Enter to Win: $100 off AV123 Order

[Tom Andry]

AV123 wants your opinion!

AV123 is giving away five (5) $100 off coupons to eligible forum members. Coupons must be used within six (6) months after the drawing date.

To be eligible to win, you must: 1) Be a registered Audioholics forum member, 2) Have USA or Canadian Residence 3) Answer the question in the forum below:

Contest Question: List your favorite track/scene to evaluate a speaker/component’s on each of the following criteria:

1) Two channel music performance
2) Mulichannel music performance
3) Mulichannel effects separation
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)

Note this contest ends on February 28th 2007. Winners will be drawn shortly thereafter.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[Pianoman84d]

My favorite track/scene to evaluate a speaker/component’s on each of the following criteria:

1) Two channel music performance
--There are so many choices here but my best one is any Diana Krall album and O.T.T. Blumenkraft - Somersettler (it has this sequence in the middle that does the imaging all over the place thing. Its so cool).

2) Mulichannel music performance
--Miles Davis Kind of Blue Dual Disk because that's all I have

3) Mulichannel effects separation
--The scene from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings where Arwen takes Frodo across the river and it rushes and engulfs the enemy
--The scene from House of Flying Daggers with the beans and the drums. I think its called the memory game.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
--The entire Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

5) Other (list any/all criteria you consider when evaluating equipment
n/a

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker Evaluation

1) Two channel music performance
I like Dianna Krall and other quality Jazz recordings for music evaluation.

2) Mulichannel music performance
N/A, currently have a 2.1 system with Onix Ref 1's and SVS SB-12 Plus.

3) Mulichannel effects separation
N/A

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy and other action films.

5) Other (list any/all criteria you consider when evaluating equipment.
Price, Size, and WAF are also a factor in my purchases.

 

[Haoleb]

1) Two channel music performance...

Quite a few. Eric Claptons "One more Car, One more rider" album, Pirates of the carribean 1 soundtrack, Ana Nalick, etc. Just anything I like pretty much.

2) Mulichannel music performance

I dont listen to Multichannel music. If I did then DSOTM would probably be on there.

3) Mulichannel effects separation

Pearl Harbor, Terminator 2, Gladiator.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)

T2, Nemo

5) Other (list any/all criteria you consider when evaluating equipment)

Looks,Build,Price,Ease of use,Speaker Connectors, etc

 

[project86]

1) Two channel music performance
My current favorite for this is "You Are Mine" by MuteMath, off their self titles album. Has some of the same qualities that others have mentioned about Krall, but the drums are some of my favorite ever.

2) Mulichannel music performance
I only have a 2.1 setup, sorry.

3) Mulichannel effects separation
Again, only 2.1, but I recently watched my Superbit edition of Panic Room using Dolby Virtual surround, and it did an exceptional job (for what it is of course).

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Another vote for the drum part in House of Flying Daggers. Also good old Terminator 2, with the ominous drums that always pop up whenever the Conners are in a jam.

5) Other (list any/all criteria you consider when evaluating equipment
I like to check the looks, then listen, then hear the price... in that order.

 

[aeronautica86]

1.Two channel music performance
Dispatch - Elias (single track)

2. Multichannel music performance
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (album)

3. Multichannel effects separation
Star Wars 1-3 (especially ep 1, pod race scene)

4. LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
LOTR, U571, Three 6 Mafia - Late Night Tip (yes, that is a rap song...)

5. Width/depth of soundstage, detail without ear-piercing brightness, rich colorful midrange (I love my rocket 750s ), powerful but controlled reproduction of the bass region, looks/construction, and probably most importantly - price to performance ratio.

 

[tiggers]

1) Two channel music performance
Area 51, by Chesky records

2) Mulichannel music performance
night at the opera, Queen (DVDA)

3) Mulichannel effects separation
DTS of Saving Private Ryan, beach scene

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Finding Nemo: little girl taping on the glass

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Kinda cheap, but fun. Echoes of Nature: Frog Chorus, produced by Laserlight. It almost sounds 3d, and has fooled my wife more than once into believing there are live frogs in the house

 

[Svenhook]

1) Two channel music performance
Anything by the Who or the Beatles. In Hi-def format if possible
2) Mulichannel music performance
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
3) Mulichannel effects separation
Flaming Lips' Dvd-as
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Merlin the Magician (Rick Wakeman), Several Gorillaz songs
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Crisp sound is extremely apparent in the Dark Side of the Moon SACD.

 

[HiRez1394]

Favorite track/scene

Contest Question: List your favorite track/scene to evaluate a speaker/component’s on each of the following criteria:

1) Two channel music performance. Response: Anything by singer Josh Groban on CD -- he has three albums to date -- to test for the sound of male vocals.
2) Mulichannel music performance. Response: "Inside The Music - New Age" on DVD-Audio (which includes music from 3rd Force, Neal Schon, Lara and Reyes, Craig Chaquico, David Lanz, Vas, Brian Hughes, Ottmar Liebert, Cusco, Jonathan Cain, David Arkenstone, and EKO).
3) Mulichannel effects separation. Response: The THX introduction with the flying robot that goes around on screen to seemingly hover at each point in your sound stage to test each channel in your surround sound system.
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects). Response: The opening scene of the galactic battle in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment). Response: I use "Saving Private Ryan"'s famous D-Day invasion scene and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"'s opening canon battle to test for sonic immersion and impact.

