For Newbies: how to listen:swaps/changes

Hi Elizabeth; nice thread. (1) It is absolutely essential for tonal balance to be correct and if it's not, no other listening test makes much sense. (2) I listen to vocals-- either male or female, on music that I am very familiar with. They must sound natural to me, and this is a type of "critical listening". (3) I listen for the character of Pace, Rhythm, and Timing (PRT) in the music. In order to get a good sense of this I have to go into relaxed listening mode. PRT must be natural/exciting and make me want to continue listening to the music. (4) I want to know whether or not the change is fatiguing, and this takes some time, hours at least. Of course all this assumes everything is properly broken in. Cheers. Craig.

like garfish, i also favor male and female vocals for auditioning components. i particularly like acapella or acoustic cuts for this purpose. one thing you might look for is a recording by an artist with a wide vocal range. there are detectable points in such recordings where speakers' crossovers are taxed. thus, they offer quick tests, once you become thoroughly familiar with the performance, of coherence in all its forms.

I'm not as theoretical or technical as some of the others, but I agree that both male and female vocals, recorded simply (not pop, rock, or other excessively processed music) are my first test. I also find well recorded piano to be a good test. Wide range in tone, quick strikes and long decays. Definately should be something you are intimately familiar with. Must admit I often make a fairly quick judgment, not very methodical with my free time.

Trust YOUR ears. The best piece is the one that sounds the best to you. Who cares what other people or spec sheets say.

I have a few "test" disks. They change from time to time, but each disk has a distinct purpose. I, like Craig find vocals to help alot. I use Eva Cassidy "Time After Time" to see how smooth the treble is. This disk is not as well recorded as I'd like and therefor the treble can be quite fatiguing, if the treble is harsh or bright here it will clearly wear over time. I use Sara K. "Hobo" for pace. This disk is very well recorded with alot of sudden noises and quick rythems. It also has excellent bass and very good soundstage. If my feet are tapping and I'm not listening for anything in particular, the equipment is working. Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" is a favorite of mine. The base MUST be tight and focused, even on the deepest notes. If the base tends to flatten out across your floor rather than staying a tight note above the floor, the system is not able to handle the base to the lowest notes. If it does flatten out, take note of when (how low) and use this as a yard stick. (with this as an international site, what does yardstick mean to Redkiwi, Ben Cambell and our other international friends?) He voice should never sound shrill or bright, even in the highest passages. The studio should be pressent, but only if you look for it. The piano should sound true and the strikes on the strings should be apparent if you look for them. For me, if I find myself not looking for anything, just enjoying the presentation the system is resolving everything well. "Nature's Realm" on Water Lilly Acoustics is an "audiophile" standard. This is the disk with the subway running under the church and a system that resolves this has "great" base control. (well that's the audiophiles story) I can feel the train yes, but the real story for me is this is a great disk. The pace and extremes are very good. The sound quality is fantastic, I use this to see if the system can keep up on the loudest most sudden passages. This disk will bring out the worst in amps and speakers. Finally I'm using Duke Ellington "Blues in Orbit" for detail. There is a large group of brass insterments here in three distinct layers of depth. My system is able to pick out the tone variations of three insturments playing side by side the same notes, together, I must listen for this however. The depth and definition of soundstage is evedent. The louder more complex passages should remain unconjested, still have the apearance of individuals playing together. There is also some studio information that will take some looking, but if the system is resolving this you will hear it.
I hope this has helped Elizabeth. It's all a bit esoteric, but the point is you must know the music first, and have music that has pushed you system to it's limits in the past. When I was shopping equipment and setting up my system I found the Chesky "Ultimate Demo" disk to be very informitive. They take you through 20+ areas to listen for and give you examples of when it's working. Thanks for the great thread, J.D.