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dongas420 t1_ittq3sz wrote

My #1 most-used test track is Night Club Junkie by YUC'e without a doubt.

  • The percussion at 1:14 provides a load of information about a headphone's treble detailing, microdynamics, high-end extension, etc. in just a few seconds. TOTL goes TSK!, tribrid IEMs with wispy treble go Tskh., the midrange stuff often has blunt attack and goes Tk!, and low-quality gear with one-note treble goes T! or K!

  • The basslines at 0:31 and 0:58 are "pure" (no overtones to deal with) and play at different frequencies, making evaluating low-end detail, texturing, timbre, slam, etc. straightforward.

  • The female vocals thrown in can help identify issues with intelligibility, clarity, midrange timbre, sibilance/hollowness, etc., although there are better tracks for this.

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tomatillo_ t1_ittu8jv wrote

YUC'e... I see you are a man of culture!!

I use the Toy Frappe EP myself hahahaha

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Flufflepotkins t1_ituig8n wrote

I've had this song on repeat for 2 hours now.. please send help

I can 100% agree that this is a really interesting song to try headphones out with though. I was using some HD660s and a FiiO K3, as a quick and dirty setup at work, but I'm going to spend some time tonight to see how it is with some other pieces

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civilsasquatch t1_itv6e2u wrote

Great timing, I happen to be at my desk with three IEMs of vastly different price points in front of me and been trying to compare the top two. The 1:14 percussion was especially different across them.

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[deleted] t1_itwf7a2 wrote

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djentlemetal t1_itx8y2s wrote

Totally agreed with this. There's way too much going on.

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AnOldMoth t1_itxcmvn wrote

It's actually pretty well-mixed and everything fits into the frequencies well, but yes, it's very busy.

But BECAUSE it's well-mixed and busy, it's a good measure for it. My Ananda have no issues keeping everything well-defined and separate, and it sounds great. Meanwhile, if I throw my HD6XX in to listen to it, it's suddenly a muddy mess with no definition (Though that's kind of that headphone in general).

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[deleted] t1_itxsnlr wrote

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AnOldMoth t1_itxv5lr wrote

It depends on what you're trying to test your transducers for.

Though well-mixed or not wouldn't really affect your source gear, I can't think of any modern amp or DAC that would be affected by genre. Digital signals are well-within the limits of accurate reproduction of any device that wasn't made like garbage.

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dongas420 t1_itwtzvf wrote

The standard definition would be "the ability to render small-scale volume gradations." What I actually listen for is how clearly a headphone/IEM can reproduce the S and the K in this track. With something with poor microdynamics, at least one of those will get drowned out due to unevenness in said gradations. The midrange and upper bass also influence microdynamics, though, so I use a separate piano track for those and focus on the initial attack.

Also, it's precisely because the track is so busy that it's an effective stress test for gear. Generic Jazz Track in Audiophile CD Compilation #26 is comparatively poor for testing sound quality because it's undemanding and sounds good on everything, being slow-paced, relatively simplistic, and midrange-centric.

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tedirginserseri t1_ittnk67 wrote

It's 2 for 1 special today, I'll give you two :)

1- Eagles - Hotel California version from Hell Freezes Over: The pinpoint accuracy of the horizontal line up of instruments and vocals and the encompassing low ends with the thump and control. If I can visualise the stage when I close my eyes with a sweet/warm sound signature. That is an enjoyable headphone.

2- John Mayer Trio - Out of My Mind: Just three guys playing their instruments with sparkly clean precision and feel. If a headphone can give you the feel of the control of the frequencies at the lows and highs while you can hear the song without uncomfortable booms from bass guitar and piercing snare hits, that is an enjoyable headphone.

Just my two cents...

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Qazax1337 t1_itwzv7l wrote

>John Mayer Trio - Out of My Mind

Sounds lovely and silky on my Empyreans.

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Overall_Falcon_8526 t1_ittwxzv wrote

Of course this is impossible, but if a person were only given 5 minutes to evaluate a headphone, they should pick something in their favored genre that they are familiar with and is recorded impeccably. So for me (a classical aficionado) I guess it would be this digital recording of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic:

https://youtu.be/zFVChb_p_OA

It has wonderful detail, rich bass notes, and it's just fun to listen to.

But the real answer is that I have 20+ go-to tracks across many genres, because 1 simply isn't enough. There's so much to check. Percussion, sub-bass tones, male and female vocals, instrument timbres, synthetic sounds...

