risingjay Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Post what musical cd's (not test tones) do you use to audition your system (or others). List what track you like as well and what you are listening for. What tickles you fancy? Should be intresting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I usually use these four CDs: Rickie Lee Jones (the first, self-titled one), The Essential Leonard Cohen, The Cure Greatest Hits and Hana, by Tak Matsumoto. On Rickie Lee Jones, there are a number of top musicians and every instrument is easy to hearand well-separated in space. Track 3, Night Train, has great vocals and delicate chimes. Track 4, Young Blood, has great percussion. Track 5, Easy Money, has an acoustic bass intro that lets you know if your system can realistically reproduce the sound of a string bass, plus some nice brass. Rickie Lee has a vocal style that's almost like mumbling, but with the La Scalas , I could make out almost every word for the first time, and I was pretty impressed. On the Leonard Cohen CD, I listen to Track 3 of CD1, Sisters of Mercy. It has some sort of odd acoustic instrument that travels from left to right and back again, which is not clear on all systems. Perhaps someone knows what it's called. Track 8 of CD1, Famous Blue Raincoat, has background singers that are clearly located in space and their intake of breath between phrases is well-defined. On The Cure Greatest Hits, Track 5, The Lovecats, has an acoustic bass and percussion intro and Track 7, Close To Me, has an electric bass intro. Both of these tracks show the clarity of any good system. The CD also has lots of brass and catchy rhythms. I usually wind up listening to most of this CD whenever I put it on. Hana is a solo instrumental project by Tak Matsumoto, the guitarist from the Japanese rock band B'z. He mostly plays Gibson Les Paul guitars and was the first Asian guitarist to have his own Signature model. Gibson has since released three more Tak Matsumoto Signature Models (one of which incorporates his new specially wound TM-1 pickups), setting the current record of four. Wikipedia has a good entry about him. Anyway, the CD has lots of subtle background vocals, as well as over-emphasized bass drum on some tracks. Track 1, Koi-Uta, sounding traditional and modern at the same time, seems to reveal more detail with each listening. Track 2, #1090 - Asian Sun, sounds like it was mixed to sound best on a Walkman. It will give you a few kicks in the chest, though, if that's what you're looking for. Track 3, Hana, has a solo piano intro and "outro"(?) that lets you hear very subtle details of the strings and the heavy device inside the piano (can you tell I'm not a musician?) that's operated by the pedals. You can hear the faint thud on a good system, but it's inaudible on a lesser system. There's also an erhu solo, which works better than you'd think (the erhu is a 3-stringed Chinese "violin"). Track 5, Midousuji Blue, is a blues number with very clear fingering that lets you really picture the guitar strings. Finally, just to confuse your friends, Track 12, 2011, is a short jazz-blues style piece that sounds like it's playing on a fairly scratched-up LP. Well, that's my test set. Hope this isn't too long. Pat on the Island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I almost invariably opt for Hilary Hahn and the Brahms Violin Concerto (Sony Classical). The massed strings have sound smooth, and sound like a bunch of separate instruments being playing together, not just a "single" sound (if that makes sense). Her violin has to be dead smack in the middle and up high -- that's the soundstage I want. And her violin must sound real -- the sound can be "shiny," but not strident. Finally, there is a place in the first movement where the bass viols come in for the first time. This is when I know that the speakers are letting me "feel" the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getech Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Hillary Duff's greatest hits. Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Blue Man Group has some aggresive drum playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I always wonder about the blue man group. They looked awesome in concert on tv. I think i want to get their dvd and cd. For my cd, i recently found that Dire Straits test a system very well. Superior recorded music. Any of their stuff is a no brainer. I have the greatest hits sultans of swing. Private Investigations is my favorite song for guitaring and low bass notes. Norah Jones of course and Five for Fighting. Amber Pacific and Nickelback for heavier rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonder Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 "Breaking Silence" by Janis Ian.... the production on this CD is impecable from the first to last cut... If only all artists demanded this type of sonic perfection for their recordings!