I recently read The Absolute Sound’s review of the Benchmark AHB2 which had a great snippet:
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/benchmark-ahb2-amplifier/
“But let me cite the toughest resolution test I know: for the a cappella introduction of “Moon River” on her Johnny Mercer album, the soprano Jacintha was placed in an isolation booth while occasional chords from a piano were played through her headphones so that she could stay in tune. Despite heroic measures to ensure isolation, the chords nevertheless bled through her headphones and can be heard during the silences. Now these are extremely far down in level; in a couple of instances they are all but inaudible. If a component can reproduce them, that’s about as much resolution as you are ever likely to need. Suffice it to say the Benchmark did.”
Since this track is just 16/44.1, you don’t need a flagship setup to achieve this feat. Once I heard it on a high end system, I was just barely make it out on an iPhone speaker out with my ear to it.
But this brings up an interesting point.
1) Does anyone know of another similar real-world challenge for resolution which is binary (you hear it or you don’t) that is more challenging?
2) Reportedly, Chesky Records said that on 3 Guitars, you can occasionally hear the hum of the heater. I haven’t had a chance to try that out, but the disc is on Amazon Music HD.
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/benchmark-ahb2-amplifier/
“But let me cite the toughest resolution test I know: for the a cappella introduction of “Moon River” on her Johnny Mercer album, the soprano Jacintha was placed in an isolation booth while occasional chords from a piano were played through her headphones so that she could stay in tune. Despite heroic measures to ensure isolation, the chords nevertheless bled through her headphones and can be heard during the silences. Now these are extremely far down in level; in a couple of instances they are all but inaudible. If a component can reproduce them, that’s about as much resolution as you are ever likely to need. Suffice it to say the Benchmark did.”
Since this track is just 16/44.1, you don’t need a flagship setup to achieve this feat. Once I heard it on a high end system, I was just barely make it out on an iPhone speaker out with my ear to it.
But this brings up an interesting point.
1) Does anyone know of another similar real-world challenge for resolution which is binary (you hear it or you don’t) that is more challenging?
2) Reportedly, Chesky Records said that on 3 Guitars, you can occasionally hear the hum of the heater. I haven’t had a chance to try that out, but the disc is on Amazon Music HD.