So here is the question: what are your Top 3 music pieces to evaluate a system?
The songs should be complementary to cover a wider range of features, but not necessary. If you only listen to one type of music, it would make sense to only evaluate with this type.
Bonus: identify one good part of the piece where you pay extra attention because this is where the difference between systems is more visible.
I'll start:
Holly Cole Trio - Girl Talk - My Baby Just Cares For Me Highlight: The vibrating cord at 1:59
MaMuse - All The Way - Glorious Highlight - The clean guitar and the high drum beat that rythm the whole piece
Metallica - ... And Justice for All (Remastered) - One Highlight - The first drums at 0:53, but the whole guitar as well
Doing this myself, I realize it's very hard to only pick 3!!
So many here I know and use to test. Nils Lofgrem "Keith don’t go" WILL sound good/great on most systems and I want Shelby Lynne to be my baby sitter. If she can’t then please send Patricia Barber. London Grammar, "Hey Now" is one my list too.
alanhuth.. nice find esp the Houston Person track
I love threads like this as often great music is gathered for my playlists.
In addition to all Rodrigo y Gabriela kind of stuff I also use tracks I don’t really typically listen to for pleasure but rather to test. "Poinciana" by Keith Jarrett’s Trio Whisper Not - Live in Paris 1999 is always going to sound great...(Playing now)
These will test any system
"Bop" Mr. Machine Brandt Brauer Frick..Dare yah!
"Toothbrush" Nothing But The Water (Album Version) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
"IDKT" The Books
"Koyaanisqatsi" (Soundtrack) Philip Glass first 30 seconds. Points if you last.
"Duende" Black Light Syndrome Bozzio Levin Stevens
Here is a list from Head-Fi.org. Not 3 songs, but what's somewhat unique about it is that it tells you what you are looking for e.g. male vocal tone, deep bass, etc.
Since I'm strictly a Jazz analog guy: 1. Charlie Rouse - Epistrophy: The last Concert - Round' Midnight (Landmark Records LLP-1521) Exceptional live recording. The Vibes and Piano can be a torture test on many systems actually to the point of clipping on some systems I've heard this through, but when everything is dialed in, reproduction should be in-your-room real!
2. Christian McBride Trio - Live at the Village Vanguard - Lady in my Life (Mack Avenue Records MAC 1099LP) Another wonderful live small ensemble recording. I attended a performance of this band (different drummer) in an excellent venue...probably better than the Village Vanguard). This comes darn close! Placement on stage mimics the live performance I attended. I use this tune for accurate image placement and to reduce bass bloat which is easy considering Christian's Big Bass sound. Once tamed, the sound is very natural and Christian Sands' solo as with his live performance, is sensational on this tune. It really grooves!
3. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Ellington At Newport - Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab– MOFI 1-035) All I can say I that if this tune doesn't have you dancin' in your room, something's wrong!
As I read through the replies I noticed that most people seem to pick a song that they actually like or have an attribute that they feel stands out. For example - deep bass, 3D soundstage, type of bass guitar, or pick up a cymbal sound. This is interesting to me as these are recording attributes. I mostly prefer to hear these but I don't use them to judge the sound. How many of you play an instrument or have recorded anything? Not that this may matter. I listen for piano first. What does that sound like as most music is in the mid-range. To me SS cannot offer the piano sound I prefer as the decay of the notes is to my ears to fast. Tubes seem to delay the decay which I prefer as to me it sounds more realistic and I can hear the "wood" of the instrument. Same goes for the sax reproduction. After that I listen for space, separation, and the placement around instruments and vocals. Especially the layering of vocal parts. How separate are they and does the layering seem smeared. Then I listen for backing instruments. I hear many systems that have layering and separation but the tone if off. Drums and bongos especially. Most of these need to have a "boing" or you should hear the skin flex and the body of the drum box. Same as the piano, how is the decay of the notes. Too many times I hear bongos sound like a flat wack. Almost like the drum is made of cardboard. Last to me is the emotion. Does the system portray emotion which I believe comes from the note decay. Shinko resistors from my experience have been the best emotional resistor I have heard.
