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What to listen for?

This is aside to the obvious ones such as does a piano sound like a piano, the singer's voice sound close to them live, etc.

So, what I am trying to put together a list of songs where there is something specific to listen for. For instance, in the song Guinevere (CS&N) I have read that Crosby should sound as if he's standing in your room, front and center. On the acoustic Hot Tuna Album, they are playing in a bar and a beer bottle breaks landing on the floor  - it should be sharp and sound like it's in the room with you. On Babylon Sisters there are some cymbal crashes on the left that should be crisp and not smeared. On a Beatles song (I forget which), a chair squeaks and a door opens and closes in the studio. 

A good system will revel these little things. Any other that you have heard of? 

 

 

deadhead1000
tcotruvo's avatar
tcotruvo
179 posts
 

@ghdprentice Thx for the tip!  I had never heard of her before, but she is good.  I’ll take your suggestion to use that song as a test.

It’s great that you take the time to share your knowledge on this site.  It’s been a big help for me!  

simonmoon's avatar
simonmoon
557 posts
 

@stuartk

I don’t go out of my way to focus on such details-- it’s not "what I listen for" -- but whatever floats your boat...

 

For me, if a system is able to reproduce these types of details (chair squeaks, papers moving, etc), it is also able to reproduce fine details of instruments themselves.

So, it may not be about hearing the chair squeak itself, but what that sort of detail tells you about the the resolving ability of the system on the whole.

ghdprentice
7,554 posts
 

I would just like to caution folks about detail.

I recently auditioned three integrated Amps. The first highlighted detail (Luxman), the second had the detail, but made my foot tap… I couldn’t help but sway with the music (Pass), the third… my eyes closed and I just fell into the music… while the detail was there… I just got lost in the music (Audio Research I-50).

 

It completely depends on what you are after. For me, it is the musical / emotional experience. Long ago it was analytical perfection… now it is emotional connection with the music.

stuartk
3,187 posts
 

@ghdprentice 

"It completely depends on what you are after. For me, it is the musical / emotional experience"

Same here. 

@simonmoon 

"So, it may not be about hearing the chair squeak itself, but what that sort of detail tells you about the the resolving ability of the system on the whole"

I can't dispute the above. 

All I can say is, while listening, if my focus is on a system's resolving capabilities (or any other sonic attribute), it means I'm not fully engrossed in the music.

To each his/her own. 

 

 

 

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