These are tracks that I often use to determine if headphones or other audio setups can handle the range of music I frequently enjoy. I go heavier on more electronic music because I find that headsets that can pick up these characteristic sounds well often have good behavior on symphonics or vocals (i.e. these pieces try the limits of the phones more), but your results may vary.

A Spotify playlist of this list is available here, or you can use the widget below.

Take Me — RÜFÜS

The opening strikes should sound muted, and come from right between your ears. You should get some binaurality from the sharper synth notes, and the beats that persist throughout the song should have a crisp tonality to them (albeit in a low register).

The Grid — Cloud

The beginning thumps should be crisp and clear, and should shake your head in all the right ways. There’s no distortion in these beats, so you shouldn’t hear any rattling or snow-crunching.

This track also has some pretty goofy binaurality at about 0:30; the cowbell should come distinctly from your right side.

Bubbles — Yosi Horikawa

The intro of this track is basically a sound-test. You should be able to track the bounces in 3D space; if you can’t, try something with a broader sound-stage.

Labyrinth — ミラクルミュージカル

The synth ‘flourish’ in the opening strains of this track should orbit close around your head, starting on your right side, passing in front of your eyes, and then continuing a left rotation.

Reckoner — Radiohead

You should always listen to this song, always.

But it also has some very good localization of sounds from quite early on the track. You should hear almost entirely discrete left and right channels.

Petals — Bibio

At the 0:17 mark (and 0:31, and 0:55, and everywhere else in the track), the sound erupts into swells that can rattle lower quality gear. These should sound smooth and clear: No distortion, no rattle.

Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio — Claude Bolling, Yo-Yo Ma

The piano should be crisp, the cello should be textured. Altogether warm, with a bit of echo.

Sleep Till They Die — La Luz

The harmonies and voices should stay separated, on either side of your head. Make sure you can hear the layers, like the bass, as they’re added in slowly (bass at 1:00, for example).

Daffy Duck — Animal Collective

It takes a while to get to these deep-bass swells, but they should feel solid; and you should still be able to pick up the ‘water sounds’ on top of the swells: They shouldn’t drown out of the rest of the song. (Try one at 2:35, for example.)

You should be able to take a bath in this track: If you don’t feel enveloped, your phones are doing a bad job.

13 Angels Standing Guard ‘Round The Side Of Your Bed — Silver Mt. Zion

Another track you can take a bath in: But this will also try the very upper range of your phones’ response. Make sure the violin stays crisp even into the higher ranges.

Chopin’s “Waterfall Etude”

This is a good chance to check how your setup responds to a relatively bright piano. If you listen to any piano, this recording should be tolerable despite its brightness. If your phones distort at all, you’ll probably here it here.

Bonus: This particular recording didn’t isolate particularly well, and you can clearly pick out the pianist’s breaths. If you can’t hear those, surely shall you weep!