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audiophile_lurker t1_itwmrj5 wrote

Eh, you are probably better off with a track with a host of specific issues and qualities that you could test against. Hot treble to test for spikes, various instruments in mids to test timbre, something deep bass in the bass but also midbassy to test for elevation and spikes, range of male and female voices since that will also help you catch anything unnatural in the mids, and loads of percussion. Tape it vinyl clicks could also help with testing instrument separation.

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imoverblox_ t1_ittnj4n wrote

Pink life by pink guy

Slammy bass meme value and not a shitty song

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Miller_TM t1_itu18jy wrote

Bury the Light

1: Motivation

2: Motivation

3: Motivation

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TheThinker4Head t1_itu7wv1 wrote

TRUE - “Sincerely” from Violet Evergarden. The s- and t-sounds in that song are crazy difficult to control and they can sound sibilant really easily on less than ideal headphones. If the headphones’ got spicy treble? This song will literally kill your ears. If the headphone has excellent high frequency control and can tame the harshness of those S-sounds? The song will sound amazing. This song is what I use to test headphones, because if it sounds sibilant or harsh, instant disqualification.

Headphones that have passed the test: Denon D7200, Sennheiser HD660s, etc

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MRRaptor71 t1_itulubh wrote

Probably a weird one: King - Florence+The Machine

There is no track that is as hard to get right on headphones as this. You get a bass quality and eftension check right at the start, the female vocals throughout expose any flaws in the midrange quite well and the few high hats in the song are separated enough for you to really pay attention to them. The biggest point is state and separation tho. I cant put my finger on why this is the case, but this song needs a decent stage and good separation more than most classical to my ears.

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Zy_Is_Learning t1_ity135e wrote

Have you ever tried the 7hz salnotes with this song?

I listened to it using the pair on Spotify and it sounded amazing for me but I'm not really good with being able to distinct a bad from a good pair so I wanted to ask how you felt about it so I can understand it better

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MRRaptor71 t1_ityjo5m wrote

I havent tried the Salnotes yet unfortunately :/

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Skystalker512 t1_itu6c2e wrote

War Pigs - Black Sabbath. I just like the song.

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TheUberMedic786 t1_itu22j3 wrote

Zenith by Geoxor

It was the one song that let me find a difference between the Truthear x Crin ZERO and the Master & Dynamic ME05 mainly due to the lows in it. That and it just slaps as a song.

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thor_Alf OP t1_itvw25z wrote

Holy cr%#! What a song. Glad I didn’t listen to it on headphones with lots of bass. 👍

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TheUberMedic786 t1_itvzepq wrote

I want to find the most bass heavy headphones and play that song through them :D

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thor_Alf OP t1_iucjxp1 wrote

It will blow your mind! My 990s nearly killed me.

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RaymondLuxYacht t1_itu8g05 wrote

Steely Dan: Caves of Altamira

  • Bass line, and kick drum should be tight but not compressed.
  • Horns should feel wide and expansive, as should the drum fills.
  • Cymbals, high hat etc. should be clear and clean, not splashy.
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Kobe_no_Ushi_Y0k0zna t1_ituqr8j wrote

Probably if I had to choose just one, it's Alice Coltrane's Journey in Satchinananda. Fat yet cleanly recorded bass, and with the rest of the instruments there's just so much texture and placement. Tons going on, yet also tons of space. Great recording, and I know it very well soit works great in an evaluation, if you can keep from trancing out entirely.

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thepooptato t1_ituhzx6 wrote

Definitely something from yosi horikawa, probably bubbles, it is the perfect track, it's a great recording and can be used to measure frequency response but also soundstage and imaging, its not a super full track so you can test instrument seperation as well, the only thing it doesn't have is a super deep bass but for the rest it covers everything. It's not an impossible track to play but gives a great response on what a headphone or speaker set is capable of

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thor_Alf OP t1_itva8dk wrote

I love his work. Letter is already on my list for imaging and soundstage.

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TooRational101 t1_itzu6a4 wrote

I was on a paddle with my stand up board and I heard Bubbles for the first time as it randomly popped up in a Spotify playlist. Just epic, clean, pure, fresh and very well produced. Yer right it’s not got the deepest lows but the sound stage is so full and wide even on my cheap BT iems.

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ReekyRumpFedRatsbane t1_ituowcn wrote

The ending of the 1812 overture, particularly the recording of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin.

It has enough soundstage to test staging and imaging, covers a wide dynamic range, will show off the headphones' timbre, gets so busy that even the most detailed headphones will be pushed to their limits, and shows bass impact and sub bass extension with the cannon shots.

