[TheRH]

What songs do you use for your reference list to audition equipment?

Here is my list

1.Robert Len - Fragile

2.Stevie Ray Vaughan - Riviera Paradise

3.Pink Floyd - Money

4.Black Sabbath - The Wizard

5 Stevie Ray Vaughan/Albert King - Blues At Sunrise

6. Mark Knopfler - Song for Sonny Liston

7. Santana - El Farol

8. Rock Candy Funk Party - C You on The Flip Side

9. Rush - By-Tor And The Snow Dog

10. Rush - Working Man

What is yours?

 

[ADUHF]

I don't really have a top ten or a top five. It's just whatever I'm listening to at the time, usually on YT. I'm curious what format you're using for the above though. CD, MP3, lossless, streaming...?

 

[FullBright1]

I have hundreds, literally, that are my "reference" for testing headphones, that i personally created as Vids.
The best way to approach a "list", is to give the headphones many genres` to deal with, and see how it goes.

If you decide to dive in and get yourself all wet, then plz adjust the Vid's Rez to 780p....... Some say this does not matter, but it matters to me...

#11 & #12 are a bonus.....
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[ADUHF]

So you're using your own bootlegged videos as an equipment reference for listening to other people's work?... That makes zero sense to me... unless you're only listening to your own bootlegged content. Whatshisface on IF (not Tyll) used to make the same type of circular arguments re speakers... I made it (referring to his own audio content), therefore I know it's right.

I don't doubt that you have some authoring skills. But I'd question the validity of such work as a reference for other people's content. Just my 2c. I won't go into the ethics, or lack thereof, of uploading other people's work to YT again, as I'm sure you already know my feelings on that.

I am still curious to know what media the OP is using for his selections though.

 

[ADUHF]

I agree, in general, with your assertion re different genres btw. Some people like to use different gear for different genres though. And some only listen to one or a few genres. Listening to other genres on the equipment may, or may not be beneficial in these cases.

 

[TheRH]

FLAC Purchase's or Rips of my own CD's. Playing through a Magni 3/Modi2 with Jriver using a pair of se215. at the moment

 

[ADUHF]

Thank you, TheRH. All I wanted to know.

 

[Fetou]

What songs do you use for your reference list to audition equipment?

I really like your list OP, thanks

 

[FullBright1]

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[macdonjh]

What songs do you use for your reference list to audition equipment?

Here is my list

1.Robert Len - Fragile

2.Stevie Ray Vaughan - Riviera Paradise, great song, how about "Chitlins Con Carne"?

3.Pink Floyd - Money, "Time" for me

4.Black Sabbath - The Wizard

5 Stevie Ray Vaughan/Albert King - Blues At Sunrise

6. Mark Knopfler - Song for Sonny Liston, Dire Straits' "Telegraph Road"

7. Santana - El Farol "Song of the Wind"

8. Rock Candy Funk Party - C You on The Flip Side

9. Rush - By-Tor And The Snow Dog, "Limelight"

10. Rush - Working Man

What is yours?

It seems we have similar tastes, overall. I had different choices from some of the same bands, listed above.

 

[ev666il]

Being a metalhead, I don't exactly have dearth of audiophile-grade records to test equipment with—but there are good-sounding metal records out there, and these are some of the tracks I always play when I want to try out a new toy (in no particular order):

- Avenged Sevenfold, "Paradigm" (from the original 2016 issue of "The Stage", featuring an amazing mastering job by Bob Ludwig.)

- Aether Realm, "The Chariot"

- Omnium Gatherum, "The Frontline" (from the HDTracks version of the album—amazing DR.)

- Megadeth, "Holy Wars ... And The Punishment Due" (from the original 1990 issue of "Rust In Peace.")

- Carcass, "Buried Dreams" and "Embodiment" (from the 2013 Full Dynamic Range release of "Heartwork.")

- Guns N' Roses, "Welcome To The Jungle", "Nightrain", "You Could Be Mine", "14 Years" (from the MFSL release of "Appetite For Destruction" and "Use Your Illusion II")


EDIT: Most of the above are FLAC files I ripped from my CDs via Exact Audio Copy or purchased from HDTracks; Aether Realm are streamed from Tidal in lossless quality.

 

[macdonjh]

From my latest audition SD card:

1. The Doctor, Doc Powell, deep bass is way down in the mix, but the mids and treble are quite good. It's light jazz, so dynamics aren't front or center.
2. "Chitlins Con Carne", Stevie Ray Vaughn, good deep bass rumble, wonderful guitar tone, bright cymbals. It's easy to isolate the bass, mids and highs with this recording.
3. "Deeper Well", Emmylou Harris, I like her worn vocals, some pretty deep bass, but must listen for the emotion in her singing.
4. "Brandenberg Concerto 1", JS Bach, I'll have to look up which particular recording. The cello goes pretty low, the baroque instrumentation is good for mids and highs as well as transient response and the complexity of Bach's arrangements is good for articulation.
5. Porgy and Bess, Miles Davis, because who wouldn't use Miles Davis for midrange tone?
6. "From and Beginning", Emerson Lake and Palmer, surprisingly detailed acoustic guitar, and one of my favorite songs.
7. "5th Symphony, 1st movement" Beethoven (I think the Richter on Deutsche Grammophone)
8. "Whiplash", Hank Levy, got to have bite in the brass fanfares
9. "One for My Baby", Frank Sinatra, oh, those vocals

 

[OceanRanger]

I know that this is an older thread, but thanks to you all for posting your lists. I've spent the last hour digging through Qobuz and listening to a number of tracks. "Chitlins Con Carne" is an awesome track. I also enjoyed a few Emerson Lake and Palmer tracks.

Recently, my reference tracks have been:

The Peppery Man - Natalie Merchant / Hazmat Modine / The Fairfield Four - on Leave Your Sleep: this is a crazy good blues track with great male and female vocals, base and harmonica

Temptation - Diana Krall - on The Girl In The Other Room - smoky vocals and picking a standup base and some gentle percussion make this a favorite

Heart is a Drum - Beck - on Morning Phase - a very well mixed album - I keep hearing new things in this song

Old Man - Neil Young - on Harvest

Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac - on Rumours - There is a lot happening in this track, detail, base, interesting percussion, vocals are certainly front and center

Three Hours - Nick Drake - early 1970's UK folk rock at its best.

Love Vigilantes - Iron & Wine - on Around The Well - this is a cover of a Joy Division song. The depth on the acoustic guitar is great, especially with Sam Beam striking it to keep rhythm.

Burning Down the House - Talking Heads - on Speaking in Tongues - driving base, it is almost like David Byrne is at the back of the stage.


Anyway, thanks for opening me to some new artists and tracks!