So to my ears, does your system lay out the music and make me want to listen and not just how much I love the song.
Interesting , I have my songs but what I found interesting and damned why didnt I think of that. You actually want songs and music that sounds bad and if the system can make it sound amazing, well then!
That being said here are my three but again hard to stick to three to get all of the sound you listen to and want to hear how the system performs.
1) Steely Dan - Aja- The dynamic range and espeically Steve Gadd drums cant be beat 2) Grateful Dead- Unbroken Chain- Again dynamic range on this sound from the high highs to the lows are amazing especially the airplane sounds in middle 3) Steel Pulse - Steppin out- The opening is just great. I could use Buffalo Soldier here as well
I have to add a 4th and 5th though for acoutsic timbre and Vocal tests maybe i drop Aja and move one of these up as Aja and Unbroken Chain accomplish the same thing but the drums on Aja are key the airplane sounds on Unbroken Chain are key 4) Hot Tuna - Water Song , Acoustic Guitar ( can use Acoustic Alchemy, or Jerry Garcia - So What, or A Friday Night in SF any cut) 5) Amy Winehouse - Our Day will come ( Can use any Eva Cassidy)
These will test , dynamic range, highs, lows, mids widely and then you must hear vocals as well as acoustic music, I probably need some Miles in there also to see how horns sound .
Love Romantic Warrior and have it on both vinyl and CD need to listen to CD again I guess
Madonna – “Vogue” from the Immaculate Collection. This version was remastered with Q-sound and
extends certain sounds a foot or more outside of the speaker’s sound
stage. It’s uncanny.
“The Pink Panther” (original motion picture
soundtrack). This is from the Steve
Martin remake and pays meticulous homage to Henry Mancini’s original
recording. Amazing dynamics with the
horn section, and excellent space around the instruments. Even the triangle is a joy to hear. This will give your system a workout.
Poncho Sanchez “El Conguero” from Latin Soul (Live). Great horns, vocals and a percussion section
that appears live in your room. Grammy
winner.
Pat Metheny “Don’t Know Why” from One Quiet Night. Solo acoustic guitar. One of the best recordings of acoustic guitar
I’ve ever heard. Stellar, moving performance and interpretation
of the Norah Jones classic.
One of my old time references is “Jim Hall - Live - Toronto 1975”. Especially “The Way You Look Tonight”. This album is a nice natural recording; especially of drums and bass. Nice subtle and occasionally surprising dynamics that don’t sound compressed to me. Another nice effect is the ambient sound of the venue, crowd and clinking glasses. Whether Jim’s free flowing solos are your taste or not this recording is an interesting listen sonically.
Yeah Miller. I really do like your comments. But....im a guitarist, and pianist. That being said, WOW, you guys all just gave me some GREAT music to listen to that ive never heard :-)
Great for testing dynamics, BUT ONLY the 1976 original vinyl. Every CD version I have heard is compressed to death. Just horrible...
The opening track, Medieval Overture, is a good place to start, especially Lenny White’s monster drums starting about 1:00 minute in. But the entire album is very dynamic.
Ernst Krenek - Static and Ecstatic
On the Varese International label. Musically, it is pretty thorny sounding modern classical music, so YMMV, but for testing imaging and soundstage, it is on another level. If you can’t imagine yourself being able to walk ’into’ the soundstage and among each individual musician in the chamber orchestra, the system you are listening to does not image very well.
Ralph Towner - Solo Concerts
On ECM. The brilliant guitarist Ralph Towner, live playing acoustic guitar. He should appear at about the height of someone sitting on a stool, and every nuance of his guitar should be readily identifiable. Each sound of fingers on the strings, finger plucking, the sound of the guitar body, the attack and decay of the instrument should be completely discernable.
I could name a dozen or more ECM recordings. Other than the overuse of reverb in the studio on some ECM recordings, they tend to be very natural sounding. It’s hard to go wrong with the vast majority of ECM recordings, on vinyl or CD.
Oh, it looks like I didn’t include any recordings with vocals.
