I'm blessed with the opportunity to test a massive range of earbuds and headphones in this job. I'm a massive advocate for investing in a good pair, offering benefits in a range of different areas.
I've tried just about anything worth its salt in the current market. That includes budget-friendly options like the new CMF Buds Pro 2, all the way up to premium devices like the Devialet Gemini II.
Whenever I test a new set, I always turn to a handful of different tracks. Those each test something unique, which enables me to measure the performance in a logical way.
Here are some of my favourites:
Ghostemane - Bonesaw
I always remember the first time I heard this track. I was on my way to a Saturday job, sat in the back seat of a colleagues car next to his new subwoofer.
This track came on and for a couple of minutes, I was in awe. The bass response through a dedicated 18-inch driver was absolutely stunning.
While the circa-10mm units found in earbuds can't quite replicate it, this is a great test of how well they can handle sub-frequencies. This will often see a few plays, while I play around with the bass EQ to really find the sweet spot where muddiness is removed and low-end response is tight.
China Bears - Hydra
This one is all about familiarity. I've known some of the boys in China Bears for 15 years, and I've got fond memories of hearing them playing in dive bars all over the country.
I'm massively familiar with their catalogue, making it the perfect thing to base my early opinions from. I'll often give a few of their tracks a listen before anything else, to help ensure I have a good understanding of the base profile of the device I'm testing.
There's another benefit, too. The style of music China Bears employ features an impressive dynamic range, allowing me to see how different buds and cans compress and handle a mix of soft and loud audio.
Pink Floyd - Shine on you Crazy Diamond
No-one really needs an excuse to listen to Pink Floyd, but this is a genuine one. The band are renowned for using multiple layers in their recordings, with sound effects used to create massive soundscapes.
That makes their work a brilliant pick for testing how a device can separate different layers. I use this track specifically because of the depth of the audio, as well as the prevalence of their use of panning to test the stereo field.
That Peter Crouch Podcast
Perhaps including this in a list of 'tracks' is a little unorthodox, but using it for testing is anything but. It's no secret that podcasts have grown substantially in the last few years, with that growth expected to continue.
With that in mind, it's absolutely crucial that we test earbuds and headphones for that purpose. The sonic profile of a podcast is drastically different to music, too. You'll find a greater prominence in the midrange, with lots more silence and potential for noise.
Billy Joel - Piano Man
It's always a must to test a good piano track when testing an audio product. The full name – pianoforte – of the instrument literally means 'soft loud', and it's that variable range which makes it such a good testing bed.
In Piano Man, we get a fantastic movement from the gentle and soft verses, to the vivacious chorus sections. That gives us a really brilliant idea of how the buds handle different sounds, as well as how they deal with sudden changes in volume.
Plus, it's Billy Joel. That's always good for the soul.