This song must reveal that shortcoming of your audio

[Doug Kim]

Hello all,

While I was thinking about how we can tell the difference in sound quality of our audio system, I came up with the idea of starting this thread.

If we can meet all together, this can be very easy. But since we can't, we may try hard by introducing specific song (or portion of the song) that is good for revealing the shortcomings of a certain system.

I hope this is not a duplicate thread (and yes I did search).

Doug

 

[Doug Kim]

Proprius Jazz at the Pawn Shop - sound stage depth

This CD, entire songs, when played by well established system, can give you the feel of sound stage depth. I could kind of felt that I could tell where the musical instruments were played, not only left to right, but front to rear, too.
With mediocre system, it was flat.

 

[GuudTunes]

Opus 2 test CD

Have found the recording time tested and well recorded and balanced. 1 of my "go to's" for comparing components.

 

[KevinHeem]

This CD, entire songs, when played by well established system, can give you the feel of sound stage depth. I could kind of felt that I could tell where the musical instruments were played, not only left to right, but front to rear, too.
With mediocre system, it was flat.

I see what you mean. I just picked it up on vinyl. Amazing recording. It's a Swedish release, as far as I can tell a reissue from 1984. My wife found it at a local record shop for 15 bucks! And it's in excellent condition.

 

[jackinnj]

Spoken (not sung) male voice
Solo piano

"Jazz at the Pawnshop" should be in your library in any event.

 

[Doug Kim]

Have found the recording time tested and well recorded and balanced. 1 of my "go to's" for comparing components.

Do you recommend a specific track, or do you think the entire CD is good for comparing components?

 

[sreten]

Hi,

The "Trinity Sessions" by the Cowboy Junkies is as pure a recording
as you can buy. No production, just a Calrec stereo microphone.

Whilst the absolute quality is a bit rough as you would expect,
its my go to reference for comparing the quality of equipment.

What your looking for is insight into the recording, warts and all.

rgds, sreten.

 

[Max Headroom]

Robert Johnson recordings sounding pleasant is the mark of a good system.

Dan.

 

[billshurv]

Telarc 1812. That'll check dynamic range and bass capabilities.

 

[SY]

The "Trinity Sessions" by the Cowboy Junkies

Hmmm, that sounds interesting. Is the dynamic range decent? Compression is the enemy!

My go-to Redbird- all acoustic, single stereo ribbon mike, minimal processing, and I know what all of those voices and instruments sound like live. Besides which, the music is terrific, unlike the enervating Proprius stuff.

 

[billshurv]

ok, that's my next cd purchase sorted 🙂

 

[5th element]

Hmmm, that sounds interesting. Is the dynamic range decent? Compression is the enemy!

My go-to Redbird- all acoustic, single stereo ribbon mike, minimal processing, and I know what all of those voices and instruments sound like live. Besides which, the music is terrific, unlike the enervating Proprius stuff.

Well even the amazon previews of that sound great 😀

For great old recordings I like going to this...

Ella Fitzgerald; Count Basie, Ella And Basie! in High-Resolution Audio - ProStudioMasters

I have it on CD and 24/96 FLAC. Linn Records had this at one point, now they don't appear to. 😱

 

[sreten]

Hmmm, that sounds interesting.
Is the dynamic range decent?
Compression is the enemy!

Hi,

Whilst my LP version of it was horribly sibilant, the CD is great.

Its a great recording of a live band, with no compression AFAIK.

Its in a church with good but fairly lively acoustics.

I've listened to it so often my opinion is probably very biased.

rgds, sreten.

 

[ArtG]

Telarc 1812. That'll check dynamic range and bass capabilities.

Telarc 1812 Overture ? Yeh, that will surely test your system's bass capabilities! 🙂

It will also test the strength of the cones, surrounds, and current overload capabilities of your speakers!

The only speaker system that I've heard that could come anywhere close to adequately reproducing the cannon shots, were a pair of 24" Hartley's driven by a DC300a--at a "moderate' level.

 

[mt490]

Justice has some pretty revealing ones. Particularly Phantom and Waters of Nazareth, but accompany them with other more natural music (noise?) when doing evaluations.

 

[Pano]

Cyndi Lauper. If you can get her to sound good, you might be on to something. 😛
(not joking)
Also Sarah Vaughan on the Peter Gunn theme song. If the system is prone to harshness, this will hurt your ears. On a balanced system, not so bad.

 

[KevinHeem]

Cyndi Lauper. If you can get her to sound good, you might be on to something. 😛
(not joking)
Also Sarah Vaughan on the Peter Gunn theme song. If the system is prone to harshness, this will hurt your ears. On a balanced system, not so bad.

I have the MoFi release of True Colors. Sounds good! Too bad I only really only like the song True Colors.

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Cyndi Lauper. If you can get her to sound good, you might be on to something. 😛

I also tend to reach for some of that bright '80s pop stuff to check the top end balance. Thomas Dolby's The Golden Age of Wireless, for me, is an example of a fun record that happens to be sat right on the edge of acceptable brightness. Kate Bush's The Sensual World, on the other hand, might be just over the top. With even a little too much in the upper octaves, she's all Aphex and no melody. But when she's dialed in, she makes me blush.

-- Jim

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

I have the MoFi release of True Colors. Sounds good! Too bad I only really only like the song True Colors.

That's kind of where I'm at with Cyndi as well. 🙂

 

[Pano]

Yeah, what was up with the nasty bright 80s pop? Just a fad, or was it equipment related?