Best Songs to Test Speakers

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Gaz37

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Electro said:
Anastasis - Dead can Dance .

This album will fill your whole room with music, the system will dissapear then the walls and you will be transported to an alternative reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiDNf8trWn8

And these tracks live .

These will transport you to the venue itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eTxYZvksXw&list=RD6eTxYZvksXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw0I12BHZ6I&index=2&list=RD6eTxYZvksXw

If you like the live experience then here is the whole album live on spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4g0r8f7ThF49xA38op3Hoc

 

I listened to the live album this morning & know what you mean about room filling.

Thanks for the recommendation it's not a band I'd heard of before but I was very impressed
 

stereoman

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And three more...one was already mentioned here. 2 great unplugged albums and the terrific live album from "Dead Can Dance", the best live album I have ever heard so far - "Toward The Within".

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Rick Wakeman 'Piano Portraits' and Arne Domnerus 'Antiphone Blues' any system that can do a good job of presenting grand piano and church organ / saxaphone is an excellent one.... always assuming, of course, that you know what a grand piano and church organ and saxaphone are meant to sound like. And there's the rub, as they say, many people apparently, don't. ;-)
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

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I'd go with some Mozart to test classical music as it's the epitome of the classical genre, then something like Mike Oldfield songs of distant earth for scale, delicacy and musical arrangement.

Then on the electronic front, something like Tosca (going going going) to test dynamics and speed of a hi fi.

Something like snivilisation by orbital is very good at checking out treble on the tracks like 'forever' which have a very vibrant and strong treble in my system, but not bright.

And then I would try out a really good female vocal. Something like Agnes Obel and citizen of glass album, the fantastic album from last year. Something ethereal and very textured in the vocal, maybe goldfrapp.

id then go through tracks that are well known that I know like abba - the day before you came, a particularly good recording. And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking.
 

Vladimir

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking.

Welcome to the audiophile bore club. *drinks*
 
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QuestForThe13thNote

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Vladimir said:
QuestForThe13thNote said:
And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking.

Welcome to the audiophile bore club. *drinks*

yes but they have to listen to that stuff at least once a week. It only comes out for me on testing speakers (point if post) because I've played it a lot in the past. Oh pink Floyd too and that horrible waters guy, which they think is good music. But the main deciding factor is they listen to hardly any contemporary stuff which they don't open their ears too. And waters is not contemporary. Pink Floyd rehash.
 

Blacksabbath25

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Well to test speakers I use the same albums and songs I've heard for years so basically mix it with different types of music and speed and bass music

i like to use pink floyd wish you were here , dark side of the moon , David Gilmore solo stuff and dire straits brothers in arms , some classical music like Toccata and fugue in D organ music really deep organ music this will let you no if your amplifier and speakers are up to the job .

4 seasons by Max richer for the high frequencies as it uses violin which can reach some very high frequencies

for women voice I use Shirley bassey the song used in the film moonracker and I use Sinead O'Connor I am not your girl album

Tanita Tikaim Ancient heart album

Then I use some heavy metal and it's not all been recorded rubbish some metal bands actually do bother to record there stuff well anyway I use Manowar ,

Metallica justice for all album which was recorded quite well and Overkill early albums
 

insider9

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nopiano said:
insider9 said:
Particularly #2 and #3
I believe you.  It's just I didn't recognise any of them, whereas I know all of Vad's. 
So do I and I use some tracks from these albums due to familiarity.

At the same time they're not complex enough to fully stress the system, so are good for about half the tests.

Add to that tracks from albums below:
Tool - Lateralus
System of a Down - Mezmerize
Machine Head - The Blackening
Opeth - Heritage

Many others and they do fluctuate :)
 

Andrewjvt

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
I'd go with some Mozart to test classical music as it's the epitome of the classical genre, then something like Mike Oldfield songs of distant earth for scale, delicacy and musical arrangement. 

Then on the electronic front, something like Tosca (going going going) to test dynamics and speed of a hi fi. 

Something like snivilisation by orbital is very good at checking out treble on the tracks like 'forever' which have a very vibrant and strong treble in my system, but not bright. 

And then I would try out a really good female vocal. Something like Agnes Obel and citizen of glass album, the fantastic album from last year. Something ethereal and very textured in the vocal, maybe goldfrapp.

id then go through tracks that are well known that I know like abba - the day before you came, a particularly good recording. And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking. 

 

Hypocrite by Korn from see you on the other side
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

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Andrewjvt said:
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I'd go with some Mozart to test classical music as it's the epitome of the classical genre, then something like Mike Oldfield songs of distant earth for scale, delicacy and musical arrangement.

Then on the electronic front, something like Tosca (going going going) to test dynamics and speed of a hi fi.

Something like snivilisation by orbital is very good at checking out treble on the tracks like 'forever' which have a very vibrant and strong treble in my system, but not bright.

And then I would try out a really good female vocal. Something like Agnes Obel and citizen of glass album, the fantastic album from last year. Something ethereal and very textured in the vocal, maybe goldfrapp.

id then go through tracks that are well known that I know like abba - the day before you came, a particularly good recording. And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking.

Hypocrite by Korn from see you on the other side

Im sure there is a track called 'idiot' somewhere. Maybe that's one for you to test.
 
Andrewjvt said:
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I'd go with some Mozart to test classical music as it's the epitome of the classical genre, then something like Mike Oldfield songs of distant earth for scale, delicacy and musical arrangement.

Then on the electronic front, something like Tosca (going going going) to test dynamics and speed of a hi fi.

Something like snivilisation by orbital is very good at checking out treble on the tracks like 'forever' which have a very vibrant and strong treble in my system, but not bright.

And then I would try out a really good female vocal. Something like Agnes Obel and citizen of glass album, the fantastic album from last year. Something ethereal and very textured in the vocal, maybe goldfrapp.

id then go through tracks that are well known that I know like abba - the day before you came, a particularly good recording. And the usual stuff like Fleetwood Mac, and dire straits, which whilst I wouldn't regularly listen to this stuff, I'd use it for benchmarking.

Hypocrite by Korn from see you on the other side
I think it is "Hypocrites", and quest might not have thought he was the target!
 

Vladimir

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1) Know well how actual things sound. Example concert symphony at different seatings, how individual instruments sound, Fender Strat playing through a Marshall amp etc. Test raw unproduced vocals and speech.

2) Have quality recordings with good resolution, not overly produced, good use of microphones, no loudness compression.

3) Listen in acustically treated room where modes are brought to a minimum.

Now you can tell if particular speaker reproduces music well.
 

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