Best test tracks

[Confused]

Tracks you are familiar with? A good idea I would say. For me, I always try to use a range of tracks that are representative of the various type of music I most often listen too, because the kit need to sound good with that kind of music. Sounds obvious I guess? Maybe not, I did know someone who very carefully selected music for an audition at a dealer on the basis of some kind of notion of what audiophiles should listen too, stating that it would be too embarrassing if they had turned up to play the "normal" stuff they listen to. Bonkers? Perhaps, but I'm sure many of us have had some thoughts of the credibility of the music they finally select before heading off to dealers.

Back to your specific question, one of my favourite audition tracks is "Barcelona" - Freddie Mercury & Montsarrat Caballe, not the original version, but specifically the "special edition" version released in 2012. This version removed the original synthesized stuff and replaced with a performance by a live symphony orchestra. I love the track to listen to, but as a test track it offers male vocal, female vocal, thundering tympani drums, violins, cellos, horns all sorts of stuff! So it works for me as a test track, and just as importantly, I love it, so I'm happy to play it again and again. You can also get a copy in 16 or 24 bit variants, in case trying red book or high res matters at all.