[SaturnVuk]

Hello, yes its me again (Sorry!!!)
 
Okay, you get a brand new set of headphones, or maybe your in currys plugging into your mp3 player all the expensive ones....
I'm interested to know what songs do you turn to first to test and benchmark the sound from these new headphones.
We all have our songs that we love and know the best, we know them so intimately they serve us as a standard for checking the bass response the high ends the delivery of maybe female and male vocals...
Alow me if you will to share with you mine....please don't laugh and make fun of my choices though, yes I'm sensitive ! ! !
I have a hand full or so one of the ones I usually turn to first is..........
 
Queen I want to break free......I use this track to check the delivery of a clear and powerful bass line especially the middle section as he synth dances all around the low end frequency range.
 
OMD Metroland......Again I like this track to check a duel low end bass and see if it separates well by the headphones with no distortion, it also has a lovely subtle top end that is there just enough to check for clarity coming through at the top and too.
 
Lionel Richie.......This is a new addition to my bench march songs I find the detail in the guitars the warm but clear bassline and lush male vocals really useful !
 
Tina Turner.......Again a new one to my list, stunning and crystal clear hard hitting bassline that's very well defined
 
Jean Michele Jeare .......Immortals, love this track when it full kicks in its VERY busy across the whole spectrum range but within all of this there is a clear mid range synth that I look to see if it can shine through.
 
Frankie Goes to Hollywood Two Tribes (Extended version) I just cant resist  this one probably the track I know the very best. Distinctive powerful bass, crystal clear and consistent top end, if a set of head phones fails to make this track sound good, its not looking very good for them ! ! ! (They would have to be trying very hard, to make it sound bad though!)
 
So theres afew that I have, I'm really interested to get your suggestions and see if I can expand my list with some new stuff that can enable me to benchmark from other tracks that may be able to reveal more, and deeper sound quality's that I don't already have in my list.
 
Thanks for your thoughts and any comments.......

 

[Fred Wang]

Wonderful topic! I'm not terribly scientific about how I pick things, but I tend to have preferences in style, so my auditions tend to emphasize those preferences. Some songs I use because of the detail, and others because of their imperfections though.

Here's what I use:

For male voices:
Hotel California - Eagles

Bring Him Home - Colm WIlkinson on the 10th anniversary concert for Les Miserables

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Erlkonig, D.328 (2011 Remaster) - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Brave - Josh Groban

Nessun Dorma - Jonas Kaufmann

For female voices:
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Linda Ronstadt

Come Away with Me - Norah Jones

True Colors - Cyndi Lauper

For instrumental:
Passionflower - Jon Gomm

Great Round Burn - Kaki King

Courage of the Wind - David Lanz

Fantasie Impromptu - Arthur Rubinstein

 

[serman005]

'Maxine' - Donald Fagen

'Rodeo' - Aaron Copeland (Various)

'Le Sacre du Printemps' - Igor Stravinsky (Various)