★ *QOTD: Share YOUR favorite tracks & WHAT YOU LISTEN FOR! Bonus for thinking outside the audiophile box* ★ *CLICK ⌄ “SHOW MORE” in the description for answers to many of your questions* ★ *RULES: Please be respectful. NO OUTSIDE LINKS, URLs, email addresses, etc.*
Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony The Stable Song. It brings in traditional Americana instruments an amazing male voice and a whole symphony.
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik Album has INCREDIBLE 3D Sound Staging with the right setup. I recommend experimenting with it and speaker placement.
TB Sheets by Van Morrison, specifically for the Harmonica at the beginning. It should sound full, but not shrill, and with a touch of echo/recording room ambiance. Take a Chance by Abba. Is "take a chance" still audible when the main body of the song is playing? Looking for resolution. 30's n lows by Bass Patrol. Specifically for the transition between mid and low bass, also to generate port noise (if applicable).
Hella Good is mixed by one of the most talented and awarded mixed engineers in the music industry - Mark 'Spike' Stent. So to anyone dismissing it because of 'taste' is missing the credibly of the sheer audio talent involved in creating this recording. It's an extraordinary mix that was labored over.
As someone getting into the hobby, I really appreciate this sort of video from time to time. For years I knew what speakers I liked the sound of (sounded good to me) but would never be able to tell you why... These sorts of explanations are great for putting words into what I'm hearing and looking for. Thank you so much.
So glad you found the video helpful. Did you catch our first demo track video? It's old. You can find it here: ruclips.net/video/1JBiBEQW-Go/видео.html
@@andrewrobinsonreviews yeah I already have a "hella good" playlist with all those songs. Edit* that video actually helped me explain to my wife why I wanted new speakers.
Another great example of how personal taste in music is completely separated from enjoyable sound production. It should not matter if you’re into old 78’s from a century ago, AM talk radio, or the latest and greatest DSD recordings. We like what we like and we shouldn’t have to make excuses for it. So, tell the world you like Miley Cyrus while offering a hearty and proud middle finger along with it. Even music I personally don’t care for has an audience and deserves to sound good. Too much music snobbery BS in this “hobby” of ours.
Heck, I still love songs by ABBA and the Bee-Gees and I make no apologies since they are part of my nostalgic memories of growing up in the 1970's and 1980's. :)
It’s always Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours for me. It’s an album I go to first every time I upgrade mainly because I know it so well and it’s been my go-to album for testing equipment since I was kid. There’s an openness to music and of course Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar work. Plus it’s Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. 🙂
My current favorites for testing: Opeth - Credence Woods of Ypres - Traveling Alone Gunship - Dark All Day Carpenter Brut - Turbo Killer Lazerhawk - Chaos Shinjuku Thief - Wolfzahn James Newton Howard - 57th Street Hans Zimmer - Mountains And then we go a bit heavier... Sweven - Solemn Retreat Death - 1000 Eyes Inculter - Open The Tombs Marduk - The Blond Beast Satyricon - Walk the Path of Sorrow Artificial Brain - Absorbing Black Ignition Lychgate - Progeny of the Singularity
Haha ,,,, awesome ... my tastes lie close to this list ... what speakers have you found that can deal with some of these complex / muddy productions in Death Metal and the like?
@@Wormtongues, Lazerhawk - Overdrive! The high-pitched synth line that begins at the middle of the track can be harsh sounding on a bright speaker. It should make you want for more and turn the volume up, not down. I wonder if 8000F might be just a tad too bright, given how everyone describes this speaker. But I have never heard anything from Klipsch myself.
@@VioletGiraffe Compared to my old KEF IQ7's they're not bright at all. I have tweaked treble a tiny bit down and bass a bit up... on my Denon Pma-1600ne and the sound is not whst I would consider bright. I've only turned bass up because the room they're in is not very big... and tvey sounded very boomie. But a sock in each rear port, and that bass adjustment on my amp are perfect for my taste.
So fun just watching you articulating your years of listening experience and interpretation of sound. Absolutely addictive. I don’t own any speakers other than Bluetooth speaker and I am about to buy the 8000f to start my audio journey because of you.
Thank you for the excellent video! This is super helpful as I'm trying to learn! I'm new to this. I got my first decent speakers like 6 months ago, so I'm still kinda blown away that sounds can sound distinct, and that different recordings sound different etc. So here are some tracks that maybe are less test tracks for me, and more things that have cemented a concept, or some aspect has really struck me. Marmol by Murcof - This is the instant I understood what center image meant. There is a repeated clicking sound the is so pinpoint, dead center, about a foot above my tweeters. There is so little going on in the song that this was really apparent to me. Zenit by Onuka - Just an all out assault. I understood what a "wall of sound" was. I was blown away that all the sounds can be distinct, and at least some spatial cues are still conveyed through a big f*in mood of a song. Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club - I dunno, timbre? One of the best recorded things I've heard. I was amazed that at some points I can vividly hear that the guitar strings are made of metal. At one point a horn comes in, and it's not just air, you can hear that it's air going through and resonating a metal horn. Maybe that's "shimmer and decay" or something about the trailing edge of sounds. Violence by Andy Stott - Never heard bass like this anywhere else. There is this grit to it. Speakers struggle with it. I've only heard it sound good on headphones. Even then I'm completely convinced I've never heard this song played accurately. On the crappy sub in my car, this song can make the hair on my head vibrate. Chaotian by Wadhom - Beautiful recording. I personally have never heard a violin sound like this. This song truly made me question whether I had ever heard a violin. Great album actually. I don't know enough to put it into words, but I've layed in bed with the lights off and my eyes closed just so I could really really hear the album. That was far more rambly than I intended. My bad. I'm just excited. Thank you so so much for helping me learn and not being a jerk about it.
Love this. Not just the recco but more so the instruction on what specifically to listen for. Thanks for the continued content. You guys are the best, keep it up.
My Bass & Soundstage Playlist: * Incubus “Loneliest” * Nine Inch Nails “Please” * Muse “Hysteria” * Hans Zimmer “Time” * 30 Seconds to Mars (duet with Halsey) “Love is Madness” * Massive Attack “Atlas Air” * Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime” * Bjork “Hyperballad” * Radiohead “Burn the Witch” * Chic “Good Times” Great video! I DLed a few tracks you recommended.
This might be my favorite video you've done. I love how Andrew comes at it from the perspective of "X=1 means this about your setup, but if X=2, it means this" and then Kristi comes at it from the same perspective that I do: "If your speaker does X=1, just burn it" 😂
While I like Hella Good, I probably haven't heard it in 5 years, and I never thought of it as a system test song. Boy, am I glad you put it on this list. It is dynamic, has a great moving soundstage, and full range sound. I am finally retiring my 20+ year old Bose acoustimass and getting a shiny new pair of RP-8000Fs. I can't wait to hear this track on them. Thanks again for all the wonderful work the two of you do.
Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" The snap of the drum and Clear bright sound of the horns Steely Dan "Jack of speed" an overall clean smooth sounding track Muddy Waters "My home is in the Delta" See if you can hear his fingers stroke the guitar almost one at a time, the vocals should sound as if he is in the room with you.
Andrew, this and the previous video are two of the best videos you and Christy have put out... Thank you for this. Maybe refresh every once in a while with "killer new tracks" or whatever that you all discover and use. Keep rocking brother.
Porcupine Tree:Blackest Eyes Roxy Music sacd: India for 5.1 configurations The Gathering: Travel Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet and Mogwai from The Fountain. Death Is A Road To Awe. Iamamiwhoami: Fountain
Anything Porcupine Tree is great. Trains and Mellotron Heart always sounds amazing. The Blvck Ceiling remix of Fountains is really good if you haven't heard it. I like the original, but the treble on the chorus hurts my ears quite a bit.
Here's my playlist for testing equipment. Leaning into what Kristi was saying, once you hear it live, you'll be chasing that experience. I heard the Fiery Furnaces live first and then on lesser equipment the recording of that album sounded incomplete. It wasn't until I changed up my setup that suddenly the entire album came into focus. I was almost in tears... Thanks for all of your work. Here's a little bit of mine. Black-Hearted Boy - The Fiery Furnaces Full of Moog’s and a small upright piano hauled out of the basement of a bordello, this is pure delight of transients. Lost Together - Blue Rodeo (Live at Massey Hall, October 16, 2015) The last song of the encore where the recording stages the band and the audience where you can feel the warmth of the Massey Hall theater in Toronto, and the chill of that October night in 2015 where it had been raining all morning and the pavement was still drying out. Stereo - The Watchmen This song is for chasing hearing loss versus equipment failure. Turn it up before it breaks. Mindphaser - Frontline Assembly Pulsating synths with very short falloff filters make for some serious slam and will test the speed of your high-end and mid frequency response. Luxe - Holy Fuck Demonstrating that traditional percussion with heavy synths, tape loops and improvised electronic instruments can establish a wide and deep sound stage. L’Envol du ciel - Champion Did someone order some bass for their bass hole with a side of sub bass salsa?
Kristi is Right ON!!! about SEAL. Thanks to SEAL's rumored perfectionism, and Trevor Horn's masterful production, his first two CDs are Sonic Masterpieces.
I clicked on this video for the information and ended up really entertained and now have a good list to explore. Thanks to both of you for creating such enjoyable content. 👍
Outstanding playlist given that you tell us what to listen for with each song. Thanks. I always play DM’s Enjoy the Silence Hands and Feet Mix to see how well the speaker can finesse the treble and amidst all of the bass. And it helps to sort blending subs to the main.
I'll play: Here are five tracks I always use to check out new gear. 1. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five. The drum solo in this is where all the information comes in. Yes, I want to hear if the cymbal hits and bass drum "booms" sound correct, but I also want to hear the dynamic range in both the percussion and the piano. Brubeck is busy keeping the 5/4 rhythm going, but he varies how loudly he plays, often times in response to Morello's drum solo. I want to HEAR all that. 2. The Alan Parsons Project - Damned If I Do. This is an everything but the kitchen sink recording, though it is NOT a showy studio tech performance. No it just has a big layered sound and I check to make sure it doesn't become muddy sounding. When the orchestra crescendos right before the guitar solo I want to hear the echo and decay. 3. Bic Runga - Gravity. Here is a great sibilance test. Bic gives her S's a workout here and this tells me if any gear is just gonna be too forward in the treble. Also, though I am not a big bass guy, when the bass rolls in at the 30 second mark I want to feel its added weight. It propels the song forward, and if the bass is not taut it will plod along. 4. Matthew Sweet - I Should Never Have Let You Know. 1/2 Phil Spector Wall of Sound, 1/2 Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, it all needs to be defined in the soundstage otherwise it sounds like a jumbled mess (this song sounds terrible on my car stereo for that reason.) 5. David Grahame - Steady Thing. OK this is the kind of indie recording that makes up a lot of my listening, but it is a classic example of how forgiving *I* need a system to be. I'm not saying it is a bad or harsh recording, far from it, it just has the DIY thing in its bones and highly resolving gear can leave you with all of the shortcomings and none of the beauty.
