There has been some mention of best CD recordings to test our DIY fullrange speakers, in the middle of building BIB design.
My record store is having a sale (as usual), I am into jazz, instrumental, and classical.
what are some of the best CDs to test out the new toys? I used to like 1812 by Telarc... (not the picture of the same record)
thanks in advance.
My record store is having a sale (as usual), I am into jazz, instrumental, and classical.
what are some of the best CDs to test out the new toys? I used to like 1812 by Telarc... (not the picture of the same record)
thanks in advance.
Attachments
Whatever CDs you are most familiar with.
Whenever I make a change in the system, there are a handful of CDs and LPs that I gravitate toward, because I am so familiar with them that I can hear changes in the system. They aren't necessarily the "best" recordings. They encompass a mixture of genres, including acoustic, multi-tracked, and electronic recordings. If the tweak involves my vinyl rig, I have a couple of test records that provide certain baseline comparisons, but I don't use the test record for "fine tuning".
If you want to impress your buddies with the Telarc 1812, I think full-range is the wrong path, unless you go for Lowthers or ilk with gigantic rearhorns.
Whenever I make a change in the system, there are a handful of CDs and LPs that I gravitate toward, because I am so familiar with them that I can hear changes in the system. They aren't necessarily the "best" recordings. They encompass a mixture of genres, including acoustic, multi-tracked, and electronic recordings. If the tweak involves my vinyl rig, I have a couple of test records that provide certain baseline comparisons, but I don't use the test record for "fine tuning".
If you want to impress your buddies with the Telarc 1812, I think full-range is the wrong path, unless you go for Lowthers or ilk with gigantic rearhorns.
I use some recording made by myself with a sony minidisc and a simple stero mic (simple binaural recording).... Not only music, also my wife and my son during a conversation....The best I have......my wife in the kitchen speaking with me, my son in the other room speaking with us.......
I don't like Telarc recording (especially with fullrange speaker!)......innatural and very "digital" sound...
I don't like Telarc recording (especially with fullrange speaker!)......innatural and very "digital" sound...
your regular audiphile recording. And you can get it a your local music store.
It depends what you mean by test. As noted above, for testing, it's best to use a piece or pieces you are very familiar with. For something good to listen to, in classical music, I can heartily commend the new recording of the Planets, Berlin Phil. under Sir Simon Rattle. Very original interpretation.
Jazz at the Pawn Shop is one that I use quite often.
Reference Recording "Dick Hayman plays Duke Ellington" is one that I often use for piano.
Fujiyama Ondekoza Taiko Drums I use for low frequecy punch.
Wilson Audio "Discovery and Music for Christmas" I often use for low frequency organ music.
Reference Recording "Dick Hayman plays Duke Ellington" is one that I often use for piano.
Fujiyama Ondekoza Taiko Drums I use for low frequecy punch.
Wilson Audio "Discovery and Music for Christmas" I often use for low frequency organ music.
I vary a bit when it comes to using cd's for evaluating fullrange speakers vs. multiway speakers.
To my mind, a true "fullrange" speaker's only justification for existance is to convey a full, uncluttered midrange that truely enables us to be transported into the music. Truth resides in the midrange, all else is ornament.
Having said that, I listen to those cds that are compatible with the speaker's strengths. Vocals and unamplified instruments are prominent elements in selecting music worthy of a good fullrange.
A few cd's that I listen to that seem to have the recorded quality that can be appreciated by the use of a fullranger are:
The ARC Choir "Walk With Me"
Mapleshade #04132
A 32 voice, a capella Gospel choir, from Harlem. ARC stands for Addict's Rehabilitation Center and these people have been SAVED! It's the only Gospel music I own, but if the cd got broken I'd be ordering another one the same day. Great recording and soundstage.
La Grande Passione (Arias)
Seattle Opera and Starbucks Coffee had this one put together by BMC Special Products.
Some of the greatest arias by the greatest performers.
Oh! That Cello
Teresa Perez and the Tim Janis Ensemble
First Impression Music FIM XRCD 021
Simply and Utterly Beautiful Music (and superb recording).
Mark Levinson Live Recording at Red Rose Music Vol. 1
Red Rose Music
Excellent recording.
