Bret:
Doesn't that just psych you up that you may not have even heard a good recording???
OK, I can't decide on your musical tastes, so I'll just list some great sounding DVD-A and SACD discs that I have:
Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room
Eagles- Hotel California
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Steely Dan - Everything must go
Beck- Sea Change
I should mention that I've seen more and more evidence that a plain 'ole CD, when recorded well, can sound just as good (as I'd heard others say).
I'm into a very wide range of music from Metallica, NIN and Bad Brains through a little Classical, light jazz and John Mayer-type stuff. I have to say that by and large, my most impressive discs are not the heavier stuff. It gets louder and heavier with a good system, but it's usually pretty compressed in the dynamic range so impact instruments (like drums) don't really have that same "live, you-are-there" feel and in general, I find an acoustic guitar shows off a system better than an electric.
Sometimes the best demo stuff is not your favorite listening stuff!
If you were thinking about the Diana Krall anyway, give it a whirl, getting credit for it as a thoughtful gift, knowing it'll make an impressive demo disc as well!
