off his delicate, plus tautness and dynamics to propel the big band.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Greatest Hits (Warner Bros)
As the 20th Century drew to a close, the Hollywood boys with the penchant for appearing on stage in nothing but a birthday suit and a sock were in danger of fading from our airwaves. But 1999's hit-laden Californication album resurrected the Peppers and this - on occasion compressed-sounding - set covers their journey from a funk and punk mix to their current melodic style. Give It Away is one of four tracks from the 1991 Blood Sugar Sex Magik album and Flea's bouncing bass is a brilliant test for mid/bass drivers - the notes should sound tight and timing should be accurate. Your system must also deal with the rapid-fire vocals from Anthony Kiedis and good kit will reveal subtle electronic background effects.
Aaron Neville - Devotion (DVD-Audio) (Silverline)
If Aaron Neville were to endorse a can of soft drink it would surely be Lilt. His trembling falsetto voice is entirely at odds with his hulking, tattooed frame, but its kept him in a job since at least 1966's Tell It Like It Is smash, so who's arguing? This DVD-A release of the Grammy-nominated Devotion is a lush-sounding set that to its credit doesn't overdo the effects. On Singing You A Prayer Ivan Neville joins his brother at the mike and they create a fine test of midrange ability - a crucial area for most surround systems, which should be designed to do music as well as movie dialogue. Sit yourself in the sonic sweet spot and, when the chorus kicks in, you should feel like you are one of Aaron's backing singers.
Santana - Ceremony - Remixes and Rarities (Arista)
The line-up has changed frequently over the years but one constant remains - Carlos Santana. His musical styles also shift - from Afro-Latin rock to Cubano rock to jazz-fusion - but are always a great source of demanding rhythms. This set contains remixes, B-sides and outtakes from 25 million-sellers Supernatural and Shaman - as ever, production is super-smooth. Maria Maria is here remixed by Wyclef Jean, a member of its original writing team, and the result is a test of your kit's ability to play realistic acoustic instruments. The stop-start beat is also a sure fire way to check on 'smudgy' bass. And you should also be able to identify the different vocalists and the 'oh yeah' in the background.