WOW, it is not about the demo playlist…… IT IS ABOUT HOW TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SYSTEM or SPEAKER PERFORMANCE, even headphones, Thanks Andrew, you are a mentor!
This video is a tool I'll keep in my box for sure: A practical, real world way of benchmarking and fine tuning my setup at home. And also discovering dope pop songs that would never shop up in my Spotify algorithm. Damn their production is good!
I have a couple of recommendations. Soundstage testing: Black Water by the Doobie Brothers Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool And Space Oddity (2009 remaster) David Bowie Base: 3 Kinds of Bass by Bass Outlaws The Bassment by Mystonermind (he's a youtuber) Midrange tests: Midnight Rider by Allman Brothers Band Icky Thump by White Stripes Northwest Passage by Unleash The Archers Treble: Unsainted by Slipknot Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd Easy Lover by Phil Collins I hope whomever listens to these enjoys, and let me know what you think.
If I’m looking for sound stage, I put in Depeche Mode “Policy of Truth”. There is a lot to that song. The last minute or so if Queensryche “Eyes of a Stranger” (album version) is also pretty cool both in 2.1 and surround. I’m getting a little worried because the last time I did Depeche Mode, I didn’t hear the highs at the volume I’m used to hearing them. I may just be one of those losing their top end hearing. This stinks because I’m not aware of EQ’s I can hook into my aging system. Not sure if newer receivers have EQ’s in their apps. If what I’m not hearing is my reality and not perceived, sound staging might be a thing of the past for me unless I get brighter equipment.
I listen to a bit of Lo-fi music. I need a stereo to not only resolve “audiophile” recordings, I need to still be able to enjoy DIY two-track recordings made in a band member’s garage. If it’s too harsh and fatiguing, what’s the point in having a stereo that won’t let me enjoy the music I love?
My family blast Dua Lipa for a weekly dance party. The productions on the album is fantastic! The only person who has to like what you play on your system is you and hopefully anyone else you are listening with.
Lyle Lovitts’ Church is a well recorded song with great vocal tone, chorus and piano that really helps me pinpoint my mid range and tweeter performance.
My testers are Khruangbin’s Mr. White, Everything you’ve come to expect by last shadow puppets (Spotify sessions), Michael Kiwanuka’s hard to say goodbye, Anna Calvi’s Away, Donna Summer’s I feel love 12” & Pelican’s the creeper (live). Cause simply, they will bring out the best of what I’m into right now.
Kristi and Andrew, this is one of the best episodes! Thanks. This episode makes it clear to me, an aspiring audiophile to actually understand what the recovering audiophile is listening to and judging. I wish more channels did this so we can learn from a diverse group. I can't wait to hear these tracks on my system! Keep up the great work!
Another gem for all the 90's kids out there is "Losing My Favorite Game" by the Cardigans. Sounds like disposable pop right? Nope. On a good system it should sound surprisingly energetic with tight, potent bass, and a sound filed that extends noticeably wider than your speakers. It should feel like it's almost wrapping around you from the sides.
One of my recently discovered favorite tracks to compare speakers and components on is, “Hey Now” by London Grammar. I’m generally a more traditional blues/rock fan, but that song covers a lot of ground in one song. Bass, treble, soundstage, midrange. I discovered the song/album/band through another YT reviewer so I thank you for sharing your playlist.
Aqualung-Jethro Tull and Roundabout-Yes and on my classical side: rachmaninoff opus 23 no 5 G minor, Yo Yo Ma Ennio Morricone - The Bad the good and the Ugly...If you want to test your system, Yo Yo Ma is on my top list.
Thank you for putting words to some thoughts that I have while listening to the music that you shared. You are great. Loved that you are going all in with the "Not Your Grandpa's" part.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I listen to some that you have shared as they are in POP domain, could see them in new light after your comments on them. If you are searching for diversification and universality you can try some of A.R. Rahman's tracks like "Jiya Jale" would love to hear your comments on them. I am pleasantly surprised to see your reply thanks!
Billie eilish, whole album of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? It has background details (voices, glasses clinking, etc) that test transparency, amazing soundstage, deep bass and very well recorded. Diana Krall-case of you from live in paris. Amazing sense of space, coughs in audience, breath on mic and the piano should sound realistic. Springsteen Nebraska- great male vocals, should sound rich and textured. The harmonica will peel your eyeballs on a bright system. Rolling stones-angie. Great imaging of band across the soundstage. Should hear band members in background adding vocals periodically.
With the other half working from home so much I don't get a lot of time to just sit and listen to tracks as much. Getting new speakers this year and finding time to play with the setup has been challenging. Will try these tracks out at some point.
My go to test tracks include: 1) Toto - The Seventh One (particularly track 1 "Pamela." Why? The members of the band were all session artists and kept recording until they achieved perfection. The track can be bass heavy, but also includes many complex elements across the sonic range. 2) Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994. Why? I am listening for the subtle acoustic guitar notes - even the sound of fingers sliding along the strings to the next note. And of course, Sting's textured vocals. 3) Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood. Why? To see if my speaker/amp can handle it at high volumes. It's not the best of recordings. But it hits really hard and has screaming vocals. 4) Hearts of Space - Universe 3. Why? It's a compilation album of electronic space ambient music. I'm listening for how well the speaker fills the space with the ambient music's depth and width - it's 3-d quality. That's not everything, but its a start and none if it is typical.
As a representative of your expanding demographic (the over 60 old white dude segment) I'll offer 5 selections that might fit my segment and that you and Christie may enjoy. But, before my selection I think it's completely brilliant that you have brought Christie into the reviewing process. Many guys never consider the SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor) and it is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. Trust me, I know. It's one reason why I've stayed married for 33 years. So here are the selections 1. - Joe Jackson - Body and Soul (the whole album) - Pure Brilliance in recording technique. Will really give you a measure of your system's soundstage capability. 2. - Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains (Sowing the Seeds album) - bass and kick drum test on this one. 3. - Sing Out Sister - Communion (It's Better to Travel album) - more drum test but, with huge ambiance. Colleen's vocals should kill on this. 4 - Paul Desmond - I'm Old Fashioned (Pure Desmond album) - Ed Bickert guitar solo tests midrange and treble focus. Should appear like right in front of you. Brilliant straight ahead jazz. 5. - Erykah Badu - Other Side of the Game (Live) - Testing for tight bass response here. One of the great live recordings ever made. Hope this helps.
Huge fan of Tears for Fears AND Erykah Badu...the latter absolutely SLAYS live. Will have to check out the others. I feel like I've seen Joe Jackson referenced more than once here already. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for a fascinating and detailed discussion. My go-to test track has always been "Saeta" from the "Sketches of Spain" album by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The entire track is beautifully recorded, and when reproduced well, there is a sense of drama that touches your heart. Many of your discussions in this video featured the bass response of the various recordings. At about two and a half minutes into the track, Miles is soloing. At three minutes or a bit after, the entire ensemble re-enters, and there is a warmly orchestrated whump -- you feel the bass pulse of various instruments as the whole group returns. One aspect of this topic that you did not address is the variation of quality in mixes. Perhaps the tracks that you featured have not been re-mixed many times -- as has much of Miles Davis. For "Sketches of Spain", the best test versions are the original Columbia stereo LP (CL 1480), the Mobile Fidelity SACD, and the 50th Anniversary Legacy edition which is available for streaming. That bass whump does not appear on many other mixes of this album, notably the box set of all of the Miles Davis / Gil Evans releases and a digital-to-LP from the 1990s, among others.
I LOVE that your playlists include more pop-centric tracks. I became a fan of Chvrches and Mike Oldfield after listen through your first list! I really appreciate that you take the time to describe WHAT to listen for. For those of us who are relatively new to the hobby it's an important piece to include for me to learn how to listen critically. As far a "go to" tracks, I'm still listening and learning. That said, Ron over at NRD recently posted a listening session that included a song from Dominque Fils-Aimé which sounded brilliant. Decided to go look her up and listen to a few more of her tracks. I was stunned and ended up listening to all three of her albums in one sitting. I can't remember the last time I was so mesmerized and viscerally pulled into a listening session. So while it's not a single "track" I say go listen to her album Stay Tuned!
Sorry I broke the "explain why" rule: The album covers the whole sound spectrum: you get deep but tight/fast bass from an upright, a dab of horns and piano which are notoriously hard to accurately reproduce, rim hits on a snare that crack cleanly, amazingly wide sound stage, and multi-layered vocals that remain clearly separated and distinct yet blend wonderfully.
Some of my fav eval tracks and albums: Norah Jones - Come Away With Me - Fantastic instruments and imaging, acoustic instruments and piano. Has been my go-to test disc for center image tweaking and testing for speaker placement and toe-in. Don't Know Why, and Come Away With Me are among my fav tracks. Fiona Apple - Tidal - Great vocals and instrumentation, piano. Great deep bass as well on Sleep to Dream, Slow Like Honey, The First Taste. Other top tracks include Shadowboxer and Criminal. I forgot which track, but there's one where you can very distinctly hear the her lips touch, ASMR before it was cool. Cat Power - You Are Free - Amazing vocals and acoustic / electric instruments and folk-sy indie tracks. Top tracks include I Don't Blame You, Free, He War. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise - Amazing concept road trip album centered around the state of Illinois, its history and people. Includes some hauntingly beautiful tracks, tracks ranging from simplistic to big band-y with choir and layered textured instruments. Fav tracks include "Concerning UFO Sighting", "Come On Feel the Illinoise", "John Wayne Gacy Jr", "Chicago", "They are Night Zombies...". James Blake - Limit to Your Love - minimalistic track, great vocal clarity, super deep bass Nada Surf - Let Go - Great indie rock album with varied tracks from minimalistic acoustic guitars to full rock tunes. Favorite songs include Blizzard of 77, Inside of Love, Fruit Fly, Blonde on Blonde, Paper Boats. Death Cab for Cutie - I will Possess Your Heart - instrumentation layering; Transatlanticism - soundstaging Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal - vocals and presence Tash Sultana - Jungle (vocal version) - vocals, reverb and soundstage Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon - velvety bass guitar and overall sound mix Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles (or other tracks) - soundstaging and envelopment, how real the various real-world sounds come to life all around Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo - very deep bass, instrumentation Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell - tracks Rich, Maps The White Stripes - Elephant - tracks Seven Nation Army, Don't Know What To Do With Myself, Ball and Biscuit The Black Keys - Brothers - tracks Tighten Up, Too Afraid to Love You White Rabbits - It's Frightening - track Percussion Drum for drums Indie + female vocals > Feist - The Reminder - Feel it All, My Moon My Man, The Water, 1234, Intuition
Off the top of my head… Daft Punk - doing it right - to check bass attack, depth, and weight Tears for Fears - Bad Man’s Song - piano, drums, male and female voices, soundstage, dynamics… this song has everything Pretty much anything by Peter Gabriel, but especially Red Rain, San Jacinto, and Here Comes the Flood. All should bring goosebumps and even tears when done right. Bruce Hornsby to check… sibilance. I kid you not. His earlier albums have some on his vocals, so it’s a good test of how a system handles that. CHVRCHES - Love is Dead - the whole album. Bass, vocals, rhythm and timing, soundstage - that wall of sound that they can do so well.
Rush- Moving Pictures: YYZ Jennifer Warrens- Famous Blue Raincoat: Famous Blue Raincoat & A Singer must Die Yello- Yello: Oh Yeah Dave Brubeck- Time Out: Take 5 MOVIES Apollo 13- rocket launch Matrix- lobby sceen & the gatlin gun sceen All old all before compression became part of the standard paradyn. The Apollo rocket launch destroys subwoofers. I can't think of the Kobo drum tract i used to use as it is lost to time and my collection ... Loved the sharing. Many need to take note of my favorite shirt "Be Kind"
Sharing my speaker test list: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Radka Toneff / female voice, clarity, delicacy and smoothness (it should not be harsh at all, not even when playing it loud) Ständchen - Philippe Sly & John Charles Britton; / male voice (same as above) In The Arms Of An Angel - Sarah McLachlan / female voice punctuated with clear low bass tones (same as above, + the bass should not sound muddy or humming) Mariengesänge - Anne Sofie von Otter / in the intro the instruments should have absolute clarity and resolution, once the vocals enters the music, they should not be stringent or hurt your ears Berimbass (feat Kiko Ruiz & Negrito Trasante) - clarity on all instruments including the bass; dynamics Have You Heard - Pat Metheny / broad dynamics, tweeter clarity and perfect cymbals (tweeter workout) Thanks to You - Boz Scaggs / dynamics; male voice Flesh and Blood & The Puppet Opera - Steve Strauss / dynamics; male voice Angel - Gavin Friday / deep bass around 20 seconds into the song (check how deep your speakers can go with authority on their own without a sub and without getting muddy) The Host of Seraphim - Dead Can Dance / ethereal amazing vocals with a constant bass presence in the background Head Down - Soundgarden / darker grunge mood and strong mid bass presence The Unforgiven - Metallica (studio version) / very clear bass and wide dynamics Night on Bald Montain - Mussorgsky / very high dynamics, bass, treble and pretty much everything in between Bonus content: subwoofer test Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (Telarc's recording) / The cannons and bells were recorded separately and then mixed into the orchestral recording. The CD has a warning saying this could damage your speakers if played too loud...
My new go-to song is "Into the Hellfire" by Lorna Shore. I love the richness of the bass, from both the bass and the kick drum, the way the lead singer's screaming vocals test a good amount of range from the drivers, and finally, the way the song "changes tempo" consistently
such an incredibly good song. I don't listen to metal much but I am addicted to this song and can't wait for them to release a full album with the new lead singer.
I’m not sure if you see comments on posts this old, but Van Halen’s Eruption off of their first album is a great way to judge if your system is picking up everything. There is a lose patch cord causing a hum about 60hz I would guess. On a good system you’ll start hearing it before 1:00, and it gets progressively louder throughout the song. By the end it’s pretty obvious at anything but background music level. I recently discovered First Call by Jessia. Great sound stage. I have a playlist of various songs that just sound really good in 2.0, but I’ve never documented the specifics like your lists. I just know it when I hear it.
I love that you tell me what to listen for. I'm a bit of a beginner audiophoile (but long time music lover). Just got my first hifi system (bluesound node 2i, Kef LS50 meta + KC62 sub + Hegel H95) that I really try to tune in well in my home office, and this video is already invaluable. Especially as I was getting pretty happy with how it sounds right now, prior to this vid, lots of things are sort of confirmed. And it's kinda great that for a modest system like mine, I can already get lovely (to my ears) results that I can really enjoy. So, thanks!
Great video. One of my favorite test tracks is "Unison" by Bjork - it's a song where nothing can hide, and it's a really great mix of synthesized and analog elements. Plus the journey from up-front solo vocals and micro-beats to choir and orchestra toward the climax of the song is really something. I've found it does a bang up job of showing what is working in my set up and what is coming up short.
Hey Kristi and Andrew, thanks for another great video, really enjoyed hearing what you guys like to listen to. One track I like to demo is Spinning the Wheel off George Michaels album Older. I think George’s tacks are usually quite detailed in the way they’re recorded so they can appear bright/harsh on some systems, but this track also plays really really low and is not a bad test of dynamic range in a system.
Here is some music that I like to test speakers with is: Pink Floyd Dire Straights Tron Legacy (Anything from the Tron legacy album is good) --The Grid (Dynamics) --Armory (Bass) Westworld Season 3 --Wicked Games Armin van Buuren --This is a test Hanz Zimmer --Time Migration - Dave Grusin --Western Woman If I had to pick one it would probably be Tron Legacy - The Grid. Thank you for sharing your songs I shall try them and see if I can pick out what you're talking about. Cheers.
90s grunge FTW! I’m a 90s kid myself and that’s what I play the most on my system. Now I’ve got to give that playlist another go (as if I needed an excuse).
This is probably the most useful video I have seen in terms of learning how to listen / what to listen for in order to evaluate speakers. I have an idea what I like, but I lack the vocabulary and understanding of hi-fi terms and «bla-bla» 😜 to explain it. This goes a long way to help me on my way. Thanks guys 👊👍🏻🤩
Listening to Hello Good on my NOT best set up... it was handy to yell instructions at. I can appreciate that HG has a whole lot of interesting little and big sounds in it that would really let me distinguish things about a sound system. Interesting... my wife even likes the song!
Here are a few of my "I know how this should sound to give me goosebumps" songs: Red Hot Chili Peppers - My Friends Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge Korn - Shoots and Ladders Korn - Freak on a Leash Metallica - Metallica (entire album) Dire Straits - Money for Nothing Linkin Park - 1stp Klosr Pink Floyd - Money Alanis Morissette - You Learn Alanis Morissette - Uninvited Avenged Sevenfold - Save Me Godsmack - Mistakes (love letting this one rip!) Thanks!
"Power!!!!". Love it. Figured out my priorities are low end slam and high end detail, so for a weird combination right away I jump on Disturbs 10,000 fists, just the intro gives an idea of what the system is bringing to the table for percussion. Then it's always Hedwig's Theme, Harry Potter, John Williams, for the orchestral song I've heard 10,000 times. On that one you can play "Do I hear all the instruments, can I differentiate all the instruments, can I count the number of each type?" to get a good relative feel for detail. Love these types of videos.
DM I couldn't have said this any better. Why the hell tone controls would ever be removed from an integrated is non-defendable. For that matter the loudness switch also, makes no sense why that went away. I'll never own an integrated without these, they make everything so much better. Nonsensical without them.
,@@joepelletier5381 Your'e right, this was in response to another viewers comment further down the list. Not sure how I managed to insert it here. I apologize. However, you're comment for Andrew and Christie was also insightful and interesting. Love this community.
radiohead kid A. just because its frickin awesome. ive heard it so many times i know if a speaker isnt doing it justice. if your speakers are not that great at imaging it will show. this album can go from dark and laid back vibe to almost out of control at somepoints. also NIN the fragile is one of my go to albums when im auditioning new speakers. it can go from beautiful paino tracks to straight up metal and i ts important for a speaker to be able to do all genres of music for me. and of course anything from tool. but most importantly it has to be music i love and im going to actually be listining to. have been auditioning new speakers for my front end recently and ive really been digging the polk audio reserve and the triangle borea 8. cant decide between the 2. would love to see your take on the triangle bro series. keep up the good work guys your channel is awesome.
The ultimate test of soundstage precision and clarity is Ray Lamontagne's "Be here now" - Ray's breathy vocal should be round and full, not forward or recessed. You should be able to make out all (but one?) note picked by the guitar in the intro to both verses. However, the main test is whether your loudspeakers can make out all the instruments and voices in the rising crescendo that makes up the chorus (x2). In particular, there are some spoken words that, according to the net, come from a film (unknown) Ray did the soundtrack for. I have had one room and speakers where I could pinpoint in 3D where the voice(s) were coming from while the rest of the chorus swells around you but I've never been able to make out the words. That was ten years ago and I've not been able to recreate it...
It definitely breaks the “no smooth jazz” rule, but the opening piano solo in the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Strange Meadow Lark” is a favorite. Anything with a slightly muddy/veiled midrange will start to smear the notes together. Likewise with Radiohead’s “Karma Police”. If the drop into the first verse at 0:26 sounds harsh, there’s a lack of control in the lower midrange/midbass.
I love these lists, and the information about what to listen for is pure gold. I, like Kristi, am a sucker for anything 90s alt or grunge. That said, my current go to songs are "Two Step" Dave Matthews Band, "Little White Lies" The Lumineers, "One Last Cigarette" The Band Camino.
#1 Rush Permanent Waves last track 6 “Natural Science” This track is complex and would bring any speaker flaws up front and exposed. “Composed of three distinct movements: I) Tide Pools, II) Hyperspace, and III) Permanent Waves”. For my #2 track I’m thinking Pink Floyd “The Dark Side of the moon” track 7 Us and Them. A sympathy of chorusing vocal. A well integrated saxophone tone that is soft but can be aggressive at peak times while the synthesizer and piano ties it all together in the back ground. My 3 song would have to be 4 non Blonds. Bigger, Better, Faster, More! Track 3 What’s Up. Just to hear Linda Perry’s unique vocal clash up and down the scale should ring out any speakers midrange and vocal capabilities for me it’s just that simple. My 4 song would have to be Boston More than a feeling. From their debut album Track #1. Just to hear the ups and down of the guitars from soft silence to explosive hard hitting riffs. Last but not least has to be Yes, Starship Trooper Track # 3 from the Yes Album, again it’s another song that has 3 complexing parts “Life Seeker", “Disillusion", and “Würm" and I really can’t explain it but when played on the right hifi system it just shakes my soul.
Andrew, thanks for sharing some of you and your wife's favorite demo tracks. Much appreciated as I like to try new pieces and the sheer size of available music is too large for me to sample. I played all of the tracks and understand your choices and how they can highlight aspects of system performance. Some will be added to my playlist. Please consider doing another one! My only nitpick is that there is no need being defensive about your selections (as you were in the intro). My guess is that most of us have tracks that we'd felt embarassed/inadequate about sharing with others as they "wouldn't live up to excepted expectations". Keep up the good work!
Love this video guys!. Hey I don't know if you have heard this track, but it is incredibly fun to listen to with the drum solo in the middle. If this doesn't tickle your mountain oysters, nothing will! Midnight Oil: Power and the passion.
I just bought Everything But The Girl - Amplified Heart (25th annyversary remaster) on vinyl and I just can't have enough of it. Whole record just keeps on giving... Absolute rereference material Missing - for the more electronic side Everything else on the album - for more acoustic (that doublebass is just heavenly)
My go too's with a few oddities perhaps :) Chicane - Low Sun - Electronic with a lot of different elements. Flutes, percussions big synths, piano and deep bass. Eric Clapton - Change the world - just a great recording with acustic instruments and good song. Freya Ridings - Lost without you - Piano and a great female voice. Thomas Newman - The Orchard - Great track to test the speed of your speakers. Alot of purcussion with alot of low bass that can become a big mess... Filur, Pernilla Rosendahl - You & I (Trentemoller vocal dub mix) - Did someone say soundstage and 3d. Sound should bounce all over the room.
I’m into clarity and strong clear bass so here’s my test tracks list: Boozoo Bajou - Down & Out: Sound separation and clarity, new instruments adding to the whole tribal beat A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie: Layered guitars, killer Nile Rodgers bassline, if ya head ain’t noddin ya dead Kraftwerk - Computer World 2: Crunchy percussive synth, ghostly electronic vocals counting in German! Khalid - Talk: Strong bass can get boomy but shouldn’t be, vocals are crystal clear and crunchy but could get sibilant. Slick product. Carpenters - (They long to be) Close to You: Karen’s clear vocal front and center, strong build up of the orchestra throughout, my late mom’s favorite song
The Foals Hot Chip remix is incredible on my Focal Arias. Drove it flat out and I swear it was creating little pockets of wind brushing around my legs and face. What a great playlist thanks Andrew and Kristi.
Here's a great song to tell if your speakers and amp can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. It's from Bill Laswell on the Dub Chamber 3 album. The song is Cybotron. There are airy ambient electronic pans that come in and out of focus at the very start. Next Laswell's hypnotic bassline comes in. Then the drum snaps right in with echoing highs and tambourines that should be crystal clear. But the real test which my Forte IVs + NAD C298 pass is that you can tell that the bass line is being plucked on a bass guitar. It's very subtle but you can hear it amidst all of the other things going on. By the time you get to the first drum break, you should know. But keep listening because it's a great song.
Filur - Pernille Rosendahl - You & I (Trentemøller vocal dub) This track has audio in the chorus (some clicks and a weird drum sound) that sounds like it's coming from behind of you even on a stereo setup. If you can't hear anything behind you there might be something wrong with dispersion or phase on your speakers.
I've heard on the radio in my car and didn't think much of it.....until, I sat down and listened to her on my Focal Elex headphones. The mastering is amazing. I never thought that a current pop star would have the layering and the time put in to master something to this level. Another couple of really good mastered albums of late are the Weeknd and Macklemore.
I like small acoustic combos for testing, whether it be classical, jazz, or whatever. What's important is instruments being sonically distinct. A good example is Madeline Peyroux. This helps me to tweak by being simple and unbusy. The instruments should all fit comfy with each other.
My Demo Tracks: Dave Brubeck "Take 5" because of how much you can hear the room during the drum solo. Maxwell's "Matrimony + Arroz Con Pollo" (produced by Sade's Stuart Mathewmann) because it has the fattest bass ever recorded in contrast to brilliant horns. Massive soundstage. Grace Jones "I've seen that face before". That track is an interesting hybrid of Dub Reggae (produced by Sly and Robbie) based on an Astor Piazzola accordion Tango ballad. It has a lot of textures and layers with her voice center stage. Kazumi Wattanabe's "American Short Hair" (produced by Marcus Miller and also featuring Sly and Robbie) is a monster with incredible arrangements and textures across all frequencies. Underworld's "Pearl Girl". If you have a good system it will sound like the monument of 90's Electronica that it was, and if you don't, your ears will bleed and you'll never be able to hear anything else ever again.
Have you ever tested anything with B&O Speakers? I have a pair of the first active Beolab speakers made by them and for the first time in my 65 years of listening to music systems, I notice real true quality sound from a speaker. I actually noticed the difference within the first 30 seconds of any music i played. I have a Beocenter 9500 paired to a set of Penta 3's speakers. Most amazing sound I have ever experienced in my life. Crystal clear sharp defined sounds for music. Same with movies. You dont have to have the $28,000 B-28 speakers. You dont have to have the $48,000 B-50, and you dont have to have the $80,000 set of B-90's. You can use a set of $1,500 used vintage Penta 3's and be blown away. It would be well worth the effort to try B&O
Massive attack-Angel Cigarettes after Sex- Sweet Chemical Brothers - Under the influence The weekend- Blinding Lights Slipknot- The Devil in I Appreciate these all test similar aspects, and no one might care my go to tracks but there you go. The chemical brothers was the demo track I used to test the B&W 601s2s 20 years ago and i could believe what I’d been missing for years.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews “Blinding Lights” has everything, it’s a very good test track, it has bass and rhythm vocals. You can clearly pick out a lot of levels happening at the same time. Unfortunately even in years to come it will be the track of 2020 for me. It has an 80s sort of sound to it which is very distinctive and really emulates the “HiFi” sound.
My absolute favorite song to test any system (although not relevant to 99% of your viewers, since its in croatian) is: Natali Dizdar - Zamijenit cu te gorim It's great to test the whole range of frequencies, she should sound as she is right in front of you and clear as day and song should surround you. If she sounds muffled and soundstage is flat, I do as does Kristi, leave the room :) Some other song would be: Gus Gus - Over Billie Eilish - you should see me in a crown Metallica - Astronomy Harry Styles - Sledgehammer (cover) Btw My neighbours now hate Roll Tide :]
Music goes beyond language. Most of my music is not in English. If you have never listened to Korean music experimentation within tracks is pretty standard practice (obviously not every song but much more popular to have a little fun and change things up than other music in my experience.)
Hey folks. Time to get hooked up and do a review of Dolby Atmos music. I’m using AppleTV 4K through Denon AVR. St. Vincent - Daddy’s Home is crazy Lord Huron - Long Lost didn’t work Some stuff sounds awesome with an expanded soundstage. Other stuff is overdone and hard to follow with too much in the rear. Try Half Moon Run’s track How Come My Body for a simple example of Atmos done right. Try the Beatles - Sergeant Pepper’s for a fail.
Billy Idol - Prodigal Blues Recently found this song and imo it's a really good demosong as the low bass that hang on forever in the song will really test your amps capability to drive your speakers as they have to keep the bass and the rest of the track and voice separate and not smear it all together as you put it, and the drum snares has such a nice crisp and dynamic to them. In any case it's a joy listening to, it really lets my LTS 3v f2 speakers and my rotel rb1090(monster amp) shine and i feel as if there's no limit on how high i can crank the volume before any earfatigue which sadly is the case with so much newly produced music(due to compression/loudness war) Cheers
I am no expert when it comes to picking music to test gear, but try: Joe Jackson - Body and Soul. Fairground Attraction - First of a Million Kisses. MUSE - Origin of Symmetry. ABC - Lexicon of Love. And this is from a guy who listens to Metal.
★ *QOTD: Share YOUR favorite tracks & WHAT YOU LISTEN FOR! Bonus for thinking outside the audiophile box*
★ *CLICK ⌄ “SHOW MORE” in the description for answers to many of your questions*
★ *RULES: Please be respectful. NO OUTSIDE LINKS, URLs, email addresses, etc.*
Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony The Stable Song. It brings in traditional Americana instruments an amazing male voice and a whole symphony.
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik Album has INCREDIBLE 3D Sound Staging with the right setup. I recommend experimenting with it and speaker placement.
TB Sheets by Van Morrison, specifically for the Harmonica at the beginning. It should sound full, but not shrill, and with a touch of echo/recording room ambiance.
Take a Chance by Abba. Is "take a chance" still audible when the main body of the song is playing? Looking for resolution.
30's n lows by Bass Patrol. Specifically for the transition between mid and low bass, also to generate port noise (if applicable).
2WEI - Warriors. Dynamics! Let's see if your amp can keep up 😏
Anything, I hear music according to my mood
But, if it's outside the audiophile box : Two Steps From Hell - To Glory (Every day trying to get there 😅)
Hella Good is mixed by one of the most talented and awarded mixed engineers in the music industry - Mark 'Spike' Stent. So to anyone dismissing it because of 'taste' is missing the credibly of the sheer audio talent involved in creating this recording. It's an extraordinary mix that was labored over.
Insight from an artist who would actually know. Thank you Darren for dropping in!
I wouldn’t have chosen it, but apparently it’s a hidden gem that I need to explore. Thanks for the additional info on it.
Spike is one the GOATs. I have heard a number of his mixes mentioned on here. Alan Moulder (foals, NIN) is also kick ass.
An interview with Darren Hayes should be forthcoming hopefully.
LOL...He could be the greatest in the world but he can't do miracles...Gwen Stefani's voice is awful...
Nutless at 13:51. ROFLMAO!! Kristi please tell how you feel and don't hold back. 😂😂
As someone getting into the hobby, I really appreciate this sort of video from time to time. For years I knew what speakers I liked the sound of (sounded good to me) but would never be able to tell you why... These sorts of explanations are great for putting words into what I'm hearing and looking for. Thank you so much.
So glad you found the video helpful. Did you catch our first demo track video? It's old. You can find it here: ruclips.net/video/1JBiBEQW-Go/видео.html
@@andrewrobinsonreviews yeah I already have a "hella good" playlist with all those songs.
Edit* that video actually helped me explain to my wife why I wanted new speakers.
@@jordanmarg1791 Well isn't that a nice bonus!
Exactly. This. 100% agree
@@jordanmarg1791 did it work?
Another great example of how personal taste in music is completely separated from enjoyable sound production. It should not matter if you’re into old 78’s from a century ago, AM talk radio, or the latest and greatest DSD recordings. We like what we like and we shouldn’t have to make excuses for it. So, tell the world you like Miley Cyrus while offering a hearty and proud middle finger along with it. Even music I personally don’t care for has an audience and deserves to sound good. Too much music snobbery BS in this “hobby” of ours.
@Thomas S, 100% agree!
👏👏👏
Heck, I still love songs by ABBA and the Bee-Gees and I make no apologies since they are part of my nostalgic memories of growing up in the 1970's and 1980's. :)
It’s always Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours for me. It’s an album I go to first every time I upgrade mainly because I know it so well and it’s been my go-to album for testing equipment since I was kid. There’s an openness to music and of course Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar work. Plus it’s Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. 🙂
My current favorites for testing:
Opeth - Credence
Woods of Ypres - Traveling Alone
Gunship - Dark All Day
Carpenter Brut - Turbo Killer
Lazerhawk - Chaos
Shinjuku Thief - Wolfzahn
James Newton Howard - 57th Street
Hans Zimmer - Mountains
And then we go a bit heavier...
Sweven - Solemn Retreat
Death - 1000 Eyes
Inculter - Open The Tombs
Marduk - The Blond Beast
Satyricon - Walk the Path of Sorrow
Artificial Brain - Absorbing Black Ignition
Lychgate - Progeny of the Singularity
Haha ,,,, awesome ... my tastes lie close to this list ... what speakers have you found that can deal with some of these complex / muddy productions in Death Metal and the like?
Klipsch RP-8000f
@@Wormtongues, Lazerhawk - Overdrive! The high-pitched synth line that begins at the middle of the track can be harsh sounding on a bright speaker. It should make you want for more and turn the volume up, not down. I wonder if 8000F might be just a tad too bright, given how everyone describes this speaker. But I have never heard anything from Klipsch myself.
@@VioletGiraffe Compared to my old KEF IQ7's they're not bright at all. I have tweaked treble a tiny bit down and bass a bit up... on my Denon Pma-1600ne and the sound is not whst I would consider bright. I've only turned bass up because the room they're in is not very big... and tvey sounded very boomie. But a sock in each rear port, and that bass adjustment on my amp are perfect for my taste.
So fun just watching you articulating your years of listening experience and interpretation of sound. Absolutely addictive. I don’t own any speakers other than Bluetooth speaker and I am about to buy the 8000f to start my audio journey because of you.
That is so cool!
That will be a big step up. Prepare to be wowed.
Andrew's review of the 8000f was just the push I needed, got them last spring and they are just as great as he said!
Thank you for the excellent video! This is super helpful as I'm trying to learn!
I'm new to this. I got my first decent speakers like 6 months ago, so I'm still kinda blown away that sounds can sound distinct, and that different recordings sound different etc. So here are some tracks that maybe are less test tracks for me, and more things that have cemented a concept, or some aspect has really struck me.
Marmol by Murcof - This is the instant I understood what center image meant. There is a repeated clicking sound the is so pinpoint, dead center, about a foot above my tweeters. There is so little going on in the song that this was really apparent to me.
Zenit by Onuka - Just an all out assault. I understood what a "wall of sound" was. I was blown away that all the sounds can be distinct, and at least some spatial cues are still conveyed through a big f*in mood of a song.
Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club - I dunno, timbre? One of the best recorded things I've heard. I was amazed that at some points I can vividly hear that the guitar strings are made of metal. At one point a horn comes in, and it's not just air, you can hear that it's air going through and resonating a metal horn. Maybe that's "shimmer and decay" or something about the trailing edge of sounds.
Violence by Andy Stott - Never heard bass like this anywhere else. There is this grit to it. Speakers struggle with it. I've only heard it sound good on headphones. Even then I'm completely convinced I've never heard this song played accurately. On the crappy sub in my car, this song can make the hair on my head vibrate.
Chaotian by Wadhom - Beautiful recording. I personally have never heard a violin sound like this. This song truly made me question whether I had ever heard a violin. Great album actually. I don't know enough to put it into words, but I've layed in bed with the lights off and my eyes closed just so I could really really hear the album.
That was far more rambly than I intended. My bad. I'm just excited. Thank you so so much for helping me learn and not being a jerk about it.
Supremacy by Muse. It does it for me. Huge dynamic changes, expertly mixed track, full band plus orchestra. It’s a staple.
I like 'Take A Bow' and 'Knights of Cydonia' by Muse and I use them for some speaker or headphone tests. :)
The "Simulation Theory" ...movie/concert film is available on streaming platforms. It sounds and looks amazing!
Lot of great Muse tracks to choose from, good call!
Love this. Not just the recco but more so the instruction on what specifically to listen for. Thanks for the continued content. You guys are the best, keep it up.
Kristi, that Hot Chip remix of Foals My Number is 🔥🔥🔥 Thank you.
Crazy is a song I’d only ever heard compressed on the radio. Re listening, I’ve found a new appreciation for it. Awesome!
My Bass & Soundstage Playlist:
* Incubus “Loneliest”
* Nine Inch Nails “Please”
* Muse “Hysteria”
* Hans Zimmer “Time”
* 30 Seconds to Mars (duet with Halsey) “Love is Madness”
* Massive Attack “Atlas Air”
* Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime”
* Bjork “Hyperballad”
* Radiohead “Burn the Witch”
* Chic “Good Times”
Great video! I DLed a few tracks you recommended.
Nice!
YESSS BROTHER, this is exactly what I've wanted to know about certain tracks. Thank you and Kristi so much!
This might be my favorite video you've done. I love how Andrew comes at it from the perspective of "X=1 means this about your setup, but if X=2, it means this" and then Kristi comes at it from the same perspective that I do: "If your speaker does X=1, just burn it" 😂
10/10 video. This is exactly the useful info people need to test and upgrade their setup! I agree about the info too!
🚬 💨 ✌🏼
While I like Hella Good, I probably haven't heard it in 5 years, and I never thought of it as a system test song. Boy, am I glad you put it on this list. It is dynamic, has a great moving soundstage, and full range sound. I am finally retiring my 20+ year old Bose acoustimass and getting a shiny new pair of RP-8000Fs. I can't wait to hear this track on them.
Thanks again for all the wonderful work the two of you do.
Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" The snap of the drum and Clear bright sound of the horns
Steely Dan "Jack of speed" an overall clean smooth sounding track
Muddy Waters "My home is in the Delta" See if you can hear his fingers stroke the guitar almost one at a time, the vocals should sound as if he is in the room with you.
Just recently discovered the last one, by Muddy. It really floored me :-D Great recording, great artist.
Andrew, this and the previous video are two of the best videos you and Christy have put out... Thank you for this. Maybe refresh every once in a while with "killer new tracks" or whatever that you all discover and use. Keep rocking brother.
The Eagles - Hotel California live from MTV 1994. Simply stunning clarity and sound stage.
Porcupine Tree:Blackest Eyes
Roxy Music sacd: India for 5.1 configurations
The Gathering: Travel
Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet and Mogwai from The Fountain. Death Is A Road To Awe.
Iamamiwhoami: Fountain
Big fan of the Fountain OST. I use that movie to test home theatre systems. It's a great movie and the dynamics of the soundtrack are impressive.
Anything Porcupine Tree is great. Trains and Mellotron Heart always sounds amazing. The Blvck Ceiling remix of Fountains is really good if you haven't heard it. I like the original, but the treble on the chorus hurts my ears quite a bit.
The chemistry and dynamics between Andrew and Kristi is the best. Never change!
Here's my playlist for testing equipment. Leaning into what Kristi was saying, once you hear it live, you'll be chasing that experience. I heard the Fiery Furnaces live first and then on lesser equipment the recording of that album sounded incomplete. It wasn't until I changed up my setup that suddenly the entire album came into focus. I was almost in tears... Thanks for all of your work. Here's a little bit of mine.
Black-Hearted Boy - The Fiery Furnaces
Full of Moog’s and a small upright piano hauled out of the basement of a bordello, this is pure delight of transients.
Lost Together - Blue Rodeo (Live at Massey Hall, October 16, 2015)
The last song of the encore where the recording stages the band and the audience where you can feel the warmth of the Massey Hall theater in Toronto, and the chill of that October night in 2015 where it had been raining all morning and the pavement was still drying out.
Stereo - The Watchmen
This song is for chasing hearing loss versus equipment failure. Turn it up before it breaks.
Mindphaser - Frontline Assembly
Pulsating synths with very short falloff filters make for some serious slam and will test the speed of your high-end and mid frequency response.
Luxe - Holy Fuck
Demonstrating that traditional percussion with heavy synths, tape loops and improvised electronic instruments can establish a wide and deep sound stage.
L’Envol du ciel - Champion
Did someone order some bass for their bass hole with a side of sub bass salsa?
Kristi is Right ON!!! about SEAL. Thanks to SEAL's rumored perfectionism, and Trevor Horn's masterful production, his first two CDs are Sonic Masterpieces.
^ this
I clicked on this video for the information and ended up really entertained and now have a good list to explore. Thanks to both of you for creating such enjoyable content. 👍
That's awesome! So glad you like it.
Ok ok Andrew and Kristi. We hear you guys loud and clear. Thanks for another awesome video guys. Kudos..
Outstanding playlist given that you tell us what to listen for with each song. Thanks. I always play DM’s Enjoy the Silence Hands and Feet Mix to see how well the speaker can finesse the treble and amidst all of the bass. And it helps to sort blending subs to the main.
I'll play: Here are five tracks I always use to check out new gear.
1. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five. The drum solo in this is where all the information comes in. Yes, I want to hear if the cymbal hits and bass drum "booms" sound correct, but I also want to hear the dynamic range in both the percussion and the piano. Brubeck is busy keeping the 5/4 rhythm going, but he varies how loudly he plays, often times in response to Morello's drum solo. I want to HEAR all that.
2. The Alan Parsons Project - Damned If I Do. This is an everything but the kitchen sink recording, though it is NOT a showy studio tech performance. No it just has a big layered sound and I check to make sure it doesn't become muddy sounding. When the orchestra crescendos right before the guitar solo I want to hear the echo and decay.
3. Bic Runga - Gravity. Here is a great sibilance test. Bic gives her S's a workout here and this tells me if any gear is just gonna be too forward in the treble. Also, though I am not a big bass guy, when the bass rolls in at the 30 second mark I want to feel its added weight. It propels the song forward, and if the bass is not taut it will plod along.
4. Matthew Sweet - I Should Never Have Let You Know. 1/2 Phil Spector Wall of Sound, 1/2 Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, it all needs to be defined in the soundstage otherwise it sounds like a jumbled mess (this song sounds terrible on my car stereo for that reason.)
5. David Grahame - Steady Thing. OK this is the kind of indie recording that makes up a lot of my listening, but it is a classic example of how forgiving *I* need a system to be. I'm not saying it is a bad or harsh recording, far from it, it just has the DIY thing in its bones and highly resolving gear can leave you with all of the shortcomings and none of the beauty.
Oh yes, Take Five! I also love the Unsquare Dance.
WOW, it is not about the demo playlist……
IT IS ABOUT HOW TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SYSTEM or SPEAKER PERFORMANCE, even headphones, Thanks Andrew, you are a mentor!
This video is a tool I'll keep in my box for sure: A practical, real world way of benchmarking and fine tuning my setup at home. And also discovering dope pop songs that would never shop up in my Spotify algorithm. Damn their production is good!
👍 Thanks for tuning in!
I have a couple of recommendations.
Soundstage testing:
Black Water by the Doobie Brothers
Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool
And Space Oddity (2009 remaster) David Bowie
Base:
3 Kinds of Bass by Bass Outlaws
The Bassment by Mystonermind (he's a youtuber)
Midrange tests:
Midnight Rider by Allman Brothers Band
Icky Thump by White Stripes
Northwest Passage by Unleash The Archers
Treble:
Unsainted by Slipknot
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Easy Lover by Phil Collins
I hope whomever listens to these enjoys, and let me know what you think.
If I’m looking for sound stage, I put in Depeche Mode “Policy of Truth”. There is a lot to that song.
The last minute or so if Queensryche “Eyes of a Stranger” (album version) is also pretty cool both in 2.1 and surround.
I’m getting a little worried because the last time I did Depeche Mode, I didn’t hear the highs at the volume I’m used to hearing them. I may just be one of those losing their top end hearing. This stinks because I’m not aware of EQ’s I can hook into my aging system. Not sure if newer receivers have EQ’s in their apps. If what I’m not hearing is my reality and not perceived, sound staging might be a thing of the past for me unless I get brighter equipment.
I listen to a bit of Lo-fi music. I need a stereo to not only resolve “audiophile” recordings, I need to still be able to enjoy DIY two-track recordings made in a band member’s garage. If it’s too harsh and fatiguing, what’s the point in having a stereo that won’t let me enjoy the music I love?
Oh my, this is going to be fun! Honey, get the popcorn!! Good morning, y’all.
I love that Foals Hot Chip remix, been listening to over and over for the back 3 weeks!
My family blast Dua Lipa for a weekly dance party. The productions on the album is fantastic! The only person who has to like what you play on your system is you and hopefully anyone else you are listening with.
Her music is so infectious!
Lyle Lovitts’ Church is a well recorded song with great vocal tone, chorus and piano that really helps me pinpoint my mid range and tweeter performance.
My testers are Khruangbin’s Mr. White, Everything you’ve come to expect by last shadow puppets (Spotify sessions), Michael Kiwanuka’s hard to say goodbye, Anna Calvi’s Away, Donna Summer’s I feel love 12” & Pelican’s the creeper (live). Cause simply, they will bring out the best of what I’m into right now.
Kristi and Andrew, this is one of the best episodes! Thanks. This episode makes it clear to me, an aspiring audiophile to actually understand what the recovering audiophile is listening to and judging. I wish more channels did this so we can learn from a diverse group. I can't wait to hear these tracks on my system! Keep up the great work!
Another gem for all the 90's kids out there is "Losing My Favorite Game" by the Cardigans. Sounds like disposable pop right? Nope. On a good system it should sound surprisingly energetic with tight, potent bass, and a sound filed that extends noticeably wider than your speakers. It should feel like it's almost wrapping around you from the sides.
One of my recently discovered favorite tracks to compare speakers and components on is, “Hey Now” by London Grammar. I’m generally a more traditional blues/rock fan, but that song covers a lot of ground in one song. Bass, treble, soundstage, midrange. I discovered the song/album/band through another YT reviewer so I thank you for sharing your playlist.
Aqualung-Jethro Tull and Roundabout-Yes and on my classical side: rachmaninoff opus 23 no 5 G minor,
Yo Yo Ma Ennio Morricone - The Bad the good and the Ugly...If you want to test your system, Yo Yo Ma is on my top list.
Thank you for putting words to some thoughts that I have while listening to the music that you shared. You are great. Loved that you are going all in with the "Not Your Grandpa's" part.
What are your thoughts on some of the music we share? Thank you for watching!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I listen to some that you have shared as they are in POP domain, could see them in new light after your comments on them. If you are searching for diversification and universality you can try some of A.R. Rahman's tracks like "Jiya Jale" would love to hear your comments on them. I am pleasantly surprised to see your reply thanks!
“The” most valuable hifi talk I ever heard. Recordings matter-they are the ultimate “source.”
I always enjoyed playing "Low Rider" by WAR. Great highs and lows on this song . The intro to this song sounds incredible on a quality system.
Billie eilish, whole album of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? It has background details (voices, glasses clinking, etc) that test transparency, amazing soundstage, deep bass and very well recorded.
Diana Krall-case of you from live in paris. Amazing sense of space, coughs in audience, breath on mic and the piano should sound realistic.
Springsteen Nebraska- great male vocals, should sound rich and textured. The harmonica will peel your eyeballs on a bright system.
Rolling stones-angie. Great imaging of band across the soundstage. Should hear band members in background adding vocals periodically.
With the other half working from home so much I don't get a lot of time to just sit and listen to tracks as much. Getting new speakers this year and finding time to play with the setup has been challenging. Will try these tracks out at some point.
Love the shirt Andrew! Keep up the great videos and positivity. Thank you.
My go to test tracks include: 1) Toto - The Seventh One (particularly track 1 "Pamela." Why? The members of the band were all session artists and kept recording until they achieved perfection. The track can be bass heavy, but also includes many complex elements across the sonic range. 2) Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994. Why? I am listening for the subtle acoustic guitar notes - even the sound of fingers sliding along the strings to the next note. And of course, Sting's textured vocals. 3) Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood. Why? To see if my speaker/amp can handle it at high volumes. It's not the best of recordings. But it hits really hard and has screaming vocals. 4) Hearts of Space - Universe 3. Why? It's a compilation album of electronic space ambient music. I'm listening for how well the speaker fills the space with the ambient music's depth and width - it's 3-d quality. That's not everything, but its a start and none if it is typical.
As a representative of your expanding demographic (the over 60 old white dude segment) I'll offer 5 selections that might fit my segment and that you and Christie may enjoy. But, before my selection I think it's completely brilliant that you have brought Christie into the reviewing process. Many guys never consider the SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor) and it is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. Trust me, I know. It's one reason why I've stayed married for 33 years. So here are the selections 1. - Joe Jackson - Body and Soul (the whole album) - Pure Brilliance in recording technique. Will really give you a measure of your system's soundstage capability. 2. - Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains (Sowing the Seeds album) - bass and kick drum test on this one. 3. - Sing Out Sister - Communion (It's Better to Travel album) - more drum test but, with huge ambiance. Colleen's vocals should kill on this. 4 - Paul Desmond - I'm Old Fashioned (Pure Desmond album) - Ed Bickert guitar solo tests midrange and treble focus. Should appear like right in front of you. Brilliant straight ahead jazz. 5. - Erykah Badu - Other Side of the Game (Live) - Testing for tight bass response here. One of the great live recordings ever made. Hope this helps.
Huge fan of Tears for Fears AND Erykah Badu...the latter absolutely SLAYS live. Will have to check out the others. I feel like I've seen Joe Jackson referenced more than once here already. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for a fascinating and detailed discussion. My go-to test track has always been "Saeta" from the "Sketches of Spain" album by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The entire track is beautifully recorded, and when reproduced well, there is a sense of drama that touches your heart. Many of your discussions in this video featured the bass response of the various recordings. At about two and a half minutes into the track, Miles is soloing. At three minutes or a bit after, the entire ensemble re-enters, and there is a warmly orchestrated whump -- you feel the bass pulse of various instruments as the whole group returns. One aspect of this topic that you did not address is the variation of quality in mixes. Perhaps the tracks that you featured have not been re-mixed many times -- as has much of Miles Davis. For "Sketches of Spain", the best test versions are the original Columbia stereo LP (CL 1480), the Mobile Fidelity SACD, and the 50th Anniversary Legacy edition which is available for streaming. That bass whump does not appear on many other mixes of this album, notably the box set of all of the Miles Davis / Gil Evans releases and a digital-to-LP from the 1990s, among others.
I LOVE that your playlists include more pop-centric tracks. I became a fan of Chvrches and Mike Oldfield after listen through your first list! I really appreciate that you take the time to describe WHAT to listen for. For those of us who are relatively new to the hobby it's an important piece to include for me to learn how to listen critically.
As far a "go to" tracks, I'm still listening and learning. That said, Ron over at NRD recently posted a listening session that included a song from Dominque Fils-Aimé which sounded brilliant. Decided to go look her up and listen to a few more of her tracks. I was stunned and ended up listening to all three of her albums in one sitting. I can't remember the last time I was so mesmerized and viscerally pulled into a listening session. So while it's not a single "track" I say go listen to her album Stay Tuned!
Sorry I broke the "explain why" rule: The album covers the whole sound spectrum: you get deep but tight/fast bass from an upright, a dab of horns and piano which are notoriously hard to accurately reproduce, rim hits on a snare that crack cleanly, amazingly wide sound stage, and multi-layered vocals that remain clearly separated and distinct yet blend wonderfully.
Some of my fav eval tracks and albums:
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me - Fantastic instruments and imaging, acoustic instruments and piano. Has been my go-to test disc for center image tweaking and testing for speaker placement and toe-in. Don't Know Why, and Come Away With Me are among my fav tracks.
Fiona Apple - Tidal - Great vocals and instrumentation, piano. Great deep bass as well on Sleep to Dream, Slow Like Honey, The First Taste. Other top tracks include Shadowboxer and Criminal. I forgot which track, but there's one where you can very distinctly hear the her lips touch, ASMR before it was cool.
Cat Power - You Are Free - Amazing vocals and acoustic / electric instruments and folk-sy indie tracks. Top tracks include I Don't Blame You, Free, He War.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise - Amazing concept road trip album centered around the state of Illinois, its history and people. Includes some hauntingly beautiful tracks, tracks ranging from simplistic to big band-y with choir and layered textured instruments. Fav tracks include "Concerning UFO Sighting", "Come On Feel the Illinoise", "John Wayne Gacy Jr", "Chicago", "They are Night Zombies...".
James Blake - Limit to Your Love - minimalistic track, great vocal clarity, super deep bass
Nada Surf - Let Go - Great indie rock album with varied tracks from minimalistic acoustic guitars to full rock tunes. Favorite songs include Blizzard of 77, Inside of Love, Fruit Fly, Blonde on Blonde, Paper Boats.
Death Cab for Cutie - I will Possess Your Heart - instrumentation layering; Transatlanticism - soundstaging
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal - vocals and presence
Tash Sultana - Jungle (vocal version) - vocals, reverb and soundstage
Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon - velvety bass guitar and overall sound mix
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles (or other tracks) - soundstaging and envelopment, how real the various real-world sounds come to life all around
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo - very deep bass, instrumentation
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell - tracks Rich, Maps
The White Stripes - Elephant - tracks Seven Nation Army, Don't Know What To Do With Myself, Ball and Biscuit
The Black Keys - Brothers - tracks Tighten Up, Too Afraid to Love You
White Rabbits - It's Frightening - track Percussion Drum for drums
Indie + female vocals > Feist - The Reminder - Feel it All, My Moon My Man, The Water, 1234, Intuition
Off the top of my head…
Daft Punk - doing it right - to check bass attack, depth, and weight
Tears for Fears - Bad Man’s Song - piano, drums, male and female voices, soundstage, dynamics… this song has everything
Pretty much anything by Peter Gabriel, but especially Red Rain, San Jacinto, and Here Comes the Flood. All should bring goosebumps and even tears when done right.
Bruce Hornsby to check… sibilance. I kid you not. His earlier albums have some on his vocals, so it’s a good test of how a system handles that.
CHVRCHES - Love is Dead - the whole album. Bass, vocals, rhythm and timing, soundstage - that wall of sound that they can do so well.
Doin it Right is my first go to for Bass. That third bass note will tell you quickly if you're losing your time.
Rush- Moving Pictures: YYZ
Jennifer Warrens- Famous Blue Raincoat: Famous Blue Raincoat & A Singer must Die
Yello- Yello: Oh Yeah
Dave Brubeck- Time Out: Take 5
MOVIES
Apollo 13- rocket launch
Matrix- lobby sceen & the gatlin gun sceen
All old all before compression became part of the standard paradyn. The Apollo rocket launch destroys subwoofers. I can't think of the Kobo drum tract i used to use as it is lost to time and my collection ...
Loved the sharing. Many need to take note of my favorite shirt "Be Kind"
Highly recommend Dire Straits “You and Your Friend”. Incredibly crisp, wide range of sound and a broad range of instruments coupled with great vocals.
On my top ten!
Sharing my speaker test list:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Radka Toneff / female voice, clarity, delicacy and smoothness (it should not be harsh at all, not even when playing it loud)
Ständchen - Philippe Sly & John Charles Britton; / male voice (same as above)
In The Arms Of An Angel - Sarah McLachlan / female voice punctuated with clear low bass tones (same as above, + the bass should not sound muddy or humming)
Mariengesänge - Anne Sofie von Otter / in the intro the instruments should have absolute clarity and resolution, once the vocals enters the music, they should not be stringent or hurt your ears
Berimbass (feat Kiko Ruiz & Negrito Trasante) - clarity on all instruments including the bass; dynamics
Have You Heard - Pat Metheny / broad dynamics, tweeter clarity and perfect cymbals (tweeter workout)
Thanks to You - Boz Scaggs / dynamics; male voice
Flesh and Blood & The Puppet Opera - Steve Strauss / dynamics; male voice
Angel - Gavin Friday / deep bass around 20 seconds into the song (check how deep your speakers can go with authority on their own without a sub and without getting muddy)
The Host of Seraphim - Dead Can Dance / ethereal amazing vocals with a constant bass presence in the background
Head Down - Soundgarden / darker grunge mood and strong mid bass presence
The Unforgiven - Metallica (studio version) / very clear bass and wide dynamics
Night on Bald Montain - Mussorgsky / very high dynamics, bass, treble and pretty much everything in between
Bonus content: subwoofer test
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (Telarc's recording) / The cannons and bells were recorded separately and then mixed into the orchestral recording. The CD has a warning saying this could damage your speakers if played too loud...
My new go-to song is "Into the Hellfire" by Lorna Shore. I love the richness of the bass, from both the bass and the kick drum, the way the lead singer's screaming vocals test a good amount of range from the drivers, and finally, the way the song "changes tempo" consistently
such an incredibly good song. I don't listen to metal much but I am addicted to this song and can't wait for them to release a full album with the new lead singer.
We need more of these videos. I often have trouble finding detailed explanations of demo tracks from credible sources.
I’m not sure if you see comments on posts this old, but Van Halen’s Eruption off of their first album is a great way to judge if your system is picking up everything. There is a lose patch cord causing a hum about 60hz I would guess. On a good system you’ll start hearing it before 1:00, and it gets progressively louder throughout the song. By the end it’s pretty obvious at anything but background music level. I recently discovered First Call by Jessia. Great sound stage. I have a playlist of various songs that just sound really good in 2.0, but I’ve never documented the specifics like your lists. I just know it when I hear it.
this whole video just made me pay attention to the constant ringing in my ears from not wearing ear plugs in an industrial situation.
I love that you tell me what to listen for.
I'm a bit of a beginner audiophoile (but long time music lover). Just got my first hifi system (bluesound node 2i, Kef LS50 meta + KC62 sub + Hegel H95) that I really try to tune in well in my home office, and this video is already invaluable.
Especially as I was getting pretty happy with how it sounds right now, prior to this vid, lots of things are sort of confirmed.
And it's kinda great that for a modest system like mine, I can already get lovely (to my ears) results that I can really enjoy.
So, thanks!
Great video. One of my favorite test tracks is "Unison" by Bjork - it's a song where nothing can hide, and it's a really great mix of synthesized and analog elements. Plus the journey from up-front solo vocals and micro-beats to choir and orchestra toward the climax of the song is really something. I've found it does a bang up job of showing what is working in my set up and what is coming up short.
The first 15 seconds of AC/DC Hells Bells. Listen to the bells, it is all telling.
Hey Kristi and Andrew, thanks for another great video, really enjoyed hearing what you guys like to listen to.
One track I like to demo is Spinning the Wheel off George Michaels album Older.
I think George’s tacks are usually quite detailed in the way they’re recorded so they can appear bright/harsh on some systems, but this track also plays really really low and is not a bad test of dynamic range in a system.
Here is some music that I like to test speakers with is:
Pink Floyd
Dire Straights
Tron Legacy (Anything from the Tron legacy album is good)
--The Grid (Dynamics)
--Armory (Bass)
Westworld Season 3
--Wicked Games
Armin van Buuren
--This is a test
Hanz Zimmer
--Time
Migration - Dave Grusin
--Western Woman
If I had to pick one it would probably be Tron Legacy - The Grid. Thank you for sharing your songs I shall try them and see if I can pick out what you're talking about.
Cheers.
90s grunge FTW! I’m a 90s kid myself and that’s what I play the most on my system. Now I’ve got to give that playlist another go (as if I needed an excuse).
This is probably the most useful video I have seen in terms of learning how to listen / what to listen for in order to evaluate speakers.
I have an idea what I like, but I lack the vocabulary and understanding of hi-fi terms and «bla-bla» 😜 to explain it. This goes a long way to help me on my way. Thanks guys 👊👍🏻🤩
Listening to Hello Good on my NOT best set up... it was handy to yell instructions at. I can appreciate that HG has a whole lot of interesting little and big sounds in it that would really let me distinguish things about a sound system. Interesting... my wife even likes the song!
Should be called Keep On Dancing! Heard long reason and heavy breathing!! Lol!
Here are a few of my "I know how this should sound to give me goosebumps" songs:
Red Hot Chili Peppers - My Friends
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
Korn - Shoots and Ladders
Korn - Freak on a Leash
Metallica - Metallica (entire album)
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Linkin Park - 1stp Klosr
Pink Floyd - Money
Alanis Morissette - You Learn
Alanis Morissette - Uninvited
Avenged Sevenfold - Save Me
Godsmack - Mistakes (love letting this one rip!)
Thanks!
"Power!!!!". Love it. Figured out my priorities are low end slam and high end detail, so for a weird combination right away I jump on Disturbs 10,000 fists, just the intro gives an idea of what the system is bringing to the table for percussion. Then it's always Hedwig's Theme, Harry Potter, John Williams, for the orchestral song I've heard 10,000 times. On that one you can play "Do I hear all the instruments, can I differentiate all the instruments, can I count the number of each type?" to get a good relative feel for detail. Love these types of videos.
DM I couldn't have said this any better. Why the hell tone controls would ever be removed from an integrated is non-defendable. For that matter the loudness switch also, makes no sense why that went away. I'll never own an integrated without these, they make everything so much better. Nonsensical without them.
@@CamelotRecords I love a compliment but I can't help but feel this reply might have been slightly misplaced.
,@@joepelletier5381 Your'e right, this was in response to another viewers comment further down the list. Not sure how I managed to insert it here. I apologize. However, you're comment for Andrew and Christie was also insightful and interesting. Love this community.
@@CamelotRecords haha thank you sir, very kind of you.
radiohead kid A. just because its frickin awesome. ive heard it so many times i know if a speaker isnt doing it justice. if your speakers are not that great at imaging it will show. this album can go from dark and laid back vibe to almost out of control at somepoints. also NIN the fragile is one of my go to albums when im auditioning new speakers. it can go from beautiful paino tracks to straight up metal and i ts important for a speaker to be able to do all genres of music for me. and of course anything from tool. but most importantly it has to be music i love and im going to actually be listining to. have been auditioning new speakers for my front end recently and ive really been digging the polk audio reserve and the triangle borea 8. cant decide between the 2. would love to see your take on the triangle bro series. keep up the good work guys your channel is awesome.
Nice material brother I've been running through all those on my new system. NiN particularly exposes speakers that aren't up to the task
The ultimate test of soundstage precision and clarity is Ray Lamontagne's "Be here now" - Ray's breathy vocal should be round and full, not forward or recessed. You should be able to make out all (but one?) note picked by the guitar in the intro to both verses. However, the main test is whether your loudspeakers can make out all the instruments and voices in the rising crescendo that makes up the chorus (x2). In particular, there are some spoken words that, according to the net, come from a film (unknown) Ray did the soundtrack for. I have had one room and speakers where I could pinpoint in 3D where the voice(s) were coming from while the rest of the chorus swells around you but I've never been able to make out the words. That was ten years ago and I've not been able to recreate it...
It definitely breaks the “no smooth jazz” rule, but the opening piano solo in the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Strange Meadow Lark” is a favorite. Anything with a slightly muddy/veiled midrange will start to smear the notes together. Likewise with Radiohead’s “Karma Police”. If the drop into the first verse at 0:26 sounds harsh, there’s a lack of control in the lower midrange/midbass.
