What musical paces do you put a speaker through to evaluate it?

[caesar]

What music do you guys play on a speaker to evaluate it? Personally, I stay away from "audiophile favorites" like Diana Kralls and Norah Jones' and Eagles' Hell Freezes over. Having heard those songs hundreds of times, they make me want to puke. Instead I listen to music I enjoy, most of which is just an ok recording, but a superb musical performance. I ignore the audiophile vocabulary. I don't care if the fat lady is off by 2 feet this way or that way when she is singing, as I wasn't present at the recording. If the speaker is at a certain price point, it will likely execute on the hi-fi stuff well enough. So I ignore the parts and focus on the whole. My standard of value is if the system puts me in a state of flow where I forget about everything else and connect to the music, the composers, and the musicians.

Are you guys more systematic - all musical genres, different recording periods, good bad recordings, etc.? What are your patterns and routines? What are your standards of value?

 

[treitz3]

Hello, Caesar. I usually bring about 5 discs [or vinyl, if I can play it during the audition] that have certain aspects that I'm looking to recreate faithfully. One has a Tympani that IMO is a very difficult thing for a speaker to reproduce accurately, another has powerful yet defined and highly textured bass riff(s) and lower register notes that will tend to let me know what the speakers are capable of handling. Another one has subtle details and microdynamics that if I can't pick up on, I keep looking. One to test the dynamics and another one to let me know how well the speakers handle a busy passage and during that busy passage, if it's able to keep the imaging/sound staging and not collapse it or distort it. If the speaker does well and passes on all of those, then I move on to some regular recordings that one would tend to listen too everyday. Of the 5 aforementioned playlists I typically use, there is other information and cues that [along with the regular stuff] will allow me to know whether or not they will tend to be bright, loose, sloppy, accurate, faithful, pleasing, musical......and I could go on and on about all of the other criteria I may be looking for but I think you get the picture.

I will listen to all of these at varying ranges of volume to determine whether or not the speaker does just as well at high volume [when called for] as well as lower volume. If someone knows me well, they will know that if I audition a set of speakers for a great length of time that it has sparked a bit of interest. If I only play a couple of songs while auditioning? I'm thinking inside my head that I'd rather go outside and enjoy the beautiful day and move on with life.

Tom

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I want to hear a variety of recordings that I'm very familiar with. I want recordings that are bright and some that are dark; I want big "sound stage" and intimate studio recordings. I want to hear the differences come through. If they sound too much alike, I know I'm hearing too much speaker (or room) signature and I'm not getting a clear enough view into the recording itself. That's my thing. YMMV. By the way, Dianna Krall isn't audiophile crap, she just makes good quality recordings. If you want to hear her at her best, though, avoid the discs full of over-produced standards. Try "Girl In The Other Room" and "Live In Paris." The latter is a great live recording and a stellar performance. The former is a good studio recording of some really good material arranged and produced well, instead of like the cover painting of a Gothic romantic novel.

Tim

 

[JackD201]

Aw why waste energy......what Tim said to a "t", the stuff about Krall too.

 

[flez007]

I usually bring a couple of ECM CDs (Jarret, Katche or the like) - some voices (Kaas, Merchant) and something dynamic (Tool, Radiohead or Jonaz) that helps me to hear 75% plus of the music I hear the most.

 

[Robh3606]

I tend to bring what I am spinning at the time. So I would bring some Lady Gaga, Concrete Blond, Paul McCartney Ram, new Yes album, Don Henley, new Asia and new Rush. Good mix and select certain tracks for LF, highs, vocal harmonies and acoustic guitars.

Rob

 

[microstrip]

OK, I will list only 5 recordings. All CDs, I never risk my LPs in shop evaluations ...

Shostakovitch 5th Symphony Decca Haitink - the finale. I want to feel the power of the full orchestra in a great music wall.
Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine - Sigiswald Kuijken and La Petite Bande. You must feel the real size of the performance and the emotion and beauty of the voices. The end must have drama.
Something by Jordas Savalli - last time was the lovely Istanbul. The instruments must be rich.
I have been present at life performances of these three recordings, they must be able to make me remember.

