5 Of The Best Songs To Test Headphones And Speakers Before You Buy
When it comes to electronics, consumers should always do a bit of research before buying. Apart from comparing technical specifications, you may also want to canvass which store offers the best prices and read through online reviews to get a feel of people's overall satisfaction with a particular product. Once you whittle down your list of potential brands to a few contenders, it's time to give them a proper hands-on check to verify which one is the best pick for you considering your own preferences or requirements. You can do this by ordering a gadget from an online platform that has a reliable return policy (in case you end up not liking it) or going to a physical store to test it in person.
If you are considering buying a pair of headphones or speakers, the most obvious way of gauging the equipment's sonic range and the overall sound quality it can provide is by playing music and paying attention to the way it sounds. While playing your favorite tunes sounds like a good jumping-off point — this is if you're buying speakers or headphones for personal use — there are some music tracks that have certain qualities that offer listeners a way to test a wide range of frequencies. Below are some songs you may want to try out before you decide to purchase new headphones or speakers.
Elevate by St. Lucia
The song starts off with a punchy mix of keyboards, drums, and other guitar effects of varying levels. This same beat can be heard all throughout the song underneath a mid-level male vocal that is joined by a female singer with a softer and higher range at around the two-minute mark.
There's a moment in the middle of the five-minute song where a layer of the synth effect cuts out, leaving room for the bass drum to breathe and take center stage. If the headphones you are testing are any good, you should be able to hear the very faint vocal underneath. The song will slowly escalate into an earworm-level chant of sorts, followed by the band's horn section to round out the overall sound.
At the end of the day, this upbeat song lives up to its name. It certainly can elevate your mood with its effective coverage of high, mid, and low frequencies.
Teardrop by Massive Attack
If you happen to be a fan of House — the 2004 medical drama television series starring Hugh Laurie — you may recognize this song as the show's theme song. The heartbeat-like intro is already a great barometer for your audio equipment's bass levels. It is soon followed by a basic harpsichord riff that starts off quiet but ramps up quite a bit. It then drops dramatically to the background as ethereal female vocals come in. The interplay of the variety of instruments and the vocals should sound cohesive through a good set of headphones or speakers, but at the same time, listeners should also be able to single out each instrument clearly.
The song has plenty of quiet and loud parts that should cover most of your audio equipment's test requirements. In fact, in an online thread of sound engineers, many have suggested using tracks of the England-based trip-hop group as a good soundcheck track. Perhaps it's because of the band's genre — a fusion of hip-hop and electronica, which should cover all frequencies — or the way most of their popular songs feature dynamic musical effects. In any case, Teardrop is a great tune that should sound excellent on a pair of headphones or turned up on speakers.
Theme From Jurassic Park by John Williams
In general, it's always a good idea to test headphone and speaker capability and overal sound quality by playing a piece of classical music. The genre is jam-packed with tracks that feature orchestras that have entire different sections of musical instruments. Having a song that is instrumentally diverse is a great way of sampling a wide range of frequencies, which is something that you want to do before buying a pair of headphones or speakers.
You really can't go wrong with classical music. Put anything on by the likes of Vivaldi, Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy and you should be good. If you want something somewhat more modern and pop culture-friendly, any orchestration by renowned American composer and conductor John Williams would be an excellent test track choice. The Imperial March from Star Wars would be a riot to play in public when you try it through speakers you are considering, but for an option that is less scary to young passersby, the theme from the classic movie Jurassic Park is a fantastic (and nostalgic) listen.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Rock is another genre of music that's a great pick for testing speakers or headphones. Depending on what instruments are being played and the vocal range of the singers in the band, you should be able to hear an even spread of sound frequencies. You'd want to listen to a song that has, at the very least, a nice bass line, a steady guitar riff (plus points if there's a face-melting solo), and a singer with a wide range.
For these reasons, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody needs to be on your list of test tunes. It's got the low bass of the drums, memorable piano and guitar sections, and the epitome of vocal aptitude in (the now-deceased) frontman Freddie Mercury. It's got both quiet and loud moments, making the track dynamically sound. You even get the bonus of fantastic vocal harmonies that include a variety of ranges. If you only have time to listen to one song before you buy headphones and speakers, make it this one.
Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
Another favorite among sound system professionals is Fleetwood Mac. The band's 1977 album Rumours is highly regarded in the music community for being masterfully mixed — a live version of the album was also recently released and is currently garnering massive plays on Spotify — and just being an excellent album overall. If you're looking for one track to sample off it, go for the beloved and widely covered Dreams, which reached viral heights in 2020 courtesy of a TikTok trend.
It starts off with a clear and punchy bass line and Stevie Nicks' aptly dreamy vocal. The high pitch comes out clear and crisp, a great indication of any headphones' or speakers' treble response. By the time every instrument comes in and the harmonies begin, you get to enjoy the marriage of all frequencies while also being able to hear each element distinctly, even when they are playing at the same time.