Audition/Demo guidelines!

rohitmusic

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Dear Friends,
I have been to audition my first Hifi system and was faced with couple of questions like:

1. How to best identify the unique sound signature/character of a speaker? i.e: While listening what to pay attention to?
2. Are there any test music tracks that would test the complete musical/frequency range of the speakers?
3. Usually speakers are paired with different Amps at different shops. So how to normalize this speaker + Amp effect?
4. Demo rooms Vs real life environment considerations: Add to it that different demo rooms are differently acoustic treatment and of different dimensions. Also meaning at home this would not sound as great? ;) So need to factor out actual listening environment.

Bottom line being while demoing how to normalize this process to the best effect. Those who have already done demos and auditions may have learn some tips and tricks on the way to make life easier. Seeking for same :)

Thanks and Regards,
Rohit
 
I will try and answer with what I have understood with my limited experience. :) More knowledgeable members please correct my mistakes.

1. How to best identify the unique sound signature/character of a speaker? i.e: While listening what to pay attention to?
During audition, instead of trying to match a speaker sound to audio terminology we read in different places, I feel the best thing to do is just listen to the music and feel which one affects you most. This becomes easier when you listen to tracks well known and loved by you, as you must have heard them many times and will still probably find things you never heard before.
Some things which good speakers do well which set them apart from run of the mill speakers are
  1. Instrument separation and detail - each instrument will sound free from each other and individually identifiable with a body of their own, which leads to the term "airy" and "non boxy".Cheaper/lesser speakers tend to sound boxy, ie, the sounds overlap each other and some overshadow the others. You will be able to identify small details in the sound, like the reverberations in a string instrument when a string is plucked, the tight leathery sound of a pakhwaj when it is struck by hand, or the rasp of a violin. This is toughest to do for orchestral music, which has a multitude of instruments playing each with their own signature.
  2. Imaging - You will be able to place each source of sound in the music in their own places. Two singers singing side by side will seem to be standing side by side. An acoustic guitar jamming with a bass guitar on two sides of the stage will seem to be located in two corners of the sound field. For well recorded sources, this is most evident with the vocals which always seem to come from the center with the instruments playing all around.
  3. Soundstage - The size of the musical canvas the system paints in front of you, how big the area where the performers are performing seems to the listener. It not only has height and width, but also depth, where instruments playing at the back of the performing area will really seem to be coming from behind another one playing in front.
  4. Tonality - How true the sound produced by the stereo is to the original sound, is a violin sounding like a violin or a viola. However, to identify and appreciate this fully, one needs to have good exposure to live performance, where one gets to hear the music in its original form.
  5. Dynamic range and frequency response - How well can the music handle sudden swings in loudness? How well can it handle differences in sound? If a music goes suddenly loud or suddenly quiet, is that being handles well? Can it produce the high frequency of a cymbal or high notes of a santoor with finesse, and the thump of a kick drum or rumbling of a cello with authority?

I WILL NOT mention things like bright or warm as they are solely the interpretation of the listener, different systems sound different. You just need to listen and feel which one you like more. To go by the definition, bright sound is sound which emphasizes high frequencies, warm sound is one which emphasizes the lower frequencies, and neutral is in between.

Also, what to listen to will mostly depend on what type of music you listen to. So, this brings the question, what sort of music do you mostly listen to?

Do remember other than very high end systems, no system does all of this equally well. Some will be more detailed but have a poor imaging, some will have great imaging but a narrow soundstage, there will even be some which will seem to do all equally well but still will not sound quite right..

When I first started on this journey, I used to think these to be terms. Even during auditions, I could not experience them fully. But one day I had the opportunity to listen to a truly high end system, and that opened my eyes about what to expect from a good stereo.
So one thing I would suggest, along with your auditions, try to listen to some real good stereo systems as well.

2. Are there any test music tracks that would test the complete musical/frequency range of the speakers?
As I said in my answer to your previous question, the best music will be the music you know well and love. Music is to connect, and what better way to connect that with which you love. Also, since you know the music well, you will be in best position to know what is new, what is adding to the experience you love and what is detracting from the experience you love.

3. Usually speakers are paired with different Amps at different shops. So how to normalize this speaker + Amp effect?
Personally I have not found any real solution to this. The best one can do is probably to listen to the speakers, as they are primarily responsible for the sound. Choose one, and then pair it with different electronics to choose which sounds best. (I am probably going to take the opposite approach though, as I feel the situation is really dire in my city :eek:)

4. Demo rooms Vs real life environment considerations: Add to it that different demo rooms are differently acoustic treatment and of different dimensions. Also meaning at home this would not sound as great? So need to factor out actual listening environment.
Not an expert in room acoustics, so wont be able to say much. Only thing I feel is that one should not worry too much about room acoustics till a certain level. As long as the room does not have too much reflective surfaces, any room should be good. On the other hand, overly treated rooms are bad as, as i heard they tend to roll off the high frequency.

