Music to test a system
Posted by: u5227470736789454 on 11 July 2008
Hi,
What in your experience is a good CD/ record to carry out a system quality. sound test ?
Cheers
Barrie
What in your experience is a good CD/ record to carry out a system quality. sound test ?
Cheers
Barrie
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by Guido Fawkes
One you like the music on.
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by u5227470736789439
Three things in this order, but all crucial. Great Music, great performance, and well known over a long period, so that you have a benchmark with respect to the way the music is brought out..
Great sounding recordings tend to make a half reasonable set sound better than average, but a recording with some flaws will show how well a great set can seem to present the music inspite of the recording. I never use a really good recording to test a set. If it works on a flawed recording it will be phenomenal on a really good recording.
Another consideration is to take a range of music and performance, [and of course contained in recordings with a variety of flaws], and after about ten minutes to three hours you will know whether the proposed set is worth taking home for a week's dem.
George
Great sounding recordings tend to make a half reasonable set sound better than average, but a recording with some flaws will show how well a great set can seem to present the music inspite of the recording. I never use a really good recording to test a set. If it works on a flawed recording it will be phenomenal on a really good recording.
Another consideration is to take a range of music and performance, [and of course contained in recordings with a variety of flaws], and after about ten minutes to three hours you will know whether the proposed set is worth taking home for a week's dem.
George
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by u5227470736789439
Further thoughts:
A good solo piano recording will test dynamics like nothing else.
A large Chorus at full tilt will test the power-amp's capacity to keep its balance under real pressure.
Solo violin or acoustic guitar will allow for an assessment of the accuracy of timbres.
A harpsichord recording is one extreme test of the possibility of enjoying the replay! The harpsichord is itself a very beautiful sounding instrument, but often is painfully revealing of any tendency to over-brightness, or [surprisingly perhaps] too much softness.
Piano is splendid for revealing faults in continuity [in the cross-over region] between the speaker drivers, and even in the crossover itself.
A Baroque organ recording, preferably not loud, will be more revealing of even bass than anything else, though you must know the recordings as there are always strong notes to some degree in any organ, because of the acoustic setting always has its effect even in spite of careful voicing of the instrument.
Bach is especially compelling as a test because he writes in all registers with equal importance, and therefore will reveal the ability to present a melody at all pitches, and keep music balances lucid with several lines of music going on together. Can you listen into the music? The answer to this question is probably the most important you could ask yourself, for long term satisfaction. The swing of a perfomance becomes apparent when you can really listen right inside the music, and sense the tension and release in it. You get the performance's emotional punch, and in a good performance the emotional impact of the music itself ...
Hope this helps. George
A good solo piano recording will test dynamics like nothing else.
A large Chorus at full tilt will test the power-amp's capacity to keep its balance under real pressure.
Solo violin or acoustic guitar will allow for an assessment of the accuracy of timbres.
A harpsichord recording is one extreme test of the possibility of enjoying the replay! The harpsichord is itself a very beautiful sounding instrument, but often is painfully revealing of any tendency to over-brightness, or [surprisingly perhaps] too much softness.
Piano is splendid for revealing faults in continuity [in the cross-over region] between the speaker drivers, and even in the crossover itself.
A Baroque organ recording, preferably not loud, will be more revealing of even bass than anything else, though you must know the recordings as there are always strong notes to some degree in any organ, because of the acoustic setting always has its effect even in spite of careful voicing of the instrument.
Bach is especially compelling as a test because he writes in all registers with equal importance, and therefore will reveal the ability to present a melody at all pitches, and keep music balances lucid with several lines of music going on together. Can you listen into the music? The answer to this question is probably the most important you could ask yourself, for long term satisfaction. The swing of a perfomance becomes apparent when you can really listen right inside the music, and sense the tension and release in it. You get the performance's emotional punch, and in a good performance the emotional impact of the music itself ...
Hope this helps. George
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by Patrick F
If you want to get down to apples, Look for
CBS records test disc. of course this is the most technical of of tones. sine wave pink noise. left seperation at 0dB 1k, 125hz, 4k, 10k, 16k, etc etc etc.
CBS records test disc. of course this is the most technical of of tones. sine wave pink noise. left seperation at 0dB 1k, 125hz, 4k, 10k, 16k, etc etc etc.
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by Patrick F
note!!! I would not use the square wave function!!!!!! if that is the route you take.
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by Whizzkid
quote:Originally posted by baz100:
Hi,
What in your experience is a good CD/ record to carry out a system quality. sound test ?
Cheers
Barrie
The first LP/CD that comes to hand.
Dean..
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by Guido Fawkes
Liguaphone's teach your self Icelandic is a pretty interesting record to take - it is also clears dance floors at weddings - superb 
Try Anthems In Eden if the system doesn't sound good with that on it must be put together by the hi-fi world team
Try Anthems In Eden if the system doesn't sound good with that on it must be put together by the hi-fi world team
Posted on: 11 July 2008 by u5227470736789454
Thanks for responding to what I know must seem a dumb question. I feel better for your comments because we sort of did what you have suggested, a variety of types - Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Donald Fagen, some classical and an Amy Winehouse, and funny enough the comment fromGeorge really rings true as the Amy Winehouse sounded pretty ropey on most of them, but the Naim made the best fist of it overall. I must admit I am kicking myself for not thinking of the LInguaphone Icelandic lessons (thanks ROTF) and I shall rush off immediatately and order it, I assume the is an SHM cd version I can pick up !!
Seriously though thanks guys as this is a hell of an investment for me and my first grown up system and I need to feel that I have ticked all the rational/logical boxes, or at least made the effort, as well as the emotional ones(which have already been ticked by listening to the system)
Much appreciated
Barrie
Seriously though thanks guys as this is a hell of an investment for me and my first grown up system and I need to feel that I have ticked all the rational/logical boxes, or at least made the effort, as well as the emotional ones(which have already been ticked by listening to the system)
Much appreciated
Barrie