Top 3 songs to evaluate a system
A lot of interesting choices. When I check out a system, I generally try to play songs in a few categories: 1. Lots of chiming or shimmering guitars and I'm looking for whether that grates on me or sounds beautiful. 2. Songs with significant bass and I'm looking for fast, tight bass that doesn't distort or dominate the other sounds. 3. Songs with a lot going on to see if small details are heard clearly and whether the system mushes stuff together. |
System test on Qobuz. Some demanding tracks. |
Only full orchestral music can test the dynamics of your system. Your sound pressure level meter tells the tale. Full orchestral music goes from a whisper to a roar in a second in a way that no other music does. Plus the need to accurately reproduce all the instruments in a full orchestra will test the tonality of your system. That said you really only need Decca's recording of Holst's Planets with Mehta conducting the LA Phil. On the first track Mars you should feel you're about to be invaded. Yes it's bombastic. That's the point. And now for something completely different. Who knew there were so many Shelby Lynne fans on Audiogon? I stalked her from Boston to Knoxville. Her sound completely changed once she crossed the Mason Dixon line becoming even more heartfelt and moving once she was home showing that music is a product of the noivous system. She is great on Daryl's House on YouTube. |
One not mentioned is Classical Gas by Mason Williams. +1 for the Beatles. So many of their recordings are excellent quality Heart... Crazy on you... First part of song Dire Straits/Knopler.....many Joe Cocker...Unchain My heart... First part Diana Krall.... Vocals..... Pick one. Jack Johnson..... Broken.. Excellent recording |
I listened to all submissions to the midpoint and quickly realized: -Some people submitted one amazing tune and two dogs -This was the quickest way I have ever refreshed my playlists. Brilliant work! Keep the good ones coming! Okay shall I save you the time and tell you the 'don't miss' songs? Nah, I could not deprive anyone of such fun. But wait! I will give you my 3 Best of Best but you all need to do the same. This way I learn who likes music that I like. |
1) The old original vinyl LP recording of Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, "Whipped Cream". All cuts are great, especially the first "A Taste of Honey". Simply and well recorded - every horn and instrument on a stage, in its own place, with life like timber and presence. 2) The CD of Jack Johnson "Brushfire Fairytales" especially track 3. A very crisp and detailed infusion of percussion, symbols, chimes and bells as well as Jack's very clear and present vocals. 3) MFSL's Original Master Recording LP of Neil Diamond "Hot August Night". The whole album (double album) is incredible, particularly cut 3 on Side 3 "Morningside". All instruments and vocals are crystal clear, clean and emotionally involving. If I could pick one more, it would be Van Morrison's "Avalon Sunset" final track "These Are The Days". The arrangement, vocals and instruments (particularly the strings) will pull you in...... Jim |
- Gordon Lightfoot: "Me And Bobby McGee". This recording stopped Bill Johnson in his tracks when Walter Davies (Last Record Preservative products) played it for him and I. Bottleneck guitar by Ry Cooder. - David Lindley: "Mercury Blues". - Stevie Wonder: "Superstition". - T Bone Burnett: "Driving Wheel". - Holst "The Planets"; Sir Adrian Boult conducting The New Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI ASD2301). |
No one here familiar with Terry Evans - Blues for Thought ? Rickie Lee Jones - S/T Still a fantastic recording very hard to get right. Michael Bublé - Meets Madison Square Garden. If you can crank this to 12 and it still sounds real, full and balanced - you´re there! Sinatra - Las Vegas live recordings. Same as Bublé. |
Great post! Here are three of my suggestions (of the ones not listed by others already): -‘Love is Blindness’ by Cassandra Wilson on ‘New Moon Daughter’ -‘The Astounding Eyes of Rita’ by Anouar Brahem on the album with the same title -‘I wanna be where you are’ by Bob Baldwin on ‘Brazil Chill’ (for some bass). Hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I do all of yours! |
YES audioguy85!! I just added a new component a few weeks ago and it seemed that everything just fell into place and it ALL sounded good/right. Why? Not sure that I can put it to words. Sure, I can use the descriptors we all use, but I think there is a right brain non-word process at play here. And of course, I am curious and wonder, even now, if trying "x" component would make it better....... I mean, that is what we do, us "audiophiles", hang out in places like A-gon and the forums to decide where we will next spend too much money.... |
I like the gentlemen who said the 60s albums...Chambers Bros.Time has come to day...Great.....keeping in 60s The Doors First Album.....The Rolling Stones Let it Bleed....and the Beatles White Album....these albums will Rock your System and there are alot of hidden sounds a Good system will bring out . |
