[skylinedo]

songs i'm very familiar w/ so i can point out changes

 

[ShaftedTwice]

Dream Theater, some classical symphonies, whatever I feel like listening to

 

[photek]

Tool - Prison Sex

 

[stewgriff]

Absurd, but:
1812 Overture-tests very low bass, rich overall symphonic sound

Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, along with Cantaloupe Island-tests for overall laid-back feel, good acoustic recordings, some tracks' overt cymbals really bring out sibilance

Alicia Keys' Diary of Alicia Keys-female vocals, solo acoustic piano

and...

ATCQ's The Low End Theory-vocal clarity, bass impact

 

[Jahn]

Folks at the National Meet seemed to like the playlist I put together to test things out -


(You're The) Devil In Disguise2:21Elvis Presley
Age of Consent5:13New Order
Baby, Now That I've Found You4:09Alison Krauss & Union Station
Billie Jean4:54Michael Jackson
Cherokee5:09Arturo Sandoval
Eruption1:43Van Halen
Hotel California5:47Gipsy Kings
I. (Allegro moderato) (Concerto for Violin, Strings and Continuo in a minor, BWV 1041)3:23Hilary Hahn
It's Not Up To You5:08Björk
La La Love You2:43Pixies
Let's Get Lost5:11Diana Krall And Terence Blanchard
Little Wing6:50Stevie Ray Vaughan
Modern Love4:47David Bowie
Santeria3:03Sublime
Shake Your Rump3:19The Beastie Boys
So Hard (Extended Dance Mix)6:39Pet Shop Boys
The Caterpillar3:40The Cure
We've Only Just Begun3:05The Carpenters
What Is Hip3:26Tower Of Power

 

[PeeeMeS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Folks at the National Meet seemed to like the playlist I put together to test things out - Baby, Now That I've Found You4:09Alison Krauss & Union Station I. (Allegro moderato) (Concerto for Violin, Strings and Continuo in a minor, BWV 1041)3:23Hilary Hahn

Whaddya know
2 matching artists !

 

[mektarus]

Here's an excellent post (from another forum) by head-fi member Zemo.

 

[PeeeMeS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mektarus Here's an excellent post (from another forum) by head-fi member Zemo.

Interesting post but the links to the songs are sadly down

 

[fengler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mektarus Here's an excellent post (from another forum) by head-fi member Zemo.

awesome, thanks!

 

[mektarus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeeeMeS Interesting post but the links to the songs are sadly down

Hmm, that sucks.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mektarus Here's an excellent post (from another forum) by head-fi member Zemo.

Most of what was listed seems to be 100% subjective.

Quote:

Rhythm and Pace refers to a systems ability to translate energy and excitement in the music.

Am I the only one who read that as "Rhythm and Police"? Rofl! Anyway, if the music is good, it's good, whether it's played on a several thousand dollar home theater setup, a thousand-dollar pair of headphones, or a pair of cheap PC speakers. Good music creates its own energy and transcends the realm of drivers and amplifiers.

Now, here is some subjectivity on my part: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...D69C1D0C0B551B

When I first heard that song, I was wearing a pair Sony MDR-V600s. Now that my eyes are open, I can see their faults, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the song! The pulsating beat, the cadence of the lyrics and the melody that goes along with them, was like instant simpatico! I only had to listen a few times to have every nuance of the music memorized. Certain songs have a "resonance" with me. It is difficult to explain what this feels like or what factors create it, but when it happens, I know I've found a song that I will love.

Quote:

You should be able to close your eyes and “see” the choir before you, and sense a large cathedral, 60 feet wide, 225 feet long, and 90 feet tall.

That hardly seems like an objective test of a particular speaker's abilities. Some people would never notice such a thing regardless of how good their sound system was. I know I wouldn't. I am an extremely poor judge of depth and soundstage. I would be more likely to be memorizing the song's melody and harmonies. But we each have our strengths, and I'm certainly not trying to knock an otherwise excellent post!

At any rate, the song I usually use to test any new headphones is the opening track to the video game "Dangun Feveron", which has a little bit of everything, highs, mids, and lows, transients, the works.

Another good song that I found is "Puff the P*ussy Puzzle" from the Turn-A Gundam soundtrack. The clarinets used have a very scratchy old-time radio sound to them, and only good headphones can show this fact. Crappy headphones portray a smooth-sounding clarinet.

Here is that song: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...38A872032A15E8