Best Songs for Testing Your Headphones or Speakers

When it comes to buying new speakers or headphones, you can discuss things like the signal-to-noise ratio, response bandwidth, nominal output power and much more.

These specs are fine, but how do you really know if headphones are good?

You need to find the best songs for testing your headphones. 

 

Remember to listen to the music you like. It is easiest to feel the differences between headphones with songs that you listen to often.

We have a short playlist that we use to test out headphones, made up of tracks we love and could listen to all day.

But before we show you our go-to songs to test the performance of speaker/headphones, here is our list of best headphones in 2022.

 

 

BEST HEADPHONES (2022)

 

BEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES

BEST NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

BEST GAMING HEADSET

Sony WHH900N Hear On 2 Wireless Overear Noise Cancelling High Resolution Headphones, 2.4 Ounce
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Noise-Cancelling, with Alexa Voice Control - Black
HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox One¹, PS4, PS4 PRO, Xbox One S¹, Nnintedo Switch (KHX-H3CL/WR) - Black

Sony WH-H900N

Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II

Kingston HyperX Cloud

BEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Sony WHH900N Hear On 2 Wireless Overear Noise Cancelling High Resolution Headphones, 2.4 Ounce

Sony WH-H900N

BEST NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Noise-Cancelling, with Alexa Voice Control - Black

Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II

BEST GAMING HEADSET

HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox One¹, PS4, PS4 PRO, Xbox One S¹, Nnintedo Switch (KHX-H3CL/WR) - Black

Kingston HyperX Cloud

Affiliate links: Clicking the device names, images or check price buttons will redirect you to the product listing on the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc.)  / Image courtesy of Amazon

 

How do you decide that the speakers you are buying are good ones? Test it with proper music. We found songs that will test the limits of your brand new speakers.

The most important advice we can give you if you are looking for the best songs to test headphones is:

 

Listen to what you like and also what you know really well.

 

Here is our selection of songs you should use to test your new headphones.

 

Best Songs For Testing Speakers And Headphones

 

Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N´ Roses

 

 

Guns N' Roses Appetite For DestructionWhy It Works for a Speaker Test: This is simply Axl´s voice. The Guns N’ Roses vocalist has sung notes that span nearly six octaves, from F1 (There Was a Time), in the second-lowest octave in scientific pitch notation, to B flat 6 (Ain’t it Fun), five octaves above it. The screeching screaming in this track will make sure your tweeters are making what they are supposed to.

View Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction on Amazon

 

Unfinished Sympathy – Massive Attack

 

 

Massive Attack Blue Lines

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Unfinished Sympathy was released as the second single from Blue Lines and was acclaimed by critics for its distinctive production and Nelson’s vocals. This song is the test for subwoofers. This is a great song to test headphone’s bass and clarity. 

View Massive Attack Blue Lines on Amazon

 

Caribbean Blue – Enya

 

 

Enya Shepherd Moons

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Like or not Enya but this particular song is awesome. Just listening. If the headphones or speakers you are testing don´t surround you with ethereal layers of sound, you need to look for another type.

View Enya Shepherd Moons on Amazon

 

Brass Monkey – Beastie Boys

 

 

Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Bass, bass and again bass. Wait 10 seconds after the song starts and then turn up the volume. The big booming bass can easily blow a lesser speaker part. 

View Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill on Amazon

 

All Along The Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

 

 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: From the beginning, with unique short guitar riffs, to the final moments, this song is constantly testing the limits of low and high frequencies and the right to left balance.

View The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland on Amazon

 

Beverly Hills Cop Theme Song – Harold Faltermeyer

 

 

Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: The original piece is the one, you need for testing your chosen headphones. Get the full mix of energy and silence. And make sure you are able to hear the sharp clicking sound in the background.

View Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack on Amazon

 

Baba O’Riley – The Who

 

 

The Who Who's Next

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: The classic intro of this track moves from left to right in a bewildering way. The intro gains piano chords, crashing drums, rhythmic guitar, and Roger Daltrey´s voice.

View The Who Who’s Next on Amazon

 

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

 

 

 Queen A Night at the Opera

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Bohemian Rhapsody is a masterpiece. A cappella singing, soft piano music, face-melting guitar riffs, and booming bass. There are over 180 separate overdubs in this legendary song. The constant changes to the decibel level and the tempo, as continual back and forth between the left and right speaker outputs –  all that makes this amazing song perfect for testing.

View Queen A Night at the Opera on Amazon

 

Insane in the Membrane – Cypress Hill

 

 

Cypress Hill Black Sunday

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: The beat is soo catchy. You probably should listen to this song several times in a row as a part of a bass test for your headphones or speakers.

View Cypress Hill Black Sunday on Amazon

 

Silent Lucidity – Queensryche

 

 

Queensryche Empire

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: This classic rock track has a nice variety of elements that will test speakers. If your device is working fine, you should hear nice and crisp vocals at the beginning, then it continue with a crisp guitar sound and around the 2:00 minute, you should see a clear chorus of voices. This rock song is great for testing all levels of your new speakers.

View Queensryche Empire on Amazon

 

Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison

 

 

Poison Open Up and Say... Ahh!

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: This semi-acoustical rock song has a clear and crisp Brett Micheals voice, great sounding guitar and smooth but not overpowering bass guitar sound.

View Poison Open Up and Say… Ahh! on Amazon

 

The National Anthem – Radiohead

 

 

Radiohead Kid A

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: If you have a better sound system, you should be able to pick out the fainter layers of theremin-like sounds around Yorke’s voice. With the use of the worse audio system, this track sounds flat or distorted. The National Anthem by Radiohead is awesome for testing the overall balance of speakers.

View Radiohead Kid A on Amazon

 

The Chain – Fleetwood Mac

 

 

Fleetwood Mac Rumours

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Are you looking for a song for identifying separation and overall fidelity? The first part of The Chain with the steel guitar and vocals is great for these purposes. The bass solo of this classic track is also a nice show of how controlled the subwoofer is, and the upcoming guitar solo will be a real test for distortion.

View Fleetwood Mac Rumours on Amazon

 

 

BONUS: We have read that people use Rage Against the Machine’s first album to test amplifiers and speakers. Specifically, Take the Power Back. It sounds incredible on both speakers and headphones, and if you’re into rock music this is what we would recommend.

Now, you have a list of tracks for a proper test.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Speakers and headphones are subjective. Your ears are the most important ones to judge. 

 

If you are looking for some headphones, below you’ll find other top picks for the best in-ear headphones, the best on-ear headphones, and finally the best wireless headphones.

 

Best Headphones

 

BEST HEADPHONES FOR MUSIC LOVERS

 

Best Overall: Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II)

Best Budget: Skullcandy Grind

Best For DJs: Beasts Pro

Best For Fitness: Jaybird X3 Sport

Best Wi-Fi: Beats Solo3

 

 

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

If you enjoyed this article you’ll probably like our other lists as well. Here are some popular resources from the Nechstar.

 

 

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Clicking the device names, images or check price buttons will redirect you to the product listing on the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc.), where you can find the updated prices, customer reviews, and more product details.

*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.