Best Songs To Test New Headphones – Audio Headphone Test

If you don't use headphones, you're living under a rock.

Odds are, if you work a desk job, go to the gym, talk on the phone, or simply exist in this day and age, you've got a decent set of headphones.

When it comes to finding the "best" headphones, a lot of that determination comes down to personal preference.

Some people like in-ear headphones while others like the over-ear style. Some people prefer a flat sound, while others may want a little bass boost.

All things considered, we can all agree on one thing - not all headphones are created equally.

If you're in the market for some new headphones and want to decide which ones fit your personal preferences the best, a great way to do this is to test the headphones by listening to a few different songs.

You may already have a list of songs you like to use to test your new equipment, but if you don't this post may be worthwhile for you.

Here are a few of our favorite songs for testing out headphones

Testing Overall Balance - Explosions in the sky - Wilderness 

Balance isn't always the easiest thing for headphone manufacturers to get right. There is a lot of pressure to make headphones sound "full," and at the risk of pushing out a product that may sound too lightweight, it's not uncommon for headphone makers to overdo it on the bass.

Explosions in the sky gives you the chance to test the frequency response of a variety of sounds.

Testing Bass Capabilities - Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes

This iconic song is a great way to test the bass response of your headphones. The heavy and consistent bassline will put your headphones through the wringer.

If you want to see if a pair of headphones will give out with a beefy baseline, this is the song that will let you know.

Testing Mid-Range Frequencies - Fleet Foxes – Fool's Errand

Fleet Foxes Fool's Errand is an excellent song if you want to see the mid-range response of your headphones. It uses a variety of percussion instruments that come in at different frequency ranges.

Most headphones will do well when it comes to mids, but if this song sounds at all muddy or tingy on your headphones, it may be a sign that the mids are suppressed.

Testing Dynamics - A Thousand Years - The Piano Guys

This classical rendition of "A Thousand Years" is a great tester for headphones because it combines a variety of classical instruments that all exist within their own frequency levels.

It also utilizes low and high volumes without much compression, which will show how your headphones handle variations in volume.

Testing Treble Control - Pharoah Sanders – You've Got to Have Freedom

With the majority of the focus of headphone production being centered around the bass response, it can be hard to find a pair of headphones that handles treble effectively at all volumes.

If you want to test how your headphones handle a variety of treble-heavy sounds, "You've Got to Have Freedom" is a great song to crank.

Testing Ranges - The Devil Wears Prada - Escape