[Twanger49]

Sarah Vaughan "That's All" from Crazy and Mixed Up 
Joni Mitchell "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio" from For The Roses
 
Female vocals, piano, acoustic guitars. Not a big test of bass but they reveal sibilance and presence to me.

 

[Connnorrr]

 

[Hellbishop]

For my Audio Technica Ath-AD700

For my Sony MDVR-XB500

 

[Redcarmoose]

This may sound boring but I always play DSOTM. I know the album and it is a great work-out for equipment. 
 
If you are close to a recording then you have all your years of experience to judge the response your getting from gear. At times your surprised and at times let down.

 

[Austin Morrow]

Got the new HD650's and the Valhalla. I can't stop listening to Maroon 5. Specifically Tangled.

 

[Jibbie]

Almost always I fire up "Can't Sleep (ATB Remix)" by Above & Beyond.
 
Amazing build up and bass drop for a trance song, vocals are awesome, and it is such a complex song with so many sounds going on that it really shows how resolving a headphone can be.

 

[Ouspensky]

In no particular order:
 
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Sleep is wrong
Meshuggah - Bleed
Tool - Stinkfist
Anything by Yello or Frank Zappa

 

[leng jai]

Probably Erotomania - Dream Theater.

 

[Vaati]

Definitely "title theme" from Hyrule Symphony, that or "Better git in your soul" by Charles Mingus.

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

This may sound boring but I always play DSOTM. I know the album and it is a great work-out for equipment. 
 
If you are close to a recording then you have all your years of experience to judge the response your getting from gear. At times your surprised and at times let down.

The problem with Dark Side of the Moon is that I've heard it so many times that I know every sound in it.  That makes is difficult to judge the detail of new headphones by hearing new levels of detail.  There are some cues that are useful, like whether the voices in the background are intelligible.  But overall, I don't use that as a test album anymore.
 
I do always listen to Animals on new gear though.
 

 

[n-phect]

 

[roker]

I used to have a go to song, HEART OF GLASS by Blondie
 
but these days I ususally go with whatever I happen to be listening before I try it.
 
It helps me hear the difference (bass texture, details, etc.)

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Right said Fred - I'm too Sexy.

 

 
Eww.

 

[Gorefiend]

Pink Noise - Dub Step Remix
 
It's a must for the burn in, with all the crazy Sine sweeps.

 

[Impunity]

Zoe Keating, without a doubt. She does accoustic solo cello work that is layered and layered and layered...
 
even if you dont care for the music (though its beautiful) its an accoustic cello so you know what the sound *should* be, its not syth or hyper-proccessed. Also she records in pretty high fidelity so you can really hear the quality of the recording well. On top of that the Cello is a *very* versatile instrument and can fully hit the mids as well as a large chunk of the lows and most of the highs, it is therefore a great tool in getting a baseline. add to it that she uses a lot of percussive techniques so the lows are pretty well covered.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYrcXX4nWOA&feature=related
 
After that its straight to any well mastered recording of Ave Maria. if that doesnt test your highs, you are deaf. Also it tends to make me tear up.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bosouX_d8Y
 
 
after that, Tool and whatever else i happen to feel like.