Anyone have any favorite material for testing out speakers and headphones? One I find really good for it is A Momentary Lapseof Reason from Pink Floyd. Very clean (digitally recorded) and a lot of stuff going on.


-Ken

I've been using Stereophile's #3 test CD, XLO Reference Recordings Test/Burn-in CD, and a CD selection of familiar tracks I burned myself.

I like to use Steely Dan- A Decade of Steely Dan. This goes from deep bass to ultra high highs. I will admit that for testing vocals it is limited, but it works for me.

Just take music that you're REALLY familiar with that contains good highs, lows, mids, vocals, some instruments, cymbals and such, and you have yourself a test disc. It doesn't matter so much what you listen to as how familiar you are with it. All the test CDs in the world won't help if you listen to it with no frame of reference. I have a CD with a little of all the above, great soundstaging material, highs, lows, harmony, etc, etc, ad nausium, buy when I listen to something with them I can immediately tell what it does better/worse/as good, etc. since I have a frame of reference. Then I decide which is preferable to the other to help further the decision making process of what I'm going to buy. Sometimes a certain item is "better" but I don't like it for some reason, and since I will be the one listening to it, that's all that matter: whether I like it and will listen to it for hour after hour!!

Basically, this is what Mr PD said, but in a manner a little more verbose!!

Yeah you have to use some thing that you are familiar with. It's no good using some classical if you don't listen to classical music. Like those before me said its good to use a cd that has all the key factors that you are looking for, will that be deep bass or high treble to look for brightness in the component. It is also good to stick with a reference recording to see how your'e system gets better and better with each upgrade...

radiohead "ok computer"

roger waters "amused to death"

I've spent so much time with these albums that they could probably win a common law marriage suit in court......

Well, for classical, or for overall impact:

Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra

...a phenomenal work that can serve as a highly effective benchmark. Try the RCA "Living Stereo" Fritz Reiner-Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording.

For a great test on clean mids / highs... check out Pinback's "Blue Screen Life." There are some songs where his vocals are mic'd so closely, you can hear his mouth open... it's actually pretty cool, heh.

Yeah, like Richard Thompson's 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. You can hear him breathing with the words.

umm i use Madonna's Ray Of Light and Music.i m not a big fan but they sound amazing

I like the vinyl pressing of Paul Simons Graceland. The voices and instruments are fantastic as is the soundstaging and imaging. The variety of instruments used makes it pretty much an alll in one test record. I also use Dan Fogelbergs High Country Snows for vocals and acoustic instruments. Both albums are extremely well produced.

Todd

I posted a list of songs I use & compiled onto one CD:

Test Trax

It's quite old, but I use "Tea for the Tillerman," by Cat Stevens. For many years, it was THE recording to use for evaluation, and I know it so well that the character of the equipment is revealed very quickly.

Quote:



I only have that one on vinyl, but maybe I should get the CD. I love that album.


-Ken

I haven't been out audioning for a few years, so I may change my mind today, but the discs I used take to demo equipment included:

Fairfield Four, Standing in the Safety Zone
Rickie Lee Jones, Pop Pop
Rhino Collegiate Acapella Party
The Leak CD sampler volume with "Benny's Grave"
Marianne Faithful 20th Century Blues
Dark Side of the Moon
Little Earthquakes