The 15 Best Tracks (Musics) to Test Headphones With

Listening to music is great when you have the perfect headphones. Being paired with a product that matches your preferences and provides great sound quality can really influence the experience you have. While purchasing a good pair of headphones, you need to make sure you are making the right decision. Chances are that the headphones you choose will be your partner for the next few years. With Best musics to Test Headphones, you can ensure that the choice you make is the right one. 

There are a lot of technicalities when you assess headphones, and without the right knowledge making a decision can be tough. Luckily that’s where we have you covered. As you scroll down, you will find everything there is to know about headphones, along with the music you can use to take your headphones out on a test drive.

What to look for when testing headphones?

The only way you can decide on which headphones to get is if you test them out first. There are so many things that you need to check out before you can settle on any headphones. As you read on, you will find what to focus on while listening to the best musics to test headphones

  1. Treble

Treble refers to the high pitch of music or sound. It can range from up to 20 kHz and go as low as 6 kHz. As a part of frequency, it is the exact opposite range of the bass. On a frequency chart, you can spot treble by looking at vibrations that take place faster and have smaller crests and troughs. By checking the treble, you will know that your headphones can clearly play high pitch sounds. 

  1. Balance

The major concern when buying headphones is to know whether they are balanced or not. Manufacturers just can’t seem to get the balance perfect with every product. Finding the right balance between treble and bass can be hard. 

The easiest way is by finding the right music track with a maximum range of frequency. This way, you can listen to the track and spot the highs and the lows. Not being able to spot either of the two will instantly tell you that the overall balance of your headphones is not right. 

  1. Spaciousness

Each frequency, instrument, and voice should have a little space between them. This means that despite being in perfect synchronization, they should not cluster together. Due to lack of range, headphones often overlap frequencies which can make the sound seem out of line or detached. With quality headphones, you should be able to make out the area in which the track was recorded. 

  1. Bass control

The lower part of the frequency spectrum is referred to as the Bass. The majority of the listeners prefer listening to an increased bass which is why most manufacturers have products that automatically increase the bass of a music track. 

However, if you are looking for quality, it is important your headphone plays the music track as it is. This means that while your headphones should be capable of playing an increased bass, they should not do so automatically. A large increase in bass will also mean that the music you listen to will distort. 

  1. Detail levels

The real judgment on how great headphones are lies in the minor details. Listening closely to a single detail and the headphones being able to provide you the clarity to pinpoint elements in depth will suggest how good the product is. 

The best way to understand how detail levels work is to listen for claps or chords of harps. These sounds often hide beneath layers of musical elements, which is why you can only notice them with great headphones. 

  1. Midrange quality

Anything that does not belong in the treble or bass sections of the frequency spectrum can be categorized as mid-range. This section is where the vocals really matter. The human voice is capable of achieving an amazing pitch. The variance in vocals will be the key factor in how great your headphones are. When looking to test headphones, you need to see if the vocals are clear. It is essential that you can spot the variance in vocals as that would mean that the headphones have excellent mid-range quality.

15 best musics to test headphones

A music track is created by using many different elements. Individually they might not sound like much, but the magic can be spotted once they come together. A music track is filled with various instruments, pitches, frequencies, and vocals. They can have different scales, and many different parts of the spectrum can be at play. 

From country and EDM to Jazz and Metal, each music track can be used to test your headphones. With a list of the 15 best musics to test your headphones, you will certainly make the right decision. Not only can you find the music track below, but you can also read which sound system to analyze using a specific music track. 

  1. You’ve got to have freedom

A well-composed track that is perfect when looking to highlight treble quality in headphones. With the high frequencies that make up parts of this soundtrack, it is easier to spot treble. While testing out headphones, you should be able to notice the sharp frequencies. The harsh pitches require a larger spectrum of frequencies that headphones should be able to play. 

Most local or regular headphones are not able to provide treble quality as it exceeds their range. The use of saxophone in the music track by Pharoah Sanders allows you to test just that. Despite the high pitches, a good pair of headphones will allow you to enjoy the brilliant tunes of the track overlapped with the wonders of the saxophone.

  1. Speaking Gently

The song is the perfect example of rhythm and timing. The way different instruments interact combined with a constant beat allows the user to test rhythm. Thin is a proven way on how to test if headphones are good. While listening to this track by BadBadNotGood, quality headphones will highlight portray rhythm and timing. It would sound as if everything is in a systematic loop. 

  1. Tabula Rasa

To make sure that your headphones do not give a flat performance, make sure to play Tabula Rasa by Arvo Part once. The song fluctuates between large and small-scale dynamics. This allows you to feel the range and truly judge the quality of your headphones. 

  1. Wilderness

A lot of the work by Explosions in the sky is great for checking the overall balance of headphones. The music track Wilderness has a lot of orchestral and instrumental use in it, which is perfect when you are looking for ways how to check headphone quality. Any listener can focus on the lower frequencies and the higher frequencies as each instrument resonates to varying segments of the frequency spectrum. The track is perfect when hearing out for overall balance. 

