• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

TEST FILES. How to verify the quality of your audio system and other audio tests.

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
Many are unbelievers before others who say they are able to detect differences. When I upload files, publicly or privately, there has never been a response, public or private. In this thread I will be sharing different audio files for those who want to use them to assess the ability of their equipment to discriminate.


Some time ago, before having my second audio system so optimized, I did the test suggested by xrk971. By then he had only built 14 DIY amplification modules, now he designs them and in the company of others. With my coaxial speakers. With headphones, presumably it will be easier!

Virtual Audition of Very Simple Quasi MOSFET Amp

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/295286-virtual-audition-simple-quasi-mosfet-amp.html

xrk971-DIY-SS-amps-2016.jpg


My review: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/sol...n-simple-quasi-mosfet-amp-34.html#post5243041


xrk971-14-amps-clips.rar 79.4 MB
14 x3 + 4 = 46 MP3 files. LAME 3.99r, 320 kbps. Encoding: -m m -V 4 -q 3 -lowpass 20.5

https://mega.nz/#!nlwl0KoS!idqilW-qKLsWuHYZFkOJcqHz5DUaPJoZyz5kFmuzWaU

Password: AudioScienceReview


Updated the title:

TEST FILES. How to verify the quality of your audio system -> TEST FILES. How to verify the quality of your audio system and other audio tests.
 
Last edited:
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
>audiosciencereview.com
>MP3
>in 2019

There are not my recordings. In any case, the difference was very evident almost two years ago. I commented on the three that I was more interested. F5 Juma sounded clearly better than the rest in my second system.

Here many say they do not differentiate between a good MP3 and FLAC 16/44. But there are other threads where to discuss it in ASR.
 
Last edited:
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
Last edited:

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
I don't spend time worrying about the quality of my audio system. It does the job well for me.
I don't fuss over the quality of the source too much. If it is too poor I don't play it much.

I am interested in the music. The playback gear is a non-issue, nowadays, speakers or turntable stuff, possibly, excepted.

Cool it re. the DR obsession. That is not the be-all and end-all.o_O
 
Last edited:
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
Nobody?

Maybe it scares the number of audio files. Just listening to 3 x3 is enough to discriminate between the three amplifiers I commented.

Total-Commander-xrk971-14-amps-clips1.png


F5 Juma. I love the sound.
VHex+ . It seems doped. Much bass, some anecoic sound. Maybe is the ideal with orchestral music.
Quasi. Sweet, warm. It needs more energy and highs. To listen vocal music.
 

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
Define quality in universally measurable terms. Otherwise it is all individual huff and puff.
 
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
Personal ranking aside, the important thing about the test is to determine if we are able to differentiate between amplifiers.

Many say they all sound the same, at least from a certain quality. All sound very good (those built entirely, as users comment in the corresponding threads), some are more similar to others and it will cost to differentiate them but if we focus on those three the test should be something trivial, and more with headphones.
 
Last edited:

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
Trivial is the right word. All of this amplifier stuff has be discussed on this forum ad nauseum. Do you have anything new?
 

DKT88

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
221
Likes
232
Location
South Korea
I don't spend time worrying about the quality of my audio system. It does the job well for me.
I don't fuss over the quality of the source too much. If it is too poor I don't play it much.

I am interested in the music. The playback gear is a non-issue, nowadays, speakers or turntable stuff, possibly, excepted.

Cool it re. the DR obsession. That is not the be-all and end-all.o_O
I agree about the DR obsession because in the last few months that issue has obsessed me. I think I've been having nightmares about DR. I've been checking the DR with the Foobar plugin for every track I play. Finally yesterday I cracked a beer and though f@^% it and listened to a new release with kinda low DR from a band I really like and I really enjoyed it. I'm done with DR as a driver for what I listen to.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
These aren't test files to verify the quality of your audio system.

Why is the thread named this way and not 'Virtual Audition of some DIY amps'

The idea is fine, I would, however, have recorded the signal directly from the speaker terminals (at least 96/24) while loaded with a particular speaker and post the characteristics of that speaker as well.

I reckon the reasons for it and comments on it will be explained in the DIY thread but am not a member there so cannot see any pics. The thread is too massive anyway.
 
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
Let us say it is a first filter, very easy to overcome. If it is not approved, it is clear that the listener has a problem with their audio system.

More interesting and useful tests will come later, with better quality audios, if there are a few who participate. So we can know the limits of our system and / or that we have problems that we have not been aware of.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
But the used 'test files' can and do not test any limits at all, nor is it any kind of 'first filter' except for those that do not seek neutrality and want something that is audible and measurably different from 'neutral'.

What tests are you planning to post that can show 'bottlenecks' and how to remove one or more based on 'test results' ?
 
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
There are many possibilities. In this thread we could focus on the musicality. Depth and detection of sound plans are the two limitations I have in mind because I suffer them.

Organ, accordion, piano and guitar are instruments that generate many harmonics. Some speakers are exceeded. The correct reproduction of the cymbals/dishes too.

The problem is trying to objectify the experience: themes, with better or worse quality, that convey emotion. Or tracks which you have the feeling that they are playing live in your room or you are at the venue.

With iZotope RX I could manipulate recordings, for example the DR.

iZotope-RX-7-Batch-increasing-DR.png


The reproduction capacity of some frequencies, usually the LF aka bass.

But if people do not participate even in this first screen, it does not make much sense to think about it!
 

JJB70

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 17, 2018
Messages
2,905
Likes
6,148
Location
Singapore
This is just me, but whereas 20 years ago I was quite interested in critical listening and convincing myself I could discern all sorts of differences (most of which were in my head and nothing to do with the equipment) nowadays my view is that if you have to resort to concentrated listening and special demonstration tracks to discern differences then what that really means is that any differences are basically irrelevant for listening to, and enjoying, music. Note that I'd still like to have a nice Accuphase system or a Benchmark stack because I admire and appreciate the engineering depth and quality of such hardware, but I'd be buying it for the pleasure of owning such wonderfully designed and made equipment, not for the sound quality.
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,522
Likes
37,050
Personal ranking aside, the important thing about the test is to determine if we are able to differentiate between amplifiers.

Many say they all sound the same, at least from a certain quality. All sound very good (those built entirely, as users comment in the corresponding threads), some are more similar to others and it will cost to differentiate them but if we focus on those three the test should be something trivial, and more with headphones.
I downloaded the files, but also didn't pursue them once I saw they were mp3.
 
OP
maty

maty

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 12, 2017
Messages
4,596
Likes
3,160
Location
Tarragona (Spain)
MP3 is at maximum quality but the sound is not top quality and only from one speaker -> I do not think it is easily differentiable with respect to FLAC 16/44.

Despite these limitations, one should easily differentiate between those three amplifiers.
 
Top Bottom