What songs do you use to test a new IEM?
Dec 9, 2009 at 11:45 PM Post #16 of 32
My I suggest.... "Badman's Song" by Tears For Fears. Great, dynamic track!
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 12:03 AM Post #17 of 32
I ALWAYS listen to A Perfect Circle's "The Package." This particular song really exhausts the entire audio spectrum. The song starts off with a deep, smooth bassline and soft, subtle vocals where if you listen closely enough, you can hear the vocalist's "cotton mouth." It slowly builds up until it finally explodes with each instrument in full participation. It's extremely dynamic and gives me a real feel for the soundstage.
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 12:05 AM Post #18 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by PouncePony /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Time - Sarah McLachlan

-Pony


Oh, I forgot about Sarah McLachlan when I posted mine. All of her stuff is good, for both vocals and bass. "Fallen" is one of my favorites.
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 1:19 AM Post #19 of 32
Once I get my head phones I'll probably be using, as mistertomlinson said, something by A Perfect Circle, such as "Annihilation" considering all it really is, is breathy singing and a harpsicord. which i would think would test the soundstage and the middle treble, another song I would use would be "Full Metal Contact" by Fear Factory which has a large amounts of bass and and very high treble. A few other songs i would use would be "My Immortal" by Evanescence as someone mentioned earlier, "Picture Perfect ( In Your Eyes )" by 10 Years, and "S.O.S. (Anything But Love)" by Apocalyptica.

another would be "Invisible Wounds ( Dark Bodies )" by Fear Factory.
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 1:27 AM Post #20 of 32
Bad to the bone - george thorogood
Bad reputation - joan jett & the blackhearts
One - Metallica
hotel California - the Eagles
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 1:54 AM Post #21 of 32
I just use a very broad spectrum. I find a solid foundation of variety and plenty of time will point out any weaknesses or faults in the headphone. By the time you listen to a hundred different songs on a headphone, you'll have a pretty darn good idea of what the headphone is all about. I also use pink noise and test tones to get a feel for frequency response and breadth of response. It helps one understand what's overly abundant, what's lacking, and what's just plain missing. As well, I do EQ any headphones I do get (ear) flat to to take out some of the bias produced from a particularly geared response. It makes other characteristics easier to compare doing so. You also get a feel for how much or little EQing work is needed to get the headphone into an uncolored configuration.
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 2:09 AM Post #22 of 32
Miles Davis: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down--"Bitches Brew"
Album of "On the Corner"
Both of these have cacaphony in them with bells, cymbals horns, etc. If the IEM can differentiate among all the sounds, that's good

Diana Krall: Girl in the Other Room--sparkling vocals and close-miked piano

Guystav Mahler; Symphony #5--if you can hear and feel instrument placement from left to right and front to back in the symphonic hall, you got a great IEM.

Keith Jarrett: The Krohn Concert or Live at Carnegie Hall--thunderous solo piano. ON either you should be able to hear Keith grunt (does a lot of that) and should hear his foot tapping the floor in the bottom of your head

Only ones to do it for me are Klipsch X-10, Ety 4s, Triple Fi and Grado R-1 vintage (OK the last is not IEM but at least it folds for easy carrying!
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 6:05 PM Post #23 of 32
I use a bunch but there's usually a select few I tend to fall back and rely on the most:

'Say Goodbye' by Dave Matthews Band. Stuck on this one ever since I heard this song in a Focal-sponsored custom mobile install a decade or so ago. One of those epiphany experiences I've never been able to get out of my skull. 1st Movement, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 performed by the English Chamber Orchestra w/ J. Somary conducting. Any song off of the 'Wonderful World' album by Tony Bennett & k.d. lang. 'Theme from Harry's Game' by Clannad. 'Swingin' At The Haven' by Branford Marsalis. Most anything by A Perfect Circle. Jacintha's rendition of 'Autumn Leaves'.
 
Dec 10, 2009 at 8:11 PM Post #24 of 32
Arizona by kinds of Leon. Great choice
sex on fire as well.

I always do Hey, Hey by dispatch. Most amazing vocals song next to hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

Hmm there's more but I can't think of right now. 21 guns by green day
 
Dec 18, 2009 at 7:11 AM Post #25 of 32
Wow, I just stumbled on to fantastic new group that I will DEFINITELY be using for testing from now on.

The name of the group is Psapp. In particular they have song called "Upstairs" that is amazing for testing soundstage.

Lala - Where music plays

If you like downtempo, bliptronica, or are a fan of The Bird & the Bee, I highly recommend them. Even if you aren't a fan of those genres, The spaciousness, the layering of sounds, and the use of a wide spectrum of frequencies makes this music great for testing.
 
Dec 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM Post #26 of 32
Natalie Merchant - San Andreas Fault (live) the intro with the crowd is awsome
Grizzly Bear - Ready Able ( actually the whole album has great stage+seperation)
Eagles - hotel california
Kings of Leon - taper jean girl
Sevendust - Hurt ( acoustic live )
 
Mar 20, 2012 at 9:37 PM Post #28 of 32
Flim & The BB's "Funhouse".
  Kinda jazzy-techno piece that at some point is going to put the punch on every octave on the scale.  Really separates the men from the boys.  Could have been produced just as a test
   record.
Joe Jackson "You Can't Get What You Want ('till You Know What You Want)"
  Great for the horn section, slap bass, rhythm guitar and male vocal.
Anne Lennox "Pavement Cracks"  
  Good track for female vocals, first part of the piece is very quiet then it goes 'all in'
Steely Dan any track from "Aja"  Recorded by the only guy who knew his way around the studio better than Sir George Martin, the late Roger Nichols and the boys crafted a studio
  masterpiece.
Art of Noise "Peter Gunn (Flyright mix)" Good percussion piece.
David Beniot "American Landscape" Copland-esque Piano and full orchestra that also manages to fit a banjo and harmonica in the mix.  Great road music up the Columbia Gorge too !!!
 
No particular cut in no particular order:
 Single Gun Theory - Modern take on Phil Spector 'Wall of Sound'
 James Taylor - His 'thready' vocals can sometimes be hard to reproduce well.
 Leonard Bernstein "Appalachian Spring"  High dynamic range orchestral
 
Props to above thread for mentioning Kings Of Convenience.  Always a good listen.
 
 
Feb 12, 2013 at 2:24 PM Post #30 of 32
Dave Matthews Band - Crush (soundstage / really good of separation of instruments in this song)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (because I love this song)
Skrillex - Kyoto (Powerful song, with lots of sound variation going on)
Knife Party - Centipede (if your headphones are going to distort at all it'll happen with this song IMO)
Eagles - Hotel California (the one off of the album "Hell Freezes Over" because it's live, and because this is the best version of Hotel California that I've ever heard - gives me goosebumps)
 
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