QuestionHi! I just upgraded my car audio and I was wondering which albums/tracks should i get to test the quality.
AnswerSure, first some general tips:
when trying to see how your system sounds:
1. NEVER use MP3s or cd burned from MP3s. only use orrignal cds. (even copies of cds can be degraded depending on how the copy is performed) Most good systems will sound horrible with MP3s. they lack trebble and have a harsh irritating sound in the upper midrange area.
2. if your system has EQs or even just bass and trebbel settings, set them all flat. some people listen to a song and imediatly reach for the bass and trebbel controls. these controls should be used to compensate for speakers and room dynamics not individual songs. the best way to set these controlls is to listen to alot of music until you see a trend that every song has (too much bass, too much trebbel, etc) if you try to set it according to your songs you'll just always be setting it for each song!
Typically some of the best music to help you to realize how realistic your system sounds is Jazz (I'm not a big fan personally but Jazz is reviered by all audio enthusiasts as testing every aspect of a good system from imaging to full bandwidth responce etc.)
Also it's tough sometimes to find music that isnt heavily "processed" music where the vocalist is good enough that they dont have to add alot of "air" and reverb to her voice will sound much more like the person is really there.
Jazz recomendations -
1. Nora Jones feels like home. the entire album is actually AMAZING on a good system. specifically track 3 (those sweet words) the piano is light and true, her voice is almost 100% unprocessed and the bongo drums in the background are extreamly realistic
2. Don byron - bug music best of the best jazz, trumpts ring out like nothing else on track 14!
alternative/rock
1. linkin park hybred theory. all tracks disply excelent bass and midrange charactristics. their music has tons of layers with lots of interaction which on poor sytems will sound as if it all runs together but on a good system each piece will be clearly discernable from the next.
instrumental
1. John Sheehan beauty road. instrumental guitar at its best. I heard this recording on some of the best speakers I've heard and it was nearly impossible to discern weather John Sheehan was in the room or not. you could litterally close your eyes and not know there wasnt a guy playing the guitar right in front of you! I also heard this recording on a set of speakers I previously thought were great and their limitations became instantly obvious.
rap / etc.
1. Nelly - Nellyville. good bass tests altough extreamly overdone in track 5 (stay away from track 5 it's clipped in the recording and sounds bad on any system at any volume!) I often use "Pimp juice" as an example for bass in my car (4 12"s tuned to 30hz)
There's alot of good stuff out there, there's also alot of stuff that sounds good but will throw you off or give you the wrong impression of how your system is really performing sometimes. like Enya sounds good but she's extreamly overprocessed and they've added so much "air" to her voice that it's all bright and hissy. etc.
Good luck and let me know if I can be of any further help!
