: Tracks 1 through 3 help ensure your speakers are wired correctly (in-phase) and that the left and right channels are balanced.
Use the final tracks to test for depth and soundstage focus.
Founded by Roger Skoff, a company world-renowned for manufacturing high-performance audio cables and understanding signal transfer physics.
The keyword ends with (Free Lossless Audio Codec). In 1995, this disc was only available as physical Red Book CD. Today, FLAC preserves that 16-bit / 44.1kHz master perfectly. : Tracks 1 through 3 help ensure your
Keith O. Johnson speaks to the listener. When "in-phase," his voice should lock dead-center between your speakers. When "out-of-phase," the sound should completely de-correlate, seeming to come from the sides or behind your head. This tracks down reversed speaker polarity instantly.
Brand new audio components—especially copper/silver cables, capacitors, and speaker drivers—have structural stresses at the molecular level. "Burn-in" is the process of settling these components by running complex electrical signals through them.
(co-inventor of HDCD), it combines technical calibration tones with high-fidelity musical demonstrations. Core Technical Features The keyword ends with (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
| Track | Title | Duration | Detailed Purpose & Use | |:---:|---|---|:---:| | 1 | | 0:30 | Verifies that the left and right speakers are connected to the correct amplifier channels. A voice announces "Left Channel" from the left speaker, and "Right Channel" from the right. | | 2 | Voice In-Phase | 0:11 | A test for correct speaker wiring. Roger Skoff's voice should be clearly focused at the center point between the two speakers. | | 3 | Voice Out-Of-Phase | 0:25 | The same voice but with one speaker's polarity reversed. The image should collapse, becoming diffuse, unfocused, and lacking bass. This is a critical tool for speaker placement; listening to this track, you can move your speakers until the voice has no discernible location. | | 4 | Clap Track | 0:59 | A recording of a hand clap. This is used to assess your room's acoustics, specifically to identify excessive echo, flutter echo, or uneven sound decay. | | 5 | 315 Hz Test Tone | 1:15 | A single-frequency tone. This track has multiple uses: it can be used with an SPL meter to balance channel levels, with a voltmeter to check amplifier output balance, and for identifying room modes and "comb filtering" effects. | | 6 | "Prof." Johnson Does Something Spatial | 4:19 | Keith O. Johnson provides a fascinating, narrated demonstration of soundstaging, imaging, and depth, moving around and using percussive instruments to illustrate how spatial cues are captured in a recording. | | 7 | Demagnetizing Sweep | 0:57 | A sweeping signal (40Hz to 19kHz) designed to demagnetize the metal parts in the signal path (cables, connectors, PCBs) of your entire system. | | 8 | Demagnetizing Fade | 1:00 | A continuation of the demagnetization process, focusing on lower frequencies. These two tracks can be played at a high volume (your normal listening level) and are said to immediately clean up the sound. | | 9 | System Burn-In | 15:00 | A specially designed signal meant to be played on loop for hours or even days to "burn in" new components, particularly speakers, by exercising their full frequency and dynamic range. |
These tracks are engineered to de-gauss your phono cartridges, tape heads, and electronics, removing magnetic buildup that causes distortion.
The 24K Gold plating was originally used to ensure the most accurate laser tracking and longevity. In a lossless FLAC format, you are preserving that 1995 mastering exactly as it was intended—free from the "loudness war" compression found in modern discs. It remains an essential "health check" for any high-end audio rig. To help you get the most out of this, let me know: Keith O
Confirms absolute left and right channel integrity.
Helmed by legendary recording engineer Keith O. Johnson , utilizing his proprietary Focused Gap Modulator and custom-built recording equipment to deliver the musical evaluation tracks.