NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/alt/cdrom/2364

Text File | 1992-07-25 | 9.9 KB | 232 lines

Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!mips!munnari.oz.au!manuel!rsphy7.anu.edu.au!mbk113
From: [e-mail] (Marek Kaminski)
Subject: TEST CDs - SUMMARY
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Keywords: CD sampling testing
Sender: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Marek Kaminski)
Organization: Australian National University
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 05:52:20 GMT
Lines: 219

This is the summary of information I've received to my request for sources
 of the TEST CDs. The response was FANTASTIC, first messages came within
 hours from my initial posting. Thanks, folks!

It appears that there are two flavours of the test CDs: music samplers
and technical test disks. The music samplers demonstrate capabilities,
the test disks are meant as signal sources for test / repair.
Postings below (all edited to save bandwidth) mention a number of them.
 My own investigation revealed existence of two TECHNICAL CDs:

PHILIPS:        part # 4822 397 30155, available from Philips Consumer Products
        spare parts outlet,
TECHNICS:    part # SZZP1014F (source: book #2 below)

For people like myself trying to get into technical aspects of the CD
players there are
 at least two books, both published by SAMS - Prentice Hall:

1.    Ken C. Pohlmann: Principles Of Digital Audio
2.    Neil HELLER, Thomas BENTZ: Compact Disc Troubleshooting and Repair.

There is also a sequel book to #1, about Advanced Digital Audio.

Personally I strongly recommend book #1, and strongly do NOT recommend
book #2,
which is a strange jigsaw of every third page from the book #1 plus
every third page
from a service manual for a TECHNICS CD player.

Marek Kaminski, Electronics Unit, Research School of Physical Sciences,
Australian National University, Canberra.


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From: John O'Leary <[e-mail]>

Test CDs are very easy to find.  At least here in Holland, I can walk into the
CD section of any shop and choose from several test CDs.  They cost less than
10 Guilders (about 5 US$).  The best ones that I have heard are published by
"Denon" (if I remember correctly).  The 1989 version was best for general
testing of a CD player, and the 1991 version was mostly for testing 1-bit DACs.

From [e-mail] Fri Jul 10 20:40:06 1992

I believe that "Denon" has a test (demo) disk (though it may no longer
be on the market).
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From: [e-mail] (George Cross)

Stereophile Magazine sells two such test CD's.  They have various tones
and warbles at low and high frequency.  There are two such test CDs
available, at about $10US.


Address:
 Stereophile TEST CD 2
 P.O. Box 5529
 Santa Fe, NM 87502
 U.S.A.

800 number is listed 800-358-6274

  Test CD 2  7.95
  Test CD 1  6.95
  Shipping: U.S. $2, Canada $2.95, Other foreign $4.95 per CD (air)
  Payable in U.S. Funds, Checks payable to Stereophile
  VISA/MasterCard/AMEX accepted

These are for setting up and evaluating stereo equipment, not only
tone generation.  I have #1 which has a lot of music but also has
various warble (1/3 octave) sections from 200Hz down to I think 20Hz
for short intervals 20sec or so.  I can't find the May 1992 issue
which describes Test CD #2, but I think it has higher tones in
addition to more music.  There is also some kind of test CD from the
audio society, although I don't have any info on this except a kind of
vague memory.  Try reposting to rec.audio.high-end also.
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From: [e-mail] (Mark Hedley)
I remember hearing years ago of a test disc that contained what you want.
It was made by Denon. Sorry I don't know any more about it.
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From: [e-mail] (Rod Shelton)
I would check your local audio repairman, he/she should have such a test cd
to verify that they have indeed fixed the player correctly.
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From: Tim Noonan <[e-mail]>

I have two CDs which should meet your need:

Denon Audio Technical CD
No. 38C39-7147
Made in Japan by Nippon Columbia
(P) 1984.5

This Denon disk is very good as a test record.
It has sweeps, white and pink noise, phase and balance tests, a host of
amplitudes and frequencies and more.

The Digital Domain
a Demonstration
9 60303-2
Produced by: Elektra
copyright 1983

This disk is more a strange musical (electronic and nature) as well as
a range of balance, frequency, digital 0/1 and related tracks.
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From: Henk Dijkstra <[e-mail]>

I have bought one in Germany (for $6), with a total length of 69'20
an it was called:         TEST CD
and was produced by: Red Bullet International CV, Netherlands.
it has a number: R.B. 66.10
and was manufactured by: Europe Optical Disc in Holland.
It contains Sinus from 20Hz to 20 kHz (-10dB)
            Sinus at 1 kHz (0db)
            Sweep 20Hz to 20kHz (-10dB)
            pink noise
            SMPTE codes
            Silence
            Index marks (1-99)
            and some other things.