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Diana Krall - Live In Paris... .... very well recorded IMO. It's my reference CD for auditioning gear and system changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Tom Petty Wildflowers cd. very clean recording Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I really like Wildflowers. But I would not use a cd to audition, preferring instead a nice vinyl recording such as a MFSL or other half speed master. Some Girls--Rolling Stones (MFSL), Pictures at an Exhibition--ELP (MFSL), Abraxas--Santana (Columbia half speed) for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Just about anything from George Winston . Incredible production and that Grand Piano sounds fantastic on big Heritage speakers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcarlton Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 I make my own CD. I use: Patricia Barber-Orpheus/Sonnet Patricia Barber-Nardis The Yellow Jackets-Wildlife The Doors-Riders on the Storm Jimi Hendrix-Voodoo Chile Jethro Tull-Aqualung CCR-Suzie Q Wagner-Ride of the Valkries CSNY-Carry On Albert King-Matchbox Blues Heart-Barracuda Wide range, but touches on most of the music I like. There are some pieces which will separate a poor system from a good one; the Patricia Barber and Wagner songs come to mind. Others I have used come from Eric Clapton's tribute to Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters Folk Singer. The list changes slightly from month to month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted November 25, 2006 Moderators Share Posted November 25, 2006 I usually use these four CDs: Rickie Lee Jones (the first, self-titled one), The Essential Leonard Cohen, The Cure Greatest Hits and Hana, by Tak Matsumoto. On Rickie Lee Jones, there are a number of top musicians and every instrument is easy to hearand well-separated in space. Track 3, Night Train, has great vocals and delicate chimes. Track 4, Young Blood, has great percussion. Track 5, Easy Money, has an acoustic bass intro that lets you know if your system can realistically reproduce the sound of a string bass, plus some nice brass. Rickie Lee has a vocal style that's almost like mumbling, but with the La Scalas , I could make out almost every word for the first time, and I was pretty impressed. Pat on the Island Great topic. Pat I really liked your comments about what you listen for on each LP/CD and which tracks. Very useful information, I am going to put on Rickie Lee Jones right now! The very little I can add is this. Dire Straights, Love Over Gold. Towards the end of the song a vibraphone comes in, goes from left to center, center to right, right to left etc. It is very subtle, you can tell a lot about a preamp from that track. A low quality preamp will not even pick it up, and better quality ones will all sound a little different so it goes to preference. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Well, since I don't do digital it's not a CD, it's a record, The Police, Synchronicity. I don't really care for Sting, but I have used this record for years to detect changes in the system. 1] Voice sibiance - Sting has it and I use his voice to test cartridges - there are passages where a fine cart will pass the voice with a natual sibilance, others tend to accentuate it beyond normal. 2] Artifact sounds from the recording - there are a couple of strange extra sounds in some of the songs - in Wrapped Around My Finger there is a thing that hapopens just about the time String sings the word "Mestophales" that sound like somebody go their foot stepped on - a rising voice squeal - faint but there... 3] Low bass - Sting play a detuned bass on "Every Move You Make" that goes down extra low in one of the choruses. 4] Drums - lots of it doing interesting things, the first drum whap on the side I use tells me a lot about the way my room is responding (reverberant decay mostly) This is not a fantasitic recording, nor one of my favorites, but I have used it so long for testing I know every sound on the side I use (don't like the other side and never listen to that one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 Like pauln, my tests are with vinyl only. Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow (original pressing - Orange Epic label) - Side 2 Cause We've Ended As Lovers - The tone of the electric guitar Thelonius - The "Thwack" of the kick drum and the mid-bass punch Freeway Jam - Dynamics and realism. This one has them playing right in front of you Diamond Dust - Shimmering cymbals, strings, keyboards, percussion Chicago V (original pressing - Columbia 1-eye) - Side 1 All Is Well - Harmonizing vocals, cymbals Now That You're Gone - Terry Kath's vocal front and center, trumpet, saxophone, tambourine (left) and shakers (right) Dialogue (Part Two) - Harmonizing vocals at the end of the song (separation in the voices) There are a few others that I use as well Blood, Sweat & Tears (S/T) (Direct Disk Labs Super Disk) - Spinning Wheel and Blues - Part II Richie Cole And... return to alto acres (original pressing - Palo Alto Records) - Clarity and details, stand-up bass, piano (phenomenal recording!) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 Travis, thanks for your comments. pauln & Mike, thanks for some new listening ideas. I've only heard Patricia Barber briefly once, but her name comes up often in audiophile circles. I'll have to look for an album or CD by her. Another name that comes up often is Wilco. Never heard them, but I've seen lots of references to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. Pat on the Island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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