[lonewolfny42]

My question to everyone   >> When your going to demo a system, what one or two cds would you take ? And on that cd what would you be listening for ? I need some ideas, I've got lots of cds of every kind of music  but I'm interested in your ideas. THANKS      

[audiojerry]

don't know if one or two would be enough.

Demo'ing/auditioning components is a very tedious and complicated process, but it can also be lots of fun. When going to stores, you are also auditioning the salesperson and the store, so things like their selection, listening rooms, and helpfulness are also important considerations.  

When you go is also important. If you are going to audition a number of components in one visit, it will require a lot of time, so it's best to visit the store during a less busy period. It's a good idea to call the store in advance, let them know what you are trying to accomplish, and determine when it would be the best time to come. For auditioning a single component like speakers, I think you would need at least an hour. Amplifiers require more time, and for wire/cables, more still.

This just allows you to narrow the field. You can't really make a final decison until you've taken it home for an in-home audition.

As far as music is concerned, this will be dictated a lot by personal tastes, but even so, I believe you need to listen with a wide variety of acoustic instruments recorded with as little miking and mixing as possible. I like to start with recordings of small ensembles that have a nice spread of performers accross the stage. Chamber music, jazz quartets, and bluegrass have lots of good examples. I then like to listen to male and female vocalists as soloists and as groups. I listen for things like image specificity, separation, coherency, and natural timbre of instruments and voices. This eliminates lots of contenders very quickly.

If I like what I'm hearing, I will move on to more complex and demanding music to test the frequency extremes and for signs of congestion. I will also play selections that I may not necessarily like, or music that might sound particularly bad on my system to see how it compares when played on the component I'm audtioning.  

I seldom play an entire selection; it may only be a few seconds of a track that I'm very familiar with just to compare how this very familiar passage sounds on the auditioned component.

And I never try to evaluate more than one component at a time like speakers and amps, or amps and preamps, or cd players and digital cable.  

that's my cents

[nathanm]

My plan was to make a CD-R with fairly short segments of various tunes.  That way you could get a feel in a short period of time.  Never got around to making it though.

I think this would be preferable to bringing in a stack of original CDs, and would eliminate tedious disc swapping.  Plus you wouldn't be too broken up if you forgot your disc at the store.

Maybe you could start with 10-30 second song snippets and then if you've got more time put a series of longer segments and then at the end of the disc put on whole songs which are your favorites.

Also, bring along some Sales Pitch Filtering Earmuffs which fit over your ears but still allow you to hear the music.  I found this device to be most helpful of all.  If you go to a chain store, bring an extra pair and make sure there's no leaks.

[dogberry]

I made a CDR with 10 tracks of my favorite tunes.  I ripped them as uncompressed WAVs and then burned them to black media at the slowest speed my burner would accomodate (4x).

I figure that if that sounds good, CDs should sound the same, if not better.

I picked songs that I'm very familiar with (very important), and ones that showed off a particular aspect, like good bass, or female vocals, or sense of space, air, and even one track from an 80s CD (metal with terrible mastering), just to see what a particular CDP might do with it.

It works for me!

[Psychicanimal]

I have two CDs of which I use two tracks each:

1) Willie Colón/Hector Lavoe "Lo mato si no compra este disco"
2) Cuarteto D'Aida "El original"

Disc 1 is 1970's junkie salsa (tracks 1 & 8 ).
Disc 2 is a quartet of Cuban sisters with a full orchestra (mono RCA recording, 1957; tracks 7 & 8 )
 
I took Disc 1 to the Frank Van Alstine demo at the Chicago Audio Society two years ago and asked him to play track 8.  He ran for the CD drawer after just a minute!!!  I was the only one who had brought a real world  recording and that freaked him out...

These four tracks let me know what's going on in an audio system and I keep using them to fine tune and evaluate component & cable changes and tuning devices (cones, feet, woods, etc).  The fact that I use them constantly makes them my tools of choice and I can spot changes immediately.

[lonewolfny42]

Thanks guys for your replys--great ideas ! The main reason for my question is that I've signed on to audition the Mensa ART DIO home audition pack,and I'm trying to come up with some recordings that everyone  has heard or knows. This way everyone can relate to the review of these songs and what I heard in my system. What do you think-Good or Bad Idea ??

[Psychicanimal]

The modded ART is a softer sounding DAC, closer to the toobey sound many audio guys like.  I just talked to Dusty Vawter about it yesterday.  I had a chance to listen to a friend's ART.  I found my Channel Islands to sound crisper and more musical.  This was not a direct A/B comparison, but I'm pretty good about checking out the particular character components have...

[Marbles]

The modded ART is a softer sounding DAC, closer to the toobey sound many audio guys like.  I just talked to Dusty Vawter about it yesterday.  I had a chance to listen to a friend's ART.  I found my Channel Islands to sound crisper and more musical.  This was not a direct A/B comparison, but I'm pretty good about checking out the particular character components have...

