What's your "reference" song?
Jun 25, 2010 at 11:12 AM Post #93 of 128
I typically listen to 2 songs. 
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb 
Plant and Page Unledded - The Rain Song
 
I like Comfortably numb because it hits all of the things I look for in a song and a headphone.  Good kick drum and excellent bass line.  The use of ride cymbal and hi hat really test the treble harshness on a headphone.  There is some orchestra playing in the background and of course the guitar solo. 
 
The Rain Song by Plant and Page because it tells me how well a headphone can separate instruments.   Also, you can hear Jimmy page breathing in and out during parts of the beginning.  And fingers sliding up and down the strings.  How realistic does that sound and how well can you hear it. 
 
If I really just want to test bass on a headphone, I like listening to Genesis Paperlate. 
Also on occasion I like to listen to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.  Not really a fan of Michael, but his recordings are always nicely done and Billie Jean is just a very crisp clean track. 
 
Jun 25, 2010 at 2:13 PM Post #94 of 128
The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin II.  Good tonal range.
PHD by The Crystal Method on Tweekend.  Really good for dynamics.
 
Jun 25, 2010 at 2:31 PM Post #95 of 128
Achilles Last Stand from Presence by Led Zeppelin.  The original CD, not the remaster.  Great drums and bass drum sound by John Bonham.  And John Paul Jones' bass has some bite so you can look for definition and clarity in the lows.  And then Bonham again for the cymbals and snare drum hits for the highs.  And off course, Jimmy and Robert for the mids.
 
I've used this single song many times now to compare cans with, and the conclusions I get are always validated later on with extended casual listening.
 
Jun 25, 2010 at 3:22 PM Post #96 of 128


Quote:
kevin brown said:
Achilles Last Stand from Presence by Led Zeppelin.  The original CD, not the remaster.  Great drums and bass drum sound by John Bonham.  And John Paul Jones' bass has some bite so you can look for definition and clarity in the lows.  And then Bonham again for the cymbals and snare drum hits for the highs.  And off course, Jimmy and Robert for the mids.
 
I've used this single song many times now to compare cans with, and the conclusions I get are always validated later on with extended casual listening.
Click to expand...


That's a friggen good one...I don't use it for the same reason, I just BLAST-off with it! 
 
 
Jun 26, 2010 at 12:57 PM Post #101 of 128
Lots of reference songs for me but the most used is:
 
Also sprach Zarathustra: Sonnenaufgang by Richard Strauss
(aka 2001: A Space Odyssey Theme)
 
It has a variety of testing parameters including but not limited to:
Extreme range of pitches from really low to really high
Extreme dynamic range from very soft to very loud
Wide, wide soundstage
Lots of percussion including bass drum, timpani, and cymbals
Builds from very sparse to very dense orchestration
Fun to listen to!
 
 
 
Jun 26, 2010 at 3:08 PM Post #102 of 128


Quote:
reprobate said:
I was looking for a first nice full sized can for mostly rock. Not my perfect list, but just what I've been using the last month.
 
Van Halen - Running with the Devil - Michael Anthony's opening bass line has to make me feel a sense of urgency, like the ground is about to open up on a dark street lit by a red light.
 
Van Halen - Eruption.
 
Van Halen - I'm The One - Do Alex's drums blow me away or do they sound muddy. I should use Hot for Teacher.
 
Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe(Castle Remaster) - Drums, Guitar, Ozzy simply screaming "YEAH!" all has to give me goose bumps. The bass can't disappear.
 
Pink Floyd - Money - 3 minutes in Gilmore's guitar solo mainly, but the rest of the song has a ton of treble - if it pierces my ears and I can't hear the drums and bass properly, I move on. Most any Floyd will do, One of These Days would be awesome.
 
Alice In Chains - All Secrets Known and Check My Brain and Your Decision, just because they are on my player, but I really should be using Them Bones and "Whale and Wasp".
 
311 - Come Original - 1st 30 seconds: Does the bass sound prominent, does the snare drum snap? They have better songs, but I like the balance in the beginning.
 
Catherine Wheel - anything loud on Ferment such as Indigo Is Blue - love that wall of guitar.
 
Incubus - Pardon Me - Trippy stuff in the beginning, tight bass and drums, crunchy guitar riff with drums, then bass and beginning vocals with trippy flourishes in the background.
 
Incubus - Nice To Know You - Does the beginning sound swirl and pulsate around my head in a circle? Does the quiet vocal scat in the beginning sound detailed, the exhales AND the more subtle inhales? More crunchy guitar/bass/drums should sound clear. 
 
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song - Aww a Awwwwwwww AAAAH! Do the drums sound like a god is playing them? Does John Paul Jones' fast bass run 40 seconds in hit me right or does it disappear?
 
Led Zeppelin - Tangerine - That phasey guitar and solo should make me feel like I'm trippin.
 
Led Zeppelin - That's The Way - one of my favorite Zep songs.
 
Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song - Opening bass line has to sound heavy and the vocals and guitar huge.
 
Nirvana - Territorial Pissings - One of their rawest songs. The most simple guitar riff but it must cut through me. Drums and Bass are simple and powerful as usual.
 
Santogold - Starstruck - It's one of the more sub bass heavy songs I have.
 
Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place - very clean sounding with some nice varied detail throughout.
 
Beck - most any song from Sea Change or Mutations. So much subtle detail going on all over the place.
 
The English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom and the rest of I Just Can't Stop It.
 
Norah Jones & Hope Sandoval - my female voice test material, though it's impossible for either of them to sound terrible to me.
 
Beatles - Revolver to Abbey Road.
 
Hendrix - Anything from his 4 official originals. Some sonic fun: EXP(the space ship!),  "And the God's Made Love" and Gypsy Eyes panning guitar.
 
Sorry, couldn't stop...
 
 
 
 
 
Click to expand...


Great reply!  If I wasn't so lazy, I'd break out my list like that, too.
 
I'm surprised not to see more Radiohead.  Couple of references to some "In Rainbows" tracks, which has been my "quick" reference for the last year or so.
 
Jun 26, 2010 at 6:39 PM Post #103 of 128
Every single track I ever heard, could appear like reference for me from time to time, BUT....these two tracks just simply change my life:
 
Foo Fighters - Everlong
 
The Police - Message In The Bottle
 
Jun 27, 2010 at 8:52 AM Post #104 of 128
My songs are
 
Hayley Westenra - Quanta Quanta - towards the end, this track has a very high pitched sound which i use to find whether the source and headphones distort or not.
Mac Fleetwood - Bleed to Love Her, Landslide - for guitars and intimate listening.
Stevie Nicks - end of seventeen (soundstage live)  - for rock.
Corrs - At your side (Unplugged)  - for vocals.
Tori Amos - Tear in your Hand - for soundstage.
 
Jun 27, 2010 at 1:25 PM Post #105 of 128
Alot of GREAT inputs here.  Looks like I'll need to bust out the wallet and check out some previously unknown selections:
 
Shiina Ringo's Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana and some Catherine Wheel are two examples.
 
Always glad to expand my horizons.
 
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