The best songs to test a new pair of headphones

A new pair of headphones can sound convincing for the first minute, especially when familiar music is playing and the volume feels thrilling. Yet a good headphone test is not chosen by hype, genre fashion or an expensive badge. The useful tracks are chosen for the faults they expose: a hollow vocal, a harsh cymbal, a disappearing bass note, or a guitar that seems to sit in the wrong place.

A headphone check should feel more like a recording session than a product launch. The aim is to judge the balance of a track, the survival of quiet details and the stability of the stereo image as an arrangement builds. The same pair may flatter electronic music on a noisy train and reveal the thinness of a folk recording at home. Testing fairly means changing the conditions deliberately, rather than simply switching tracks and hoping for a verdict.

Start with the faults you want to hear

Start by separating accuracy from preference. A slightly warm pair may be enjoyable, while a bright pair may become tiring over a whole album. Neither fact alone makes headphones good or bad. The clearer question is whether the tuning preserves the intended relationship between kick drum, bass, voice, snare and cymbals without making one element swallow another.

Some faults are obvious on energetic rock, while others appear only when the volume falls away. A compressed master can hide the difference between two sets, and a sparse arrangement may expose a raised noise floor, distortion or uneven instrument placement. I find it useful to listen once without judging, then note the first moment that feels wrong. That reaction is often more informative than an hour of comparing specifications.

For songwriting and production work, a second pair with a different signature can be valuable. Comparing mixes across two pairs shows what has been buried or exaggerated. A familiar song becomes almost a map of the arrangement, revealing whether the low end stays distinct and whether reverb trails keep their shape instead of collapsing into the next note.

Build a fair test before choosing tracks

Choose a quiet room, disconnect calls and notifications, and begin at a moderate volume. Raising the level to hide a weakness is not a fair test of frequency response, and it makes fatigue arrive sooner. Keep the listening volume steady throughout. If the pair feels heavy, hot or pressurised after half an hour, that is part of the result too; comfort determines whether you will want to hear the next record.

Use the same source and playback settings for every comparison. Turn off EQ, spatial effects and virtualisation for the first pass, since these features can conceal the headphones’ natural tonal balance. Lossless files or a high-quality streaming tier provide a cleaner baseline than heavily compressed audio; Tidal and Apple Music both offer lossless options in Australia. For wireless listening, check which codec is active, such as AAC, SBC, aptX or LDAC, rather than judging the hardware through an unexpectedly basic connection.

Fit deserves a test of its own. A good ear-cup seal improves passive isolation and helps bass feel stable, but excessive clamping can create fatigue. Small drivers may need a different angle than large ones. Test with glasses on if you wear them, and try the supplied cable or the manufacturer’s supported USB-C or 3.5 mm connection. Third-party adaptors can also change the sound or remove microphone support.

A revealing six-track listening shortlist

A shortlist works better when each track asks a different question. These six songs cover restrained vocals, acoustic detail, percussion, dense electronic bass, wide effects and busy rhythmic textures. They are not a ranking, and one song cannot judge every pair. Listen in a standard quality setting before experimenting with filters or amplification. Masterings vary by release, so use the edition you know and keep it constant.

• Dave Brubeck Quartet — “Take Five”: The brushed snare, upright bass, piano and unusual time signature reveal whether acoustic instruments remain distinct without making the rhythm feel cluttered.
• Bon Iver — “Skinny Love”: This close, vulnerable vocal exposes sibilance, breath and guitar texture, then tests whether the sparse arrangement retains space.
• Billie Eilish — “Everything I Wanted”: The restrained beat and low-frequency weight make it easy to spot excessive bass, a dull upper midrange or a vocal that lacks presence.
• Tame Impala — “The Less I Know the Better”: The synth groove, guitar figures and bass line test rhythmic definition, stereo placement and the balance between warmth and clarity.
• Flume — “Only Forever”: Deep bass, sustained synth textures and immersive production reward a pair that controls low frequencies while keeping the wide soundstage coherent.
• Hiatus Kaiyote — “Red Room”: Layered vocals, percussion and syncopated movement test separation, vocal detail and the ability to follow complex passages without collapsing the centre.

Do not limit the test to these examples. The best songs to test a new pair of headphones are often the records you know intimately, particularly a favourite album with a wide mix. Add one track you have mixed yourself: your memory of the balance becomes a useful reference, although headphone mixes still need checking on speakers. If a song leaves you tapping a foot rather than analysing it, note that too; engagement is part of the ownership experience.

Read the result by ear and by frequency

Bass should be present without blurring the kick and bass into a single thump. Listen for the note beneath the music as well as the punch above it. Excessive sub-bass can give an impressive first impression, yet it may force the midrange back and disguise a thin vocal. A sealed pair can also add bass through fit rather than accuracy, which is why comfort and tonal balance need separate assessments.

The midrange carries much of the emotional information in a song. Voices should sound intelligible without being pushed forwards so far that every consonant seems sharp. At the other extreme, a dull or recessed centre can make guitars and piano disappear behind the drums. Treble should reveal cymbal texture without brittle sibilance. If familiar voices begin to sound artificial, change the fit or source before blaming the drivers.

Soundstage describes the sense of space around the performance, while imaging describes the placement of individual sounds. Good imaging lets a lead vocal stay anchored and lets a guitar pan remain clear, even when the mix becomes busy. Wide electronic effects should not pull the image away from the centre unless the recording intends that movement. A narrow image can be intimate and perfectly valid, so judge whether it matches the track rather than whether it looks impressive.

Dynamics include both the gap between quiet and loud and the clarity of individual transients. A drum hit should have a defined edge, yet the space around it should remain intact. Electronic material often tests sustained low frequencies; a solo piano or acoustic song tests whether the pair becomes lifeless at low volume. Bring the level down for these passages. Lifting the volume changes the balance and can hide a restricted upper range.

Make the check suit Australian listening days

Australian listening days rarely provide a laboratory. A commuter might try a pair on a Sydney train, a Melbourne tram or a bus through Brisbane before reaching the office. Outside noise sets the baseline: passive isolation depends on the seal, while active noise cancellation can reduce steady engine rumble and air-conditioning. Test the pair with cancellation on and off, since some modes change the tonal balance. Check for a pressure or suction effect as well.

The local market makes side-by-side listening practical. JB Hi-Fi has stores in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, where models from Audio-Technica, Sony, Sennheiser and Bose can be compared before buying. Prices are quoted in Australian dollars, and local warranty support can be easier to manage than an overseas parcel. Check the specific model, keep the receipt and packaging, and confirm the return policy before taking the headphones home.

Consumer rights provide a practical safety net. Under the Australian Consumer Law, products must be of acceptable quality, fit any disclosed purpose and match their description. If a new pair develops a fault, the available remedy may be a repair, replacement or refund, depending on the failure and the circumstances. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission explains these guarantees, and the retailer remains the usual first point of contact. A manufacturer’s warranty can add coverage, but it does not replace the automatic consumer guarantees.

For a final pass, listen in the place where most of the music will happen: at a desk, on a couch, in bed or on a train. Mark any ear that becomes uncomfortable, any note that disappears and any frequency that grows tiresome. The practical takeaway is a repeatable baseline: record the model, source, fit and first distracting flaw, so an exciting first impression does not make the decision for you.