What is the One Test Track That Tells You Almost Everything About A System?

It is ridiculous to think one track can reveal all the features of a system you should be evaluating.  You need a playlist of tracks.  I would say 10 at a minimum although my test track playlist always grows from that as I discover new tracks that exemplify something I think is revealing.  That playlist should show you something important in the first 30 seconds of a track and they should all be recorded at about the same level so that you aren't constantly changing volume.  

Having said that, if you are willing to plow through all 9 minutes of Nardis and are one of the rare individuals that can actually remember what something sounds like for more than 20 seconds, then it is a pretty good choice since it is well recorded and incorporates a wide range of sonics.  But it is less than ideal if you are using it to A/B compare two pieces of gear which is my normal procedure.

But everybody has a different way of doing things so as the kids say you do you.

There are tons of tracks available. The particular one you introduced is very good — it even sounds good on my Mac. The only thing I could immediately criticize is the lack of a strong vocal component that would help reveal whether a system is prone to sibilance, which drives me nuts if it’s prevalent.

Try “Company” from the album Modern Cool by Patricia Barber. It has everything you want plus sibilance control, instrument separation, soundstage depth, etc.

Don’t limit yourself to just one. I usually bring three tracks with me when I go test systems or gear in shops. One of them covers complicated passages, such as a symphonic orchestra. It really depends on the genre of music you primarily listen to.

Pinwa

Thanks for your post!

Fair point — a single track obviously can’t reveal everything about a system. I think most of us eventually end up with a playlist of reference recordings for exactly that reason.

My question was really more about the one track you instinctively reach for first — the one that quickly tells you whether a system is worth spending more time evaluating.

For me, Nardis works because it gives a quick sense of bass articulation, cymbal realism, and space around the instruments. But I agree that serious comparisons require several tracks.

Curious what track you tend to start with.

Thecarpathian

Great track.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Lanx0003

Good point about vocals and sibilance — that’s definitely one of the things a single track like Nardis won’t stress as much.

Company from Modern Cool is a great suggestion. Patricia Barber recordings tend to be very revealing of vocal texture and space around instruments.

I agree that in practice most of us end up using several tracks depending on what we’re evaluating. My question was really about the one track people tend to reach for first.