Average White Band - "Schoolboy Crush," for the bass and percussion <sleigh bells!>. The Bongos - "Skydiving," for the bongos. Emmerson, Lake & Palmer - "Take a Pebble," for the 3 virtuosos showing off (in a good way) on piano, bass & drums. An early example of prog-rock, before it got too bombastic. ZZ Top - "Blue Jean Blues," Dusty & Billy's bass and guitar tones are really special on this one. Rare Earth - "(I Know) I'm Losing You" Temptations - "Pappa Was a Rolling Stone" The Chambers Brothers - "Time Has Come Today" Seek out the long versions of theses three songs. The first two feature stellar musicianship and production, while the latter has a "tinny, 60's garage rock" feel to the production; so, that one provides a different sort of audiophile challenge. |
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Thanks everyone for sharing such precious gems! I never though I would receive that level of quality and quantity of suggestions. I reiterate that I listen to all songs (that are available on Spotify - don't judge me!). I put them in a "Suggestions" playlist and, after listening once, it is either removed (I don't like ALL of them!), or moved in a "Top 5", "Top 10", "Top 25" or "Reserve" playlist for further listening. So this thread is keeping me very busy... and I'm loving it! Some gems I discovered because of you (no particular order): - Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth (remastered) - The Ubiquitous M. Lovegrove - Stunz & Farah - Primal Magic - Rainmaker - Adèle - 21 - Lovesong - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather - Tin Pan Alley - The Dave Brucket Quarter - Timeout - Take Five - Woong San - Close Your Eyes - Round Midnight - Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E. - Vitamin - Suzan Vegas - Solitide Standing - Tom's Dinner I still have 54 songs in my "Suggestions" playlist and I haven't added all new ones from yesterday... So I'm thrilled thinking about what I might discover! Keep them coming! -Papyneau |
bigkidz: 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.If the recording is done in a dead room, the piano notes will sound like decaying too fast without reverb. "Delaying" it using an audio signal processing technique implemented in some DAC sometimes overcooks it and will only make piano notes sound artificially. I do not know how much effect can be created by tube amp because I do not own one but I just want to stress the importance of the original recording. A good stereo system is to preserve those attributes, not to create them. |
Great topic for a rainy weekend and find new stuff to listen too. As a big PG fan I will definitely look up ’Blood of Eden’. Also great to see what different people look for (timbre, boing sound of bongo’s, I never thought of that myself). When I went shopping for new (standmount) speakers last year I spent days compiling a ’test’ list for the audition sessions. To come up with 3 songs however is really hard. +1 for Bela Fleck though. So that’s the bass department covered. Now I’ll include some African flavor for variety: 1) Baaba Maal - Yiriyaro (Percussion storm). As the title suggests, it a myriad of percussion patterns, so if your system gets you up to dance it’s got PRAT. And there should be a pretty nice soundstage experience with the recorded thunderstorm at the end. 2) Depeche Mode - In Chains. The synth intro can act nicely as an alternative REW frequency sweep :-) and the first verse + guitar cord attacks is helpful for system dynamics. (note: my guess is classical pieces are much better at that, but I don’t listen to any) 3) Fish - Vigil. I’m including it for those that are looking for systems that are ’unforgiving’ for bad recordings. If it’s unforgiving, the bombastic chorus should sound really awful. |
Agree w anything by Jennifer Warnes, but my favorite is Ballad of the Runaway Horse- some “experts” say the most difficult sound to reproduce is the spoken voice- at times she speaks, barely above a whisper, at times she really sings, the instruments are acoustic, & the subtle change from “violin “ to “fiddle” at the end. if it doesn’t give me goosebumps, make the hairs on my arms stand on end, or make me start to sway w the music or send tears running down my cheeks, something not right w the gear. ”yup, that gear’s not right.” |
First, I enjoyed reading everybody’s choices...some were not really expected. Second a few years ago a friend of mine passed away and he always used Diana Krall’s (Paris Album) to test speakers, amps and DACS. The specific cut he used was "A Case of You ". If you can’t hear piano frets being released, Diana moving aroound on the piano stool and her mike changes and most importantly at the start of her song the different postions of the audiance members caughing you need to focus grass hopper". i just listen to this track.... A great choice... But all these details about imaging, details about the piano frets, the caughing, all is there coming from my under 500 bucks system... The reason is my system is rightfully embed especially acoustically... BUT MY AUDIO SYSTEM so good it is, is not perfect nor it is the best possible at all... How do i know it? Because i can judge the timbre microdynamic clarity and image coming from it.... It is impossible to judge a system only with dynamic, decay, attack, imaging, soundstage, source width, listener envelopment, bass rendition, high