Test CD

Nordost website has details on a setup,and test cd
I got one free at an audio expo .... Worked better than all the others I've test driven
Highly recommended

Nordost System Set-Up & Tuning Disc:
Finally, all those invaluable test and set-up tracks on a single disc!

Nordost’s System Tuning and Set-Up disc contains everything that you need to get a system sounding its best – and keep it that way. An extensive range of proven diagnostic tracks – plus a few innovative and extremely useful ones – helps with speaker placement (and sub-woofer integration), performance checks and assessment, problem location and system conditioning.

The disc comes with its own instruction book as well as supporting PDF downloads, which clearly lay out the purpose and benefits of each track. A little practice and pretty soon you’ll wonder how you got along without it.

As well as basic channel and phase checks (boring we know, but oh so useful) there are discrete left and right channel pink and white noise tracks, as well as alternating ones, which are ideal for checking that speakers are working properly and voicing them in-room. The computer generated LEDR tests provide a repeatable method for mapping and adjusting sound-staging and toe-in while uncompressed drum tracks test dynamic range and rhythmic integration. As well as conventional sweeps, there is a timed low-frequency sweep that will allow you to identify principal room modes. Used in conjunction with the discrete low-frequency tones this is a huge help in diagnosing problem environments, placing speakers and integrating and optimizing sub-woofers. Throw in system burn-in and degauss tracks and you can see why we consider this an invaluable part of our audio armory. In fact, the only thing missing is the plinky-plonky audiophile music tracks that clutter up most test CDs!

It’s everything you need and nothing that you don’t.

"I'm going to spend less than $500 for a pair of bookshelf speakers. I know the kind of sound that I desire in a speaker and have narrowed my choices down to around 5 models that possess these traits based upon both professional reviews and user reviews."

"A guy that also owns the Jamo C601 bookshelf speakers said he was able to measure the bass response on this speaker down to near 40hz. But it is rated by Jamo for 62hz. I've read other reviews that claim the bass is better than advertised. I tend to believe this since it creates a lot of bass in the smaller room where they presently sit.

In light of this, I am wondering if I buy another pair of C601's, use a Test CD to properly break in the speakers and then use my heavy duty speaker stands (3 large legs of steel) in the larger room where they will probably be used, if I can get just a little stronger bass? And is it possible to buy a new pair of IC's that will retain the high end and midrange of this speaker but add a little low end?"

The problem of doing it this way is that you're trying to fix problems that you don't have yet. Who's to say that you will even need to buy a pair of IC's in an attempt to retain your highs, while adding low end? I would try to avoid putting myself in that position in the first place. If you need to start buying cables to fix your mistakes, you've already failed and are just making the problem worse.

Also, I don't think its necessary to keep focusing on break in. The speakers are going to break in regardless of what kind of CD you use. Its an issue that takes care of itself as long as you use the speaker.

ZD542. Makes sense. Did a test yesterday and have found the heavy duty steel speaker stands when positioned a certain way and with the front of the speakers elevated a quarter inch at the front are giving deeper bass. I am going to try this in the large room later this week to see if this will give me just a bit more bass in that room. If so, I won't need to get another pair of speakers. Midrange and highs are superb and comparable to the Castle Conway 3 towers which cost 2 grand that I had. Gave them to my brother. Just a smaller sound stage with the C601's but even that can be improved upon with some kinds of IC cables and positioning of the stands.

Zd542. Regarding the break in of speakers. Seems to me that a speaker will break in better if music containing a wide variety of frequencies is used. Thus not all music is suited for breaking in a speaker properly.

I noted a dramatic difference in the quality of the sound when I eliminated the cheap IC's that came with my CD and replaced them with Golden Gate's by AQ. More neutral sounding the bass tightened up a bit. And then when I upgraded to the IC3 by Audio Art I noted an improvement in the sound stage and also more depth to the instruments.

I suppose if I had spent a grand or more on speakers I may not have needed to upgrade the IC's. But for the $100 I spent on the IC 3 pair and then $180 for the speakers (originally sold for nearly $500) I would have to say I have speakers that sound like they cost far more than I paid. :-)

Akg ca. After reading about this CD I will likely purchase it. Has a great frequency range without having to spend a lot of money for the CD. Will definitely tell me how low my current speakers can go and should work well to break in a new pair if I buy another pair of speakers.