What (music) do you use when auditioning speakers?

[highfigh]

One thing I'd like to add is that listening to too many models/brands in one day is a good way to attribute one speaker's characteristics to another. Take notes and make a list of qualities that you can use to grade them, if you want. You'll find something that really hits you, eventually.

 

[MinusTheBear]

My favorite reference c.d is Third Eye Blind (self-titled), great album.

 

[annunaki]

Lotsa good stuff mentioned here.

I also bring along some Nine Inch Nails... Trent Reznor has always been pretty into how things "sound" and I think his CDs sound pretty good. I like listening to hear how the synths sound.

His newer stuff seems to be getting better in terms of recording quality. Most recently the two disc release.

 

[EJD]

Forgive me if this is a partial hijack -

I'm also auditioning speakers and want to create one demo disc with a dozen songs instead of bringing a dozen discs. If I burn a song from a CD directly to my computer, then burn it back to a second disc - am I losing info from the file?

If so, how can such a demo disc be created so that there are no losses?

 

[annunaki]

My computer when set to rip the files in standard format, no conversion to Mp3, does not do that great of a job. There are definitely some bits missing as it clicks and such every once in awhile. I may just have a poor drive though, who knows.

 

[highfigh]

Forgive me if this is a partial hijack -

I'm also auditioning speakers and want to create one demo disc with a dozen songs instead of bringing a dozen discs. If I burn a song from a CD directly to my computer, then burn it back to a second disc - am I losing info from the file?

If so, how can such a demo disc be created so that there are no losses?

If you save it as a .wav file, it should work and that way, you shouldn't lose any fidelity. .wav is bit-for-bit, unlike MP3 and others that use compression. FLAC is another lossless format, if you have an Apple.

 

[EJD]

If you save it as a .wav file, it should work

I saved one song as Windows Media Audio lossless and it tells me that the bit rate is 906k. Is that possible? it seems awfully high.

 

[OttoMatic]

I saved one song as Windows Media Audio lossless and it tells me that the bit rate is 906k. Is that possible? it seems awfully high.

Not sure about WMA files, but I believe the data rate for native CD audio is

44,100*2*16 = 1.4112Mbps

That's 44.1kHz sampling rate (times) two channels (times) 16 bits per sample.

So the WMA file would have a lower data rate than native, and I wouldn't consider that to be too high.

 

[MidnightSensi]

FLAC is another lossless format, if you have an Apple.

FLAC can be on Windows or Linux also, with appropriate codecs.

I can't recommend this software enough:

http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/vlc_portable

You can stick it on a jump drive and it will play just about anything. Divx, avi, Flac, mp3, wav, whatever. Very light weight, no install, just throw it on a jump drive or keep it on your computer. Versions for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, BSD. It rawks.

(Lots of other good portable stuff on there too)

 

[ErinH]

Any Peter Gabriel album.

Chesky Ultimate Demo disc because I know it well, and I'm aware of how things 'should' sound

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Different setup discs. I have one that has different instruments, in their bare form. Good for checking tonality.

I also recently obtained a disc someone made for experiment; tracks in both 320kbps and CD format. I plan to use it for demo purposes from now on. Figure if you can hear a difference, that's a bit plus. Not sure I'll put all my eggs in that basket, though.

 

[gixxerific]

Thanks for all the replies I will find something. I have tons of stuff on my pc im mp3 format for my mp3 palyer. Trouble is I just had a 200 disc case stolen out of my truck with ALL kinds of music.

 

[Gatsby191]

Telarc Discs are all of great quality. That being said, You may want to get Telarc's "Time Warp". It's full of alot of familar tracks from a few different movies, and TV(not alot of the new one's though), and it also covers some pieces from the classical genre.
The Cincinati Pops are the orchestra that did all of the tracks on that disc. And, though you are not into that type of music(Not me either, all that much), this is the disc that was used as a demo in one of the sound rooms I visited when I was in the market for my first set of higher end type speakers.
I grabbed my own copy as soon as I left that place, and to this day I play it as a wow factor disc for people so they can hear my system go through all the different aspects of music that that disc has on it.(The 2001 space odessey track, and the original Star Trek theme track, are something that shouldn't be misssed. IMHO)
I know it's an older disc, but you will forget about that, once you listen to it while auditioning some speakers.(again IMHO)
Also, FWIW, "Master Blaster" by Stevie Wonder, and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, might be 2 songs you would like to include if possible.
Good Luck!! Joe B.

 

[ErinH]

Also, FWIW, "Master Blaster" by Stevie Wonder, and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, might be 2 songs you would like to include if possible.

2 songs on my 'reference' disc.

Here’s my list:
Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer, Shock the Monkey
Dire Straits – Money for Nothing (awesome dynamics)
Stevie Wonder – Superstition
Madonna – Live to Tell
Rage Against the Machine – Darkness of Greed (aka: Darkness)
Steve Winwood – Higher Love
Rebecca Pidgeon – Spanish Harlem (I just know this song well)
Alan Parsons Project – (don’t know the name… any of them really)
10,000 Maniacs – Because the Night (Live)
Michael Jackson – Leave Me Alone, Speed Demon, PYT, Black or White (door knock on 'B or W' will knock your socks off!)

I have a few different discs, but these are always my ‘go to’ songs.

 

[bandphan]

I have to say anything in the chesky collection is wònderfúl.


Note harp in effect

 

[jsholland70]

Whatever you use make sure that it has a number of different instruments or a combination of vocals and instruments. That allows you to see how the timbre of the speaker affects everything when playing together. If there are any resonance issues in the loudspeaker it will be easier to hear this way. It just takes a little practice.