Best music to test speakers and how to test speakers

[3rdeye]

I've never tested speakers, and I don't see a pinned topic on this, so I was hoping to get submissions for the following:

1. Links for speaker tests or information on how most consumers lacking sophisticated instruments can do an in-person product comparison in a store

2. Qualities that the music should have and that you should listen for

3. Songs that exemplify the qualities in#2.

Thanks.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Swerd]

Learn to avoid speakers that stand out as sounding different from the others in a store. Many speaker manufacturers over-emphasize the bass and treble for just that reason, it stands out as noticeable. What is at first noticeable quickly becomes tiresome and ear-fatiguing.

Listen to things that you already know how they should sound. The best is the human voice. Everyone knows what human voices sound like. Just like when you adjust the color on a TV set, its easiest when looking at a human face. A good test of a speaker's bass is the male voice. Does it sound natural, or too deep or boomy? Do the higher frequencies sound natural or too crisp, hissy or sibilant?

Following that, listen to music with unamplified instruments that you are familiar with, such as guitar, piano, violin. They should be playing alone or nearly alone. Anything that sounds wrong or unnatural will readily stand out.

When you audition speakers, bring some recorded music that you know well. You may not know exactly how it was intended to sound, but you will know how it sounded on any speakers you've previously known.

Busy music with heavy amplification or large orchestras playing at full tilt makes it difficult to know what new unfamiliar speakers do with it.

Do you own speakers that you are replacing, or are you getting your first speakers?

 

[OscarJr]

Agreed on all points, especially with music you have heard live. If you know what Band XYZ sounds like live, especially if you have heard them live on many occasions, then you likely know how the musicians themselves want it to sound. Although I do have to say, standing center front-row doesn't always give you the best sound perspective even if it gives you a great up-close view of the band. Standing out back in the center is usually best (more important in smaller venues, not as important in very large venues, so long as you're not too far back to catch too many sound reflections).

When I auditioned the Legacy Audio Calibre's, I made sure I got a very good listen to them with absolutely no sound adjustments what so ever, so I could get a good reference "base line" of the sonic signature of the speaker. I didn't listen to hours and hours of music, just about 20 tracks or so. Then and only then after I got accustomed to their un-altered sound did I opt to try out different sound adjustments.

If you can find a high-quality version of this recording, I do have to say that I find it to be good reference material because as was said in the previous post, it has very good male & female vocals that are easily referenced by our mind's ears (memories), forged from decades and decades of exposure to them. After having properly balanced the Left & Right channel levels on my Legacy Audio Studio HD's and toe'ing them in just the right amount, I can hear/detect the relative position of the singers within the soundstage. Stream this through JRiver Media Center embedded video player/broswer so it catches the direct digital stream and it sounds even better than "regular" Youtube video stream.

 

[killdozzer]

I agree with what @Swerd said and would ad Behringer's test disc for some of the same reasons he mentioned.

I'm no expert and wouldn't know how to use the track with sine wave bursts. But this CD has recordings of 15 different spoken languages (male and female voice). 19 well recorded analogue instruments and 9 synthetic instruments. This is convenient because it's all on one disc, you can skip among them and you can rest assured the recordings are done correctly.

You have sounds of instruments Swerd mentioned, here is the content:




WARNING: as producers themselves say always start with the volume turned down (every time you're starting a different track)

WARNING 2: one of the frequencies gave me nausea, but I can't remember which one and don't want to go through that again, I listen to instruments and human voices and I try to determine whether I'm satisfied with the reproduction.

 

[Swerd]

I've not known that Behringer test disc, but I like it.

Track 83 is a recording of pink noise. Playing that track, on only one speaker, while walking around the room, is a good way to listen to a speaker's dispersion of mid range and higher frequencies, it's off-axis response. You will notice a shift in the overall tone of the pink noise, from brighter to less bright, as you move from directly in front of the speaker (on-axis) to farther away from the center (off-axis).

When manually tuned FM radio in stereo receivers was common, it was easy to tune the radio to a frequency where there was no signal. The hiss between stations was good enough to substitute for pink noise and allowed a simple test of a speaker's dispersion. With digitally tuned FM radio, that became more difficult. Track 83 on the Behringer disc makes it easy again.

By this method, you can easily compare two different speakers while in a store. Generally, I like wide dispersion better than narrow dispersion. With music, in stereo, wide dispersion creates a more realistic 'out-of-the-box sound image' where the music tends to sound like it is coming from outside the speaker cabinets. Narrow dispersion (beaming) tends to make the music sound like its coming from within the speaker cabinets.