My (Bolder modded) Mensa DIO does not sound anything like "TOOBEY".

PsychicA, your more than welcome to bring your DAC down and compare it to mine.  Your only 2 hours away.

[nathanm]

Thanks guys for your replies - great ideas! The main reason for my question is that I've signed on to audition the Mensa ART DIO home audition pack, and I'm trying to come up with some recordings that everyone has heard or knows. This way everyone can relate to the review of these songs and what I heard in my system. What do you think-Good or Bad Idea?

I see your point, but well...I'd say coming up with recordings YOU have heard and know is going to be far more useful.

[Psychicanimal]

The modded ART is a softer sounding DAC, closer to the toobey sound many audio guys like.  I just talked to Dusty Vawter about it yesterday.  I had a chance to listen to a friend's ART.  I found my Channel Islands to sound crisper and more musical.  This was not a direct A/B comparison, but I'm pretty good about checking out the particular character components have...

My (Bolder modded) Mensa DIO does not sound anything like "TOOBEY".

PsychicA, your more than welcome to bring your DAC down and compare it to mine.  Your only 2 hours away.

Well, I had a phone conversation w/ Dusty Vawter Monday morning--he agrees with what I heard.  I could say the ART is not as crisp sounding, but to be sure the comparison would have to be done on a rig with *outstanding* power delivery & noise control...

[Marbles]

Well, I had a phone conversation w/ Dusty Vawter Monday morning--he agrees with what I heard.  I could say the ART is not as crisp sounding, but to be sure the comparison would have to be done on a rig with *outstanding* power delivery & noise control...

I suspect that my amps (Symphonic Line Kraft mono 400's) and PS Audio PP600 would satisfy both points.

Did you hear the Mensa DIO or some other incarnation of the DIO?

So when are you coming down?

[BikeWNC]

Marbles,

What do you have plugged into the PP600?  How hot does it run?

Thanks, Andy

[Marbles]

I have all my front end stuff, like my CI Audio Phono pre power supply, my Bolder modded Mensa DAC power supply, my B&K REF 50 Pre pro, 2 channel transport (Sony DVD S7700), DVD player, a Panny RP91, and the power supply for my Bent pre-amp.

It runs cool to the touch.  Cool like room tempeture.

[Psychicanimal]

I figure what I should really take to your place is my Elgar medical grade 10 amp AC regenerator: the real thing!  

It takes more than just an AC regenerator to do the job right.  My Elgar is plugged to a 95 lb, 220V ONEAC isolation transformer.  The 78 lb Elgar feeds a 48 lb Clear Image T4 quad isolation transformer balanced filter array.  When I set up my audio room I will use two T4s: one for analog line leve, one for digital.

Are you starting to get an idea of what proper power delivery and filtration means?

[Marbles]

OK, so if my PP600 makes  "perfect" AC, then yours makes MORE perfect AC  

On another note, I can certainly see a DAC sounding more analytical than the Mensa (the smART for instance    )
I still would not charectorize the Mensa or most all modded ART D/IO's as toobey.

[Psychicanimal]

AC regenerators have harmonic distortion specs, FYI.  If the PS Audio was good enough it would be marketed to the medical field...

[Marbles]

While I have no way to measure it, this article appears to indicate it does not have distortion.

http://www.audiorevolution.com/equip/psaudio/index.html

"The P600 takes the imperfect power from the wall, converts it to DC and regenerates the sine wave without distortion."

I have no reason why they choose to market their products solely to the audio industry, although this is where Paul McGowan cut his teeth.  I doubt he knows much about the medical industry or how to market to them.

[Marbles]

I took this off the PSaudio.com site:

"A true AC regenerator takes the AC power out of the wall, converts it to DC voltage (like a battery), then re-manufactures perfectly clean, harmonic and noise free AC that you can then use to power your equipment.

PS Audio’s Power Plants are the only true AC regenerators in the world and are designed specifically for the AV industry to provide some of the lowest noise, cleanest power on the planet."

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They seem to advertise it is harmonic free............

[WorldWind]

Where is the forest… Where is the forest…

There is so much foliage in my way I can’t find the forest.


The word for today is    Misdirection

It is used by magicians, politicians and retailers with ambitions.

[Psychicanimal]

I took this off the PSaudio.com site:

"A true AC regenerator takes the AC power out of the wall, converts it to DC voltage (like a battery), then re-manufactures perfectly clean, harmonic and noise free AC that you can then use to power your equipment.

PS Audio’s Power Plants are the only true AC regenerators in the world and are designed specifically for the AV industry to provide some of the lowest noise, cleanest power on the planet."

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They seem to advertise it is harmonic free............

PS Audio has great copywriting & advertising...

OBF got one of these Elgars for $250 also.   Great buy!

I'll take mine to your place--it's wooden crated and can be moved around.  Power delivery and filtration is my specialty.