Best Songs to Test Speakers

[ellisdj]

Yep, take music you know well and have been listening to for years. You should hear detail, bass, texture etc you've never noticed before.

Having said that, when dem'oing recently I also used the following:

Massive Attack, Unfinished Sympathy - has 'hidden' low-end 'thunder' during intro, some speaker/amps reveal, some don't...

Cee Lo Green, Bright Lights, Bright City - good test of organisation/rythm, can sound a 'flubbery'/boomy mess.

David Bowie, Always Crashing In The Same Car - good test of mid-range detail and texture.

Frank Sinatra, Moon River - there're a few bars of guitar during the finale, if it's clearly audible, you've great detail.

Melody Gardot, Our Love Is Easy - if all of the above qualities are revealed and her voice has no sibilance, you've reached audio/musical nirvana.

And probably spent over £30k on perfectly matched speakers/amp/source

Dont need to spend £30k to get no scibilance on Melody Gardot music

 

[Electro]

DJ Hidden - The Later After (can your amplifier, speakers and not forgetting you keep up) and after that onslaught something calmer Ane Brun - It All Starts With One

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

I agree with you about Ane Brun her voice is stunning and the sexual tension and atmosphere she creates in many of her songs is very addictive

 

[paddyb]

If i dared to play Sting on my hifi it would switch itself off in disgust

What are you talking about? Sting (and The Police) have done some terrific songs.

I'd be highly impressed with any equipment that can make Sting sound good!

Actually only half joking here. The best Hi-Fi demo I ever had was in the early 80's and my elderly Hi-Fi buff uncle showed me his 1960's valve set up. He put a Nat King Cole record on and I was blown away by the sound. Being in my early teens, Nat King Cole was not on the top of my listening list, but hearing it in such quality gave me a new appreciation of the music but also focused me on listening to the quality of the Hi-Fi.

It's often mentioned on here that when you stop listening to the Hi-Fi and start listening to the music is when you have found what you are looking for. So I don't necessarily agree with the "listen to what you know" advice here, as if you already like it, you should enjoy it on any system. So I'll be seeking out some of the tracks mentioned in this thread to see how well my system handles various aspects such as complexity, bass depth etc. And if I find myself enjoying them, so much the better!

I'll chuck in one recording that I think is a great track that I use to show off my system to people. Laura Marlins Ghosts, first track of her first album, has impressive "in the room with you" vocals, lovely acoustic guitar, drums played with brushes for detail and a climax of warm bass heavy strings and clattering drums. An exhilerating listen on a good system.

 

[stevee1966]

At my last audition of speakers i used amongst others :-

Massive Attack - Safe From Harm (for it's deep bass)

Nora Jones - Don't Know Why (for it's laid back feel)

Tool - Vicarious (just great rock music with good deep bass)

Porcupine Tree - Open Car (more rock though a bit lighter than Tool)

and my favourite at the moment which i repeated with several speakers to compare output

Steven Wilson - Luminol (has a bit of everything - great bass rhythms, keyboard flurries, guitar solos, flute solos, sax, mixed in with some really quiet chilled out passages).

In fact the whole 'The Raven That Refused To Sing' album just does it for me every time and has some great musicians on it :-

Govan Guthrie - Guitar

Nick Beggs - Bass

Marco Minnemann - Drums

Adam Holzman - Keyboards

Theo Travis - Flute, Clarinet, Sax

 

[wilro15]

CJ Bolland - The Prophet

A full frontal assault! Perhaps not best for the classical music lovers out there..!

 

[matthewpiano]

My last audition included:

Bach - Italian Concerto, 1st mvt (Alfred Brendel)

Rachmaninov - 2nd Symphony, 1st mvt (LSO/Previn)

Matthews' Southern Comfort - And Me (from 'Later That Same Year')

Lucy Ward - I Cannot Speak (from 'A Single Flame')

Crosby Stills Nash & Young - Helpless (from 'Deja Vu)

Brad Mehldau - When It Rains (from 'Largo')

Dream Theater - Disappear (from 'Great Hit & 21 Other Petty Cool Songs).

Plus a Milt Jackson track I had never heard before!

 

[BigH]

My last audition included:

Bach - Italian Concerto, 1st mvt (Alfred Brendel)

Rachmaninov - 2nd Symphony, 1st mvt (LSO/Previn)

Matthews' Southern Comfort - And Me (from 'Later That Same Year')

Lucy Ward - I Cannot Speak (from 'A Single Flame')

Crosby Stills Nash & Young - Helpless (from 'Deja Vu)

Brad Mehldau - When It Rains (from 'Largo')

Dream Theater - Disappear (from 'Great Hit & 21 Other Petty Cool Songs).

Plus a Milt Jackson track I had never heard before!

