Music for testing Audio Equipment

[sphinxsix]

When I think about buying gear for myself after listening to some well recorded albums I play one of the worst sounding CDs from my collection (it's usally Tomasz Stanko 'COCX') - if I am able to listen to this one - no problem with the so so recorded ones and that means probably 80% of the collection

[sphinxsix]

No that is not one of his best sounding albums, for sure.

things got better later with ECM: [video=youtube;7QNbQISj-AU]

Yep, they did. But did covers get better.? This woman's back photo is really good. The LP cover wasn't that good either. As for the sound of COCX - the album was recorded using a very early generation of digital gear by some guys who obviously had no idea what to do with it.. Manfred Eicher and ECM recordings that's a very different story..

[sphinxsix]

Yes it did. As far as rock music is concerned one of the worst recordings I know is Dead Kennedys' 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'..

[sphinxsix]

There's a point. ECM covers a quiet boring indeed.

Well, as a photographer I'd say their cover photography has an ECM style signature which BTW corresponds quite well IMO with their musical taste and signature sound.

The COCX CD cover always reminded me of Toulouse Lautrec's painting I also like very much:

[sphinxsix]

And BTW the COCX LP (I have it too) cover wasn't bad either

[sphinxsix]

Sounds fantastic - the recording room acoustcs, the timbral truthfulness, the bass bottom end extension, the overall smoothness (!) of the sound make up IMO for a great quality recording even for high Telarc standards.

In fact I think every Telarc recording is of very high quality.

[sphinxsix]

Great stuff!

Thanks!

U R welcome, sir. Yet this guy

 

has created even better masterpieces IMO.. Respect!

[sphinxsix]

Yes; Crescent is my no1 Trane album. What is yours?

 

I'd say 'Crescent'..

I'm pretty sure you know Kenny Garrett 'Pursuance'. Some good alto sax playing. The other musicians from the band aren't bed either.

How about Miles.?

[sphinxsix]

I love that album. Pat Metheny is in top form here. I only wish the sound was less dry.

 

Miles....every album is a must have, with a few exceptions from the '70 and '80.

Oh yeah, this is Garrett's coltrenesque.. But how many saxophonists weren't influenced by Trane.?

 

Pat Metheny Group is quite boring for me but as a sideman he can be fantastic. I'm sure you know this album:

 

 

 

But maybe you don't know Solveig Slettahjell, Knut Reiersrud & In The Country - 'Trail of Soul'. Worth checking out in my opinion!

 

 

 

I generally like Miles from every period too, also from 70s. I agree - in the 80s he recorded some lower quality music.

[sphinxsix]

If I may join in.. Pat Metheny is in great form as sideman on the Roy Haynes album ''Te Vou''

Very well recorded too I may add;

I don't know this one. Will check it out, thx!

[sphinxsix]

This brand new release has got what I am talking about in spades,

excellent placement with every instrument clearly positioned on the soundstage, marvelous SQ, natural but also very engaging,

and music of beauty but with a few fresh twists and turns.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29678[/ATTACH] Sound Liaison Music Shop

 

It is on special offer too!

The samples sound very interesting!

[sphinxsix]

Same band but without Joshua, this might Pat`s best small group recording, and it is an ecm album, so SQ is fine,

A very good album!

[sphinxsix]

Hi everyone !

 

Angus Stone "Heart Full of Wine"

Raz Dwa Trzy "Koncert 20-lecia zespolu"

Jaromir Nohavica "Tak me tu mas"

 

It's my first post on this forum, although I watched some interesting posts since one year of course Regards,

Hi! I bet not many people here know Raz Dwa Trzy.. I do Got their first album. Does 'Koncert..' really sound so good? If so I will consider buying it!

[sphinxsix]

Indeed, and those are just the "ordinary" Typhoeus's Enter the Typhoeus Momentum..

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]30635[/ATTACH]

Nice bookshelf speakers but the stands do not look very solid.. I'd invest some money into some good stands

[sphinxsix]

what would be a good CD to test bass on speakers with? specifically, so-called "bass slam"?