Renaissance - Novella
On vinyl or the early CD versions. Any CD I have heard made aver 2000, is compressed within an inch of its life.
Annie Haslam’s vocals, with her perfect intonation, 5 octave range, dynamics and emotion, should be very clear in the recording, despite the full and intense orchestrations.
Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (this is not a joke, if you don't know!) Capitol Sessions album - "It Never Entered My Mind." Till Bronner's flugelhorn for tonality.
Pat Metheny "Secret Story" cut on album of same name for piano, and also for deep bass response from organ, well below lowest string on a bass.
David Bowie "Let's Dance" Album, any cuts, to see how the speaker handles a recording with a bit of harshness in the treble. Or "Let it Bleed" from the Stones same purpose.
King Crimson - I talk to the wind -- great for cybals, chimes and etc Van Morrison - Almost independance day - Can hear the foghorn in my bones when done right Joni Mitchell - Slouching towards Bethlehem - Geat range of sound.
Sean Rowe..follow your trail..Great baritone voice. Bohemian Rapsody..lots of 3d imaging. Rolling Stones- Melody..because music i know best makes me more qualified to evaluate.
Mediterranean Sundance..Al Dimeola, delucia, Mclaughlin because it's blazing fast and dramatic
Zappa - Pink Napkins (Shut up and play…) Muddy Waters - Home in the Delta (Folk Singer) Offenbach - Can Can (Gaîté Parisienne) Grateful Dead - Ripple (American Beauty)
Anything from Aaron Neville's 1991 'Warm Your Heart', but 'Everybody Plays The Fool' is The One. Look at the talent: Linda Ronstadt produced the album and sings on 4 cuts, Rita Coolidge on 3. Ry Cooder, Bob Seger and Dr. John also play. Every instrument, every note, every syllable should sound spot on.
Diana Krall's 'A Case of You' from Her 'Live in Paris' album. Her voice should not get muddy or thick, and the piano should be solid, and anchored but her chords bloom.
Third Is a 3-way tie between The Eagles 'Hotel California', the Mark Knopfler/Emmy Lou Harris 'All the Roadrunning', and Emmy Lou Harris 'Deeper Well' from Spyboy.
Great stuff here, I absolutely love threads like this. Here are my three picks:
Roger Waters / Amused to Death / Too Much Rope - The track starts with a man chopping wood and each stroke and should have a hard edge defined center image position. This is followed by a horse drawn carriage with a sleigh bell moving across the sound stage from left to right. You should be able to pick up the horse and sleigh far beyond the boundary of your speakers and it should disappear far beyond the boundary of your speaker as well.
Mose Allison / Everybody Cryin’ Mercy - This track is great for gauging attack and decay in a system. It’s all about the soft attacks and lengthy delays Allison puts on his piano as well as the drummer and bassist. A good system should be able to define the leading edge of notes and their diminishing departure.
Rage Against the Machine / Bullet in the Head - When I started down my audiophile journey, bass something I did not lend much thought to. But after reading columns and posts about how important bass is to a system’s synergy, imaging and sound stage I finally stated to pay closer attention to how I treated bass in my system. With this tracks, at the end, a system with good bass will pick out plenty of detail in the fast finale and you should be able to hear the slap of the strings, not just a wall of noise, especially when the extra layers of guitar come into the mix.
I believe that music that I am really familiar with is the best way to test.
So I use:
CCR- Green River 24/192 hz. With this track that I have played 1000+ times I look for the rhythm guitar of Tom Fogerty in the top left of center and its clarity.
Linda Ronstadt- Blue Bayou 24-96hz. With this track along with the beauty of her vocal I listen for the little Spanish guitar clarity on the left channel about 30-60+ seconds in.
And Finally. Fleetwood Mac- Rumours 24-96hz.. I listen to the depth and sound of Stevie’s vocal and the side background singing of Steve in the left channel. Sometimes it can be a little distorted and bright. Also the bass and the whack of the drums can be impressive.