Like Others Did Before Us
The Makem Brothers, with Liam and Mickey Spain
Red Biddy Records
Ok recording, great musical entertainment. Some cuts are funny, and a couple are thought provoking, totally enjoyable.
the BlueGrass Sessions (Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Volume 2)
Bela Fleck (and a host of famous friends :^)
Warner Brothers
Perfect Fullrange Music. Here's some of the greatest BG musicians alive having a jam session.
(Passion)
Audiophile Music Presented by Mercedes-AMG
Produced by First Impression Music for Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
This is an audiophile cd that is perhaps the finest recording on cd in the world. All the giants (Sony, JVC, etc.) entered bids to produce this cd, but First Impression Music was awarded the contract. This cd isn't for sale to the general public, you have to buy an AMG to get one. Music is in a sampler format, recorded and produced to the highest (documented) standards in the world.
I have many others that I like, but these are my favorites.
Best Regards,
TerryO
To my mind, a true "fullrange" speaker's only justification for existance is to convey a full, uncluttered midrange that truely enables us to be transported into the music. Truth resides in the midrange, all else is ornament.
Having said that, I listen to those cds that are compatible with the speaker's strengths. Vocals and unamplified instruments are prominent elements in selecting music worthy of a good fullrange.
A few cd's that I listen to that seem to have the recorded quality that can be appreciated by the use of a fullranger are:
The ARC Choir "Walk With Me"
Mapleshade #04132
A 32 voice, a capella Gospel choir, from Harlem. ARC stands for Addict's Rehabilitation Center and these people have been SAVED! It's the only Gospel music I own, but if the cd got broken I'd be ordering another one the same day. Great recording and soundstage.
La Grande Passione (Arias)
Seattle Opera and Starbucks Coffee had this one put together by BMC Special Products.
Some of the greatest arias by the greatest performers.
Oh! That Cello
Teresa Perez and the Tim Janis Ensemble
First Impression Music FIM XRCD 021
Simply and Utterly Beautiful Music (and superb recording).
Mark Levinson Live Recording at Red Rose Music Vol. 1
Red Rose Music
Excellent recording.
Like Others Did Before Us
The Makem Brothers, with Liam and Mickey Spain
Red Biddy Records
Ok recording, great musical entertainment. Some cuts are funny, and a couple are thought provoking, totally enjoyable.
the BlueGrass Sessions (Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Volume 2)
Bela Fleck (and a host of famous friends :^)
Warner Brothers
Perfect Fullrange Music. Here's some of the greatest BG musicians alive having a jam session.
(Passion)
Audiophile Music Presented by Mercedes-AMG
Produced by First Impression Music for Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
This is an audiophile cd that is perhaps the finest recording on cd in the world. All the giants (Sony, JVC, etc.) entered bids to produce this cd, but First Impression Music was awarded the contract. This cd isn't for sale to the general public, you have to buy an AMG to get one. Music is in a sampler format, recorded and produced to the highest (documented) standards in the world.
I have many others that I like, but these are my favorites.
Best Regards,
TerryO
David Dick's List
David Dick of Common Sense Audio has an excellent list of titles on his website. Here's the address:
http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/cd.html
His products are very good, too. I built some full range speakers using the 6.5 inch Audio Nirvana drivers and some old Sherwood boxes. The boxes were free and the drivers cost about $100. They easily beat my NEAR 10Ms and my Dyna A25's.
Happy listening!
Leonard
David Dick of Common Sense Audio has an excellent list of titles on his website. Here's the address:
http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/cd.html
His products are very good, too. I built some full range speakers using the 6.5 inch Audio Nirvana drivers and some old Sherwood boxes. The boxes were free and the drivers cost about $100. They easily beat my NEAR 10Ms and my Dyna A25's.
Happy listening!
Leonard
Of course one should use familiar recordings but I have come to the conclusion that they must at least be excellent recordings and have the required information density.
If for example you are using even a reasonably good late 50´s jazz disc how can one be sure if the cymbals or bass are optimally recorded .Perhaps they are not because of the technology of the time and by trying to tune a speaker to make them sound right you are effectively trying to correct recording faults.
That is why one should be careful in selecting favourite familiar recordings.They may be great performances but you have to choose the ones with impecable sound quality.
What I have done is record a reference cd with a selection of reference tracks from various cd´s .Out of these I only need 3-4 tracks to really test something and only about 30-40 secs from each track to be sure.
This makes A/bing faster without the need to change cd´s etc.
