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New member Username: Nad_newbiePost Number: 7 Registered: Apr-04 | I would like some ideas for reference CDs and DVDs. I am auditioning speakers and want to put them to the test. Could you all offer some suggestions please. |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 569 Registered: Dec-03 | it can be anything that you like. If you listen to a particular music or group constqntly, you will be able to pick up the different way it sounds on different speakers. Don't listen to anything you are not familiar with, as you will not know what to look for. For example, I listen to Bach's Concerto in A minor for violins, strings and basso, and i am used to the way they sound on the equipment I use. So this is what I use when I audition speakers and I listen to the way the strings and violins are reproduced and any changes in the way the different instruments are played through diffrent speakers. Then there's Pink Floyd DSOTM, the whispers and the transitions, all that come into play when auditioning speakers. So all in all, you should bring the music that you like. Would you know what to look for if I tell you to bring a Josh Groban CD to really test out the vocal clarity in a set of speakers? If you haven't even heard of this guy, you would not know if he sounded really good or not. If you like AC/DC, Norah Jones, 50 cent, Al Jarreau, etc., bring it and put it to the test, if you listen to them a lot, you may hear different things that you thought wasn't even part of the recording. That's how you judge your speakers and eventually how you end up liking them. Don't bring the high definition stuff just yet, unless of course, you are already used to listening to them and how they sound. They will only artificially flavor a lot of speakers because the sound quality will already have been altered. cheers |
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New member Username: Nad_newbiePost Number: 8 Registered: Apr-04 | Berny, I really appreciate your response (I have posted a couple of times in the last couple of weeks and got no replies). I couldn't agree with you more about bringing along music you are familiar with. I listen to classic rock and hard rock mostly, but also enjoy Jazz and some Classical. The fact of the matter is that I do not listen to classical music that much, mostly because I have been listening to them through crap. Since you are familiar with the classics, you should understand that if you hear listening to classical through speakers with poor reproduction it is just irritating and sometimes painful. What I am looking for, and I will be trying out the Bach Concerto in A minor, are some suggestions for CD recordings that are well above par. I want to expect to hear dynamic sound, even though I may not yet be familiar with the CD itself. For imaging, for example, I have heard in the past that some CDs illustrate excellent imaging. My CDs just don't seem to have it. My second thought is that if I am auditioning speakers at a store where I can switch between speakers, I will be able to hear the differences in dynamics, imaging, etc., even if I am unfamiliar with the mucic. Anyway, thank you again for your post, I really appreciate it. I would really like to hear some more suggestions though for CDs. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 1112 Registered: Dec-03 | NAD newbie, I agree with Berny, and even would go a bit further, and say "a disc you already know well". Or think you do! There is also a thread, now closed What's the best dvd to test out my new system?. There is another under "CD players" just on CDs, I think. |
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Unregistered guest | NAD Newbie.....bring music your familiar with. Acoustic music is best, as you have a much better idea what an acoustic guitar should sound like vs an electric one that could have any number of un-specified effects added. Also, bring some really NASTY sounding recordings. If the speaker is really top notch, adding no phase/time smears or x-over problems, even those old, nasty recordings will be tolerable. Let us know what you liked. |