This is a very tough question! When I go out to do serious seat-time with equipment, I usually bring a list of several songs or pieces of music but virtually never listen to the entire piece(s). I generally listen to a minute or two of various parts of those songs or pieces, parts that have the most challenging or revealing frequency ranges. For example: I usually bring only music that I am very familiar with and, preferably, music I've heard in live performances. I will bring examples of male and female vocals, piano, heavy bass (e.g. drums; pipe organ; etc.), mid-range rich stuff (e.g. Jazz), acoustic stringed instruments (e.g. guitar; stand-up bass; harp; etc.), exotic instruments (e.g. think Hiroshima), high-pitched instruments (e.g. Triangle) and just a bunch of different things. I find that various components, especially speakers, have a difficult time realistically reproducing brushes on cymbals and drums. So, I will bring some of this. I find instruments like Tuba and synthesizers are also challenging (e.g. Moog Synthesizer). One recording I like to use that covers some of this is a good recording of "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield.
Need to add a fourth to my list. Pink Floyd “The Wall”. I use this to evaluate the kick drum kick to my stomach. This is my benchmark for my sub setting I want to feel every kick drum hit in my chest and stomach. This album will fo it even without a sub but the sub makes it three dimensional.
Acoustic Alchemy - Arcanum - Casino The original CD only, other versions you may find aren't nearly as good. It will test the system, although no vocals.
Well I’ll join the fray and because I can’t count to 3 😜
1) Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan (personally I think it’s my reference) 2) Sia & David Guetta- Flames 2:25Ish to the end but really the entire last half of the song 3) Allison Kraus - It doesn’t Matter 4) Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - I’d rather go blind 5) Hauser - Caruso 6) Darkside - Paper Trails
Using a combination of these I can usually tell if my system is dialed in.
Thank you so much for that variety of suggestions. This thread is generating lots of "work" for me as I' actually listening to all pieces that I can find and decide if I keep it or not in my bank of "song for system evaluation" - And I'm loving it - I discover lots of great stuff!
To those who suggest to use song we like/love to evaluation: this is what I thought at the beginning. But the more I'm into it, the more I find that my judgment is clouded when I listen to those ones. Because I'm moved by the song itself, I suspect a halo effect that make the song better that it is really (a much bigger effect that the one created by well recorded music). I now pick some that ressemble to music I like, with great recording quality and dynamic, but that are not making me too emotive. I have a lot to pick from from your suggestions!
And also - I realize that "top 3" is highly subjective as I love my top 10 equally. But limiting to 3 will keep the mount to song to listen to under control!
The Art of Noise; Beat Box (Diversion One): The closing piano. The Crystal Method; Returns to The Lab LA: Complex in its' way, live off the boards, and you Can dance to it. Dust your subs. Fat Boy Slim; Live @ Sydney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne: Listen; watch and listen; or just get out of your chair....wake the neighbors....they expect to go off into the deep end, anyway.... ;)
And Justice For All?? I give it credit for being interesting production but there is literally no bass guitar and the kickdrum is a poor man’s Pantera!
not songs so much as musical pieces- *Fritz Reiner/CSO- Scheherazade - this 1960 recording, on the right systems in the right rooms, is like being there, you can hear every little bit of musicians' breathing, music stands creaking, sheet music and clothing rustling, all the little details that spell out "live performance of real musicians." if any of this is missing in the playback, something's the matter with your system. likewise if it sounds harsh in any way. tape hiss should be audible and sound separate from the musicians. *Organ Stop Pizza - "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" - subharmonics below 10 cycles per second in this one, on the world's largest Wurlitzer theatrical organ. need abundant line current and woofer travel/linearity of response or else it just doesn't work and may result in woofer damage. the deep bass should rock the room. room rumble and wind chest noise should be apparent. *Red Norvo, "The Forward Look" - a KOJ recording of the highest quality, of a small jazz combo in a live setting. on the right system the imaging is holographic and wall-to-wall. the string bass should be nice and woody and round, the cymbals shimmering, the drum set viscerally bombastic on the solos, the kick drum should feel like a real KICK, sharp and deep. the electric guitar should not hoot [bad speaker enclosure or panel resonance] and the alto sax shadowing it should stand out. above all, Red Norvo's vibes should have a sharp attack. you should hear some tape hiss [recorded before Dolby A was available] and rumbles in the room. if this recording sounds flat on your system, something must change.