  1. Watching You without me

Kate Bush has outdone herself with this track. From the amazing lyrics to the production, which involves multiple elements, this song was made to listen to on quality headphones. There are multiple elements to this soundtrack that it would not be justice to play them on regular headphones. 

  1. Small Hours

While looking to test for spaciousness, there is no track better than Small Hours by John Martyn. The fact that it was recorded out in the open ensures that you can test your headphones without fail. 

  1. Pepas

The song that can get you dancing. Farruko’s vocals and the beat in the background are enough to transport you to another realm with the right headphones. 

  1.  Paper Trails

Too much of anything is never good. Despite having the urge to increase your bass to the point where the vein in the ear throbs to the tempo of the beat, we suggest using headphones that do not increase the bass automatically. Listening to what is happening above the bass is equally important. Paper Trails by Darkside is an excellent track to test bass frequencies. With the help of this track, a listener can easily test the clarity of the bass. 

  1. Symphony No.1 in D minor “Gothic”

The combination of the harps, the children’s choir, and the piccolo make this music track absolutely perfect. This masterpiece is the perfect way to judge the detail level of your headphones. Listening to the hidden chords will help in testing your headphones and understanding the detail level they can reach. 

  1. Bad Guy

The music track is great at providing insights into the quality of headphones. The beats, along with the vocals, are so powerful that with the right headphones, you will be able to anticipate what the next beat will be. This track definitely belongs as a must-play when you are looking for ways on how to check for headphone quality

  1. Helplessly Hoping

This track is a great choice when looking to test the midrange of your product. The vocal line of the music track is great. It has many layers that fall perfectly to create a harmonious track. The overlapping of these layers allows the user to listen for clarity between voices while being able to listen to the instrument playing. A great speaker or headphones will be able to resonate with each voice as an individual while perfectly bringing them together at the same time. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young have surely created a brilliant and harmonious music track. 

  1. Ljósi∂

The combination of the piano and the violin works like a charm to test headphones. With this track, you can check whether the headphones are capable of rendering the song. 

  1. Titanium

The beats by David Guetta are produced with great quality. Complimented by the vocals of Sia, it is a track that sounds amazing on great headphones. This song certainly has what it takes to decide and settle the debate, Windows Sonic vs. Dolby Atmos vs. DTS, which is better? 

  1. Bohemian Rhapsody

If you are absolutely stuck on how to judge whether a pair of headphones is good or not, then this is the song for you. The perfect way on how to check headphone quality is by playing this song. The pitch, the instruments, and the fading of music will ensure to give a good analysis of the headphones. 

  1. Something from your playlist

Once you have tested many soundtracks that highlight different elements with your headphones, the last song that you check should be something from your playlist. This way, you can test the headphones on something that you will be listening to on a daily basis.

Problems with unbalanced headphones

Purchasing new headphones can be tricky, especially when one headphone sounds louder than other. The unbalanced sound spoils the experience, but it is not a problem that cannot be solved. There are a few ways that you can troubleshoot your headphones to pinpoint what is wrong. However, if your Bluetooth Headphones Connected but have no Sound, then you should refer to the link to troubleshoot your headphones effectively. 

  1. Faulty balance adjustment

One of the reasons why the sound is not even is due to the settings. Your phone or laptop settings can be readjusted to balance out the sound. Most devices offer a right/left adjustment setting which can be used to solve the problem easily. It might take a little time to adjust it perfectly to your preference, but a little trial and error will get you there.

  1. Faulty or dirty audio jack

At times the problem is in how you insert your audio jack. A dirty audio jack can stop your headphones from connecting properly. Not only will you face a reduced sound quality, but you can also face an unbalanced sound. By cleaning the audio jack, you can easily solve the problem. Just make sure that the jack is seated properly on your device.

  1. Difference between Stereo and Mono

If you are facing issues regarding balance, it may be due to your output device being Mono. 

A mono device uses a single channel to transmit sound while the stereo uses multiple. If you have an output device that transmits sounds on Mono, but your headphones are stereo, you may only hear sound in one headphone or notice that one headphone sounds louder than other. You can check your device and headphones to find the kind of product you are using or purchasing to solve this problem. 

Conclusion

The best way on how to test if headphones are good is by having extensive knowledge. Only by knowing what to listen for while testing will you be able to make up your mind about how good a pair of headphones really are. The 15 best tracks provide insight into music composition and highlight multiple elements that are essential for quality. Hopefully, now you will be able to make the right decision on which headphones to buy for your daily use.

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Paul Goral

I am the founder of North Creek Music and I have a master’s degree in Engineering Acoustics. Sound is my passion. I wanted to start this blog and share my passion with others.

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