Reviews (2)

A must have
A good CD to have to gauge the ability of one's system. A must have. It was one of the best CD made based on the available technology at the time.

Best for CD
I have 4 test CDs and this is best for testing CD-players and DAC. Fine disk for audiophiles and studio professional! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Classic
I bought this when it first came out. I used to surreptitiously put it on (with volume set high) when I had people over to my apartment. Amidst the conversation they usually wouldn't notice the relatively quiet outdoor noises, then suddenly an airplane would roar overhead shaking the walls, and they would be startled and burst out laughing. It was a pretty nerdy trick but fun.

Twenty years later
Bought this when it came out in 1983. Now, twenty years later, it's still amazingly enjoyable. Back then, when almost nobody had heard of Compact Discs, I'd blow their minds and their socks off with this disc. Today I listened to it for the first time in years and it's such an odd, interesting, creative batch of sound effects, songs, and experimental stuff -- not to mention some good sound-system-checking material. There's real music here and all kinds of other bizarre and interesting things. And it's not skimpy on quantity either. A true original, a true digital antique, and still great!

The Digital Domain
I purchased the original CD when it was originally released and played it on Sony's first CD player, the CDP101. To hear the water trickle, you have to turn the volume up quite a bit and when that first Jet fly's by, the whole room started shaking and the windows rattled and I thought for a moment a real Jet had just flown over my house! Unbelievable to say the most. A must have for anyone who wants to test their audio system. They should have put a warning label on it!

digital domain
Got this one in 1987. Cool sounds. The helecopter sound is the best I've ever heard on a recording.

this is what you have been looking for
In 1983, the cd was well on it's way in becoming a household word and an agreed upon and impprovement over that big plastic round thing. Maybe a novelty at first, but for sure this is the real thing. and willpush your system (and your head) to the limit. The ride starts with track one, and from there it just gets better. What a treat, a disk that has way cool out of this world sounds and all ya need to tune up your system (and your head). Put headphones on for that first track! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

From a person who knows!
Over the years, I've bought a lot of test Cds. I thought the creative peak had been reached with the 1992 release of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test CD from the fine people at Crotchrot Ltd but boy was I mistaken. During my nightly bubble bath I popped The Ultimate Test CD in my player, and I was swept into dimensions I had only read about in Star Trek novels. Bravo! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tests Triffic
Wow, this is an entire new frontier in test CDs! I was blown away - literally! I was pushed back with great force from the speakers. This CD is just that amazing! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

nice collection
first of all .. it is essential for this that you have a dts decoder ... else the cd only contains noise !!.... but if you have one it's sound and surround in perfection.... instrumental versions of well known and loved songs

nice cd

A pure waste of your money
I expected to get a tool to calibrate my home theater system with - to balance the speaker levels and such. All i got was something that even the simple noise that my reciever can produce out performes. All that and for a very expensive price.

In short - don't buy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the best original test CD's around
This is one of the most comprehensive of any test CD's I have ever bought. This can be used for anything from aligning tape head azimuth to speaker frequency range. Also good for testing noise levels of either your cd player or amplifier/receiver.
I recommend the Denon Hi-Fi Check CD Denon catalog number CO-75046. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

If you're going to own only one test set, this is the one.
How exactly is one supposed to go shopping for test discs? The only way I know is largely through trial and error, which can get expensive. For example, the Sony YEDS 18 disc sells for around US$105. Generally speaking (with the exception of the Sony disc), you get what you pay for. If you buy a US$10 disc, don't expect much.

So, what should you be looking for? Most test discs confine themselves to bunches of pink noise, 1/3 octave spots, sweep tones, sine & square wave spots, and max levels. Don't worry if you don't know what all those do, you can look on the back of the CD case and at least see if they're included. Also included are some music tracks. The CD booklet (if any) is usually of limited use.

While the Verany set has all the usual tracks included, it differs from most in several important ways.

First, included are several tests to determine your CD players ability to compensate and correct for various disc errors.

Second, you can test to determine how your player adjusts for discs that were cut using pre-emphasis. The tests will help determine if your player automatically adjusts for it, and if so, you'll hear how the audio curve is effected.

Third, the enclosed book is very good, and in two languages: French & English. The booklet gives great, non-technical explanations for the tests, making this a great set for people who don't necessarily know the technical side.

The fourth difference addresses the section of the set I don't normally like: the music tracks. The tracks are very well recorded, but do little to challenge your amp and speakers. Most of the tracks are of voice, natural instruments, jazz, and orchestra. These tracks do little to test a systems capability to handle a truly wide dynamic range. These are typical of the kind of music tracks included on test discs. Where Verany makes up for it is in the music track descriptions found in the booklet. The descriptions in the booklet tell you what qualities and characteristics you should be listening for on the various tracks.

This set is great for both the novice and knowledgeable, and the biggest bang for the buck I've seen. The only thing that could be improved is cutting the discs on gold, improving the sound quality and accuracy significantly. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Zoooom!
I have 9 test CDs and this is one of the top two. It has many of the basics that you would expect (see track list). The tracks with people walking around the room, especially for depth, offer unique tests for your sound system. If you want to test your dynamics (you are warned!), turn up the racetrack so that you can hear them talking, then watch your system as the car races by (you are warned again!) -- wow! If you do not have a powerful amp (i.e., low distortion at high power levels) and speakers that can handle it, do not try that at high levels (you are warned for the third and final time!). ... Read more

Album Description

Demonstrate and Test your compact disc system using music, sound effects and audio tests. Hear the Sounds your Cd Player can reproduce. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Brilliant Modern Opus
"Demonstration and Test CD" is, quite simply, a breakthrough in modern experimental music. From such magnificent movements as "Pneumatic Hammers" to the ever-gripping "Explosion", this is one work of modern music that will be studied in the universities and played in the concert halls of the future. ... Read more