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ni_lus t1_ittsafr wrote

Sinus by Mats/Morgan

  • for that bass line
  • to check cymbal sounds, maybe also the delicate drumming
  • to check everything in between
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SiegwardZwiebelbrudi t1_ittyxvc wrote

Atmos Amaze demo, on a certified device. its mixed for reference, so you will encounter clipping if your amp is not up to the task, which is a nice bonus, and it goes through all the works, bass, imaging resolution and its short enough, that you have a chance to remember everything, when you compare headphones, and at some point you will know this better than any song

Edit: obviously you need a proper source for this, youtube is just mixed for -14 LUFS like everything else.

Demo Bluray, or a Pc with the Atmos for Headphones App

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Icy_Vegetable1933 t1_itvcnwb wrote

La Grange, ZZ Top. That opening drum sequence tells me all I need to know about whether the headphone does what I like

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hashemfahoum14 t1_itvxhv1 wrote

Anything from Random Acess Memories It's a very well mastered album, and I have listened to it countless times and with many headphones so I know what to look for

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Dust-by-Monday t1_itupxzm wrote

Your Latest Trick - Dire Straits

  1. That smooth sax intro is so buttery
  2. When high hat and side-stick come in.
  3. The reverb as the sax fades away when the vocals come in.
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TheOneWhoReadsStuff t1_ituziwr wrote

I have 2.

  1. “London Dungeon” - Misfits

There are a lot of background noises in this recording that cannot be heard through most speakers. There is a good amount of echo and spaciousness in the track which gives a good indication of soundstage and imaging (I should feel like I’m outside with wind rushing past me). I know the track well and know exactly what I’m looking for. There is growling and background vocals that just aren’t audible on most headphones and speakers.

https://youtu.be/Dd8C6U2pfsY

  1. “Hide” - FKA twigs

Her music is masterfully recorded, and I could pick any of her songs to demonstrate imaging, but my favorite is this one. About halfway through the song, there is some shuffling sound that, on a good set of headphones, fools me into thinking there is someone in another room behind me messing with stuff. There are other sounds in the song that also sound like they’re coming from other rooms to my left and right. If it fools me and freaks me out, then I know the headphones have good capability.

https://youtu.be/vhSUh7tx9J4

This isn’t the recording I’m talking about, but the song is hott. To hear the one I’m talking about, you gotta find the studio recording.

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thor_Alf OP t1_itvsfad wrote

Excellent tracks! Thanks a lot for the recommendation.

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thor_Alf OP t1_itud59s wrote

Thanks guys! I have added a few tracks to my reference list and I know what to look for. 👍

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slavicslothe t1_itupe5y wrote

Verkligheten by soilwork. It’s my go to benchmark for detail retrieval and imagining soundstage. There is a subtle crunchy sound that rotates 360 degrees around you that I’ve only heard a couple headphones reproduce.

Susvara, empyreans, utopia, and verite were all able to do it, utopia did it the best and the other three it went in and out a little.

Notably the lcd4 could not which was surprising to me. To be fair the detail is specifically in the air region which means tuning can play a part but most headphones and speakers won’t even retrieve it.

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thor_Alf OP t1_itvttqk wrote

Damn you! Now u have me listening for that sound all night. 😂 And yes, I can hear it on my HD800S when I turn the volume a bit higher. Great test song for headphones!

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Insterquiliniis t1_itv43w3 wrote

White Noise by Static.
or
I Can't Imagine, by Ormonde

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6ohm t1_itv560i wrote

Amon Tobin - Goto 10

Just because if your headphone plays that one cleanly and survives - it's a keeper.

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andreasduganoff t1_itv6sho wrote

Honestly, Chill Bill - Rob Stone.

It is in No way the best mix or recording but the treble, mids and bass are so clearly separated that its become my go to!

The bass will shake any system, headphones or speakers. A lot of brighter headphones will sound like they're about to break or super loose and boring.

The treble. Is it piercing your ears or does it fit in with the rest of the frequencies?

This song lets me discern which type of FR the headphone manufakturer is aiming for.

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internalized_boner t1_itviil2 wrote

Does one need lossless or can you just fire up Spotify for these?

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Forsaken_Let_156 t1_itvkd91 wrote

Demons theme by LTJ Bukem. 1. Pe 2. ri. 3.od 😀

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_EternalBlue t1_itvr7t7 wrote

Lifetime by Swedish House Mafia has been a really good one for me. Im not an audiophile or good with words so please bear with me 😂

1: i think it has a good variety of highs and lows, bass and treble at different frequencies so you can really get a sense of the range your headphones can really hit with it.

