# What is the first song you (would) play on new speakers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390 "2010-05-14T03:29:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/21 "2010-05-14T17:05:31Z")
Whenever I imagine a Big Musical Journey… I think the ideal start [would be this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu7ow_JEKfk) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/22 "2010-05-14T17:33:03Z")
When I was a young teen, we got our first stereo. We brought it home and plugged it in and turned it on and tuned it in to a rock station. The song that was on at the time? _Frankenstein_ by Edgar Winter. My father told us to run because the stereo was going to explode. I nominate _Frankenstein_ by Edgar Winter. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/23 "2010-05-14T18:00:39Z")
Funny story: My Dad was shopping for a new stereo in the 80’s (or maybe late 70’s. It was when the first sets were allowing the option to add a CD player.) He needed tuner, speakers, the whole nine yards. He’d bring with him a CD of the 1812th Overture, with live canons. It was a VERY good recording. He went around to the different stores, explained that he was in a brass band, and needed to be able to play high fidelity recordings of very loud music without hurting the speakers or losing sound. He then asked permission of the salesmen to test the equipment they recommended with his recording. . . and blew out speakers across Northern Virginia. He finally found what he needed at a specialty shop, and still has the same system today. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/24 "2010-05-14T18:16:51Z")
That must have been the famous Telarc recording of the 1812. It had subsonic frequencies and was famous for blowing speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/25 "2010-05-14T18:19:12Z")
Joe Satriani’s _Speed of Light_ ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/26 "2010-05-14T18:37:36Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > The only possible choice is Also Sprach Zarathustra. > > ETA: Damn, I now see AHunter3 has beaten me to it. If you play that song, you also have to yell “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” and then chop your buddy in the chest. Because you’re an umpteen time heavyweight champion of the world, and a limousine riding, lear jet flying, wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing son of gun. “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” [/Ric Flair] Otherwise, to properly baptize your speakers, you need to play, in order: 1. Free Bird 2. Whole Lotta Love 3. Inna Gada Da Vida 4. Iron Man 5. Immigrant Song 6. Back in Black 7. Enter Sandman 8. Simple Man 9. Sweet Home Alabama (Original or Roll Tide version–which is the same as the original, except everytime Ronnie (or Johnny) sings “Sweet Home Alabama” you must roar “ROLL TIDE ROLL”) 10. Free Bird (again. Can’t ever have to much Free Bird.) Oak hath spoken. So mote it be. ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/27 "2010-05-14T21:29:06Z")
Jessica by the Allman Brothers ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/28 "2010-05-14T21:44:28Z")
La Grange by ZZ Top. Very, very loud. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/29 "2010-05-15T04:38:47Z")
Propellerheads do this awesome rendition of the classic James Bond theme that does some great stuff with different tracks & channels. I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/30 "2010-05-16T01:53:43Z")
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in c minor, Op. 78 (Organ), last movement (“maestoso”). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4U0y8zZm28&fmt=18](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4U0y8zZm28&fmt=18) With a good digital recording, the entrance of the horns (at 1:18 in this version) is particularly impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/31 "2010-05-16T04:25:29Z")
> [@Sassy](#): > > Jessica by the Allman Brothers Good choice. I’d also play Addicted To Love, Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Then an entire album of Stevie Ray Vaughn. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/32 "2010-05-16T04:47:17Z")
Derek & the Dominos. Layla. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/33 "2010-05-16T04:55:58Z")
I always find “Private Investigations” by Dire Straits is a good start. I like its subtlety and dynamics. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/34 "2010-05-16T05:02:26Z")
One of my lifetime topten albums, the Holly Cole Trio’s _ **Temptation** _, has a reputation among audiophiles and high-end audio dealers as a good way to demonstrate a system’s capabilities. Track two, “Train Song,” has about the best possible combination of silence to high volume, low to high frequencies, etc. It’s included on more than one industry demo disc. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/35 "2010-05-16T05:16:46Z")
I use the song “Synergy” by Fingathing to test out setups. It starts slowly/boringly so it needs a little time. It’s sonically dense yet sometimes subtle - it’s the song I’ve most noticed being utterly horrible with a crappy setup vs very satisfying with a good setup. But you’d have to know what it sounds like on an accurate, high quality output system to understand what you’re listening for, so it’s not very useful unless you have a known good reference. It’s nearly unlistenable on any setup I have except soundcard+HD280 on my end. Right now I’m stuck with onboard sound since my sound card died at the song sounds like ass. Edit: Incidentally, if you’re getting the test songs in MP3 form, you’re going to want a high bit rate mp3 (I’d recommend at least 224kbps average vbr) since if the setup is any good you’ll hear the compression artifacts. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/36 "2010-05-16T05:24:54Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Break-in is bullshit, there is a slight increase in bass as the cone suspensions loosen but other than that, “break-in” is just a matter of getting used to the sound of the speakers. Incidentally, I mostly disagree. It’s easy to scoff at audiophile ideas since they can often be idiots (expensive speaker cable, etc.) but break in has a plausible mechanism of action, since we’re talking about moving parts which wear on each other somewhat. This doesn’t necesarily mean that you need a burn in procedure where you do anything differently - the parts will tend to wear in on their own eventually as you play them. How much break in seems to benefit any particular piece of hardware seems to vary though, with some designs not noticibly changing and some changing significantly. I recently broke in a pair of Klipsch S4 in-ear monitors which had an unpleasant sound with some sibilance at first, but after a few days of burn-in settled down quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Digger1914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@Digger1914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger1914)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/37 "2010-05-16T11:39:56Z")
Marquee Moon by Television ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/38 "2010-05-16T12:26:27Z")
Ella Fitzgerald singing Honeysuckle Rose with the Count Basie Orchestra. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/39 "2010-05-16T12:44:32Z")
_Journey of the Sorcerer_ by The Eagles, definitely. Otherwise, _Kashmir_ by Led Zeppelin. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390/40 "2010-05-17T14:37:27Z")
ZZ Top - [Pincushion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwq_QW4nrUc). Nothing like gut-busting guitar to loosen those suckers up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-song-you-would-play-on-new-speakers/539390.md?page=3)