rendition, mids rendition alone... Putting in words what make a sound great is impossible anyway...We all know that... For me the only criteria that encompasses all the others in a nutshell is "timbre microdynamic".... Each piano note must live in his own 3-d bubble with a unique physionomy of his own like a human face....Nevermind the recording...If the recording is not great it will be impossible to catch and see the timbre microdynamic even if we listen to someone caughing at different rows distance on the recording...Imaging details is only one acoustic factor... If i had TIMBRE i have all the rest, because we cannot produce a natural realistic timbre microdynamic in a room, without all acoustic settings treatment and controls in place, and with them all these others conditions that will make possible the timbre microdynamic perception are: dynamic, decay, attack, imaging, soundstage, source width, listener envelopment, bass,mid, and high optimal rendition.... Then we cannot focus on these characteristics alone to judge a system but we must focus on "timbre microdynamic" because it encompass them all....Piano, organ, brass, and human choral voices are the best test for me,,, When i created my acoustic controls my main guidance was timbre first, not , bass, dynamic etc by themselves.... It is my experience .... Thanks for this magnificent thread.... Empire brass ensemble : Gabrielli It is one of my cd test...because of the intermingling of all these brass instruments forming a wall of sound in all the room 3-d with the necessary distinctive character timbre of each one of the instruments... For piano: Vladimir Felstman, Bach , well tempered klavier.... Here each note has a face like each human...Very well recorded and played... For voices : Alistair Dixon directing Chapelle du roy in Tallis complete works... Here each voice must be heard in distinction with his one physionomy.... My audio system give me a "taste" of what i described.... Proof that my embeddings controls are right.... But i know for sure that a costlier well chosen and well embedded one will geve more of that.... Cost will not be around 500 bucks but at least around 15,000 bucks.... Dont upgrade before embedding all gear right |
First, I enjoyed reading everybody's choices...some were not really expected. Second a few years ago a friend of mine passed away and he always used Diana Krall's (Paris Album) to test speakers, amps and DACS. The specific cut he used was "A Case of You ". If you can't hear piano frets being released, Diana moving aroound on the piano stool and her mike changes and most importantly at the start of her song the different postions of the audiance members caughing you need to focus grass hopper". |
Late 60's Joni Mitchell. Excellent, intimate. The timbre of her voice, the superb guitar. Both hard to record properly as well as a playback system to come close. Later with Jaco pastorius should sound live. Dreams Fleetwood Mac. Instrument separation, voice, drums Dallas Wind Symphony Trittico: dynamics, drum playback, concert hall presence, horn reproduction, depth Kraftwerk: 3D Katalog. Space, dynamics, bass, depth, |
Great topic, tough to choose just three so going with three from 3 different genres: Classical: Mozart Divertimento K.563 Cummings String Trio on Meridian (CD). Great for assessing string tone and ability to distinguish musical lines Mozart Piano Uchida Live Phillips (CD). Great piano tone and hall acoustics. Check out the Adagio which is the final track. Brahms Violin Sonata Abel Wilson (LP). Great all around chamber music recording Jazz: Patricia Barber "Nightclub" Autumn Leaves. (MOFI LP) Great acoustic bass and super clean vocals. Good test for excess sibilance. Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" (Acoustic Sounds LP) "Old Cowhand" Great live drum feel and sax immediacy. Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle "What's New" (MOFI LP) I love the final cut "Goodbye" which is great for vocal texture and immediacy. Rock (ish): Fagen "The Nightfly" (MOFI One Step) and "Morph the Cat" (LP). Love the title track of the former for system drive and projection--if your feet don't move your dead! The bass guitar in Morph the Cat goes super deep and you should be able to follow the line clearly throughout the song. Shelby Lynn "Just a Little Lovin". (Acoustic Sounds LP). The title cut is killer--yes, the kick drum should hit you in the chest but I mostly listen for the rim shots on the snare at the start--they should reverberate and echo in the studio with real percussive shock. Nick Drake "Pink Moon" (Island LP Reissue). Great percussive guitar sound, should be able to really hear the intricate work and fingering. Pretty good for vocals too! I'll also throw in Michael Hedges "Breakfast in the Field LP and Alex Degrassi "Slow Circle" for great sounding (but different) acoustic guitar recordings. I'll force myself to stop..... |
great thread...lots of new listening ideas! My top 3: vinyl - Dead Can Dance - Ubiquitous Dr Lovegrove - great percussion for transients and speed Depeche Mode - Dream on - acoustic guitar and harmonized vocals for critical listening digital - Marion Herzog/Chris Jones - No Sanctuary Here - incredible bass test for detail and resolution in the low range |