2: I feel like the song can show how well your headphones can show off soundstage. Theres a lot of “movement” if you will as far as vocals go and the direction of sound

3: who doesn’t like SHM?

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corporatemonkey t1_itvul9n wrote

Evanescence - Hi-Low. Loved the vocals on my Beyer DT 880 pro and Sennheiser HD660S. Tried it on a Bose QC something and the vocals were bleah! Plus this track has both highs and lows as the name says :-) Ideal track to test headphones on!

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thor_Alf OP t1_itw04pl wrote

Oxymore by Jean-Michel Jarre Lots of stuff going on. Piercing highs, hard bass punches, subtle details and excellent for localization since everything seems to be moving around you all the time.

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RoyHehe t1_itw2svy wrote

Pink Floyd's Echoes, its just my favourite song and have listened to it tons of time, no other reason.

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licxtfls t1_itw6tcq wrote

渡口by蔡琴

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CheesyGooseLicker t1_itw94dl wrote

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Florence + The Machine. You can probably tell that I am still fairly new to the headphone game but MAN does this light up my headphones and the strings are phenomenal.

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N64SmashBros t1_itwc1oj wrote

Crash Into Me-Dave Matthews Band. Layered, nuanced sonically.

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sayonaradespair t1_itwccmv wrote

Fifty fifty clown by the cocteau twins .

Just in the first couple of seconds it goes from very low bass to a lush section that require the best mids and highs to sound as good as it can sound.

Great track to test headphones when you are shopping around.

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KellyMuscle t1_itxj983 wrote

Natural science by rush. All of the progressive elements. Just got my first Decent pair of headphones recently and this has turned into my favourite rush song. Crazy how much a nicer pair of headphones made me appreciate this song.

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PalladiumJim t1_ityh6c2 wrote

Wind and Anchor by The National Parks.

It's so open and well-separated that it's easy to pick an instrument and listen for the little details I know should be there--my favorite is the little boom of reverb from the mutes lifting off the piano strings. It has both male and female vocals (separate and together), acoustic guitar, violin, piano, light percussion. It's also just a gorgeous song. Maybe not the best bass test though.

Runner-ups go to Floya - Wonders and Rationale - Phenomenal.

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PH-GH95610 t1_itzch99 wrote

One track is not enough...

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Aracari_LoA t1_itv1z1x wrote

Woods of mystery - Theophany

This track is very immersive and has a lot of different sounds. Imo it can test most aspects of a headphone.

  1. Immersive staging with sounds moving around the mix.

  2. Different bass sounds like low tumbling rumbles to bell like low percussion.

  3. Sound FX like chirping animals, fast breathing and walking.

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No-Context5479 t1_itvil2k wrote

I honestly don't have a singular song... I have a playlist of songs across various genres that tackle various things like looking for sibilance, bass slam, sub bass rumble, imaging, soundstage and separation and overall tonality and timbre adherence. Some of the songs are:

Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Henrik Schwarz - Eye Nyam Nam 'A' Mensuro (Henrik Schwarz Blend)

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia LP

Daft Punk - Contact, Giorgio by Moroder

Osibisa - Sunshine Day, Ojah Awake, The Warrior

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (2004 Remaster)

Hugh Maskelela - Coal Train (Stimela)

Billie Eilish - Live at the ThirdMan Records Vinyl LP

And so many more @ u/thor_Alf

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dimesian t1_itvirdv wrote

Anecdotes by Joanna Newsom. Very busy track with a lot of acoustic instruments, a varied vocal, some warm synth pads near the end. This is one of several tracks I try with new headphones, I don't actually know if it gives a good indication of how they will perform but I'll notice immediately if they trip up.

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c0ng0pr0 t1_itvjzqc wrote

Cobblestone Jazz - India in Me

Ricardo Villalobos’ version of “Everywhere you go”

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Corgerus t1_itw82wq wrote

For me personally, Trifonic - Lies is my most important test track because I'm sensitive to treble, so if a headphone makes my ears hurt, that song will reveal it. It also helps with analyzing soundstage, low bass, and imaging. Not a perfect balanced song but it does work well for what I do.

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Riddler9884 t1_itx6fa2 wrote

Ramin Djawadi - Paint it Black
Ramin Djawadi - A Forrest (more out of preference than anything)
From Westworld S1 OST

Hans Zimmer - No Time for Caution
Interstellar OST

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Extrapaj t1_itv41j6 wrote

Pink noise

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