If for example you are using even a reasonably good late 50´s jazz disc how can one be sure if the cymbals or bass are optimally recorded .Perhaps they are not because of the technology of the time and by trying to tune a speaker to make them sound right you are effectively trying to correct recording faults.
That is why one should be careful in selecting favourite familiar recordings.They may be great performances but you have to choose the ones with impecable sound quality.
What I have done is record a reference cd with a selection of reference tracks from various cd´s .Out of these I only need 3-4 tracks to really test something and only about 30-40 secs from each track to be sure.
This makes A/bing faster without the need to change cd´s etc.
test music...
I guess it really depends on what I change in the system as to what I listen to. lately, I have found my yamaha DX-7 doing sine waves and rat shack SPL meter to come in handy. I get to measure frequency response from a more musically centered reference point. I also get to listen to tone quality at those frequencies at the same time. listen for in speaker or in room resonances... I can program almost any wave shape into the dx-7, but i usually stick with sine waves. this is about as hardcore into the land of RTAs that I go for my own systems. however, I am taking an independant study in acoustics where I get to play with some more advanced tools...
for music, I really like to use all types. blues, solo keyboard, jazz, stereolab, prodigy, dub reggae, fischerspooner, neil young, oldies, it really all depends.
my personal speakers I try to get pretty well rounded, which can prove quite hard with full range drivers at times.
I really listen to alot of saturated stuff, especially stuff like stereolab...my favorite albums are peng and mars audiac quintet. most of the early stuff. while it might seem counterintuitive for me to be into music that would seemingly not do well on full rangers, I find that if I can get enough speed and halfway decent tonal balance then full rangers are the only things I want to listen to any music on...kinda like a really good pair of headphones. they can just do everything well, if given the chance.
fine tuning just takes time. the finer the tuning, the more time to discover and successfully impliment the tune. Frequently, one does not quite know what the next change will be, but that there needs to be one. then, after forgetting about it for a while, coming back with a fresh approach, eureka!
I guess it really depends on what I change in the system as to what I listen to. lately, I have found my yamaha DX-7 doing sine waves and rat shack SPL meter to come in handy. I get to measure frequency response from a more musically centered reference point. I also get to listen to tone quality at those frequencies at the same time. listen for in speaker or in room resonances... I can program almost any wave shape into the dx-7, but i usually stick with sine waves. this is about as hardcore into the land of RTAs that I go for my own systems. however, I am taking an independant study in acoustics where I get to play with some more advanced tools...
for music, I really like to use all types. blues, solo keyboard, jazz, stereolab, prodigy, dub reggae, fischerspooner, neil young, oldies, it really all depends.
my personal speakers I try to get pretty well rounded, which can prove quite hard with full range drivers at times.
I really listen to alot of saturated stuff, especially stuff like stereolab...my favorite albums are peng and mars audiac quintet. most of the early stuff. while it might seem counterintuitive for me to be into music that would seemingly not do well on full rangers, I find that if I can get enough speed and halfway decent tonal balance then full rangers are the only things I want to listen to any music on...kinda like a really good pair of headphones. they can just do everything well, if given the chance.
fine tuning just takes time. the finer the tuning, the more time to discover and successfully impliment the tune. Frequently, one does not quite know what the next change will be, but that there needs to be one. then, after forgetting about it for a while, coming back with a fresh approach, eureka!
I enjoy any James Taylor on my full ranges. Another good full range artist is Dave Brubeck, in particular, the songs Strange Meadow Lark and of course the famous Take Five. The piano in Strange Meadow Lark is amazing.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones piece Zenergy is awesome. Their music features a banjo in jazz, as well as the infamous Victor Wooten bass player. The test for tight accurate bass is Weather Report or any Jaco Pastorius, their bass player, in general. I am a bass player, so alot of my taste is influenced by music containing very technical and moving bass lines.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones piece Zenergy is awesome. Their music features a banjo in jazz, as well as the infamous Victor Wooten bass player. The test for tight accurate bass is Weather Report or any Jaco Pastorius, their bass player, in general. I am a bass player, so alot of my taste is influenced by music containing very technical and moving bass lines.
Anything including fast transients such as non-boomy percussives, steel guitars, pianos and rich sounds full of mid-range detail is best and distinguishes the best full-ranges from the crowd - it really depends on which full range you are demonstrating as undoubtedly some are much better than others (and some worse than standard speakers)
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