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Hi,
I am looking for music Audiophile CDs that can be used for evaluating system sound quality reproduction in terms of clarity, details, dynamics and accuracy.
Thanks in advance,
t.
Follow Ups:
I would think all of those are surpassed in quality by hi-res, since those were done in the old days.
Just find some music you like that sounds good to you. And if you can't find music that sounds good, having a test CD isn't going to make it better.
It doesn't make sense to play audiophile cd's to evaluate equipment. Play the music you like and if it sounds good to you then that piece of equipment is good for you. I'll give you an example, I have a Scott Nixon usb dac that uses ancient technology and probably measures poorly but it's what I listen to. Why? I enjoy my music played through it. That last statement is the only thing that matters to me, it lets me enjoy my music.
Edits: 08/22/20
NT
We still make Ralph the Dog jokes from time to time at family gatherings.
Thank you, Ralph.
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
monkey see monkey doo doo
"Bass is the place..the rest is filigree and lace" Doug Sax
I have Test Disc 1. Not sure if "Ralph" shows up on any of the other Stereophile Test CDs, but we sure had fun with it.
Sadly, Larry Archibald's "Ralph" passed away not long after the left/right channel test track was recorded. Back in 1991.
His bark lives on.
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
"His bark lives on"
Thanks for sharing E-stat. Hearing that brought a big smile to my face.
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
I found them Totally Useless. (Spare me.. I detest Stereo pile and the hacks who scribble drivel in it) Their test cds (yeah.. more than one :-) give me Zero useful info.
Want a Disc to see how your system performs ?
Load a truly Crap cd and listen.
I found PJ Harvey recordings as a usefull reference. On a not so great System she sounds like a cat with a stepped on tail! Yet.. on a capable setup her voice is sweet and clear.
Who needs to use a 'tester' recording that sounds good on Any system? Unless impressing some twit Neighbor?
Couldn't agree more. Give me a system that can roll thru PJ's "The Peel Sessions" with ease and you'll be on the right track.
I found them Totally Useless.
Using the bass decade helped me position both speaker and bass traps in order to achieve quite neutral response with the big stats upstairs...
very impressive!!
"Bass is the place..the rest is filigree and lace" Doug Sax
To be honest, I don't think I've ever listened to the music selections. Not my taste. In fact my neighbors probably couldn't hear my Quads anways, even if I did play as loud as the speakers permitted, LOL!
The channel balance, phase and frequency sweep tests were useful when trouble shooting was required. Whether it was mine, or one of the kid's systems.
Still, played maybe only a dozen times total since the test CD came out 30 years ago. I think it came free with subscription renewal.
I won't part with it though. As I mentioned before, it did provide fond memories. My wife hated it. So it may come in useful one way or another... :)
I love PJ Harvey's Rid of Me. The recording is very good indeed. Been awhile since I heard it. Will have to bring it out.
But then I'll have visions of Juliette Lewis singing it on stage in the movie Strange Days. It's a love/hate relationship.
Good point about non audiophile recordings. Some of my favorite recordings are not that great sounding. Yet I find as I tweak my system here and there, it is those very "challenging" recordings where nuances are revealed. Or maybe unraveled is a better word.
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
that's more than I have.
But when I did use the disc there was a reason to, and it was useful.
And yes, it was free with a subscription. No, I didn't buy the subscription because of the disc.
It's interesting there are a lot of pissed off people here. Maybe because they don't own quads and are never truly satisfied.
cheers
"Bass is the place..the rest is filigree and lace" Doug Sax
I don't know what's on #1 but I find #2 useful once in a while when I'm having a system/brain infarction
cheers!
"Bass is the place..the rest is filigree and lace" Doug Sax
Left channel, Left channel, Right Channel, Right Channel, boom boom, clap clap, fart, squirt. Oh wait a minute, I think that was the bootleg version with extra noise on the track.
it's the "Stereophile TEST CD 2".
It has 31 tracks including:
Channel ID
Phasing
Music samples
Pink Noise
Warble tones
Distortion & Jitter
Freq. test tones from 20hz to 20k
I doubt if they still make it but you may be able to find it on the used market. Hope you can find, it's a good one.
"Bass is the place..the rest is filigree and lace" Doug Sax
Several Stereophile CDs remain available for purchase.
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