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

My recent thread comparing Tidal and Qobuz generated a lot of great discussion so I thought I’d try another question for the group.

If you had to choose one track that tells you almost everything about a system, what would it be?

I’m talking about the track you play when:

• evaluating a new component

• setting up a system

• showing someone what your system can do

Ideally it reveals several things at once — imaging, tonal balance, bass control, dynamics, etc.

One of mine is Patricia Barber – “Nardis” from Cafe Blue.

The recording exposes bass articulation, room ambience, and micro-dynamics almost immediately.

I’m always looking for new reference tracks, so I’d love to hear what others use — and what specifically the track reveals about a system.

ulcerdoc
dhite71
453 posts
 

@ulcerdoc 

It has been a while since I played my 2011 Premonition pressing of Cafe Blue....thanks for the bump, I forgot what a wild 9 min ride Nardis is.  

bernadie5317's avatar
bernadie5317
32 posts
 

greetings & kind regards

if Stravinsky "Petrushka" and "The Firebird" do not sound good on my system i am not happy . unfortunately they do not contain vocals , there is always Luciano Pavarotti and Maria Callas to name but a few . 

cheers

gavman's avatar
gavman
157 posts
 

When i first got the hifi bug aged 16, and for the first decade or so, including when i was in the trade i had specialist ’find out’ tracks, foremost was Another Brick in the Wall pt1, that moody sound followed by the helicopter, if it landed on the roof of the listening space then all was good. These days however I’ll play whatever i am listening to most at the time, because that’s what matters to me, not some ancient yardstick.

That being said, when I’m deep in the zone my ultimate album is Oto by Fluke. For sound quality nothing comes close to the subterranean bass, the stupendous soundstage and irresistible flow contained in this album. The only other record i could mention in the same breath is the William Orbit masterpiece Ray of Light by Madonna.  Seriously i kid  you not the production on that album is superlative. 

vitussl101's avatar
vitussl101
296 posts
 

I have no one ultimate choice; it’s always in a state of flux, but if I had to choose two recordings, both of which I have owned for decades and recently been playing, it would be Leinsdorf, conducting the LA Symphony in Prokofiev’s Excerpts from the Ballet, Romeo and Juliet, particularly side two.  To those not familiar with the music, as I recently played for a couple that lives in the building, scared the crap  out of them.  The dynamics, from a whisper to an all out orchestral assault is simply stunning.  I have unopened copies of this never-to-be-repressed recording.  The other recording,  from a soundtrack from the film, "The Diva", Wilhelmina Fernandez sings the aria from Catalani’s opera, La Wally, just makes me emotional.  Wilhelmina sings as beautifully, if not as stunningly, as she looks.  A great system amplifies this.  I have Maria Callas singing this aria, but I don’t know if it’s the age of the recording, or the recording quality, just doesn’t do it for me like Fernandez.

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,045 posts
 

I quoted an opera as my test prefered album among choral music ...

First spatial cues detection in these recorded event is sometimes spectacularly recorded...

Second, we are wired to recognise human timbre voices not synthetiser...

 

 

 Third read this very seriously : 

found that active choir singing increases positive affect and salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA, an immune marker) while reducing negative affect. Conversely, listening to choral music may increase negative affect. Both activities can reduce stress-related cortisol levels. 
Key Findings:
  • Active Singing: Boosts immune system components (S-IgA) and enhances emotional well-being.
  • Passive Listening: While relaxing, it showed different, sometimes less beneficial, emotional responses compared to active participation.
  • Psychological Impact: Singing significantly improves mood and reduces negative emotions. 
The study, often cited as a cornerstone in musical medicine research, suggests that engaging in choral singing is a beneficial health-promoting activity. 
 
 
Now singing or listening singing had the same effects... Speaking to your mother is the same as listening to her... 
 
 
The study suggesting positive effect for active singing dont exclude positive one for listening even if they are not the same at the same level...
 
 

Effects of choir singing or listening on secretory immunoglobulin A, cortisol, and emotional state

 

 

«All audiophiles look for their mother»--Groucho Marxcool

 
 
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