I review headphones for a living — here are the 5 tracks I use every time

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I asked questions like, “Are they good at picking out detail?”

“Do they manage to keep up with the bassline?”

and “Do they blend everything together into one great mire of sound?”

As much as I might want to.

Curious as to what tracks I use when I fire upQobuz?

Here are my 5 go-to songs and they might surprise you.

The bass line is an important part of the track, with some wonderful musicality and precision.

Its a lot to handle for even the best speakers, but when it works, it sounds incredible.

Can it keep up with the ever-shifting dynamics as the instrumentalists change volume?

The jazzy undertones ofRhapsody in Bluegive me a slew of testing opportunities.

Theres that wonderful opening Clarinet, for example.

It needs to sound smooth, and slowly build in volume.

Some headphones dont capture the same change in volume and intensity, leaving it feeling flat and monotonous.

Then there are the orchestral swells, which showcase soundstage and instrument separation.

Sylosis, The Blackest Skyline

Im a metalhead.

But metal tracks likeThe Blackest Skylineare still excellent for testing headphones.

Formulais not a complex track.

But a good pair of headphones brings the bass in a controlled and pulsating manner.

Want to really see what Formula can do?

Plug in a subwoofer and crank it.

Get those floors shaking to the point that you get a neighborly complaint from three doors down.

Want to really see what this track can do?

The cymbals of the drums need to be present too, as they overlap the bass player.

That double bass needs to be in the background, but never lost in the mix.

How to choose your own test tracks

Want to find some test tracks of your own?

Here’s how to do it.

The step is to ensure that youre familiar with the tracks you choose.

you’re able to critically listen to just about anything!

Last step: have fun.

Critical listening can be tedious work, especially when done for hours and hours on end.