[tomjonesrocks]

Would be curious what people choose as their first choices to play through new headphones they're demoing. What's the first thing you want to hear?

I generally start with Ulrich Schnauss, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Isis, and Miles Davis--and work from there. Curious what others use for this purpose.

 

[krmathis]

Not a specific song, but I put one something by these artists since I know them well. Nils Lofgren, Pink Floyd, Øystein Sevåg.

 

[ben72227]

Usually I'll start off with some Pink Floyd. Generally, I really LOVE the sound of Speak to Me/Breathe - especially how it starts with all the random sounds from the album and then the lady screams and the song starts and just sounds so...mellow and beautiful

Then I'll play something that's been recorded well - something like Eric Clapton's Unplugged album. And I will play either a classical or opera song. Lately I've been using Pavarotti's rendition of Nessun Dorma. Finally, I finish it off with some really hard-pounding electronic. For this I'll use a Prodigy song; recently I've started using Punkture by Motor.

 

[kanamin]

Santana's Europa always seems to sound GORGEOUS on better headphones for me.

 

[TestSpecimen]

I usually start off with:

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
Freakpower - The Whip
The Charlatans - Impossible
Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill
Radiohead - The National Anthem
Massive Attack - Angel

All of these songs have specific features that bring out the briliance in a good set of headphones.

 

[jmmtn4aj]

Usually:

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie
Sherwood - Middle of the Night
Saosin - Voices
Silverstein - some random songs

Because I'm familiar with them

 

[EnOYiN]

I don't know who made this song but it's called: Pink Noise.

 

[oldie]

The slow movement of Bach's double violin concerto by Grumiaux. This reveals absolutely everything about phones at once. Or maybe I just know it so well!

 

[stewtheking]

Scott Matthews. Passing Stranger.

 

[Fing]

Curve - Doppleganger or Cuckoo - deadfully congested wall of sound that usually sounds awful oh headphones unless the volume is cranked right up. It shouldn't have to be.

Coldplay's Politik. The initial wall of drums in the beginning can be overpowering unless the volume is turned down. It shouldn't have to be.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Harry Chapin - "Taxi"
Scott Walker - "Farmer in the City"
The Beach Boys - "In my Room"
King Crimson - "In The Court of the Crimson King", used to use the Original Master Edition but now I'll use the Japanese pressing of the same CD.

A_Sr.

 

[electrathecat]

Anything by Massive Attack, Depeche Mode (especially remixes), Alison Krauss, remastered Van Halen

 

[Uncle Erik]

Lately, Depeche Mode's "Violator" on SACD. Then I'll grab either a classical disc or some jazz before spinning Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" on vinyl.