Any audio enthusiast should put together a selection of tunes like this.
Or, at the very least, download the highest-quality MP3 tracks availablerecommended 256 kbps or better.
Just 30 seconds ofRosannawill tell you whether a product is on the good or bad side of things.
Lifewire / Ashley Nicole DeLeon
Holly Cole, ‘Train Song’
We purchased Cole’s albumTemptationwhen it was released in 1995.
Use the studio recording instead of the live version.
Motley Crue, ‘Kickstart My Heart’
This tune from the Motley Crue albumDr.
Sony BMG Music
Sadly, many headphones make this tune sound boomy, and that is just plain wrong.
This particular song is a favorite for judging sound stage depth.
Listen for the castanets in the recording, as they are key.
Alert Music
If you’re able to do that, you have a fantastic system.
If not, don’t worry too much because this particular listening test is pretty hard.
We often use the songFallingwhen testing for thebest subwoofer placement.
Warner Records
Know that this is a harsh-sounding recording if you’re listening to the mids and treble.
So it might be worth making a custom version with the treble rolled off -6 dB at 20 kHz.
In our opinion, most hip-hop mixes are too elemental to tell much about an audio product.
Amazon
However, rapper Wale and singer Sam Dew are exceptions to the song,Love/Hate Thingoff the albumThe Gifted.
Both of these singers have smooth voices that shouldn’t sound rough on a good system.
You should feel some tingles along the spine or prickles on the skin.
Elektra / Nonesuch Records
If not, a new set of headphones might be in order.
Saint-Saens' Symphony No.
3, ‘Organ Symphony’
This may be the best deep-bass test ever.
Amazon
We don’t mean the booming, headache-inducing hip-hop or heavy rock brand of bass.
This recording from Boston Audio Society’s albumTest CD-1is not to be played without caution.
The low tones in this track are so intense that they caneasily destroy small woofers.
Maybach Music / Atlantic Records
This track is absolutely spectacular and something that any self-respecting audiophile or audio enthusiast should appreciate and own.
People who listen to this song through lesser sound systems may not be impressed.
Reverend Dennis’s voice is especially deep, which can sound bloated on most systems.
Amazon
This recordingthe detuned strings of the slack-key guitar in particularshould sound amazing.
If it doesn’t, there are ways you might improve the system’s audio performance.
CMP Records
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