Albums/Tracks/Songs For Testing Headphones
 

Does anyone have any (or know of any) tracks I can use to test the soundstage of different headphones?

Thanks!

Classical music is really the best in my opinion. Also find that any band that prefers to record there tracks in single sessions wrok well too, even older tracks from certain rock bands work. I personaly like listening to some older Aerosmith tracks. Some newer bands work, the australian band Wolfmother comes to mind.

Alot of people seem to use "Teardrop" by Massive Attack...you may recognize it as the theme song from the TV series House.

I find that anything off of Stadium Arcadium by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is awesome when it comes to showing off the soundstage. Also, Let Down by Radiohead from OK Computer. That song is pretty much my test song for every mp3 player I've ever listened to.

Problem I find with modern day CD soundtracks is that they put in sound effects to mimic soundstage depth, as in you get the same feeling of depth on those tracks no mater what phones you use. With classical music, or music properly reccorded in a concert hall, you get a constant feeling of the depth. Since the same instruments resonate from the same place over and over again, you can easily find that depth.

Arne Domnérus' Group - Good Vibes - Jazz At The Pawnshop Vol. 1-3 (1976) has perhaps the best soundstage I've heard so far. It's been recorded live in some tiny jazz bar, with two Neumann microphones in X/Y and a portable Nagra 1/4" reel-to-reel. Breathtakingly realistic recording.

If you want a standard common denominator refered to on many sites, check out: The Ultimate Demonstration Disk, Steve Guttenberg. It's used a lot to assess hi-fi equipment (the tracks are in FLAC).

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I used that album over 30 yrs ago to buy my first set of AT Headphones.

I have a Recording by XTC "My Bird Performs (Home Demo)" The is excellent for hearing Depth from front to back. As the song end's they meander from the stage past the mike and out the hall/room and you can hear the footsteps and the path they take.

I, having seen Santana over the years I'm familuar with his stage set-up. Another track I use is "Black Magic Woman" from Live in South America CD. You should be able to hear the a distinct separtation between the conga and the timballe players as well the space around them.

Paul Simons- Graceland CD the whole thing. This is one of the best recordings/techinally I have ever heard that you can buy in any store.
You should clearly hear the space around the musician and should be a hard right or left thing either. This record will if you have the right gears should make the headphones disapear.

I would also add the Any Pat Metheny (EMI label) recordings work for me as well.

The main thing here is the focus a vocal and acoustic music. It becomes more difficult to judge soundstage with electronic insturments and music. The more natural the recording will reveal a better soundstage on disc, generally. For Example Paul Winter's - Canyon was recorded at water lever in the Grand Canyon on different stops on their raft trip. You get a sense of presence and can hear the ceiling of the canyon by all the birds that make their way in to the recordings as well as other wildlife.

Albums/Songs For Testing Headphones
 

Recently, I've been checking out different types of headphones in order to get a better set. The reviews and listening tests have been helpful steering me towards better headphones. The headphones I'm currently using (JVC Flats) are an improvement over the original Sony earclips I used to use, but I'm still looking for something better that isn't a budget breaker.

I was wondering: Which songs/albums are good to use when determining how good a set of headphones sound?

I would say whatever type of music you listen to

I'll add that using songs you know well helps.

Try testing with well-mastered records, not those crunched to death by the loudness war.

L/R and Overall:You never go wrong with Pink Floyd's Dark Side on the Moon or the Easy Star All-Stars Dub Side of the Moon.

Tonal Balance:

Al Di Meola "the Embrace"
Cocteau Twins "Cherry Colour Funk"

MC 900ft Jesus "UFO's are Real /exhibit b"

Any GRP/Impluse record excellent recording whether you like the Jazz or not. Ex. Lee Ritenour Moving Wes

Just Because: XTC's Nonsuch

Soundstage:Santana Sacred Fire [live in South America]


Stereophiles Test CD #1 & #2

I comes down to like TDS is saying; using recordings you are familiar with.


I would also like to add if you can listen to your selected music on the same source with High End headphones and the ones you settle on. Good ole A/B comparison and reference point. Chances are you can find a good set for a lot less than sounds almost as good. That is if we are talking Headphone and not earbuds or IEM's. Still it would be good to listen to a pair of good Headphones as a IEM's/bud's.

I use this song to test for sibilance since it has tons of sibilance on headphones with harsh treble.

Akcent - King of Disco

For soundstage, I usually test headphones with classical music.

IIRC there's another thread about this somewhere in abi but I couldn't find it so let's run with this one. Skip found the thread and its mereged.

Back on topic. Personally I like to hear various songs that I am familiarized with which focus on lows, mids, highs and a combination of all three. I also like to use some music that uses drums, strings, piano, horns and good vocals. This way I can try to hear the various ranges the IEMs/headphones are capable of reproducing in each category. Two albums that provide some coaching are below:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Demon.../dp/B00002MXUH

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Demon.../dp/B0016KCBNC

OMG I forgot about Chesky Recordings. I don't know how but yes I have used their CD's to tune High end stereos. I don't know if I would rely on them for headphones though....entirely. Chesky recordings are always Master recordings from the get go.

I need to get those cd's now,...thanks WalkGood!!!

Still look'n?...........Peter Gabriels - So(bass),Pink Floyds - Dark Side of the Moon(clean cymbals),Rippingtons - Moonlighting(midrange instrumental mix/separation),and Roger Waters - Amused to Death(soundstage/depth)this album has Qsound,enjoy.

sorry PF was mentioned.....+1

Since you mentioned Pink Floyd, you should check out “The Final Cut (1983),” they use binaural (holophonics) recorded effects & instruments in the album and it’s very interesting to hear. That said, I don’t use it to test headphones but certainly enjoy listening to it and testing crossfeed feature. Although I do use a few PF songs during testing as well ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

WalkGood you mentioned a thread that had some other recommendations. Is this the one you were thinking about? http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...ad.php?t=38775 Even if it isn't, I think there's some good suggestions there as well.