West Side Story: Jose Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Tatiana Troyanos, Kurt Ollman and Leonard Bernstein. For rhythm it is not easy to find a better recording. Otherwise it becomes syrupy.
Brahms Sextet no 2 Amadeus Quartet. The way the players communicate between them when playing.

 

[jazdoc]

If I'm auditioning on an unfamiliar system, I use CD's:

Ray Brown, et al, Superbass, "Bye, Bye Blackbird" (Telarc, 1977)
John Clayton on the left, Ray Brown in center, Christian McBride on the right; all with different bass styles. Great live recording, well recorded

Bebo Valdes and Cigala, Lagrimas Negras, "Lagrimas Negras" (RCA, 2004)
Great for piano, male vocals and bass texture.

Marcy Playground, Leaving Wonderland...In A Fit Of Rage (O2 Records, 2009), "Devil Woman" and "Gin and Money"
Well recorded rock CD. Especially good for guitar.

Tribalistas, Tribalistas, "Carnavalia" (Phonomotor, 2000)
A contender for the greatest MPB album of all time. Great for soundstaging and system 'drive'. Can the speakers resolve the three unique voices? A personal desert island disc.

Arturo O'Farrill, Live In Brooklyn, "Vieques" and "Footprints" (Zoho, 2005)
Outstanding live recording of terrific piano trio. Very intimate sound. Dafnis Prieto's drum set is especially well recorded.

Maria Rita, Samba Meu, Any track! (WEA International, 2007)
Excellent recording of female vocals. Her backing band is terrific. Bonus -- I like looking at the insert photos

The Bad Plus, These Are The Vistas, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Sony, 2003)
Is the trio playing together or do they sound like they are wanking around on their own? A great test of speaker/system dynamics.

If I'm auditioning on my home system, I use vinyl:

Duke Ellington & Ray Brown, This One's For Blanton, "Don't Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" (Pablo, 1972)
Solo piano and gorgeous bass.

Calexico, Carried To Dust, "Slowness" & "Bend To The Road" (Quarterstick, 2008)
Very atmospheric and a good test for instrumental/vocal layering.

Count Basie, Farmer's Market Barbecue, "Way Out Basie" (Analogue Productions 45 rpm/Pablo 1982)
Great for brass and brushes.

Robbie Robertson, Robbie Robertson, "Somewhere Down The Crazy River" (Geffen, 1987)
Sound staging width and depth.

Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster, Mulligan Meets Webster, "Chelsea Bridge" and "Cat Walk", (ORG 45 rpm/Verve 1959)
Baritone and tenor saxophone tone. "Chelsea Bridge" should give you goosebumps.

Opeth, Damnation, "Windowpane", (Koch Records, 2003)
Excellent test for drums, especially cymbals. Great acoustic guitar and bass. Another great test for dynamics.

Great Jazz Trio, Direct From LA, "Night In Tunisia", (East WInd/Nautlis, 1978)
Tony Williams' drum set should be in the room! Great test of dynamics.

Cat Power, The Greatest, side one, especially "The Greatest" (Matador)
Great for female vocals. Well recorded backing band. Should be able to visualize (fantasize?) about Chan...sigh

Sarah Vaughan, After Hours, "My Favorite Things" (Roulette, 1955)
My ultimate test for female vocals.

 

[Gregadd]

I think it depends on the music you pefer. The first thing is listener fatigue. If you are going to live long term with a speaker you will become painfully aware of its "sins of commission." Rock and Roll and Classical music need to be played loud. A speakers faults are magnified at high SPL. Will it play at loud volumes without breaking up or making your ears bleed.
If you like Jazz or Chamber music, does it resolve well at low level. Whatever you sytem you choose stereo or multichannel, does it image well within that medium. Do the images bunch up around the speaker? Does it promote a three dimensiaonal image and a sense of space. Is it full range and have a good tonal baalnce. Will it work in a room your size?