Genre of songs best for home stereo demo

mustachesound

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Hello everyone,

I've made a shortlist of songs that i'll bring for home stereo testing for speakers and amps but i couldn't narrow down any more further as they all my favourites lol. And i want make sure that i've listen through all the true identity of each details (e.g. bass, intrumental, vocal...etc) from each specific song or based on genre.

1. Michael Buble – Cry Me a River

2. Adele – Rolling in the deep

3. Diana Krall – 'S Wonderful

4. Four Seasons – Concerto in E Major, RV 269 'Spring' I. Allegro

5. Bebel Gilberto – Cancao de amor

6. The Eagles – Hotel California

7. Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli – Time to say goodbye (Con Te Partiro)

8. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue [Can't decide which track to pick]

Any suggestion on alternative tracks which you reckon is more suitable to reveal more details on specific testing are welcome

Thank you
 

ID.

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Generally I try for a mix of the music I am most familiar with and use over and over again.

Your choices all seem fairly laid back and the kind of music that shows many systems at their best, but if this is representative of the music you listen to, then they are good choices. I try to pick out what I think is representative of what I listen to AND has elements that can either highlight or challenge certain aspects of a system. Either way, I think that there isn't much point choosing tracks that you aren't familiar with. If you aren't intimately familiar with the music how will you tell whether extra details are/aren't being revealed or whether the instruments sound more/less real or present than you are normally used to?
 

expat

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Seal killer

simply red you make me feel brand new

air moon safari

keith washington kissing you

The damned I just cant be happy today

Ennio morrecone greatest
 

expat

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Seal killer

simply red you make me feel brand new

air moon safari

keith washington kissing you

The damned I just cant be happy today

Ennio morrecone greatest
 
A

Anonymous

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Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue (or any other her album)
 
I've found that nastily remastered analogue recordings are much more revealing of equipment than super clean modern DDD recordings. So your numbers 1, 2 and 3 are great sounding mostly on anything.

6. is likely to be the toughest test, though I don't own a current CD version, just an LP of Eagles greatest hits which is awful. One of my faves in this category of nasty remasters from analogue is most of the Simon & Garfunkel catalogue, originally on awful CBS LPs but remastered over time, with nevertheless imaginitive engineering in the first place. Better kit reveals subtleties and remains listenable - particularly revealing of cd players and speakers.

Otherwise a good list, though I'd add some solo piano,
 

BigH

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A reasonable list but not pushing the hifi much. I would get some music with bass guitar solo, some speakers can't handle it I found. Also instead of Adele I would get a more acoustic natural sounding music, more like the Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions.

My list inc:

Little Feat - Last Record Album - track 2 bass

Mary Black _ No Frontiers trach 6 or 7. Female vocals.

John Coltrane - Love Supreme - Challening jazz, drum cymbals track 3.

Altan - Harvest Storm 1/2 Lively Irish music.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Not a great cd recording wise, check cymbals on first few tracks.

Then yes take some your favourite music. Agree with the Patricia Barber tip.
 

Roby

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I personaly have tracks I prefer

But for a home demo I use all my music as it is impotant all your music sound good at home. (other wis you might regret it in the end)

Selected track are fore demo in the shop

an here I ofthen use

Niels Lofgen : Kieth don't go

Bob Dylan : Man in the black coate

Peter Gabriel : Hero's

Prodigy : Music from the jilted generation

Andy C

Boiz nois: I love tchno 2008

Guns & roses : Civil war

Vaya condios : Paivre Diable

Nikki Yanofsky : Take a train

Katy Melua : on the road again (live)

An than I take a fiew random cd's
 

stevebrock

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I always find a selection of your fave music helps.... for me:

Masaive Attack - Teardrop

Zero 7 - Crosses

Eagles - Hiotel California

Pink Floyd - Time

Kate Bush - Mother Stands for Comfort

Roxy Music - More than This

Adele - Hometown Glory

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Orbital - Lush 3.1

Banco De Gaia - Heliopolis
 

acalex

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Just bring whatever you know better and like the most as, at the beginning, you won't be able to hear all the differences that are often mentioned in the reviews. It takes some time and a few demo to start being able to listen "critically" and identify specific differences. At the beginning it will be more about the overall enjoyment that a system will bring compared to another. For me it was like that at least. :)
 

JonFountain

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Deacons Son by The Barr Brothers

Give Out by Sharon Van Etten

La Bomba from the CD Canciones y Ensaladas

All massacred yesterday by an Arcam FMJ A19 in comparison to a Rotel RA 1520 which had my feet tapping :)
 
A

Anonymous

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Fischerspooner - Tone Poem is one I use ALL the time... Solid bass lines but with vocals and lots of midrange/top end testing bits as well

For vocals; either some Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin

For rock/metal - Metallica - The Unforgiven or Nothing Else Matters & System of a Down - Lonely Day
 

matthewpiano

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You should always demo with a representative selection of the music you enjoy and listen to, including recordings that you think are good and some which you think are poor. There is no point using someone else's demo list because it won't give you any idea as to how the system will handle the music you will listen to on it. I do like BigH's idea of taking along one of your least favourite discs and seeing if it sounds better.

One thing to remember, you will never find a system on which EVERYTHING sounds amazing. Some recordings will always sound ropey.
 

Covenanter

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Yep I think it has to be music you know and love. I think it's good to have a range of types though, irrespective of genre, and would suggest:

1) Solo voice

2) Combined voices

3) Solo instrument

4) Combined instruments

5) Something very quiet

6) Something very loud

7) Something recorded live

Of course you can combine these.

