I've been on a quest to find a pair of speakers that can handle the following recording:
ecmrecords 1494
It's a CD of contemporary organ music. I must warn you, it's not to everyone's taste, quite shocking to many ears for it's use of weird rhythms (based on birdsong and Indian music) - if you find that intriguing - a CHALLENGE - them give this disc a shot. I believe it's still in print.
This might be the ultimate bass testing CD I have encountered so far. I've been listening to very demanding music of this kind for more than 20 yrs so I've heard a lot -
So what is the most demanding (in terms of equipment needed to faithfully reproduce it) that you own? What do you take to the store and give a spin to make your decision?
Without a doubt, Kalevi Aho symphony No 12. (BIS SACD-1676)
This is an incredible achievement. The rhythmic Laplander drumming moving round Sibelius Hall is incredible. The effect of the multiple antiphonal brass choir, antiphonal soloists and orchestra just phenomenal.
I took the disc on a speaker survey to Twin Cities dealers with a close friend once. But even expensive systems were a total disappointment and gave only a fraction of the impact and detail of this system.
Even my friends B & W 800 D come up short on this one, with nowhere near the visceral impact and tight bass of this TL system. I play the SACD through five TL speakers, four of them dual line speakers. (See signature)
I have not used the disc since to evaluate speakers other than my own, as I consider it an unfair test.
But it sure impresses the hell out of visitors when they come here!