 

[emorphien]

1) Two channel music performance
This is a toughie. There's a lot I'd listen to. I'd use Days Of the New - Where I Stand, Dave Brubeck - Take 5, some selection of Pink Floyd and probably some Porcupine Tree for some louder, harder material

2) Mulichannel music performance
Blue Man Group - Audio (DVD-A), Night at the Opera - Queen (DVD-A), Pink Floyd DSOTM (SACD)

3) Mulichannel effects separation
Blue Man Group - Audio (DVD-A), various action & war titles

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Intro to Star Wars III, Titan AE, not for the music, but Linkin Park - Reanimation (DVD-A) has some absurd bass. i know there are other things but I haven't thought about it in a while

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Build quality, appearance, connections. Soundstaging, detail, smoothness, controlled bass. Orchestral pieces for placing the different instrumental sections of the orchestra in the mini-stage in my head.

 

[Hans]

Contest Question: List your favorite track/scene to evaluate a speaker/component’s on each of the following criteria:

1) Two channel music performance

Gladiator soundtrack, no.3, CD (Classical music),

2) Mulichannel music performance

Pink Floyd - DSOTM (album), Nine Inch Nail - With Teeth (album)

3) Mulichannel effects separation

Star Wars 1: Pod race

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)

Saving private Ryan: Beach scene

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)

The voice of Samuel Jackson when he does the "Ezekiel 25:17" speech in Pulp Fiction. (personnal fav...)

 

[mark4mich]

1. 2 channel- Jennifer Warnes- Famous Blue Raincoat
2. Mulitchannel- DSOTM
3. Phantom Menace-pod race scene
4. Finding Nemo- Darla aquarium scene
5. Classical Music-3rd movement of Rachmaninov symphony 2 for soundstage and imaging

 

[bluecaps]

Contest Reply

1) Two channel music performance
Indian Music songs by Rehman, Dhin Dhin Tara

2) Mulichannel music performance
Blue Man Group - Audio (DVD-A), Night at the Opera - Queen (DVD-A), Pink Floyd DSOTM (SACD)

3) Mulichannel effects separation
Blue Man Group - Audio (DVD-A), various action & war titles

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Intro to Star Wars III, Titan AE, not for the music, but Linkin Park - Reanimation (DVD-A) has some absurd bass. i know there are other things but I haven't thought about it in a while

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Build quality, appearance, connections. Soundstaging, detail, smoothness, controlled bass. Orchestral pieces for placing the different instrumental sections of the orchestra in the mini-stage in my head.

 

[se-riously2]

Don't have a DVD-A or SACD player, but using my DVD player:

1) Celine Dion, A Decade Of Song, PCM, "My Heart Will Go On"
2) The Eagles, Hell Freezes Over, DTS, "Hotel California"
3) THX "Tex" trailer, EX version only (the one with the Tex dropping tools in the surround back channels) or THX "Jungle Sounds" EX demonstration (flies and animals buzzing around counter-clockwise to the listener).
4) Master and Commander, DTS, First Cannon Fight (damage to the ship and crew scrambling about the ship after the first attack volley), Toy Story 2, DTS (opening Buzz Lightyear sequence), or Finding Nemo (Darla tapping on the aquarium).
5) All speakers blending seamlessly (really gotta hand it to Audyssey), build quality, warranty, less glitz and "look at me" fascia.

 

[RudeDog]

1) Two channel music performance
I've been enjoying the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California". There is some fantastic openness and separation in that song.
2) Mulichannel music performance
Don't had a multichannel player : (
3) Mulichannel effects separation
See below
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Master and Commander. The in-ship scenes are so enveloping. Have to love those cannon blasts, too! Also Gladiator (Track 16?) when they are fighting large-scale in the arena is awesome as well.
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)

- Rude Dog

 

[j_garcia]

1) Two channel music performance

Patricia Barber Cafe Blue on SACD

2) Mulichannel music performance

Porcupine Tree In Absentia DVD-A
Roxy Music Avalon SACD

3) Mulichannel effects separation

Saving Private Ryan dts - Omaha beach scene, The Alamo scene.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)

The Haunting DTS-ES, "Coming mother" scene.
u571 - depth charges

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)

With music, I mostly listen for clarity in vocals, but I like good separation between channels, depth of the recording (sound stage depth and width), and the overall mix. A quality multichannel mix should have cues in the rear that add to the overall sound, not draw your attention away from the main music. LFE - deep and realistic.

 

[stereojunkie]

2 channel - David Gray
Multi-Channel - Nora Jones (DVD)
Multi-Channel Effects - Star Wars
LFE - Lord of the Rings

 

[Matt34]

1) Two channel music performance
Test both male and female voices: Alison Krauss, Dave Matthews Band


2) Mulichannel music performance
Porcupine Tree In Absentia, Godsmack The Other Side Acoustic SACD


3) Mulichannel effects separation
Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars I/III



4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
WOTW/ lightning scene; pods emerging, Finding Nemo/ the tap, Matrix 3



5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Bang for your buck!

 

[rushwj]

1) Two channel music performance - David Bowie - The Singles - Bowie's a fantastic artist w/ great recordings spanning a range of listening desires
2) Mulichannel music performance - do not own, so cannot evaluate
3) Mulichannel effects separation - any Matrix or Star Wars movie
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects) - Ditto from #3
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment) - ability to play at low as well as high volume w/ clarity and range. i want to feel involved in the music (by the by, the Onix XLS does this very well!)

 

[bersik]

1. Eagles - Hotel of California.

2. Pink Floyd - Money.

3. Guns N Roses - November Rain.

4. Dave Mathews Band - Crash.

5. I like to listen/hear unique sound effects uncommonly found in many pieces.