Songs to test with

Music
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I recently saw an interesting article in which the speaker maker Sonus Faber revealed 5 songs they use to test their speakers before release (below). I thought this would be an interesting topic to explore because there would be specific reasons why audio professionals would select particular songs.

When I test new gear, these are the first three songs I play:

Norah Jones, Come away with me (Redbook CD)
Andy Bey, Never let me go (Redbook CD)
Dire Straits, Latest Trick (SACD/DSD)

What are yours?

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Thank you @keiserrg for finding this article. I understand that the described approach makes sense for a developer. As a consumer my approach is different. It corresponds with how I use the system.

I’m playing what I listen to at the moment from various genres and with different recording qualities. And whole albums not individual songs. That’s what I will do after the upgrade anyway - listen to whole albums from various genres. This approach works when the difference a potential upgrade makes is large enough. That’s a useful threshold. Keeps me from buying things that are marginal improvements or sidegrades.

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Have been fine tuning the system lately and these are albums I returned to more often than others. When evaluating I prefer listening to whole albums. That’s what I’ll be doing after the upgrade anyway.

Aventine . Agnes Obel
Wanderer . Cat Power
Dark Sky Island . Enya
Live In London . Leonard Cohen
Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets . Gary Jules
At Folsom Prison . Johnny Cash
The Great Plains . Thomas Dybdahl
Chopin: The Nocturnes . Maria João Pires
Purple . Baroness
Night Eternal . Moonspell

The above albums are all good recordings except the metal ones. As Pete @PAR mentioned in another thread, it’s good to listen to mediocre or crappy recordings too for evaluation.

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Hello,

I was about to create a new topic almost identical, but found this one and decided to revive it.
This is subsequent of recent exchanges with @AndrewS about test tracks in the latest “What’s spinning”:

To my experience, discovering others’ test tracks is often a sound delight and a mind opener.

What I always look for when listening to new Hi-Fi gear is its ability to deal with

  • Spatialization
  • Layering and textures
  • Micro and Macro dynamics

Hereafter my own test tracks list of the moment (keeping it short, 5 items max):

1) Black Magic Woman, Companion, Patricia Barber
What details to carefully listen to: Musicians speaking on the right during the guitar solo at ~6mn.
My long time favorite test track.

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2) Differently, Unusual, Marian Hill
What details to carefully listen to: Micro and Macro dynamics, difference between softness of the singer and electronic impact sounds, bass depths…

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3) Secret Heart, Let It Die, Feist
What details to carefully listen to: On big systems, the soundstage becomes almost spooky, changing a light bitter-sweet song about loneliness and shyness into something more dark and worrying… with relatively quick and big impacts.

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4) Guajeo y Tumbao, Conversations with Christian, Christian McBride
What details to carefully listen to: this song is from Eddie Palmieri who just passed a few days ago.
Palmieri is a the piono, and McBride at the double-bass. The duet turns into a duel. Here them both (but more epecially McBride) grunting during their efforts. Micro and Macro dynamics are fantastic.
The track that made me revive this topic.

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5) Karaté, L’Ère du Verseau, Yelle
What details to carefully listen to: this one if just for fun! (almost)
Soundstage and dynamics are pure craziness, basses go down quite low.

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I’ll toss this one in straight off the bat.

Ai Kuwabara - Live at the Blue Note
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Ai Kuwabara, Steve Gadd, Will Lee “Live At Blue Note Tokyo (Live)” 2019, Qobuz 24/48

Recommended by @Bauer, to whom I’m eternally grateful, in What’s Spinning May 2024 and a favorite demo and test track ever since that we have played at many of the Varèse launch events. An excellent recording by Shinya Tanaka expertly mixed and mastered by Jay Messina.

First track, Somehow It’s Been a Rough Day. As the title implies this is a live recording from a jazz club where the audience has been eating. The track opens with audience applause and the clinking of cutlery and glasses. I find the texture of the applause tells me a lot about a system. Does it sound “spattery” like rain hitting concrete or actual hands clapping, living skin hitting living skin?

Then as the applause dies down and around 10" there is a split second of silence before the first low D on the piano. That “silence” is filled with ambience. Can you hear the room? The walls, the height of the ceiling? Then as the track develops and Steve Gadd (51") and Will Lee (1’27") join in can you clearly hear the difference between the bass notes on the Steinway, the kick drum and the electric bass? How is the soundstage presented? Are Ai on the left, Steve on the right and Will standing in the middle clearly delineated?

Great track that rarely fails to get the audience’s feet tapping.

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I’ll take some credit Andrew as I think I recommend that one to @Bauer :joy:

Music I love and my other favourite test tracks:

Low - Long Division - Violence. A slow burning, jangling track that tests detail and PRAT.

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Ahmad Jamal - Ahmad Jamal’s Alhambra - 16/44 is good but the DSD 256 version is better. Rhythm, timing and dynamics are a great test. This music makes me smile, always.

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Robag Wruhme - Thora Vukk - A great electronica IDM album - Great SQ and mixes - bass drops galore. Prognosen Bomm is the stand-out track for me.

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Stravinsky / Eiji One - The Firebird Suite on Reference Recordings HR-70 - Fabulous performance and huge dynamics - careful with that volume control Eugene.

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Bill Frisell - Gone, Just Like a Train - the whole album but esp… Girl Asks Boy Pt 1 - a great test for detail, delicacy and subtle bass reproduction. Jazz as chamber music.

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You did indeed, thanks @Omni

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I particularly like the Black Orfeus Medley from the same album. Wonderful upbeat track. There’s not a bad track on the whole album.

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Just adding my two cents in support of @AndrewS’s Blue Note recommendation (from @Bauer and @Omni)

I heard this track during the NYC Varèse demonstration (thank you again for the invitation!). It was so captivating that I immediately asked what it was : )

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I went deep into the “test track” rabbit hole for a while, some were very eye opening on my system synergy, I’ve now achieved the synergy. Because many of the “test songs” are the same over and over. I started perusing manufacturers play lists they use at the audio shows or publish for fun. There are many with the same old, same old, but some bring many different artists and music Ive never heard of and heard. Its turned into a fun Saturday, Sunday morning, drinking coffee side search, its also been wife approved. Some lists I’ve played more than once and exceptionally diverse. All are on Qobuz
Gershman Acoustics
Magico
T+A Elektroakustik- 200+ tracks, its a massive selection

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Same for me, the “Black Orpheus Medley” is my favorite.

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Ok.
What about picking a few you really enjoy at the moment and which aren’t part of the usual hifi gear lists ?

I’m pretty sure everyone has one/some of their own.
A short summary of the parts or preferred characteristics of what is to be heard in these tracks would be highly appreciated :wink:

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I thought I did

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I believe I was getting chastised. Even after my explanation of my “why”. I’ll
Pay no attention

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You did! I was answering Snwghst :wink:

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“Chastised” is somewhat excessive :wink:
Ok, no problem.

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For the last 25 years I mainly use: Los Gardenias (Buena Vista Social Club) and Layla (Eric Clapton Unplugged)

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My Qobuz playlist https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/18493820

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Did you listen to the Layla version of “Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions” ?
It’s an unplugged version as well, but I really do prefer it compared to the MTV version: both musically and sonically.

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I concur with your assessment.