what are best cds for test your speakers

[smuggs]

im looking to make sure i have the balance etc right

i like vampire weekend,neil young,peter green and the new beatles stuff

am i right in saying that you should mainly hear the sound as if it is coming out the centre speaker/.tv and then all the little bits drums ect left and right giving u an almost surround sound if that makes safe.

 

[Anonymous]

Do you mean stereo imaging, or surround sound?

Not sure what you want to achieve here, please explain a bit more!?

 

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, the only way to test is to play music that you are very familiar with .

 

[smuggs]

just 2 channel stereo music i want to make sure im sitting in the right spot i am smack in the middle of the 2 of them about 8ft away and the speakers are about 7ft apart so im at the end of a triangle is that right

 

[idc]

If you have any Gomez, such as 'Whippin Picidilly', they use a lot of stereo effects and any album works to see how well your stereo copes with detail and separation. I also use Massive Attack's 'Angel' from Mezzanine for bass,as the opening bass usually distorts and buzzes. Ash's debute 'Oh Yeah' is badly recorded and flat, so I use it to see if the stereo can breath some life into it. Finally, Pink Floyd 'Summer 68' from Atom Heart Mother as it has various passages at different tempos etc which is a good test for versatility.

 

[Anonymous]

idc

hear what you are saying, however, does not help listening to music that you are not familiar with .... best way to test, is to listen to music that you enjoy and know very well ... does not help to listen to stuff that you are not familiar with (IMHO)

 

[smuggs]

i want i really want is a few tracks where the midrange is solid and you get left channel then right channel then together with vocals in the middle and then a range of bottom and top ends so i know im set up right. I am nearly 90% sure im ok and im sure its some recordings are left channel then another song will be more right channel is that just the small downsize to mastered cds

 

[smuggs]

thanks btw i will check them out.I have gomez and it sounded class

 

[matengawhat]

imteresting what you said re ash - awful sounding album and 1977 was just as bad - great songs awful mixing and the hidden vomiting at the end is just gross

 

[Anonymous]

For me it's Kate Bush and "The Red Shoes". "Eat the Music" really tests for high end detail and overall tautness, whilst the "wallop" in "The Buildings of New York" really tests for bass, erm, wallop.

 

[Anonymous]

smuggs:just 2 channel stereo music i want to make sure im sitting in the right spot i am smack in the middle of the 2 of them about 8ft away and the speakers are about 7ft apart so im at the end of a triangle is that right

Are they toed in or firing straight ahead? Best to experiment (check out the video blog on this site) with someone to move the speakers in small, incremental steps until you are content with the soundstage.

Some say firing to meet just behind your head in the apex of that triangle, but it's up to you.

As far as CDs, try Leftfield for demanding bass, 'Angel' from Massive Attack and my latest gem is Kate Bush's 'Aerial' - beautifully recorded.

 

[smuggs]

regards the triangle business

i did that and it sounded boomy so i did it to land a foot before me and it sounded warmer and the bottom end sounded well in control and i also find i want to sit and listen for hours not as intense.

thanks graham for advise,how are yours in a triangle behind you

 

[mushroomgod]

the Fever Ray album has some fantastic rythmic/layered pops, beeps, ticks and bangs in it - sounds fantastic on my system. Or, better yet, the Knifes "We share our mothers health" is simply fab too.

Oh, and yes, anything by Kate Bush also works very well too - lots of detail in her music. <<<<< just bought a load of KB on LP

 

[Anonymous]

smuggs:
regards the triangle business

i did that and it sounded boomy so i did it to land a foot before me and it sounded warmer and the bottom end sounded well in control and i also find i want to sit and listen for hours not as intense.

thanks graham for advise,how are yours in a triangle behind you

They are straight firing at the moment, but I am still running in

 

[smuggs]

are they the bookshelfs that would the groupl test a couple of issues ago look smart.