 

[killdozzer]

Track 83 is a recording of pink noise. Playing that track, on only one speaker, while walking around the room, is a good way to listen to a speaker's dispersion of mid range and higher frequencies, it's off-axis response. You will notice a shift in the overall tone of the pink noise, from brighter to less bright, as you move from directly in front of the speaker (on-axis) to farther away from the center (off-axis).

This is precious info. I got the thing but still have to learn how to use it. I suspect I'll need it the most when I try to blend in the sub. I will try this test you describe. Since LS50's are point source and with a wave guide, I expect some off-axis.

What I still don't understand is why no one calls this KEF's tweeter design "kardamom":

 

[Pogre]

@Bucknekked let me borrow a copy of the test cd that came with his Songtowers. I catch myself flipping through the tracks every once in a while still

 

[Pogre]

This is precious info. I got the thing but still have to learn how to use it. I suspect I'll need it the most when I try to blend in the sub. I will try this test you describe. Since LS50's are point source and with a wave guide, I expect some off-axis.

What I still don't understand is why no one calls this KEF's tweeter design "kardamom":
View attachment 22134

View attachment 22135

"Concentric Cardamom Driver" I like it!

 

[zieglj01]

I like this -- Dr Chesky's Sensational Fantastic & Simply Amazing
https://www.amazon.com/Cheskys-Sensational-Fantastic-Simply-Amazing/dp/B008FVZHCW/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504400809&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=dr+chesky+test+cd

 

[Bucknekked]

@Bucknekked let me borrow a copy of the test cd that came with his Songtowers. I catch myself flipping through the tracks every once in a while still

me too. I probably wouldn't pick out any of the artists or songs on my own. But given to me on a test CD, I have learned to like and appreciate a number of them. Each is unique in its own way with how it illustrates something about your speakers. I enjoy them even though I wasn't expecting to.

 

[Pogre]

I like this -- Dr Chesky's Sensational Fantastic & Simply Amazing
https://www.amazon.com/Cheskys-Sensational-Fantastic-Simply-Amazing/dp/B008FVZHCW/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504400809&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=dr+chesky+test+cd

I bought one of the chesky cd's. I thought it was pretty cool. I learned a little.

 

[Pogre]

I never thought of it before coming here, but I do have a lot of experience listening to live music. My father and stepfather were both in bands. I was exposed at a very early age. I remember sitting in on their practice sessions, dad practicing on his acoustic and stepdad was a bass player. I took an interest in drums and played for a few years, but never really got that good. I started too late. Shoulda joined band and started when I was a kid. sigh

 

[killdozzer]

Track 83 is a recording of pink noise. Playing that track, on only one speaker, while walking around the room, is a good way to listen to a speaker's dispersion of mid range and higher frequencies, it's off-axis response. You will notice a shift in the overall tone of the pink noise, from brighter to less bright, as you move from directly in front of the speaker (on-axis) to farther away from the center (off-axis).

Results of Pink Noise test. Walking along the drawn line:

The noise appears to be of lower frequencies on the yellow part. I sense some sort of strange switching on the red part. I can even experience this by simply swinging my head back and forth in a motion 30-40cm long. It appears to be as some drop in FQ, perhaps some cancellation or merely the point where one speaker takes over from the other??

Blue is constant sound with no modulation.

Speakers are slightly toed in. They are a bit too close so they are less toed in than the usually recommended 30 degrees.

Ah, yes! I still have to test a single speaker. Is it good enough if I just turn the balance knob all the way to one side or do I need to disconnect one speaker?

 

[Swerd]

Is it good enough if I just turn the balance knob all the way to one side or do I need to disconnect one speaker?

Adjusting the balance knob all the way to one side should be enough.

This test I described is meant to be a simple way to compare speakers while deciding which to buy. You already own and like those KEFs. Unless you want to replace them, this is an academic effort. Still it can be fun to learn about it.

 

[killdozzer]

Adjusting the balance knob all the way to one side should be enough.

Thank you for this.

Unless you want to replace them, this is an academic effort. Still it can be fun to learn about it.

This was clear from the beginning. I still like to learn exactly how good or flawed they are. I think this will help with final placement. I think this strange conflict at my LP says I should put them further a part and then toe them in a bit more. They are now 4.6 feet apart. I have room for more, but furniture is in the way at the moment. I'll sort it once I get stands.