Submitted by Tmatershow t3_11bggpx in headphones
So when looking at different headphones, what sound or song do you use to really test headphones. For me personally I've always used Comfortably Numb but is there something better I could be using?
Comments
rtv- t1_j9xtkc1 wrote
👆 this is the way.
Use something you know inside and out. That way you will notice new aspects or miss things that aren't there.
Can't agree more on the different genres thing too. My music taste has changed and evolved so much from coming to appreciate the sound of some songs rather than the music itself!
No_Analysis6187 t1_j9xr9sv wrote
I simply listen to whatever I listen the most at the time.
Speedmaster1969 t1_j9xwfor wrote
I tested a bit with Coil. The irritating sounds are going to be VERY irritating when it's emphasized and I can kinda of hear when there isn't enough detail but is supposed to be.
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Album:
Musick to Play in the Dark Vol. 1 & 2
Horse Rotorvator
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The song I've tried the most is "Time" by David Bowie however. On the RCA CD press.
RB181 t1_j9y4sob wrote
I have a playlist of about 30 songs by my favourite /r/symphonicmetal artists, occasionally updated with new favourites. The first song is always Cryovile - Providence.
Bodiesundermygarage t1_j9y8gw0 wrote
"Busy" sounding stuff is always good. I basically Pavlov'd myself into always going for Magnolia by Playboi Carti whenever I think of "headphone testing songs" even though it's not the best; it does have a constant, rumbling bassline; vocals, drums and a background synth pad but it doesn't really fit my own ideal.
I recently got the M40Xs and that, With You by Linkin Park (good choice imo), Instant Crush by Daft Punk (OK pick for testing more breathy vocal and synth sounds), Fistful of Steel by RATM (great pick if I do say so - super dynamic) and (Coffee's for Closers) by FOB (again, great pick imo - super loud and anthemic) were the first songs I played.
More songs I like that would probably be good (for fun):
You Lose! by Magdalena Bay - Black Beatles by Rae Sremmurd - Supersonic by Skrillex - Ode to the Mets by The Strokes - Pink Moon by Nick Drake - #IMSIPPINTEAINYOHOOD by XXXTENTACION - I Get Wet by Andrew W.K. - Miami Ultras by Yung Lean - Motherfucker=redeemer by GY!BE - Hatred of Music I by Tim Hecker
phut- t1_j9y9jnh wrote
I have a playlist in Plex called "test" which was supposed to be short and sharp but is about seven hours long now....
As others have said, use what you know and enjoy, and within that have some variety.
Eg. My test playlist has some Korn, some thelonious monk, some Karajan, etc etc. Horses for courses.
imsolass t1_j9yfj3k wrote
This version of Hotel California is what I usually tell people, it's mixed masterfully.
But what do I personally use? The Rain Formerly Known As Purple from the Risk of Rain 2 soundtrack has great bass and high pitched electric guitars, allowing me to check both ends of the frequency response spectrum whether there's something wrong.
This one is probably very controversial, but I use Perfect by Ed Sheeran to check male vocals. If he sounds too harsh here, then I know the headphones are too harsh for me to daily drive.
I usually just pick out a track from Porter Robinson's Nurture to check out female vocals. It's not actually a woman singing, but it's a male voice pitched high and I really like the album 😤. Same as before, if it sounds uncomfortable on this, I would not daily drive them. I pick whatever track I'm feeling at that moment, but I guess if you had to pick one, Unfold would be my choice.
So those are the 4 tracks I use to test things, mostly because I'm super comfortable with them and they cover all of what I listen to
thebadams t1_j9yj7w7 wrote
As others have said, listen to what you like and what you know.
For example, I personally fall back on a lot of classic rock: Jethro Tull's Aqualung album (particularly the song Locomotive Breath), Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Eric Clapton's Slowhand and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours simply because they are generally mastered pretty well, and more importantly I grew up listening to those albums with my Dad. All of those Albums I've listened to probably hundreds of times, and I know each song back and front. So when testing headphones I use those albums because I will pick up on any intricacies that the set up might reveal.
DWW256 t1_ja12u6g wrote
I like chiptune because square waves, which have harmonic content distributed across a wide range of frequencies in a relatively even manner, form a large percentage of instruments. It makes it really easy for me to tell whether something's tonality is solid or completely off its rocker.
LeEasy t1_ja2xlkf wrote
Hotel California Live, I use it to demo and tune my speakers
Hitorijanae t1_j9zc4ja wrote
A 20 Hz to 20 kHz sine sweep, that's all I listen to /s
audiochef68 t1_j9xr8e7 wrote
Use what you like and know, i use some Bob marley as he has so many different instruments going on, try different music genres too, some headphones will perform better than others depending on the music genres.