The Repair of a Sony TC-399 R2R Machine

[Skywave]

Ah yes! 'Nimrod': excellent piece of classical music.
I agree totally with the three good reasons you list for classical music being used in the 'shop. For speed stability tests, dynamic range - and even S/N to some extent - I am fond of 'Fingal's Cave' (Hebrides Suite, Mendlessohn); one of my all-time favourites. When you become totally familiar with a piece of classical, the brain tends to be slightly ahead of what the ears hear, so even the slightest perturbation stands out a mile.

Al.

[Mark Hennessy]

Piano music is best for wow, strings for flutter. Personally, I find well recorded reference "pop" music is better for quickly assessing frequency response as most frequencies are there for most of the time. You obviously have to know how they should sound. But these are only quick tests - you can't beat rigorous objective tests if you have the time and facilities.

And beyond that, you're into "hi-fi", which is a whole other ball game...