Hope it helps.. :)
 
Last edited:
KISS...

1. Take your favorite music.
2. Take an experienced HFV member (most important).

That will turn you into a pro with a couple of auditions.

PS - Stepping out now... will come back and write in detail.
 
Dear Friends,
I have been to audition my first Hifi system and was faced with couple of questions like:

1. How to best identify the unique sound signature/character of a speaker? i.e: While listening what to pay attention to?
2. Are there any test music tracks that would test the complete musical/frequency range of the speakers?
3. Usually speakers are paired with different Amps at different shops. So how to normalize this speaker + Amp effect?
4. Demo rooms Vs real life environment considerations: Add to it that different demo rooms are differently acoustic treatment and of different dimensions. Also meaning at home this would not sound as great? ;) So need to factor out actual listening environment.

Bottom line being while demoing how to normalize this process to the best effect. Those who have already done demos and auditions may have learn some tips and tricks on the way to make life easier. Seeking for same :)

Thanks and Regards,
Rohit

KISS...

1. Take your favorite music.
2. Take an experienced HFV member (most important).

That will turn you into a pro with a couple of auditions.

PS - Stepping out now... will come back and write in detail.

Back now...

1. Pay attention for the presence or absence of detail. Each instrument, vocals, have their own space and can be heard individually. Usually in budget speakers everything is muddled together and you cannot hear little details. In good quality you will be able to hear the plucking on the guitar, the breathing of the singer. You will also be able to place the vocals or each instrument in a specific location. Again in budget speakers you will hear everything coming from the same place.
Sound signature - http://www.hifivision.com/speakers/2989-how-determine-bright-warm-neutral-speakers-amplifiers.html
2. Its better to carry your music. I have begun carry music that's strong in guitar (Eagles, Rory Gallagher), vocals (Celine Dion/Mariah Carey), bass/drums (Fleetwood Mac - Tusk, Metallica - Enter Sandman).
3. Best to decide on your speaker first and then match the amp. You can ask for a home demo or probably borrow amps from FMs. Or you can base your purchase decisions on reviews too.
4. Not very important IMHO. Listening environment does have some impact but honestly we can never treat our homes the way its done in the demo rooms.

How to normalize? Well go on a few auditions... never decide on anything on your first audition. Looking back now the speakers I heard on my first audition were great (the first time) but now I'd rate them average.
 
Rohit,

You could test frequency range of loudspeakers with Stereophile Test CDs or XLO Reference Recordings CD.

The Stereophile Test CDs also include music from different genres with info to test / setup systems.
 
Follow your mind as it wants to use your ears.

I liked very much the way Tirthankar explained things. I wish I am in Kolkata to learn things being with him there.

Rohit, there will always be betterment and/or changes that you feel you should do to your present system arrangement. Choose the best among what you heard or the 2nd best that your pocket allows. Make it much better next time.

Or you can go by DIY way to constantly upgrade your system as you upgrade yourself in knowledge and courage and passion.
 
Back now...

1. Pay attention for the presence or absence of detail. Each instrument, vocals, have their own space and can be heard individually. Usually in budget speakers everything is muddled together and you cannot hear little details. In good quality you will be able to hear the plucking on the guitar, the breathing of the singer. You will also be able to place the vocals or each instrument in a specific location. Again in budget speakers you will hear everything coming from the same place.
Sound signature - http://www.hifivision.com/speakers/2989-how-determine-bright-warm-neutral-speakers-amplifiers.html
2. Its better to carry your music. I have begun carry music that's strong in guitar (Eagles, Rory Gallagher), vocals (Celine Dion/Mariah Carey), bass/drums (Fleetwood Mac - Tusk, Metallica - Enter Sandman).
3. Best to decide on your speaker first and then match the amp. You can ask for a home demo or probably borrow amps from FMs. Or you can base your purchase decisions on reviews too.
4. Not very important IMHO. Listening environment does have some impact but honestly we can never treat our homes the way its done in the demo rooms.

How to normalize? Well go on a few auditions... never decide on anything on your first audition. Looking back now the speakers I heard on my first audition were great (the first time) but now I'd rate them average.

Thanks, this makes sense :)
TC!
 
Or you can go by DIY way to constantly upgrade your system as you upgrade yourself in knowledge and courage and passion.

Courage it is! Jumping into this hobby indeed requires courage! ;) (Just kidding ;))

Thanks for the inputs it helps!
TC!
 
I liked very much the way Tirthankar explained things. I wish I am in Kolkata to learn things being with him there.
Thank you Sumanta. However my knowhow is extremely limited as I have just started on this journey and still have a lot to learn. there are many people on this forum and also in Kolkata who are much more experienced and knowledgeable in the field of mid and high end audio.

OP, glad to be of help.
 
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