I believe this post will receive responses from those who just want to express what their favorite songs are rather than doing what the OP is asking (maybe he is asking that) It makes sense to use songs (music) to evaluate a system with those you are familiar. But, the same songs when it comes to "evaluating an amp" can vary more than the results you want to achieve. Recordings of the same song can sound terrific in one case or horrible in another depending on the quality of the recording.So, an evaluation of a particular amp can't be limited to just 3 songs of a particular genre but to a range of music. Music of all styles (pop, hip hop, rock, metal, folk, classical, jazz, xydeco, and some others) contain useful dynamics. Your focus may be on male/female vocals,, instruments, or all of those. I'll join the "herd" and weigh in on some of the music I've heard that contain excellent dynamics.......In no particular order.
Steely Dan...Aja Boston Pops...most any selection Jennifer Warnes....most any selection Jethro Tull....Thick as A Brick Stuff...Do You Want Some of This Sanford-Townsend Band...Smoke From a Distant Fire.
As many have said it’s hard to pick just (3), I have many - but I do have my #1. A great owner/dealer introduced me to his # 1 (5) years ago and I agree. The imaging/ soundstage/ separate distinct instruments, with Wynton Marsalis, then with Dianne Reeves voice are simply great. Have a listen and enjoy. I am grateful to that dealer in Tampa.
””The Feeling of Jazz” (covered by many) with Wynton and Dianne!
To evaluate a system / component whether it will suit your needs: Listen to music that you like to listen to!And when you make your choices based on that, your system will grow in the direction you take it...
I would recommend listening to all sorts of music you normally listen to. Do that for a month, and then you will notice whether you are happier than before or was it a let-down.
Any other form of evaluation will take you towards a direction where you will not be happy. Use the demo tracks as a learning tool, they are very valuable. But do not use them to make system decisions.
Dimming of the Day, Richard and Linda Thompson Looking for an Echo, The Persuasions 400 years, Bob Marley and the Wailers If something sounds great on these 3, they'll sound great for everything.
-Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life, Joy Inside My Tears......the initial crescendo that settles into bass, vocals, then there's that cymbal crashing in the left channel.
-Van Morrison, Moondance, Caravan.....a full complement of instruments are there, soft to loud, dynamic recording.
-Radiohead, The Bends, title cut.....
Honorable mention: Billy Cobham, Spectrum, Red Baron....tour de force instrumental.
From the album "Turn Of The Cards" by Renaissance:
1) Black Flame 2) Running Hard 3) Things I Don't Understand.
All three will feature copious amounts of acoustic piano, harpsicord, Rickenbacker bass and an orchestra. Annie Haslam is an incredible vocalist. The use of the cliche' "sing like a bird" rarely applies or is deserved but, on the song Things I Don't Understand Annie actually sings like a bird from the 5;00 to the 6:50 mark of the song. So, there is much here to challenge any audio system.
After posting mine earlier and reading these comments, we all have failed to mention one group who still sounds phenomenal: The Beatles. Put on Hey Jude and it sounds like McCartney is right in front of me playing bass and piano and singing. Ringo never sounded better on the drum kit with the cymbals crystal clear. Of course, there are others: Something, Penny Lane, and the list could go on.
First is Stevie Ray Vaughan vinyl version of “Tin Pan Alley”. This song gives you everything needed. Good bass guitar breaks from light to hard pick control, and the part when you can hear the drum stick hit the rim before the skin. Not all systems will render this. Second is anything Doors. Their albums have great sound stage and depth. You actually feel Jim is closer than the rest to you. Third is Jethro Tull “Thick as a Brick”. This album front to back is one of the best produced you will ever hear. Wide rang of instruments to check system balance. Artist to never use Joe Bonamassa the bass on his albums is mud and sounds terrible.
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