The Best audiophile tracks to test equipment
May 8, 2016 at 8:54 PM Post #256 of 482
Kashiwa Daisuke - Stella (general feeling)

Good one, especially for testing mids and treble since many pieces go up to 22kHz. The only flaw - not for a newbee, too much is going on sometimes.
But mostly I was surprised by the second track, "Write Once, Run Melos". It pushed neutral headphones to the brightness limit. I do not suffer from bright coloration, but it was something. Also goes up to 22kHz, thus I prefer this one for serious testing.
 
May 8, 2016 at 9:23 PM Post #257 of 482
Also:
maudlin of the Well - Part The Second
free download for 24 bit flac, is that audiophile enough?
biggrin.gif

Nope. 44.1kHz is CD quality, 24bit for smooth sound. You need at least 96/24or DSD128 for modern audiophile quality.
But track#3 worth consideration for testing (honestly) if you can survive such artDeco experiments.
 
May 8, 2016 at 9:32 PM Post #258 of 482
Peter Gabriel Solsbury Hill; seasick making on headphones, just wobbly on speakers/crossfeed

First run I made in closed cans with some soundstage. Sound weird, seasick (Fischer Audio FA-006, velour pads) - Nope. So the second run I made in Sennheiser HD430, an old HiFi open cans.
Big soundstage resolved the mistery. No weird sensations, just low freq left-right panning. Seasick - not in this cans. Personally I just disliked such effect
 
May 9, 2016 at 1:01 PM Post #261 of 482
Originally Posted by samsquanch /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Slayer - Angel Of Death
Speed test.

The biggest problem here lies in 19!!! editions of the album Reign In Blood. Studio and Live. 1986 - 2013. Pace is almost identical, but original album is recessed and congested.
So I tried 2002 USA Expanded Edition only, but even this “guess” gave an open and detailed sound, it is quite easy to here possible flaws. Track “Raining Blood” is similar, but with slightly different pattern in lows – complicated to cans which tends to loose control and become boomy. Also for me guitars are not so refined, especially in Angel of Death.
 
From the “metal” world I also recommend Megadeth – Hangar 18. It is not so fast at the beginning, but gains pace at the end. It requires extremely detailed mids and treble. If you know this song well, it also requires certain balance of lows and treble and suffers a lot from recessed mids. At the same time plates should be “made from steel”, while guitars do not have “metallic scent” at all.
 
May 9, 2016 at 1:34 PM Post #262 of 482
Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
- "Hide and Seek"
- "The Moment I Said It"
- "Just for Now"

Hide and seek - implicit test for details and pace through reverbs in this track. Sibilance (may be, quite close to it).  Be warned: reverb will be strong only in closed cans! No much width in sound stage, but has depth to it: vocals should be in front, close to center.
 
The Moment I Said It - beautiful song, resolution, general balance. No so high treble, but if your cans have "an early" early dip in treble, no joy at all. Wide! soundstage, no depth.
 
Just for Now - detail and resolution. Up to 22kHz. No fun if treble level is low. Soundstage - some width, no depth.
 
All 3 songs are perfect example that we do need high level of treble, extended minimum to 18kHz. Since a soundstage partially is made in high treble, take it into account.
 
May 9, 2016 at 5:11 PM Post #266 of 482
Still scrolling pages (it takes time if even when you listen only some tracks and suggested albums).
 
Oldest posts gave me sensation that people forgot about another classics, fully applicable for testing: Santana - Oye, Como Va. Famous Europe could be used only to check general impressions, too many people will find it way to bright.
 
For Jazz fans you can test many aspects using Diana Krall's - Jimmie from "Stepping Out"
 
May 9, 2016 at 5:23 PM Post #267 of 482
Telemann oboe sonatas. There is something revealing about the sustained complex tone of baroque oboe and lute or harpsichord, allows for subtle tone colors to come through in a good headphone setup.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uY1XXgCPJs
 
May 9, 2016 at 5:47 PM Post #268 of 482
  Ween - A Tear for Eddie (Live at Palais Extra on 1997-11-27) -- great guitar https://archive.org/details/Ween1997-11-27.sbd.remaster.flac16
Rockfour - It Ain't Easy (When You're Gone) -- another great all around track http://rockfour.bandcamp.com/track/it-aint-easy-when-youre-gone
Sebastien Tellier - Kilometer (Moulinex Remix) -- great bass, awesome track https://sebastientellier.bandcamp.com/track/kilometer-moulinex-remix

These are way too simple for testing purposes.
 
May 10, 2016 at 12:06 AM Post #270 of 482
Concerning old posts about Allan Taylor - Colour to the Moon album. Wonderful, but actually tracks #1,#3, #5,#6,#8 are most sutable for testing purposes.
I decided to take #3 - A Road to Long and #8 - Colour of the Moon
 

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