Enter to Win: $100 off AV123 Order

[STRONGBADF1]

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)

1) Joe Satriani's song "Is There Love in Space" and Blues Traveler's "Regarding Steven" on Live From The Fall
2) Eric Clapton's "Bell Bottom blues" from One More Car, One More Rider DVD-V
3) Opening battle in Master and Commander & "100 Mile Dash" from The Incredibles
4) U-571 depth charges
5) I know it's good when I stop evaluating and am just enjoying...when the experience is envolving...you know when the music pulls you in...That's what it's all about. That's the #1 criteria!!!

Good luck all,
SBF1

 

[jsanfilippo5]

1) Two channel music performance:
Artist-Phish - ALbum-Junta - Tack- Fluffhead

2) Mulichannel music performance:
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - SACD

3) Mulichannel effects separation -
Peral Harbor - The bombing scene

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects):
APOLLO 13 - the Take off scene

 

[Anagoge]

1) Two channel music performance

I like to listed to any of the CDs by Four Play, such as the first track from Elixr. They are not perfect, but I know them very well.

2) Mulichannel music performance

The opera scene from The Fifth Element.

3) Mulichannel effects separation

I haven't found anything great here, but I've tried the Blu-Ray disc of Black Hawk Down once, and it works OK for this with all of the vehicles, planes, bullets, explosions, etc.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)

I have a very old bass test CD called "Techmaster PEB". It can bottom out nearly any normal-quality sub.

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

I mainly look for natural sounds in voices I know, a good balance between high/mid/low when the eq is neutral, etc. If I can get my hands on a frequency analysis graph, that also helps.

 

[zildjian]

1) Two channel music performance
Norah Jones Come away with me; Pink Floyd DSOTM, Metallica Garage Inc, Reissue Disc 1; Diana Krall Girl in the other room
2) Mulichannel music performance
James Taylor Live @ The Beacon Theater
3) Mulichannel effects separation
Blue Man Group Audio , a real center channel workout.
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Techmaster PEB, Bass Computer. I can't believe someone else mentioned Techmaster PEB! Wow, that's not a disc everybody has (or has even heard of), but it has the lowest bass I've found and I've been using it for over 10 years so I know the recordings really well, even though the music is very very very cheezy... but damn it's deep! Also, the movies U571 & Saving pvt ryan.
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment).
What I love most to find in recordings for playback in my system, is the best reproduction of vocals I can possibly find (acoustic guitar too). I usually play my system louder than most people do, I want it to sound like it's being performed in front of me, so that's how loud I play most things, from jazz, rock, metal & bluegrass. I love quality recordings.

 

[Joel47]

1) Two-channel music: A Nathan Milstein recording of JS Bach's Partita for Violin #2, particularly the Sarabanda. I play the violin, I know *exactly* how that should sound, and I don't care to own speakers that can't reproduce it. Also, the Indigo Girls' "Closer to Fine" to check for harshness in women's voices.

2) Multichannel: Cream at Albert Hall (DVD)

3) Multichannel effects: Opening space combat in Star Wars III, and the asteroid field sequence from Titan A.E.

4) LFE: The asteroid field sequence from Titan A.E. and the U-571 depth charge sequence.

5) As I mentioned in #1, any speaker I buy (sub excepted, obviously) needs to reproduce violins very well.

 

[kleinwl]

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)

To be blunt... I do not have a speaker system to evaluate. Nor do I know much in the way of music to lisen criticial using one or two tracks. I do use allot of heavy bass to (ie. Mudveyn) lisen for speaker distortion and other issues. I look for reviews and response graphs to make a "scientific" evaluation of the speakers I hope to one day purchase.

 

[Mike JL]

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)

1. 'Thank You' from Led Zep II
2. Any Mannheim Steamroller DVD
3. Not sure
4. Has to be 'Finding Nemo', the tank-tapping scene.
5. The ears have it.

 

[Molinjir]

1) Two channel music performance
My favorite track to use "Nice Work If you Can Get It" with a Bill-Charlap led sextet on the album "Plays George Gershwin" It's a surprisingly 'Busy' track, and there is quite a bit to handle across the sonic range. Also, the first two bars of the trumpet solo can sound exceedingly harsh, so I'm careful to observe that spot.
2) Multichannel music performance
I unfortunately don't own any, so N/A
3) Multichannel effects separation
It seems perhaps a little simplistic, but my favorite movie for this is still The Matrix, especially in the security sequence.
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
I have a Berlin Philharmonic CD of Bethooven's 5th, and, as I'm not a basshead, I use the double bass-tympani as my criterien.
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)

I do my best to think for aural 'cues' that I can use to compare speakers, because I find it the best way to compare and contrast two different systems effectively, ie, did that high C from Freddie Hubbard sound harsh or clean? etc.

