Best Songs to Test Speakers

[pyrrhon]

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

+1

Music that jumps out of the speakers at you. Some really great bass lines. I'm a big fan of Parov Stellar. I don't like the electro-jazz that he does but his electro-swing stuff is brilliant. Here's a good playlist of his:

http://open.spotify.com/user/steve_1979/playlist/6hidhcyXyGWq6PyevD0Rf9

Same thing here I really like Parov and Nicolas Jaar too !

 

[lejockey]

when i went to the ATC factory recently, they played me Mother Protect by Niki and the doves. I now can't stop listening to it!

Also, I find pretty much anything by Nicolas Jaar. Fantastic production.

Interestingly, ATC put their success down in part to the introduction of the compact disc, as it was the first recording medium able to hold enough detail for their mid dome to really show what it can do, and struggled to sell the idea of their mid dome before the CD was about

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi lejockey

Out of interest what components did you listen to please?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[BigH]

when i went to the ATC factory recently, they played me Mother Protect by Niki and the doves. I now can't stop listening to it!

Also, I find pretty much anything by Nicolas Jaar. Fantastic production.

Interestingly, ATC put their success down in part to the introduction of the compact disc, as it was the first recording medium able to hold enough detail for their mid dome to really show what it can do, and struggled to sell the idea of their mid dome before the CD was about

Just playing Space is only noise by Nicolas Jaar, its quite interesting and sounds pretty good.

 

[lejockey]

Rick, I listened to the 100 active towers, and then the little 7s. The 100 towers are stunning, as are the 7s, but its hard to listen to the 7s having heard the 100s. I have a pair of DIY based on the drivers from the 50. I use an active crossover and some homemade amps. I love how ATC seem genuinly interested in supporting the DIY community.

The XLR8R podcast by Nicolas Jaar is 50 minutes of incredible sound

 

[Vladimir]

We all love our female jazz vocals to test our hi-fi. But how about a male jazz vocal that will shake your soul and levitate your mind higher and higher with heartfull lyrics and well crafted sonic waves?

Listen to the greatest live male jazz vocal today - Gregory Porter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bmh9A8Dl1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xArIbhZVy-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgp3GtwLpvk

 

[Electro]

We all love our female jazz vocals to test our hi-fi. But how about a male jazz vocal that will shake your soul and levitate your mind higher and higher with heartfull lyrics and well crafted sonic waves?

Listen to the greatest live male jazz vocal today - Gregory Porter.

Vladimir , You are now my official music Guru

 

[Vladimir]

Good thing I never mention Norwegian Black Metal. :bounce:

 

[Electro]

Good thing I never mention Norwegian Black Metal. :bounce:

Nice :O , but I think I will give this recommendation a miss if it is all the same

 

[Vladimir]

:rofl: agreed.

Buzz me an email at v.pandovski @ gmail.com and I'll send you a very rare track. Performer unknown.

 

[Rethep]

I used these songs (and some more) for demo's (not only for listening speakers but equipment in general):

Television - Rhyme (this song really stands out on the album "Television"), atmospheric and dynamic.

Lhasa de Sela - Por eso me quedo, surprising combination of instruments and rythms, purity

Kari Bremnes - Gåte ved Gåte (from the album with the same name), dynamics, voice, purity

Pablo de Sarasate- Danza Espagnola nr. 1, beautiful chamber music

Bernstein - Symphonic dances of West Side Story, full orchestra

Feel free to leave a comment if you know the songs or tried them out for the 1st time!

 

[Electro]

:rofl: agreed.

Buzz me an email at v.pandovski @ gmail.com and I'll send you a very rare track. Performer unknown.

Message sent just now

 

[Vladimir]

My Nigerian lawyer will contact you shortly. You have just inherited 500 million dollars.

 

[Electro]

My Nigerian lawyer will contact you shortly. You have just inherited 500 million dollars.

:bounce: Yay! I can buy the four pairs of Electrocompaniet Nemo power amps that I wanted and a pair of PMC MB2 XBD SE to go with them !

I presume there will be a small fee so that I can claim my inheritance ? if so I will send you a small drink on top to say thankyou

 

[Vladimir]

Oh you've done this before? :wall:

 

[Joe Cox]

Talk of the devil... Some of our - Simon Lucas' - favourite test vinyl albums...

http://www.whathifi.com/news/10-of-the-best-vinyl-test-records

 

[Vladimir]

Who said Youtube can't sound gooooood?

Lee Ritenour feat. Chris Botti - Papa Was a Rolling Stone

 

[T1mb0]

Some great music in this thread and thank you for introducing me to some new ones.

A few of my own -

Terry Callier - Dancing Girl - Fantastic male vocal track (similar to Gregory Porter) with lots of additional instruments, a deep soundstage and plenty of tempo and dynamic changes.

Lucia Micarelli - My Funny Valentine - brilliant 'classical' arrangement of the jazz standard and violin recording.

Damien Rice - Cannonball - for stereo imaging.

Rene Marie - Let's Do It - great track and for the trumpet solo after about 3and a half minutes in is a killer. If you're a jazz fan I recommend this one

Angus Stone - The Blowers Daughter - better than the original in my opinion and as most of Angus & Julia's stuff well recorded.

The Bad Plus - Gaston - just so much going on if you're system can untangle all the rythym section and piano!! :wall:

Sorry for all the jazz. 8)

 

[Electro]

Who said Youtube can't sound gooooood?

Lee Ritenour feat. Chris Botti - Papa Was a Rolling Stone

It doesn't get much better than this

I saw Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin live a while back at Ronnie Scotts and it was amazing !

I have almost every recording that Lee Ritenour has done and many from Chris Botti also .

 

[Electro]

This Jazzy version of "Papa was a rolling stone" is completely different but has a wonderful rhythm and feel to it , and Caecillie's vocals are stunning !

Cæcilie Norby – Papa Was a Rolling Stone

And this track is very special too !

Cæcilie Norby – Stepping Stone

 

[Vladimir]

A superb recording currently spreading arround audiophiles with good gear like wildfire.

Doug MacLeod - There's a Time

Rose Lee - Doug MacLeod

 

[james_LR90]

If your hi-fi can make this sound beautiful without a struggle and separate everything in its dense production with a fine comb, it is a really good hi-fi.

E. S. Posthumus Unearthed - Nara

Only just seen this. Listening as I type. What a fantastic sounding album.

 

[BigH]

For testing drive, pace and dynamics there's one song that 95% of systems fail on and that's Young Man Blues on The Who's Live at Leeds. It should sound like your at the front row of the concert and the drums should whack you in the chest.

Sounds good on my system.

 

[Rethep]

DALI Loudspeakers presents

Josefine Cronholm | IBIS

Wild Garden

http://www.dali-us.com/en-US/The-DALI-CD/Josefine-Cronholm.aspx

Sounds very nice! Bought the iTunes version.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Rick, I listened to the 100 active towers, and then the little 7s. The 100 towers are stunning, as are the 7s, but its hard to listen to the 7s having heard the 100s. I have a pair of DIY based on the drivers from the 50. I use an active crossover and some homemade amps. I love how ATC seem genuinly interested in supporting the DIY community.

The XLR8R podcast by Nicolas Jaar is 50 minutes of incredible sound

Hi lejockey

Thanks for your reply.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft