What recordings do you use to audition (or test) your system.

[geoturbo]

I am using an Emma (European Mobile Media Association) cd, I believe it is the 2001-2002 cd; it has left/right channel, in phase/out of phase, and spatial tracks to start with, and a selection of various music genres (percussion, electronic, classical, male/female duo/solo, you name it..).

 

[Sam Ash]

Interesting, is there an online reference for purchase and download?

 

[geoturbo]

No affiliation, here is a link to (newer) Emma CDs:
https://emmanetshop.com/CD-and-Media/?language=en
there is also a download section, but do not know any content other than the (old) 2001-2002 CD..

 

[Sam Ash]

Thanks @geoturbo, I appreciate it

 

[Sumaco]

I use this set reference of tracks:
https://www.nativedsd.com/product/2xhdft1095-audiophile-speaker-setup/

 

[geoffkait]

The really good recordings sound excellent on many systems. So in a sense those recordings are not very good for assessing the short comings of one’s system. If it was that easy to assess one‘s system and figure out which way to go everyone could do it.

 

[Sam Ash]

Thanks @geoffkait, that makes sense. I have a very diverse taste and tend to listen to all sorts of stuff.

 

[geoturbo]

AFAIK the Emma CDs are used to evaluate Hi-Fi car installations, trained judges are evaluating different aspects of the install and its sound aspects of course (tonal accuracy, spectral balance, imaging..) so I thought why not using it to assess home Hi-Fi.. I had an explaining book accompanying my Emma CD but went lost some home moves ago..
It might have been something like this:
https://www.emmanet.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022EMMA-SQ-Judgebook.pdf

 

[Sam Ash]

Thanks for the reference @geoturbo

 

[knotscott]

The really good recordings sound excellent on many systems. So in a sense those recordings are not very good for assessing the short comings of one’s system. If it was that easy to assess one‘s system and figure out which way to go everyone could do it.

This is a great point. For example, lots of folks like to use Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for showing off their systems....great album, nice recording. The ticking clock sounds and clanging chimes, dramatic bass notes, clear vocals, great saxophone and guitar solos, etc., made the album fun to show off my early 80s car system with....it was better than most car systems of the era, but nothing like what I have now at home, and nothing really noteworthy, yet somehow DSOTM sounded really good on that old car system.

These days I tend to use whatever well recorded female vocals, acoustic guitar, or piano I happen to have in my rotation and that I'm well familiar with. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Knopfler, Tracy Chapman, Allison Krauss, Mandolin Orange, Gregory Porter, Enya, etc. A poor recording still sounds less pleasant, but can still help show how revealing your system is (or isn't). Using a wide variety of good, but not necessarily stellar recordings of the types of music you enjoy can help you setup and tweak your system to what you deem as neutral to your listening space. That way if there's something that stands out in a particular recording (like weak bass, heavy bass, upfront or reticent vocals, sibilance, hot cymbals, compression, etc, it's a good indicator that it's specific to that recording and not your system.