 

[auujay]

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)

1) Usually something I know pretty well like Capriccio Espagnol, Scheherazade, or the New World Symphony for classical. Then a variety of rock and house, whatever tracks I like at the moment.
2) I don't have any real multichannel music
3) Saving Private Ryan (Omaha Beach) and House of Flying Daggers (Memory Game)
4) Master and Commander also some good organ music
5) I don't like too harsh of a high end. In general a speaker I buy must handles full orchestral music well, if it can play that well the other music I throw at it will also sound good.

 

[nhpm510]

C'mon give a guy a break!!!

1) Usually something I know pretty well like George Benson or Calle 54 DVD.
2) Miles Davis Kind of Blue
3) House of Flying Daggers and Master and Commander battle screen
4) U-571 or Finding Nemo
5) The Lispy S!

 

[djsHTnut]

1) Two channel music performance
John Mayer, Norah Jones, Madonna

2) Mulichannel music performance
John Mayer, (My only SACD right now.)

3) Mulichannel effects separation
The Incredibles scene running through the woods in their red costumes.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
I-Robot

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Clarity, power, and no distortion. I like to turn things up loud but retain quality.

 

[DMD123]

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

1) Two channel music performance
Diana Krall, Livingston Taylor, The Who
2) Mulichannel music performance
Pink Floyd-DSOTM SACD
3) Mulichannel effects separation
Master and Commander DTS - DVD
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
War of the Worlds - DVD
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
Brightness, smoothness of midrange, female and male voices sounding right, bass that does not sound bloated.

 

[WooHoo]

1) Steely Dan - FM.

2) Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon.

3) Any Lord of the Rings

4) War of the Worlds DTS 5.1

5) Gotta have a good soundstage.

 

[pbc]

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

1) Two channel music performance
Oddly enough I really like the female vocals of Norah Jones and "Come away with me" album

2) Mulichannel music performance
Eagles - Hotel California

3) Mulichannel effects separation
Star Wars - ATOC

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
LOTR series and WOTW

5) Other (list any/all criteria you consider when evaluating equipment
Overall imaging/soundstage. Also, they have to look great due to WAF!!

PBC

 

[kono144]

1) Two channel music performance - nothing in particular, I usually will put in several CD's from different genres. Jazz, Blues, Rock, Hiphop, R&B.
2) Multichannel music performance - I do not own any multichannel music
3) Multichannel effects separation - Black Hawk Down - Irene
4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects) - Black Hawk Down - Irene
5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment) #1 think I listen for is the noise floor. Does the equipment add any hums or hisses.

 

[VicAjax]

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

1) Two channel music performance
the one track i always come back to is "Sagg Shootin' His Arrow," off of Jimmy Smith's live album, Root Down. if a pair of speakers can get me out of my seat while playing this tune, then they go on the list.

2) Multichannel music performance
N/A - i'm all about 2-channel, baby.

3) Mulichannel effects separation
see #2.

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
see #2.

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
i'll put on "Metronomic Underground" by Stereolab to test bass extension and tightness.

 

[Guiria]

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)

1. The following CD's Royal Crown Revue: Mugzy's Move. Soundtrack to Jurassic Park. Josh Groban: Closer
2. I'm not a player in the DVD-A, SACD arena.
3. First few minutes of Toy Story 2, The first raid of the Black Pearl in Pirates of the Caribbean.
4. Jurassic park - T-rex stomping around the Ford Explorers, Finding Nemo, Darla tapping on the fishtank glass.
5. Does it sound harsh? Is the bass 'one note' style? Is the treble too much? It seems I use criteria of what I have experienced in the past that I don't like. Atleast I know what I won't get stuck with

 

[Electro]

1. Bela Fleck Outbound. Tr.6 Earthjam

2. Vivaldi The Four Seasons Anne Sophie Mutter DVD-A

3. Blue Man Group The Complex DVD-A

4. The Matrix Reloaded

5. Tonal accuracy, spacial imaging, dynamics, and the ability to take me out of my living room for a few minutes, into the music.

 

[charlottekid]

1) Donald Fagan / Nightfly.

2) Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon.

3) War of the Worlds

4) Lord of the Rings - any of them!

5) Soundstage, tonal accuracy, depth of bass.

 

[Ryan8886]

1) Two channel music performance
George Winston- December

2) Multichannel music performance
Peter Gabriel- Growing Up Tour ("Sky Blue" is just unbelievable!)

3) Mulichannel effects separation
Star Wars- Phantom Menace (pod racer scene)
Gone In 60 Seconds- The big chase with Eleanor

4) LFE (Low Frequency Effects)
Same

5) Other (list any/all auditory criteria (things you listen for) you consider when evaluating equipment)
The ability to get lost in the sound. Seamless blending of the various sounds. I'll sometimes put in some old New Order or Erasure or some current Electronica to see how well all the different layers of music mix together. Not too bright. Tight, clear bass.