jdandy
New member
- Thread Author
- #21
Brian.......I do use the same tracks during the first 30 minutes of each listening session. I have a playlist saved on the Aurender music server which consists of a solo piano track, a solo acoustic guitar track, a jazz female vocalist, and a blues band track (Liz Story, Mike Howe, Diana Krall, Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters). I know each track intimately so it is relatively easy for me to identify whether aspects of the frequency range, dynamic range, soundstage, and resolution are less than reference level compared to the same tracks played on my studio system. I listen for clarity as a whole and clarity of individual instruments and voices. I listen for harmonics in upper octaves of acoustic guitar strings. I listen closely to the sounds of single and combined notes and chords on solo piano. The broad frequency spectrum of a grand piano can be extremely revealing. I listen to vocalists, particularly female vocalist, and pay special attention for sibilance, which can be a natural sound in support of vocals or an exaggerated sound that is distracting if over-emphasized. I listen to a blues track to ensure there is robust and rhythmic bass, separation of lead and rhythm guitar sounds, and space that separates vocals from instruments and drums. I pay close attention to the creation of a realistic sound stage. Listening to this 30 minutes of music every time I audition the state of a component's break-in can be quite telling. It also lets me know when the time has arrived where no additional changes are taking place, that the sonic signature of the audio component in question as become permanent. Once I have this 30 minute audition exercise behind me and a few notes written to ensure recall, I then randomly play whatever catches my eye as I browse my library.
