Test Track List

2. “Walking with Elephants” – Ten Walls

If you want a track with tight, thumping bass, this is a great option. Not only is it a cool song, but the bass really tests the ability of the driver to maintain control. I listen for a sound that is punchy, undistorted, and deep.

3. “Latch” -Sam Smith

Another track with tight, thumping bass. With the lowest frequency around 40hz, the bass is representative of bass that you would hear in a variety of music. Frequencies below 40hz are less common.

4. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” – Katy Perry

This is a good song for testing bass because it contains an actual kick drum rather than something synthesized. It should sound realistic, and the bass should be tight and punchy.

5. “Know Yourself” -Drake

Low bass. The intro to this track dips into the lower registers of our hearing, and it should be authoritative and felt in your stomach, without muddying the rest of the song.

6. “Me and Your Mama” -Childish Gambino

At 1:40, the bass drops. This should absolutely shake the room. A speaker should be able to not only reproduce the volume levels, but maintain control and not sound excessively boomy.

7. “Hey Now” – London Grammar

Another track with bass that is authoritative and deep, however it should not shake the room. A great track for testing subwoofer volume levels.

Midrange/Vocals

1. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith

Realistic and powerful are the words I would use to describe this song. Smith’s vocals should sound like he’s standing in the room with you, and there should be a sense of height to his voice (He’s 6′ 2″). Imaging on this track should be dead center.

2. “Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi

A powerful track from a talented singer, I listen for the lower registers of his voice, and it should sound forward and full-bodied.

3. “Man in the Mirror” – Michael Jackson

I use this song mainly to listen for details in the vocals. Jackson’s voice sounds like a man, but high pitched, and you should be able to clearly discern the details in his voice. The imaging in this track, like all of the midrange tracks, should be dead center.

4. “Baby Plays Around” – Anna Sofie von Otter & Elvis Costello + Others

This song is recorded with incredible detail. The vocals sound natural and should be presented that way.

5. “Lonely” – Justin Bieber

Gives me goosebumps every time I listen. His voice is very forward in this song and startlingly realistic. There is some reverb added to the track, so you should be able to pick this up as well.

6. “Don’t Get Hung Up In Your Soul” – Richard Hawley

This song is a great example of realistic and well recorded vocals. The lower registers of his voice should be loud and clear. Because there isn’t much else going on in the song, it makes it easy to pay attention to the voice.

Treble

1. “Your Song” -Rita Ora

A great song for testing female vocals. Her voice should not sound sibilant, although it is a bright track. If the voice is sibilant, I know the sound system is the issue.

2. “Beyond Beliefs” – Ben Bohmer

This song is an ambient track that has lots of high pitched frequencies that sound somewhat like a triangle. It should fill the room with ambience.

3. “Syrinx” – Claude Debussy – Doriot Anthony Dwyer

A track that contains a flute. You should hear the artist blowing into the flute, and when the flute goes into the highest registers, it should be clear and appear to reverberate.

4. “Nothing Without You” – The Weeknd

This song is good for testing treble because it contains a snare that is representative of a lot of loud claps and snares in pop and rap music. This is without question a bright track, but if the snare sounds painful to listen to, it can give you an idea of what your listening experience is going to be like if these genres are up your alley.

Soundstage

1. “Fluid” – Yosi Horikawa

One of the best produced albums I’ve ever heard. “Fluid” contains deep, thumping bass, percussion instruments and strings. Every sound should be layered well and not interfere with anything else. You should clearly be able to hear every detail and the width of the sound should be large.

2. “Graceful Touch” – Tord Gustavsen Trio

This song is a good example of realistic sounding instruments with a lot of depth. It should sound like you are standing in a concert hall.

3. “Prelude” – Joep Beving

This song is good for soundstage because it has a very powerful piano playing in the center, but there are all sorts of weird, ambient creaks and pops that should fill the room. It should sound like you are standing in a forest.

4. “Solo Dolo, Pt. III” -Kid Cudi

This song should make you feel like you are floating in space. Cudi’s vocals have a ton of reverb on them and don’t image in the center. It should echo throughout the room, and the accompanying layers of the track should add to this feeling.

5. “Tension” – NAV

This track is great for soundstage because the vocals image dead center and should sound clear and forward, but the accompanying electronic sounds in the background should create a sense of air and fill the room with ambience.

6. “Mountains” – Hanz Zimmer

If you want to see if you can experience a full orchestra in the comfort of your own home, this song is for you. The clock ticking at the beginning, and the deep sub-bass should put your hair on end. When the orchestra finally starts playing full on, the sense of scale should be massive, and it should get LOUD. All instruments should be heard distinctly and the sound shouldn’t be mushed together.

7. “Cycles” – Lee Ritenour

I like this song because it has lots of dynamics in the piano, and all the instruments are real, rather than synthesized, which means it should sound realistic, like you are sitting in a jazz club.

8. “I Love Music” – Jeremy Pelt

Similar to “Cycles”, the instruments in this song are recorded live. Dynamics should be strong and there should be a huge sense of depth and space. If your room doesn’t sound like a jazz club, there’s something missing.

Honorable Mention

“Funhouse” – Flim & the BB’s

One of the first songs I ever heard to test hi-fi gear, “Funhouse” is an absolute blast to listen to. It is creative, and besides not having any vocals, tests just about everything there is to test. Additionally, it’s well recorded and dynamic. If you want to put your system through its paces and have a good time, check this one out.

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Hi-fi Glossary

Soundstage – An effect where the sound comes from beyond the boundaries of the driver itself, creating a sense a width and depth. For example, an orchestra should sound large, wide, and bigger than the room that the speaker is in.

Treble – The upper frequencies above 2-3khz that provide “airiness” and is where many harmonics in the music lie. Treble is also the range where the “sss” sound in vocals manifests itself. Flutes and pianos are some instruments that can reproduce frequencies this high.

Imaging – The illusion of sounds coming from defined points in 3D space based on the recorded material, completely separate from the speakers.

Layering – A track with lots of different instruments playing at the same time has layering. A good sound system should allow the listener to distinctly hear all of these different sounds even when the track gets busy.

Dynamics – The difference between the quietest and loudest sound in a track. While it would be foolish to listen to instruments at the level of a live concert, the relative levels of volume should be conveyed in a good sound system. The crack of a drum, and the hard strike of a finger on a piano key should jump out at you and be louder than the rest of the mix.

Tight/punchy (bass) – bass that isn’t boomy. The sound hits you in your chest quickly and then dissipates quickly.