How I assess a HiFi system: My top 10 test tracks

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses the 10 tracks they use to assess the quality of an audio system. These tracks, spanning a range of genres, are carefully selected to highlight key aspects such as soundstage, instrument separation, bass precision, and vocal clarity. The speaker explains what to listen for in each track to evaluate how well the system performs. The video encourages viewers to share their own favorite tracks and specific listening criteria, fostering a community of audiophiles who can learn from each other's experiences and techniques.

Takeaways

• 😀 Systems should be assessed through music, not just technical tests. The focus is on how the system makes the music sound rather than on specific measurements.
• 😀 Soundstage is crucial for system assessment. Tracks like 'Linda Paloma' by Jackson Browne help evaluate how wide or narrow the soundstage is and whether instruments are positioned correctly.
• 😀 Vocal clarity and instrument placement are essential. Tracks like Willie Nelson's 'A Little House on the Hill' help assess how easily backing singers and instruments can be separated and positioned accurately in the soundstage.
• 😀 Bass clarity and definition are key factors in system performance. Tracy Chapman's 'Mountain of Things' helps to assess whether bass is clean and subtle or muddy and overpowering.
• 😀 The decay and nuance of low-end frequencies matter. Tracks like Diane Reeves' 'One for My Baby' are used to evaluate how cleanly a system handles deep bass and subtle vocal decay.
• 😀 Percussion attack and the natural sound of vocals are important when assessing systems. Paul Simon's '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' helps to gauge drum attack and vocal clarity.
• 😀 A good system should be able to handle harmonics in bass sounds. Tom Jones’ 'What Good Am I' is useful for evaluating how a system renders the rich harmonics and sustain from instruments like bass drums.
• 😀 Human voice reproduction should feel natural and real. Tracks like Harry Belafonte’s 'Jamaica Farewell' (live version) test how well a system conveys the subtle nuances of a voice without sounding artificial.
• 😀 Orchestral balance and instrument clarity are critical for an immersive experience. Beethoven’s 4th Symphony is ideal for testing how well a system handles the balance between woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion.
• 😀 A truly great system should transport the listener into the performance, making them feel like they’re in the concert hall. Tracks like Howard Griffiths' 'Cello Concerto' test a system’s ability to create an immersive, engaging experience.

Q & A

Why does the speaker refer to the tracks as 'test tracks' rather than 'assessment tracks'?

The speaker uses 'test tracks' colloquially, but prefers the term 'assessment tracks' because they are not used to test a system's technical limits, but to assess the system’s overall sound and performance across various elements like soundstage, clarity, and instrument placement.

How does the speaker assess the soundstage of a system using Jackson Browne's 'Linda Paloma'?

The speaker listens for the width of the soundstage, such as whether the musicians feel distant or close, and the placement of Jackson Browne’s voice and instruments. He uses his familiarity with the track to assess how accurately the system reproduces the soundstage and instrument positions.

What specific aspect of Willie Nelson's voice is the speaker focused on when assessing a system?

The speaker focuses on how Willie Nelson's voice, which can sound thin or guttural, is rendered by the system. He uses the track to detect harshness or warmth in his voice, and how subtle differences between speakers or amplifiers affect its presentation.

What makes Tracy Chapman’s 'Mountain of Things' useful for assessing a system’s bass response?

The speaker listens for the subtle deep bass that comes in during the second stanza and assesses how clearly the system reproduces the bass without overpowering it. He also checks for clarity in the acoustic guitar, distinguishing between steel and nylon string sounds, which tests the system’s upper-midrange accuracy.

What is the significance of using Diana Reeves' 'One for My Baby' to assess bass detail?

The track is used to assess the clarity and detail of an acoustic double bass. The speaker listens for nuances such as the decay of the bass and the vibrations it produces, ensuring that the system can reproduce these details cleanly without muddying the sound.

Why does the speaker choose Paul Simon’s '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' for testing percussion?

The speaker uses this track to focus on the attack of the drums, particularly Steve Gadd's drumming. He listens for the quality of the attack, decay, and reverb on the drum sounds, which helps assess the system's handling of percussive dynamics and clarity in the midrange.

What does the speaker aim to assess with Tom Jones’s version of 'What Good Am I'?

The speaker listens for the detailed harmonics in the bass drum after each hit and for how Tom Jones’s voice blends with the percussion. This helps him assess the system’s ability to reproduce complex sounds, such as the harmonic richness of a drum or voice.

What role does Harry Belafonte’s 'Jamaica Farewell (Live)' play in evaluating a system?

The speaker uses this live recording to test the system’s ability to reproduce the natural nuances of a human voice. He listens for sibilance, clarity, and whether the voice sounds lifelike, as if the performer is present in the room, not just a recording.

What does the speaker listen for when using Beethoven's 4th Symphony (conducted by Jos van Immerseel) to test a system?

The speaker listens for the clarity and differentiation of various instruments in the orchestra, especially the woodwinds and strings. He also checks for the system’s ability to handle loud orchestral passages without distortion and to reproduce bass notes clearly without them becoming muddled.

Why does the speaker use Peter Herford’s 'Organ Sonata No. 1' to evaluate a system’s bass and clarity?

The speaker uses this track to assess how well the system handles deep, detailed bass from the organ, as well as the brightness and clarity of higher frequencies. The piece’s dynamics, including both soft and loud sections, test the system’s ability to reproduce rich, detailed sound across the full frequency range.