Chris
 

mustachesound

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Hello everyone,

Thanks for the feedback ! i'm really appreciate ! I apologize for the late reply, and i'll definitely have a listen to the tracks that you all introduced !

@ID. - I'll keep that in mind. My intention was trying to pick something that i'm familiar so that i can tell it should behaves. But i'm not sure what sort of factors that i need to pay attention with such as the outcome for fast and slow musics...etc

@nopiano - Never know about there are types of recording until you mention. Thank you for teaching me a lesson :) And i have a couple tracks from different album of "the eagles - hotel california" and one was from the greatest hits. And i agree the that the greatest hits doesn't sounds that good (mine is CD thou). I've though of adding a piano tracks before unfortunately i don't know any pianonist name lol. Thank you for the feedback.

@BigH - i've actually modify my list a bit yesterday. there is a guitar track that i've added "Johannes Linstead - suave" Thank you.

@acalex - You are exactly right. I'm in the beginning stage same as you did last time lol. What worries me more is will the dealers in the town be unhappy that i keep listen and still haven't bought anything yet. lol

@therecruiter - Thanks for the introduce! guess what, because of you and now i fall in love with some Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin tracks. Never heard anyone sang like that these days anymore! They are absolutely stunning!

@matthewpiano - Thanks for your advices. I understand that to take someone's list to listen wasn't a great idea as i won't know how it should be properly deliver to my ears. For those songs that introduced what i'll do is i'll listen to each of them. And if i like them i could add them to my favourite list, listen and enjoy more until i'm familiar with it before i practically use it for testing purpose. My approach might be wrong, please correct me and guide me through if i was wrong :) Cheers !

@Covenanter - Thanks for the feedback ! Actually that's what i was trying to learn with the kinds / types / genre of musics that i will have a demo and what are the specials behavior. Sorry that i didn't clarify my question properly as i was confused on how to express my confusion in writting. Thank you.
 

matthewpiano

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If you think it might be helpful, my current list is:

Strawbs - New World (from 'Grave New World') - Less than perfect rock recording

Ralph McTell - Barges (from 'Not Till Tomorrow') - Male vocals/atmospheric acoustic

Mary Black - Past The Point of Rescue - Female vocals/rhythmic alacrity

Van Der Graaf Generator - Whatever Would Robert Have Said (from 'The Least We Can Do...') - Sibilants/rhythmic performance/soundstaging

Anathema - Untouchable Parts 1 and 2 (from 'Weather Systems') - Modern rock recording/complexity/male and female vocals/atmosphere/dynamics

Franck - Prelude, Chorale et Fugue (Murray Perahia on Sony Classical) - Piano reproduction

Mahler - Symphony No.1, 1st Movement (Bernstein on DG) - Orchestral timbres/Soundstaging

Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, 1st Movement (Chailly on Decca) - Dynamics/Soundstaging

Verdi - Requiem, opening (Pappano on EMI) - Complexity/large forces/dynamics/choral singing
 

mustachesound

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@musicraft - Great songs ! love the nithin sawhney - beyond skins. and Patricia barber. I'm glad i start this post and learn a lot more bout different kind of musics that i never approach. Thanks everyone again !

@matthewpiano - Thanks for the list and description details. I've actually learn something new from the musics that you guys introduced. As ID. said "Your choices all seem fairly laid back and the kind of music that shows many systems at their best" and think i have a little bit of understanding what he means. Perhapts some songs that i have does not show the specific characteristic of sound enough.

Btw matt, fyi Franck - prelude was the first piano song that i search for listen :)

Thank you for the advices guys, i'll keep that in mind during my learning proccess :) Really appreciate
 

Jonathan Cox

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One I would recommend is S and M by Metallica with the San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra. Great test of soundstaging and dynamics. Kick drum is pretty huge and reckon could sound boomy if not controlled well. Also it is absolutely superb!!
 

bass-boy68

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Hi there guys

I have just fininshed some time listening to some lovely acoustics , have swapped my rear 2 way monitors for the floorstanders as the soundstaging and imaging sounds different but great , always liked good sound from standmount monitors. The Velodyne sounds good too through the high pass filter but truth be told , i'm craving a better DAC and valve amp to take things to completely different level.Sorry to gey off track their guys...

Anyway

Nil's Lofgren " Keith dont go" ,

Angus and Julia Stone " Draw your Swords"
 

Macspur

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bass-boy68 said:
Hi there guys

I have just fininshed some time listening to some lovely acoustics , have swapped my rear 2 way monitors for the floorstanders as the soundstaging and imaging sounds different but great , always liked good sound from standmount monitors. The Velodyne sounds good too through the high pass filter but truth be told , i'm craving a better DAC and valve amp to take things to completely different level.Sorry to gey off track their guys...

Anyway

Nil's Lofgren " Keith dont go" ,

Angus and Julia Stone " Draw your Swords"

Hi Base Boy,

Keith Don't Go is a superb track and I applaud your choice of Angus and Julia Stone's Draw Your Swords... Recently bought all their albums and Julia's 2 solo discs... fantastic!

Mac
 

Crocodile

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On the subject of Nils, a few other suggestions from B&W's Dr John Dibb.

http://blog.bowers-wilkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Sound_Tasting_Abbey_Road.pdf

As previously suggested, you'd have to become familiar with them on your existing system first to have any value.
 

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