How to evaluate speakers?

You have to do a lot of listening, that is the only way to tell. Try some of the following recordings for some very specific evaluations:

1. Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" on the "Time Out" album. At about 2:45 into the recording there is an extended drum solo. If reproduced correctly, there should be a lot of air around those drums, cymbals, and sticks. Also, the drum solo has the pace of a machine gun attack.

2. Elvis Presley's "Kentucky Rain" on the "From Elvis in Memphis" album. The desperation in Elvis' voice, the stark bits of silence, the tension in the air should all be audible and convincing.

3. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's "Duke's Place" on "The Summit" album. The piano is clear, razor sharp, and all so crisp.

4. Coldplay's "Politik" on the "A Rush of Blood to the Head" album. The thumping sound created by the piano stomping during both the song's opening and closing should be very musical in its presentation.

I am sure that you have other examples, but also pick out some music that has a lot of range and variety to it, and see which speaker is the less fatiguing to you. Listenability over time is the real test.

Regards, Rich

Using the A/B speaker selector switch should not make a difference. Just make sure that you listen to the speakers at the same volume level, because most people will choose the louder speaker as the better sounding speaker. So you may need to experiment a bit before you get into serious listening, for example volume level 3 for speaker A may be the equivalent of volume level 4 for speaker B.

Good luck, Rich