Some recommended discs for your setup...

With all these discussions on components and accessories, I would suggest some CDs for your own perusal and even for test/demo purpose when you consider buying something. Based on my personal experience...
(1) Naim Audio's "True Stereo" --- This is one of those rare discs, perhaps the only one I have come across, which shows a layout of the singer(s) and instruments for each track, front to back and left to right, and therefore certainly one which will tell you for sure how the imaging and soundstage of your system is. The music is good and the CD is available in Naim website.
(2) Chesky's ultimate hearing and demo disc --- Before each track, there is an explanation of the specific audiophile attribute (resolution, dynamic range, imaging etc) which is demonstrated in that track and what you have to listen for. All tracks sound good and listenable and should be available in stores selling Chesky CDs or in websites like musicdirect, acoustic sounds etc.
(3) Burmester CD #2 --- Perhaps the finest recorded CD I have with gorgeous music in all tracks. If your system is really good, this is music par excellence with great recording. Unfortunately their disc #1 which should be as good or even better is unavailable so far and I am still searching.
It is important to carry a well recorded CD when one goes to listen to a new equipment especially after playing the same in one's own system several times to really gauge whether one is going to get a better performance.
There are others too, and if someone is interested, I can give their names also. Such good CDs cost around US$20 and is a worthwhile investment and should last for a long time compared to many of the stuff we buy here which get pits and scratches after using a few times.
After all, why should one have a good music playback system unless one has greatly recorded and wonderful music!
Happy listening.

> murali

there are a couple of sheffield labs CDs also which are good for the purpose.

where do you source such music/cd's in india?
did not come across any of these during the couple of auditions i've been for

I am afraid I have been unsuccessful so far in finding such well recorded good quality reference discs in India after browsing in shops like music world, planet M etc. The best bet is to source from abroad. The sad part is the bad quality of discs available here and as I mentioned they don't last long. I have CDs purchased more than 15 years ago from USA and other places which are still good without a single 'pit' or scratch. I use a Furutech CD demagnetiser which demonstrates the huge differences in quality of material.
Good luck and happy listening.

> murali

Again my beleif is that test music should be similsr to your test in music- ie if you like Hindi film music - you should take best recorded hindi music cd - not a opera cd which anyway you never going to listen!
Pls can anyone suggest TEST music in different geners ??
As I mentioned earlier in this forum in many placews I auditioned in India , Dubai & Malaysia surprisingly Eagldes " Hotel California" was used

Ditto can someone suggest good test DVD's with sequences?

My suggestion

1) Kill Bill 1- The grand fight
2) The perfect Storm - Storm Sequence

Hemant

Get the latest AV Max. That has a DVD with the following scenes for testing DVD Player, AVR, and your screen.

1. Transient Test - Die Hard 4.
2. Ghosting - Apocalypto
3. Black Levels - Alien vs Predator
4. White Levels - I Robot
5. Surround - Night Watch
6. Contrasting Colours - A Good Year
7. Contrast - The Fountain
8. Color Saturation - Horton Meets A Who, Lagaan
9. Skin Tones - The Devil Wears Prada

I have a large number of DVDs that I use for various tests. If one is interested, I can list them with my reasons for using them.

Cheers

does it come with a free DVD? or does it merely recommend a DVD?

The Kill Bill fight scene is very good....there are scenes showing the walls and the doors, where you can check for image noise....there's also the later scene with Uma Thurman in the hospital, which is again good at checking out the blacks/dark scene performance of your player/processor

Free. The issue is priced at Rs.75 against a regular price of 50.

Cheers

super....i shall pick it up.....although much of the content in the magazine is unreadably bad.....i really do wonder why they don't at least appoint a competent sub-editor to clean up the horrendous writing in it....

However, AVMax DVD focusses on Video testing for the most part. Can people recommend a few test DVDs or CDs for music?

Venkat's recommendation of the Breathless opening sequence is something which appeals to me. I would appreciate if people could come up with more such examples.