I do the 7.4 version. You are surrounded. This disc is about as good as it gets. Its recorded in Dolby DTS and its recorded excellent. Five thousand watts , Four killer subs, and a complete Legacy system. Chest thump is better than being there. I set volumes at 105-110 db. But it really doesn’t seem overly loud. Just penetrating, and crisp. Problem is, its a two hour concert and whoever your showing it off to absolutely wants NO part of leaving until you have played the entire concert .. Last mans wife said (as she sunk into that couch with a nice drink in her hand) "Am I in heaven? Did I just die and go to heaven? .. Lol https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2uu90z https://youtu.be/2AclvpiMX6A |
1) "James Newton Howard & Friends" -
Sheffield Labs #23 Side 1 "SHE" 2) A Tie between: "The Sheffield Drum Record", Side A - Improvisations By Jim Keltner, Sheffield Labs #14 (As listed by sls141) and "The Sheffield Track Record", Sheffield Labs #20- Robbie Buchanan, James Newton Howard, Lenny Castro, Nathan East, Mike Landau*, Carlos Vega 3) Donald Fagen - "The Nightfly" (I.G.Y. - New Frontier - The Nightfly) and/or "Kamakiriad" (Trans-Island Skyway - Snowbound -On The Dunes) |
Excellent thread with some seriously good selections, below are a few of mine: sorry, I can’t leave it at just three 😬 Ezio Bosso, “Under The Trees’ Voices” (Live). If you play this and you do not feel that you are one of the musicians sitting in this hall your system needs some attention. It’s a beautiful piece which deserves many ears to listen to it. Leonard Cohen/Sharon Robinson, “By the Rivers Dark”. Just stunning in ever respect, get lost in that voice with amazing texture and lyrics. Play loud and make your drivers work for a living. Bob Dylan, “Man in the Long Black Coat”. Give this a spin because it’s not like the BD you think you know (unless your are a true fan. Great recording and detail. If you’re not in the same room as the band check out your gear. Chris Stapleton, Death Row. You will know why when you play it (loud) Bela Fleck and the Flectones, “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” album & track. If you can’t feel the bass strings vibrate?.... Sade, either; “No Ordinary Love” or “Cherish the Day”, both winners. Hope you enjoy😃 |
Great suggestions above. Looking forward to drilling deep into these. I'd like to add: Kansas City Monarch -- Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Nice saxophone and lively piano riffs distinguish good vs great systems Hard Day's Night -- Kings Singers. A textbook reference for imaging and vocal placement Carole Horn -- Nobody Knows. This is my go to cut for a front row seat to an amazing female vocal. Others (honorable mention) Ambrosia -- Time Waits for No One. The first 1 minute of this recording is still fun to listen to after all these years (crank it up). The Beatles -- Martha My Dear. This is an under-appreciated contribution to The Beatles portfolio. Also, speaking of The Beatles. I often use the foot tap from Black Bird to demo/evaluate equipment. You might be surprised how dramatically better equipment affects the "tonality" of something as simple as a foot tap. |
@bgross - Beck's "Morning Phase" album is a fave Sunday morning chill record for me; but, it's also a sonically interesting record. It made me revise my opinion of him. @bigkidz - Totally agreed about the importance of good sounding persussion (congas, cymbals & drums). I'll never forget auditioning a speaker that made the drummer sound like he was beating on plastic trash can lids! |
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.Thanks very much for this great post.... Food for tought....You describe exactly and nail it with way better words than i could what we must strive for when we create the right acoustic with a good system to begin with... Anyway a good acoustic well done will reveal WHICH part of the system is to be upgrade... But thanks to all people here for their great music recommendation.... I will note some..... |
@hilde45 - we’re on the same wavelength... Shelby Lynne’s "Just a Little Lovin" cover to cover is a benchmark whenever I’m giving new gear a twirl. My mother used to play Dusty "Live in Memphis" on her Mac/Thorens/AR rig till the wheels fell off! Big fan of Hans Theessink, "My Girl" off Sounds of the Southland & Derrin Nauenforf, "Danielle" & "Ghost Town" off Live at the Boardwalk" too when trying on new speakers. Simple stuff but the decay of plucked strings speaks to me. Most anything by Ben Harper; always clean and snappy. Like JJ Grey and Mofro’s "Lockloosa" - wildly satisfying. Could keep going... Beck, "Cycle" & "Morning" off Morning Phase give you some deep clear bass that is pretty telling. Anyway, great topic 👍 |
I recommend the followings to name a few: 1. TakeDake: #6 Japanese Roots - breadth and depth of soundstage, instrument separation and dynamics; 2. Voodoo by John Zorn & The Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet - bass, edgeness of alto saxophone, keyboard notes reproduction, separation, transients, treble extension (airy highs of cymbal); and 3. London Symphony Orchestra - Bohemian Rhapsody, Classics. - Let you test everything when the music/intruments/vocals get busier. |
