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Benchmark Songs for Headphones?

post #1 of 11
12/15/08 at 10:55pm
Thread Starter 
Just wondering what songs you guys use to test out the quality of headphones. I've heard Boston's "More Than a Feeling," but I was wondering if there were any other songs you all personally liked in terms of determining the quality of headphones you might be trying out.

I don't have one particular song--I usually try Pete Rock's "T.R.O.Y", an Alfred Brendel recording of a Beethoven piano sonata, and "Hotel California."
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post #2 of 11
12/15/08 at 11:27pm
Nightwish's Dark Passion Play- the last four tracks on the album. If a pair of headphones can't handle Nightwish well, I certainly don't want 'em.

(Guess how I settled on my 325is? )

Also, Nine Inch Nails' The Slip. Lights in the Sky, Corona Radiata and The Four of Us are Dying, to be particular.

And let's not forget Pink Floyd. ANY Pink Floyd.

Really, it's whatever recording you're most familiar with that should be used.
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post #3 of 11
12/15/08 at 11:47pm
Thread Starter 
haha, the only thing I'm afraid of is that I've never really "heard" the songs I'm most familiar with so that any improvement I hear, no matter how minor, is going to be of epic proportions.

But I guess in that vein, Muse's "Knights of Cydonia" too.

lol of course Pink Floyd.
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post #4 of 11
12/15/08 at 11:55pm
Just use any songs you like, something with gobs of detail and recorded well.

For example, MTV Unplugged series - especially Eric Clapton works well for me, as well as several rock bands of the 60s and 70s. Oh, and classical music are often well-recorded.

Also, Massive attack's blue lines and mezzanine are excellent to testing bass response from your headphones.
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post #5 of 11
12/16/08 at 12:06am
For benchmarks, I wouldn't go with CD's, go with DVD's. My favorites are Hell Freezes Over and Farewell Tour both by The Eagles. I know it's kinda cliche but Don Henley is a perfectionist when it comes to sound and it really shows.
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post #6 of 11
12/16/08 at 6:21am
Now don't laugh but I love to push the limits of my tests with accoustics and Extra Wide Soundstage.

PC with Soundblaster X-fi card.
Windows Media Player (Warmer than Itunes)
Full .WAV lor .WMA lossless

" Under The Sea" Disney's Little mermaid
" Jupiter " Holst, The Planets
" Susudio" Phil Collins
" Jugglers in Obsidian" Andreas Vollenweider
" Animal Song" Savage Garden, and
"Amanda" Boston
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post #7 of 11
12/16/08 at 6:56pm
Anything Pink Floyd, Manic Street Preachers or Muse.
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post #8 of 11
12/18/08 at 12:28am
Fleetwood Mac's Rumors..."The Chain" has a little suprise at the beginning I never heard with speakers. And anything by Steely Dan.
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post #9 of 11
12/18/08 at 4:31am
Iris and Black Balloon by Goo Goo Dolls. I don't really care how technically superior a set of phones is, if these two songs don't sound right on them, they're out. fated by Ayumi Hamasaki and Blue Tear ~Ningyo no Namida~ by Janne Da Arc are also songs I always try out first. Both those songs have nice bass guitar work. Good way to test how good bass response is, not just how much of it there is. For testing the treble/mids I like to use the song A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. When it comes to guitars and rock music in general, I always like to try The Middle by Jimmy Eat World.

You might notice these songs aren't the most masterfully recorded or even par to a lot of people's idea of 'good taste', but they are songs that are important to me. And why determine the quality of headphones by music you don't even listen to? XD
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post #10 of 11
12/18/08 at 4:46am
Currently I use Shane &shane- an evening with Shane and Shane and kidneythineves zerospace album,bebo norman, Ginny Owens, and starting to use Within Temptation -The Heart of Everything
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post #11 of 11
12/18/08 at 3:24pm
Massive attack - Mezzanine is an excellent album for testing, aswell as listening
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