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Good Bass Recordings on CD for Subwoofer Testing

After reading Vade Forrester's excellent review of the Syzygy SLF870 Subwoofer in The Absolute Sound Issue 275 I've decided to try one.

My Magnepan 1.7i loudspeakers, even with a DWM Bass Panel, have always been a bit bass-shy. The SLF870 seemed like it might be a good addition. Amazon sells them, so I figured if it doesn't integrate well with the Magnepans I can always just return it.

The subwoofer arrives this coming Thursday. In the interim I'd like to find some good CD recordings for tests.

I'm looking for recommendations.

I listen primarily to classic rock and some classical, no jazz or hip-hop or metal though.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here's my current system configuration:

Magnepan 1.7i Loudspeakers with one DWM Bass Panel
Audio Research SP14 | Audio Research 300.2
Rega Planar 3 w/ RB 330 | Ortofon 2M Blue
Rega Apollo CD | Cambridge CXN Network Player | CXC Transport
Rotel 870 AM/FM Stereo Tuner | Terk FM-50 Powered Antenna
Pioneer RT-1050 Reel-to-Reel | Nakamichi 600

Thanks

  -gb-

128x128gregorybraun
soix
8,838 posts
 
Keb' Mo' Slow Down.  Good music with punchy bass drum and low bass guitar notes. 

stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,383 posts
 
Saint-Saens Symphony no. 3 (Organ).  The music is great  When the organ bass tones come at you, your hair will stand up on end.
wbs
66 posts
 
Billy Idol Charmed Life.  Prodigal Blues.  Pressurizes the room.
gregorybraun's avatar
gregorybraun OP
24 posts
 

Thanks Randy and others,

The reason I'm trying the Syzygy SLF870 Subwoofer is because it has onboard room equalization. When you set them up initially you just download a free app that Syzygy provides to equalize the subwoofer's frequency response based upon sound samples taken from your actual listening room.

It's then up to you to adjust the output level and crossover frequency, but that should be easy with the Octave RTA app Vade Forrester suggests.

I'm looking to add the missing lower octaves that the Magnepans simply can't reproduce. My experience with the DWM Bass Panel has been that it reinforces the 40-80 Hz. range, but simply can't go any lower. What it does, it does well, but it shares the same limitations as the Magnepans themselves, i.e. nothing much below 40 Hz.

Magnepan says that the DWM is not to be thought of as a subwoofer, but as an improvement to the lower range of their full range panels. Their specs show a lower frequency response essentially the same as their full range panels.

I've had one form or another of Magnepans for over thirty years, and over that same time I've accumulated hundreds of CDs. Unfortunately I wouldn't know what deep bass may be encoded on them that the Magnepans couldn't reveal.

As it turns out, I already have many of the recordings suggested by others here. So I am looking forward to hearing them anew. The Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 is one I didn't have though, so I ordered the Reference Recordings CD from Amazon earlier today.

  -gb-

randy-11
1,913 posts
 
DSP is the future and those subs should work well - I'd really want at least 2 tho

I agree re the DWMs 

I used to have a long list of test tracks from CDs but can't find it now; will post if I do

Good Luck & Post your results
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