Test your speakers like a Cambridge Audio Engineer

Test your speakers like a Cambridge Audio Engineer ; 17. Bright Lights Bigger City. CeeLo Green. 3:38 ; 18. It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll). Skiptomaincontent TestyourspeakerslikeaCambridgeAudioEngineer Whetheryou'renewtothespeakergameorbeenlivingandbreathingHi-Fisinceinsidethewomb,youdon'tbuyanewaudioproductwithoutputtingitthroughitspaces.Sowhatarethebestsongstotestyourspeakerswith?There'snodefinitiveanswer,butwecanletyouinonwhatourengineersusefortheseismicallyimportantfinaltuningofourproducts. Whetherit’saclassic Hi-Fi testtrack,orthesongyou recognise inthefirstmillisecondit’sasfamiliartoyouasyourownheartbeat,everyone’sgotanopiniononwhichtrackshelpyoucheckthequalityofanyaudioequipment. Andquitesimply,nooneiswrong.Thebesttestwillalwaysbeasongyouarefamiliarwithandhaveheardinashigharesolutionformataspossiblesoyou’llhearwheretheperformanceexcelsand/ormissesatrick.   Thepressurebuildssomewhat,whenthereputationofa50 yearold Hi-Fi companyrestsonyourshoulders,ormoreaccurately–yourears.SowhattracksarespinningontheCambridgeAudioengineeringfloorandwhy?   So,let’sstartwiththeeasystuff– pristine,well-recordedtracks. Simplyput-ifthis doesn’tsoundgood,nothingwill. Thesetrackshavebeenrecordedtosuchahighstandardthat,excusetheblasphemy,playingthemthroughsomeAppleEarpods wouldvergeonacceptable,sopassitthroughsomedecent Hi-Fi andthey’llknockyoursocksoff.   SteelyDan–JackOfSpeed DaftPunk–GetLucky CrookedStill–LittleSadie   Upnext,tracks withwidedynamicrange andexcellentsoundstages. ListenoutforspatialseparationbetweenindividualinstrumentsandvocalsandfeelinglikeyourlivingroomjustturnedintotheRoyalAlbertHallandyou’reontherighttrack.   Radiohead/Noordpool Orchestra–WeirdFishes EnglishChamberOrchestra-Dido&Aeneas,Act3:ButDeath,Alas! StevieRayVaughan–TinPanAlley TheRollingStones-Melody Ahugelyimportantbutoftenlessobservedcategory: Foot-tap-ability. Everlistenedtooneofyour favourite evertracksonaspeakerbutyourfootremainsmysteriouslyunmovedbyit?Ifthesetunesdon’tmakeyoutwitch,runintheoppositedirection.They’rejustnotgoingtokeepup.   LouReed–WalkontheWildSide Winterplay –BillieJean   TheBigOne– Bass. Irritatingifthere’stoomuch,crushinglydisappointingifthere’stoolittle. DefinitelythecategorythatturnsusallintotheGoldilocksoftheaudiotestingworld.Thefollowingwilltestyoursubsonlong droney backgroundbassandfastpunchybass.   Beck–Morning The Weeknd –TheHills BelaFleck–FlightoftheCosmicHippo   Basstest,part deux.Canitkeepupwiththesewithoutgettingmuddyorrumblinginthelowend?   CeeLoGreen–BrightLightsBiggerCity ​Beastie Boys–BrassMonkey Andlastly,our favourite category,the ‘ifyoucanlistentothesetracksallthewaythroughwithoutswitchingthemoffyou’reontoawinner’ test. Thesesongspackalotintoeachtrackandwithoutcapableaudioequipmentcansound,quitefrankly,amess.Sowhenyougetthemright,that’sawholeheapofaudiosatisfaction(andafewsmugengineers).   FooFighters–TheseDays Moloko –IWantYou AlabamaShakes–Don’tWannaFight AC/DC–It’saLongWaytotheTop(WARNING!ContainsBagpipes,proceedwithcaution)   Andifyourspeakerspassallofthesetests,thenstickonQueen’sBohemianRhapsody(asifthatwasgoingtogounmentioned)kickbackandENJOY! AtCambridgeAudio,we’renotswayedbythesuddenupsurgeinEDMorthepredominanceofDreinthecharts.We’restillfaithfullychasingtheholygrailofhonest,balancedsound. Bytestingoursoundagainstahighlydiverseandchallengingtracklistwemakesureallthosewithschizophrenicmusictastes,i.e.mosthumans,arewellcateredfor. Sowhenitcomestotestinganynewkit(andwe’reunderstandingcreatures,itmightnotallbefromus*sobsquietly*)wewanttomakesureyouhavesomegoodtesttracksatyourfingertipssoyoucaninviteonlythebestpossiblesoundqualityintoyourlife.    Nexttimeyou’recomparingthesoundofsomemagnificentnew floorstanders,anupsamplingnetworkstreamerorevenanewportableBluetoothspeaker,testitlikeaCambridgeAudioEngineer. We’dlovetoknowyourthoughtsontheseandwhatyourtesttracksaresoaddyourcommentsbelowandinthemeantime– HappyListening.​ RelatedStories TheArtofPositioningSpeakers 12.11.2021 Read HowToRunInSpeakers 16.02.2015 Read ShouldYouBi-WireYourSpeakers? 05.07.2016 Read RelatedProducts MINX MIN22 CompactSpeaker $150 Findoutmore Signuptoournewsletter × Jointheclub Signupforournewslettertogetthelatestnewsonourproducts,firmwareupdates,exclusivecompetitions, events,andblogs.Yourearswillthankyoulater. 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