Best Songs to Test Speakers

Page 7 - Seeking answers? Join the What HiFi community: the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products.
Just discovered Ottmar Liebert, maybe worth trying if you like acoustic guitar. I would go for Bare Wood or Solo Para Ti albums.
 
Try Laura Mvula 'sing to the moon' - track12 Diamonds.

Just try it.

Oh, and Zhara McFarlane 'if you New her'- genuine set tester track 5 'police and thieves'.

Double bass intro stunning vocals and piano and saxophone solo with great drum work.

Just try it.......
 
For a decent view across all types of genres I test headphones on my hifi and on my iPhone with the following tunes.

Massive Attack - Angels

Fleetwood Mac - Never Going Back Again & Rhiannon

Tracy Chapman - Behind The Wall

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane

Mason - Exceeder

X-Press 2 - Kill 100 (Carl Craig Remix)

The above gives very deep bass, punchy bass, electronic instruments, ambiance, voice, detail, no instruments and harmony.

I usually throw in a couple of at-the-time favourites too, at the moment that is:

Africanism - Chocolate (Ben Delay Dub Remix)

Patrick Topping - Forget (Original Mix)
 
I have a set playlist for this set up in J River:

Abba - Mamma Mia

Adele - Feel You Love

Billy Burnette - My Love Won't Change

Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman

Keb 'Mo - A Better Man

AC/DC - Rock n Roll Damnation
 
Choose music you're familiar with so you can actually hear if the speakers do sound better (and that's your goal when searching for new ones). I prefer music with a lot of dynamics in it. For instance these cd's from this Dutch band The Nits. Lots of tracks with deep bass, piano, cymbal, guitar, drums, cowbells and lots of other instruments and of course voices. Not to forget it's also very nice music to listen to. ;-)

The Nits - Henk/Kilo (CD)

The Nits - Omsk (CD)
 
MI0001763408.jpg


The song "Thanks To You" ! Here is a Youtube low sample version, but the FLAC sounds much better. Track also found on "The Essential Boz Scaggs" compilation.

Listening on JBL LSR305 - sound is AMAZING!
 
You all know this one, I'm just suggesting performers.

Ray Charles with Natalie Cole - Fever.

Alternatively Michael Buble - Fever.

Good stuff. 😉
 
Aristocrats flatlands sounds very good it's a very good dynamic song too it's an instrumental song only .

very good drum score , good bass guitar , good lead guitar

if your hi fi is any good you should be able to hear all the fine detail of this 3 instruments
 
Blacksabbath25 said:
Aristocrats flatlands sounds very good it's a very good dynamic song too it's an instrumental song only .

very good drum score  , good bass guitar , good lead guitar?

if your hi fi is any good you should be able to hear all the fine detail of this 3 instruments 

Aristocrats - Flatlands with Hegel H300 and B&W 804S :-

https://youtu.be/XDAwCBSjT8E
 
stevee1966 said:
Blacksabbath25 said:
Aristocrats flatlands sounds very good it's a very good dynamic song too it's an instrumental song only .

very good drum score , good bass guitar , good lead guitar

if your hi fi is any good you should be able to hear all the fine detail of this 3 instruments

Aristocrats - Flatlands with Hegel H300 and B&W 804S :-

https://youtu.be/XDAwCBSjT8E
yes I have seen that video when I was looking up the Hegel amps and that song sounds very good on that setup
 
This is a great list to test vibes on. I like it when you can see music taste you relate to. I think testing a range of electronic musicians is important too, but I think Massive Attack, X-Press 2 and Carl Craig are all native digital producers - so I wonder if its the best test of hifi? But certainly it makes sense to test on the music you like.
 
rchinn said:
This is a great list to test vibes on. I like it when you can see music taste you relate to. I think testing a range of electronic musicians is important too, but I think Massive Attack, X-Press 2 and Carl Craig are all native digital producers - so I wonder if its the best test of hifi? But certainly it makes sense to test on the music you like.

IME vocal trance crowd is most picky.

From electronic music I'd recommend GusGus - Arabian Horse.

a1489624978_10.jpg
 
Todd_Terje_-_It%27s_Album_Time_album_cover.png


Delorean Dynamite

Of course there is also Josh Wink, Aphex Twin, Richie Hawtin, Derick May, Stephan Bodzin, Eddie Richards, Underworld, Wagon Christ, Steve Bug etc.
 
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
 
Shpongle' 'A New Way to Say Hooray!' from the album Tales of the Inexpressible, especially the first two minutes

Ozric Tentacles 'Mooncalf' from the album Yumyum Tree is good for testing tweeters.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts