What music do you use to audition speakers? (1 Viewer)

[EdNichols]

I am not sure if this is right forum for this question but I'll give it a shot. What music do you use as a reference for auditioning speakers? More specifically, what passage of what song on what CD do you use to compare speakers? Is there a particular instrument in the background that you listen for? A voice perhaps? What is your reference?

 

[Vincent_S]

I use older Metallica. IMO it has a good mix of all the highs, mids, and lows.

 

[Jon_Welker]

You're probably about to receive laundry lists full of recommendations, so before you do, let me make this one recommendation very clear. Go out and buy the Chemical Brothers - Come With Us cd. Use track 1, titiled Come With Us. This is considered electronic music, whidh some people may not care for, but I promise you that this song will bend a speaker 6 ways 'til Sunday. Just trust me on this. Especially, where it winds at about 2 min and 40 sec in I believe. Watch out!!! Covers highs, mids and lows, like you've never seen.

 

[JessPrice]

I second the Chemical bros song, if you do get that album and want to pierce your ears turn to Pioneer Skies.

 

[Tom Grooms]

IMO, auditions can only be done in your listening room. Demoing in different showrooms and trying to compare loudspeakers from store to store is a waste of time.

My speakers sound different if I move them 6 inches, let alone listening to them in a different room with different electronics...........

$0.02

 

[Robb Roy]

DJ_JonnyV is right -- you'll probably receive a very long list of recommendations. Whatever you use, make certain it's stuff you know really well.

There is one thing I do that I don't know if others do, but I make certain to bring at least one disk with bag pipes. To me, the bag pipe is a very difficult instrument to reproduce correctly. You only need to be slightly off, and you've got one irritating sound on your hands. That probably explains most people's aversion to the instrument. Of course, I'm Scottish, so it may just be genetic for all I know.

-Robb

 

[Chu Gai]

Classical music. I like to know, at least in my own mind, that a piano, or a violin, sounds 'true' to form.

 

[MikeSta]

Things also depend on what you want to test. Are you looking for something with good base, high's, mids? Test what YOU listen to, something you are familiar with.

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

My speakers sound different if I move them 6 inches, let alone listening to them in a different room with different electronics...........

This is worth saying again. Absolute truth.

 

[EdNichols]

I absolutely agree with the speaker placement and listening to them at home etc. But when comparing speakers what music passage is the "test" to see what speaker you want to even bring home is what I am after.

 

[JessPrice]

I like the first tracks of Paul Van Dyk's album "Out There And Back". Take a listen to it, tight midbass, low frequency extension, all sorts of highs, lots of dynamics.

 

[Chris Quinn]

Test with your music that is what you are going to listen to at home.

 

[Steve_Ma]

I agree with Chris.

In addition to "your music" being music that you'll likely to listen to at home: It's also probably material you've heard a number of times before and are familiar with. You'll be able to get a better sense of which speakers are reproducing this "known" material in a way that you prefer.

--Steve

 

[Ben_wood]

Steve, Chris, and Robb nailed it on the head. Make sure your selections include songs you are familiar with, enjoy listening to, and have heard before on a similar system electronics wise. This will give you a baseline to compare the speakers to. Try to eliminate as many variables as possible.