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From: [e-mail] (Laurent Perroton)

    I see your request for a test CD record, and I just
want to say that there exists in France a special CD for test,
distributed by a Hi-Fi magazine.
    It is a double CD, the first one for audiophiles, with
quite good records which makes you HEAR the difference between
a few recording techniques (filter, 8- or 16-bit quantification
 ...). The second one is for technicians and electronicians only,
with pure-signals, wobulating from 15 to 25KHz, and with fix
frequencies, between 15 and 25 KHz.
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From: [e-mail] (Doug Clinton)

Several years ago I purchased an audio test CD. It contains about 20
tracks which consist of various frequencies, sweeping frequencies,
white and pink noise (in phase and out) as well as about 20 minutes of
various pieces of classical music to test speakers.

I expect the disc is still available here in England.
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From: Bob Niland <[e-mail]>

"Digital Test", Pierre-Verany PV.788031 and PV.788032 is a two-CD set
containing a sample of test signals.  The real value of this set is that
disc #2 contains test tracks that test min/max track pitch, CLV velocity,
dropouts and some other "out of band" physical parameters.  If your dealer
doesn't have this set, you can phone order it from Harmonia Mundi (213)
599-0802.  $36.50 including shipping.

"Denon Audio Technical CD", Denon 38C37-7147 is a single CD with 99 tracks
of test tones, bursts, silence, sweeps, etc.  It amounts to a portable
signal generator.  For me, the most useful track on the disc is the -60 dB
1001 Hz tone.  This track provides a quick estimate of linearity (and noise)
problems in a player.  Cheap players, instead of delivering a pure tone,
often sound raspy, fuzzy or have extraneous frequencies mixed in.  This CD
is not a normal stock item and is more commonly found at dealers that handle
"grey market" imports.  The instructions are mostly in Japanese, but there
is enough English to make the disc useful.  Expect to pay $20 or more.

Today I received the Pierre Verany PV-2 test discs from DB systems.
As promised, there was a mini-catalog listing audiophile gear and
an assortment of test discs. Here are the test discs they stock:

Acoustical Society of America - AD Auditory Demonstrations $24.95
Audio (Germany) - AO-1 Staccato sound sampler $24
                  AO-2 Staccato 2 sound sampler $24
                  AO-3 Perfect Percussion (music) $24
Auvidis - SL Sound Effect Library $34
Carver - CD-4000 Sonic Holography demonstration/calibration $13
CBS Labs - CD-1 Test Disc $45
Chesky - CH Jazz Sampler and Test Compact Disc $15
Denon - DN-1 Digital Audio Check $18
        DN-2 Audio Technical CD $20
        DN-3 Anechoic Orchestral Music Recording $49.95
European Broadcasting Union - EBU Sound Quality Assessment Material $48
Hi-Fi News&Record Review - HF Test CD II $30
Japan Audio Society - CD-1 Audio Test $25
                      CD-2 Impact sound sampler $21
                      CD-3 Impact 2 sound sampler $21
                      CD-7 Impact 3 sound sampler $21
                      CD-9 High Resolution Master Sound (20 bit) $24
                           (brief musical selections recorded w/various
                           cut-off frequencies for treble or bass)
                      LVD-2 Audio Test Video Disc (Der Freischuetz) $55
Phillips - PH Test Sample SBC 421 $75
Pierre Verany - PV-1 Compact Test $17
                PV-2 Digital Test $34
Prosonus - SRD Studio Reference Disc $49.95
Reference Recordings - LVD A Video Standard (12") $59.99
SONY - SN-1 YEDS 7 $92.19
       SN-2 YEDS 18 $65.85
Stereophile - ST Test CD $9.95

The above are available from:

Dave Hadaway

DB Systems
Main Street, P.O. Box 460
Rindge Center, NH 03461     (USA)
[phone]
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From: Peter John Swiatkowski <[e-mail]>

The test disk I have is called the 'Digital Audio Check CD' from Denon,
catalogue number 33C39-7441, produced(??) in 1985. It consists of 14 test
tracks and 12 straight musical samplers. The 14 test tracks include channel
check, reference tones, two kinds of silence, a couple of sweep signals, a
white noise track, and a musical track recorded at 4 different levels for
checking for audible noise artifacts.

Denon's technical check CD, whatever the name, would provide more of the
technical test tracks you are seeking.
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