juniper8 Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Just curious, some of us have a recording or piece of music that we gauge speakers or equipment on. I am wondering what some of the more difficult tracks people use are? I have some decent speakers but one track no speaker can handle that I own is "please, please me" by the beatles, I always find it shouty muddled in the middle and a little confused. I am Curious as to some of the recordings all of you use as a test, that are difficult. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 one track no speaker can handle that I own is "please, please me" by the beatles, I always find it shouty muddled in the middle and a little confused. I'm just curious... if no speaker can handle this, is it possible that it is simply poorly recorded and that muddled sound is actually what's on the original tape? I would think you would have a handful of tracks to showcase different attributes. Some movie scenes (Jurassic park T-Rex?) to show bass performance, other tracks (Bonnie Rait?) to show raspy female vocals and so on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniper8 Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 one track no speaker can handle that I own is "please, please me" by the beatles, I always find it shouty muddled in the middle and a little confused. I'm just curious... if no speaker can handle this, is it possible that it is simply poorly recorded and that muddled sound is actually what's on the original tape? I would think you would have a handful of tracks to showcase different attributes. Some movie scenes (Jurassic park T-Rex?) to show bass performance, other tracks (Bonnie Rait?) to show raspy female vocals and so on? I hoped it was the recording but I have several and it seems that none of my speakers can handle the complexity of this piece of music! I know that most speakers have limitations and all that I have, have a difficulty with this piece of music! I just wanted to know if someone has a similar "difficult song to test with" T-rex and such seem simple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockOn4Klipsch Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 I recently aquired some la scala's and they do very well with almost all music. One CD I have found to be difficult for them is the RadioHead Amnesiac album at higher spls. The RF 7's on the other hand rock it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 "Oh Atlanta" by Allison Krauss-- femlae vocals that will put a hurtin' on speakers at high volume... "Sinkin Soon" by Norah Jones-- close-mic, compressed very little, some sharp transients with Norah's voice "Lucy & Linus" by David Benoi-- Sharp piano attacks "Flight of the Cosmic Hippos" by Bela Fleck & the Flecktones-- if a speaker can play the bass in this song clearly, it's got a brutal bottom end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 The opening track of the Telarc Time Warp recording will give any speaker a good workout. Hearing protection is recommended for some of the nasty high content. The organ pedal that opens the ensuing Also Sprach Zarathustra will max out the bass capabilities of just about any speaker. While direct radiators can do deep bass powerfully, the continuous demand of that pedal will gas most of them. Klipschorns like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 The organ pedal that opens the ensuing Also Sprach Zarathustra will max out the bass capabilities of just about any speaker. While direct radiators can do deep bass powerfully, the continuous demand of that pedal will gas most of them. Klipschorns like it. I have always loved that piece of music. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 Lest we not forget the digital cannons on Telarc's War of 1812. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 Mickey Hart's DAFOS on Reference Recordings. Of course you will need a top class turntable/arm/cartridge to go along with this 45rpm LP. The CD is not nearly as substantial as the LP. I first heard this recording at a Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. My wife and I were waiting in line down the hall to get into the Infinity IRS demo room when Arnie Nudell (Infinity founder/president) apparently decided to use this recording to demo the IRS V. The hotel walls and floors were shaking (read: not vibrating, SHAKING). My wife sounded out "What the hell are they doing in there? Killing somebody?" On a good system it basically sounds like someone dropped a Kenworth from 5 stories up onto the concrete floor in a warehouse. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/audiophile-reference-recording-dafos-93409981Have fun [li] [8-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 I've got that RR record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 Mickey Hart's DAFOS on Reference Recordings. Of course you will need a top class turntable/arm/cartridge to go along with this 45rpm LP. The CD is not nearly as substantial as the LP. I first heard this recording at a Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. My wife and I were waiting in line down the hall to get into the Infinity IRS demo room when Arnie Nudell (Infinity founder/president) apparently decided to use this recording to demo the IRS V. The hotel walls and floors were shaking (read: not vibrating, SHAKING). My wife sounded out "What the hell are they doing in there? Killing somebody?" On a good system it basically sounds like someone dropped a Kenworth from 5 stories up onto the concrete floor in a warehouse. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/audiophile-reference-recording-dafos-93409981Have fun And, being a bass player myself, I might mention track 3 "Reunion", Bobby Vega plays bass (not listed in the credits on the early releases). This is some pretty awsome bass playing. Anyone want to bet that Bobby is not playing a 4 stringer? Or more specifically, his 1961 Fender Jazz Bass? That's just voice, percussion and electric bass guitar on that track! Professor Thump ~ check this out!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniper8 Posted June 19, 2010 Author Share Posted June 19, 2010 This is all great info! I will have to make a run to the music store, I have to hear some of these tracks. I wish I was buying vinyl, but cd will have to do for now. THANKS++++ AWESOME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 [*-)] Ooops. I must apologize. I listened to the LP Thursday night. And the CD last night. They are not the same. There are different and more tracks on the CD. I'm sure some of the "takes" of some tracks are also different. My CD is also an original release from Reference Recordings. The LP I bought as a promotional copy at CES in the mid-80's. White cover w/hole~no info/basic info on label . The more recent CD on Rykodisc has an even different track listing. So I guess unless you have/can get the original promo LP you're not going to get the Kenworth ceiling drop kinda thang. The CD sounds very different. But.......Its still a really great recording. Lots of rhythmic percussion, vocals. And of course Bobby Vega on bass (one track). (that's one guy playing that my friends, most likely on a his 61 Fender Jazz bass) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatever55 Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Any Country and Western Music...... [] Really I like Paranoid by Black Sabbath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 'Taps' when played on a dog whistle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Sometimes I don't trust my own senses There was so much difference between the CD and the original LP, I went snooping around. I guess my first impression of the LP's Gates of DAFOS track is the truth. Here's what I found from another person on another forum with audiophiles looking for something to test low end system performance (pretty much on par with my Kenworth description): Hirsch Why is there a chaplain standing over his wallet? Joined: August 2001 Location: Rockville, MD Post Count: 7,666 Mickey Hart: Dafos. Recorded by Keith Johnson and released on Reference Recordings. The track "The Gates of Dafos" has a moment that an Abso!ute Sound reviewer measured as going down to 16 Hz. He described it as the aural equivalent of having a UPS truck crash through the wall of your living room, IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Always trust your Spidey sense if it tingles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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