31 songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system - FAQ
What do you mean by a 2-channel system?
I would think everyone knows this but my long experience as a business writer tells me to explain everything... 2 channels means two speakers. Left and right. No sound bar, no 7.1 dolby atmos surround sound or whatnot. We can add a subwoofer (technically now a 2.1 system but that's ok). Classic stereo setup. Note - if you do have a fancy 5.1/7.1 system, just using the two fronts gets you a two channel system. You don't need the rest for music.
What do you mean by "decent"?
Loaded question. Thanks a lot...
"Decent" can mean almost anything you want it to, and can also be affected by your budget (monetary budget, time budget, and also the desire to do this). If you can see yourself spending time just listening to music - and nothing else - well, that's what this is all about. If that's something you enjoy, I promise you, a "decent" setup is either already in your home or on your wishlist.
Your speakers are going to be the real difference makers. We could get into how preamps and amps and sources matter, but honestly, good stuff here is so cheap that it's not really worth discussing (you can buy a Yamaha AS301 for $350, which is a "good enough" 2-channel amp for decent sound. You can use your phone and bluetooth as your source). I do like dedicated 2-channel amps best.
Good speakers can paint a picture with the music. Set up correctly, your two speakers should be able to create an entire soundstage between them. The better the speakers, the better picture it paints. If you're hearing lots of sound from the center (where there is no speaker), you're getting there. Hearing the center
and the left and right... that's better. But the real magic happens when you hear stuff all across it, at different depths and volumes. Off center, up front, singers that sound like they are behind each other, etc. Do that with clarity and fullness and a little warmth - at any volume -
now you're talking. A really good setup is nothing short of magical. You know it when you hear it.
This also has a little to do with the engineering of the recording. By the 70's, many engineers figured out how to mix records to almost resemble a band when a proper 2-channel system was used. This is why the Beatles or Pet Sounds or such don't really work for audiophile listening (imho).
What gear are you listening on?
pre/amp = Arcam SA20, speakers =
JBL HDI 3800 (video review by upscale audio in link). These speakers are amazing. It took me years of buying/selling /figuring out what I liked to get to them. I got them this past summer after a decent price drop from their original MSRP, and they are endgame speakers for me. I have a restored Denon 67L turntable, but I honestly do most of my listening through Apple Music these days.
What kind of songs are you listing?
Mostly stuff you already know (so if you don't have a decent setup, no worries - it's still 31 good songs).
I'm posting songs that just hit nice on my setup. For some songs, it's the vocal performance. For others, it's that "band" mix. Or for some, just how the song hits (note: JBL's are well know for being good "rock" speakers. I find this to be true).
Some of these songs are on "audiophile songs" lists, because they deserve to be there. Others are just things I think sound good on my setup. In my writeups, I'll try to highlight what attracted me to it. There are literally thousands of songs that could be listed, so I'm sure what I think is a great vocal will be surpassed by what you think is a great vocal. That's the beauty of it.
Once I was talking to this guy at an audio gear show, and he said "good audio gear is the best present you can buy yourself". I agree - I get more pleasure out of my music setup than anything else I own.
I'm about half done with my list - it's definitely been fun so far.
Thank god I was walking home from watching the first game and missed this!