Try some Marcus Miller. Any album. For classical - Telarc for their famous bass drum.

[sphinxsix]

I'd like to suggest a perverse way to test audio gear (I really do it from time to time as an additional test). But IMO a test like this can say a lot about audio system too. It will just answer a different question than the ones usually asked by audiophiles - how does a system reproduce really bad recordings?

Tomasz Stanko's COCX was recorded in Poland using the first generation digital studio equipment be a recording enineer/producer who I think didn't know very well what he was doing. The sound is so shrill and dry with a very thin bass that if you are able to listen to this recording without pain (or bleeding ears) that means that your system will be able to reproduce practically anything in an acceptable way.

As for similiar sounding rock recording I'd suggest the first Dead Kennedys album. Musically IMO probably their best one, as for SQ..hmmm...

 

 

 

 

 

[sphinxsix]

2 hours ago, PAP said:

I have the album (Stanko)and it does indeed not sound good on my Sennheiser HD800 but well recorded music does sound spectacular on them, so i am not sure that I agree with your point.

I can eq the album a bit and make the sound acceptable but that is not your point I guess?

My point is that if your system doesn't add shrillness, doesn't sound dry or thin, recording like that can be acceptable. If it does - it's whole other story and the album can be simply unlistenable. If recording that is that bad sounds acceptable that means that probably all other albums from your collection that are recorded let's say below par (so so) will simply sound ok.

For me a test like that makes sense (I used to be a dealer) because many music collections consist in 90% of music that has been recorded 'so so'. Thus some may like to have a guarantee that listening to 90% of their music won't be pain in the ...lower back Does it make sense?

 

I can imagine Stanko COCX doesn't sound good on HD800 which are very good headphones and of course it's possible to EQ it to make it sound better. Actually I think it could sound better on more 'forgiving', softer sounding headhones, the ones with warmer tonal balance. Headphones like that wouldn't however be able to shine like your Sennheisers with well recorded or audiophile stuff - they wouldn't have HD800's detail, openness, air etc.

 

As for this thread's subject - a very good sounding album for testing gear but also to impress a listener:

(check out tracks 3 and 2)

 

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, PAP said:

Your argumentation has convinced me, that I think that will be my next investment. 

I am very sorry for that!

Keep the Sennheisers though (great cans IMO)! And you will have more versatility! (I still recall demoing Orpheus , I have sympathy for the brand).

 

1 hour ago, PAP said:

this brand new DXD purchase I am listening to now

Yeah, I know this one! Sounds great!

 

1 hour ago, PAP said:

Dead Can Dance is not really my type of music

Mine either... But 'Anastasis' sound can really impress..

 

 

 

[sphinxsix]

4 hours ago, blue2 said:

Any thoughts on these - the samples sound interesting?

1. Spiritchaser (Remastered) £60 on SACD or £9.59 on Qobuz
2. Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun (Remastered) RBCD £9.59 on Qobuz

I'm not a big fan as I said before but I think you can also check out:

The Serpent's Egg   Aion   Into the Labyrinth All from DCD classic period. Anastasis is great for SQ - it's their late (2012) album.

[sphinxsix]

22 hours ago, blue2 said:

Very good question! I'm no expert but according to this article all their albums recorded in the 80's were converted from tape to RBCD and the SACD's were resampled from this!

Didn't find the article, what page of HFN is that.? As for DCD 80's albums I've got SACDs. Do you think MoFi would do something like that.?

Anastasis was issued 24-44. DR isn't great but nonetheless it sounds very good.

[sphinxsix]

14 hours ago, Johnseye said:

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand The Weather.  Track - Tin Pan Alley

 

14 hours ago, Johnseye said:

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue.

+1 I use them for testing too.

[sphinxsix]

A piece of advice from Gil Scott-Heron not on WHAT but HOW to listen. Taken from his 'I'm New Here' album. I agree with him in 100%. IMO the way you listen to a new album in particular for the first time really matters.