Will have to check out the Brubeck track but 100% agree with you re: Radiohead!
I love these lists, and the information about what to listen for is pure gold. I, like Kristi, am a sucker for anything 90s alt or grunge. That said, my current go to songs are "Two Step" Dave Matthews Band, "Little White Lies" The Lumineers, "One Last Cigarette" The Band Camino.
#1 Rush Permanent Waves last track 6 “Natural Science” This track is complex and would bring any speaker flaws up front and exposed. “Composed of three distinct movements: I) Tide Pools, II) Hyperspace, and III) Permanent Waves”. For my #2 track I’m thinking Pink Floyd “The Dark Side of the moon” track 7 Us and Them. A sympathy of chorusing vocal. A well integrated saxophone tone that is soft but can be aggressive at peak times while the synthesizer and piano ties it all together in the back ground. My 3 song would have to be 4 non Blonds. Bigger, Better, Faster, More! Track 3 What’s Up. Just to hear Linda Perry’s unique vocal clash up and down the scale should ring out any speakers midrange and vocal capabilities for me it’s just that simple. My 4 song would have to be Boston More than a feeling. From their debut album Track #1. Just to hear the ups and down of the guitars from soft silence to explosive hard hitting riffs. Last but not least has to be Yes, Starship Trooper Track # 3 from the Yes Album, again it’s another song that has 3 complexing parts “Life Seeker", “Disillusion", and “Würm" and I really can’t explain it but when played on the right hifi system it just shakes my soul.
Andrew, thanks for sharing some of you and your wife's favorite demo tracks. Much appreciated as I like to try new pieces and the sheer size of available music is too large for me to sample. I played all of the tracks and understand your choices and how they can highlight aspects of system performance. Some will be added to my playlist. Please consider doing another one! My only nitpick is that there is no need being defensive about your selections (as you were in the intro). My guess is that most of us have tracks that we'd felt embarassed/inadequate about sharing with others as they "wouldn't live up to excepted expectations". Keep up the good work!
Love this video guys!. Hey I don't know if you have heard this track, but it is incredibly fun to listen to with the drum solo in the middle.
If this doesn't tickle your mountain oysters, nothing will!
Midnight Oil: Power and the passion.
I just bought Everything But The Girl - Amplified Heart (25th annyversary remaster) on vinyl and I just can't have enough of it.
Whole record just keeps on giving... Absolute rereference material
Missing - for the more electronic side
Everything else on the album - for more acoustic (that doublebass is just heavenly)
My go too's with a few oddities perhaps :)
Chicane - Low Sun - Electronic with a lot of different elements. Flutes, percussions big synths, piano and deep bass.
Eric Clapton - Change the world - just a great recording with acustic instruments and good song.
Freya Ridings - Lost without you - Piano and a great female voice.
Thomas Newman - The Orchard - Great track to test the speed of your speakers. Alot of purcussion with alot of low bass that can become a big mess...
Filur, Pernilla Rosendahl - You & I (Trentemoller vocal dub mix) - Did someone say soundstage and 3d. Sound should bounce all over the room.
Oh, haven't listened to Chicane for 10 years, must be! Completely forgot about their music, thank you!
I’m into clarity and strong clear bass so here’s my test tracks list:
Boozoo Bajou - Down & Out: Sound separation and clarity, new instruments adding to the whole tribal beat
A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie: Layered guitars, killer Nile Rodgers bassline, if ya head ain’t noddin ya dead
Kraftwerk - Computer World 2: Crunchy percussive synth, ghostly electronic vocals counting in German!
Khalid - Talk: Strong bass can get boomy but shouldn’t be, vocals are crystal clear and crunchy but could get sibilant. Slick product.
Carpenters - (They long to be) Close to You: Karen’s clear vocal front and center, strong build up of the orchestra throughout, my late mom’s favorite song
The Foals Hot Chip remix is incredible on my Focal Arias. Drove it flat out and I swear it was creating little pockets of wind brushing around my legs and face. What a great playlist thanks Andrew and Kristi.
Here's a great song to tell if your speakers and amp can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. It's from Bill Laswell on the Dub Chamber 3 album. The song is Cybotron. There are airy ambient electronic pans that come in and out of focus at the very start. Next Laswell's hypnotic bassline comes in. Then the drum snaps right in with echoing highs and tambourines that should be crystal clear. But the real test which my Forte IVs + NAD C298 pass is that you can tell that the bass line is being plucked on a bass guitar. It's very subtle but you can hear it amidst all of the other things going on. By the time you get to the first drum break, you should know. But keep listening because it's a great song.
Love the Jeremy Clarkson "POWER" reference in there made me laugh my ass off i love those guys!
Nutless. Biggest take away from this video.
Filur - Pernille Rosendahl - You & I (Trentemøller vocal dub) This track has audio in the chorus (some clicks and a weird drum sound) that sounds like it's coming from behind of you even on a stereo setup. If you can't hear anything behind you there might be something wrong with dispersion or phase on your speakers.
I have never listened to Dua Lipa. I'm playing Hallucinate on my JMR Orfeo Jubilees now. Killer track!
I've heard on the radio in my car and didn't think much of it.....until, I sat down and listened to her on my Focal Elex headphones. The mastering is amazing. I never thought that a current pop star would have the layering and the time put in to master something to this level. Another couple of really good mastered albums of late are the Weeknd and Macklemore.
@@kalel33 Thanks for the recs. I'll definitely listen to Future Nostalgia in its entirety.
I like small acoustic combos for testing, whether it be classical, jazz, or whatever. What's important is instruments being sonically distinct. A good example is Madeline Peyroux. This helps me to tweak by being simple and unbusy. The instruments should all fit comfy with each other.
My Demo Tracks: Dave Brubeck "Take 5" because of how much you can hear the room during the drum solo. Maxwell's "Matrimony + Arroz Con Pollo" (produced by Sade's Stuart Mathewmann) because it has the fattest bass ever recorded in contrast to brilliant horns. Massive soundstage. Grace Jones "I've seen that face before". That track is an interesting hybrid of Dub Reggae (produced by Sly and Robbie) based on an Astor Piazzola accordion Tango ballad. It has a lot of textures and layers with her voice center stage. Kazumi Wattanabe's "American Short Hair" (produced by Marcus Miller and also featuring Sly and Robbie) is a monster with incredible arrangements and textures across all frequencies. Underworld's "Pearl Girl". If you have a good system it will sound like the monument of 90's Electronica that it was, and if you don't, your ears will bleed and you'll never be able to hear anything else ever again.
. . . agree on Dua Lipas' recordings . . . most of them really rise up, above most popular artists.
Have you ever tested anything with B&O Speakers? I have a pair of the first active Beolab speakers made by them and for the first time in my 65 years of listening to music systems, I notice real true quality sound from a speaker. I actually noticed the difference within the first 30 seconds of any music i played. I have a Beocenter 9500 paired to a set of Penta 3's speakers.
Most amazing sound I have ever experienced in my life. Crystal clear sharp defined sounds for music. Same with movies. You dont have to have the $28,000 B-28 speakers. You dont have to have the $48,000 B-50, and you dont have to have the $80,000 set of B-90's. You can use a set of $1,500 used vintage Penta 3's and be blown away. It would be well worth the effort to try B&O
Massive attack-Angel
Cigarettes after Sex- Sweet
Chemical Brothers - Under the influence
The weekend- Blinding Lights
Slipknot- The Devil in I
Appreciate these all test similar aspects, and no one might care my go to tracks but there you go.
The chemical brothers was the demo track I used to test the B&W 601s2s 20 years ago and i could believe what I’d been missing for years.
I 2nd "Angel", anything Chemical Brothers, and we use "Blinding Lights" regularly.
Got my new system and mezzanine came to.mind. omg with the sub .. And chemical brothers hell yes. I know what I'm listening to tomorrow thanks!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews “Blinding Lights” has everything, it’s a very good test track, it has bass and rhythm vocals. You can clearly pick out a lot of levels happening at the same time.
Unfortunately even in years to come it will be the track of 2020 for me.
It has an 80s sort of sound to it which is very distinctive and really emulates the “HiFi” sound.
My absolute favorite song to test any system (although not relevant to 99% of your viewers, since its in croatian) is:
Natali Dizdar - Zamijenit cu te gorim
It's great to test the whole range of frequencies, she should sound as she is right in front of you and clear as day and song should surround you.
If she sounds muffled and soundstage is flat, I do as does Kristi, leave the room :)
Some other song would be:
Gus Gus - Over
Billie Eilish - you should see me in a crown
Metallica - Astronomy
Harry Styles - Sledgehammer (cover)
Btw
My neighbours now hate Roll Tide :]
Music goes beyond language. Most of my music is not in English.
If you have never listened to Korean music experimentation within tracks is pretty standard practice (obviously not every song but much more popular to have a little fun and change things up than other music in my experience.)
For soundstage/imaging, TOOL’s ‘Chocolate Chip Trip’ and Dada’s ‘Dizz Knee Land’ are highly recommended.
Or put on any tool album and listen straight through. Unreal on a nice setup.
Haven't heard about Tool before, thank you!
Hey folks. Time to get hooked up and do a review of Dolby Atmos music. I’m using AppleTV 4K through Denon AVR.
St. Vincent - Daddy’s Home is crazy
Lord Huron - Long Lost didn’t work
Some stuff sounds awesome with an expanded soundstage. Other stuff is overdone and hard to follow with too much in the rear.
Try Half Moon Run’s track How Come My Body for a simple example of Atmos done right. Try the Beatles - Sergeant Pepper’s for a fail.
Dude yeah, hella good's intro and bass is insane for testing speakers. Good choice!
Billy Idol - Prodigal Blues
Recently found this song and imo it's a really good demosong as the low bass that hang on forever in the song will really test your amps capability to drive your speakers as they have to keep the bass and the rest of the track and voice separate and not smear it all together as you put it, and the drum snares has such a nice crisp and dynamic to them. In any case it's a joy listening to, it really lets my LTS 3v f2 speakers and my rotel rb1090(monster amp) shine and i feel as if there's no limit on how high i can crank the volume before any earfatigue which sadly is the case with so much newly produced music(due to compression/loudness war)
Cheers
Very nice choice
Finally pulled the trigger 🤪 I'm now an official member of the best reviewers on RUclips...
Thank you so much!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews glad to be apart of the community!!! You and Kristi are awesome 👌🏽
I am no expert when it comes to picking music to test gear, but try:
Joe Jackson - Body and Soul.
Fairground Attraction - First of a Million Kisses.
MUSE - Origin of Symmetry.
ABC - Lexicon of Love.
And this is from a guy who listens to Metal.