I like Brad Mehldau esp. his trio albums. Jazz trio is a good test with Double bass, drums and piano, I find some speakers are to forward on the cymbals, after while this can drive you mad. Double bass of course some speakers have problems. One track I play to test bass is Little Feat - Long Distance Love within about 10 seconds you know if the speakers can handle the bass guitar, has caught a few out. Actually I take lots of different tracks as I soon get bored with the same music, I don't mind hearing new music either but depends what it is.

 

[shep1968]

John Cage and 4' 33". I guarantee that this song will make the cheapest mini system sound the same as the new Naim playing with kef blade speakers.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Recent experience has taught me that whilst it is important to use a range of the music you love and are familiar with, it is also very useful to see how well the system enables you to engage with a new piece of music.

Spot on

 

[steve_1979]

CJ Bolland - The Prophet

A full frontal assault! Perhaps not best for the classical music lovers out there..!

8)

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I just listened to one of my favourites - Nadia (Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin)

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[CnoEvil]

I just listened to one of my favourites - Nadia (Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin)

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice.....and will certainly test how low your speakers can go.

 

[KidKomet]

Chris Jones - Long after you're gone. One of the best pieces (In terms of audio quality) of music ever recorded.

 

[Freddy58]

Pretty much anything from the Telarc range will be a good test. There are actually warnings on the CD!

To be more specific, try 'Time Warp' or 'Star Tracks' or 'Start Tracks 2'

 

[kevinJ]

For dynamics and soundstage:Tchaikovsky, Ouverture 1812
Microdynamics: Bon Jovi, This left feels right (Living on a prayer)
Sibilance: Amy Macdonald, A curious thing (Spark, No roots,...)
Bass depth: James Blake, limit to your love - Katie Melua, Crawling up a hill
Overall brightness: Emily Sandé, Our version of events
And a collection of Dream Theater, Megadeth,... to see how the speakers sound when the music becomes complex and crowded.

 

[Freddy58]

For dynamics and soundstage:Tchaikovsky, Ouverture 1812

Yep, Telarc cover that one, using real canons!

 

[shep1968]

I'm having a demo tomorrow and will be listening to the following;

Elgar Cello concerto first movement

Nirvana Lithium

Mark Germino Rex Bob Lowenstein

Billy Bragg NPWA

Pet Shop Boys Rent

James McMurtry Cheneys toy

 

[datay]

just take songs you know well, unless you own and know well any of the recommendations made.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I just listened to one of my favourites - Nadia (Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin)

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice.....and will certainly test how low your speakers can go.

Hi CnE

Thanks.

Please try -

The way - Instrumental (Zack Hemsey)

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Electro]

Try this track , it is truly spectacular :exmark:

E.S. Posthumus – Lepcis Magna

My thanks to Vladimir for recommending this Cd it is absolutely amazing music that stirs the soul .

 

[NHL]

Pearl Jam 'Ten', if the speaker can make it sound like a concert then go for it!

 

[BigH]

THis came across this album in a hifi review: THIS IS K2 HD SOUND! - Various

Think that would be good to use, has good variety, try tracks 5 and 15, recording quality is pretty good.

Its on Deezer if you want to check it out.

 

[ngibbs]

Hi all,

I AM SHOCKED!!!!

That no one recommended these:

Sting - Englishman in New York

Sting - Desert Rose

Queen - Another one bites the dust

Especially Englishman in NY was recorded with an Orchestra! Massive detail, and it literally covers the entire Bandwidth. Jazz, Rock, Pop !

you are more then welcome to try yourselves, and tell me your oppinion.

greetings from the warm South Africa :cheers:

If i dared to play Sting on my hifi it would switch itself off in disgust

+1

 

[audioaffair]

One of our current favourites, a real variety one here, to test any system:

 

[BowserWilkens]

Hello there,

as a funk/hip-hop head, I always audition new equipment (especially speakers) with the following:

DJ Quik - Balance & Options, & Rythamalism - deep subtle bass lines, tight snaps

Motown Remixed - Classics with remixed bass lines - Tears of a Clown & ABC are standouts

Outkast - Speakerboxx - Really sorts the men from the boys when it comes to Subwoofer finesse

Parliament - Maggot Brain - Scratchy, 70's psychadelic room filling paranoia

Funk Spectrum (1999 original) - one of the best funk/jazz collections I've ever heard - powerful rolling bass & tight kicks

If a dealer insists on playing the typical prog-rock fare, I'll just smile & let them know that these speakers are for me and my taste of music rather than for some objective idea of what sounds good.

Bass sweeps are great too & have the wonderful side effect of causing noisy neighbours to lower their awful TV volume while they wonder what kind of 747 convoy is flying overhead.....