King, what's the deal with the date (feb 13) in the header of your post?
Osho: The best way to audition speakers is to use music you are familiar with.
Since you're doing the audition at home, it does make things easier, as you'll be using your existing system (and not a store system). Hook up the new speakers to the "B" set on your amp/reciever and you'll be able to do a/b comparisions with your present speakers.
Use the same source material you normally listen to (MC, CD, LP,etc). Listen to a variety of styles/genres. Using some "super" source may impress, but won't tell you much about what your "regular" music is going to sound like. If you can, check with a higher end store and see what CDs they're using to demo speakers, (as an ex-audio rep, I'm not up on the latest stuff).
Some of the music I used to use are Deutsche Grammaphone's recording of the1812 overture (with all the cannons) to test a system's stability and presence and overall balance of the sound field also Pat Metheny Group (for clarity and brilliance of cymbals and other higher end sounds) and Steely Dan for tightness (or lack thereof) of the bass and again, overall balance of the sound field. Your musical selections may differ from mine, but the criteria are the same.
You should start your auditioning with all tone controls set flat (0). But also try lower (conversational) volume levels with the tone/eq settings adjusted to your taste.
Choosing speakers is a personal choice - they have to sound good to you.
What are the speakers and what are you hooking them up to?
Jay.
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Topic: best quality digital music online? (Read 4478 times)