It’s always a good day in the office when new audio gear lands on my desk. Especially when they have a great sound profile and awesome noise cancellation.
I know what I’m listening out for when I press play for the first time. My years with a guitar fixed across my lap, listening out for new chord progressions in the layers of my new favorite song that week have molded me perfectly for this job.
I’ve also been told I have a somewhat eclectic taste. Just a glance at my Spotify and Qobuz accounts will tell you that I listen to everything from country to metal, pop to punk, so I have a pretty good gauge of the sound profiles I like for certain tunes… and the ones I don’t.
After testing some earbuds that I wouldn’t use again (like the EarFun OpenJump) and headphones that I now use on a daily basis (the AKG N9 Hybrid headphones), I have become quite picky.
Some headphones come with a customizable app, and as a self-proclaimed audio nerd, I love this feature. Other headphones will get you to do hearing tests and give you a personalized sound profile.
But whatever you choose as the best headphones for you, you’re going to need some great songs to test them with: enter this playlist. These are all songs I know very well and I use them to pick up on certain sounds in the songs.
Favourite - Fontaines D.C.
This is the song I always start with. Released only a year ago, this track has a feature in a fair few of my playlists and is incredibly catchy. It has a consistent riff that you can pick up throughout the hooks of the song, so this naturally became my main test.
How clear can the riff be? Does it get lost behind the vocals? Does it drown out the rhythm guitar? Or does the sound profile completely balance the tune?
This song particularly stood out when I tested the Edifier WH950NB headphones, but it took some fiddling with the in-app EQ settings. Such is the case with many headphones and ear buds, you need to figure out the right EQ for your hearing, but once you do the sound can be awesome.
Pushing It Down and Praying - Lizzie McAlpine
This is a primarily acoustic song with electric tones layered on top. It begins softly before building into an epic explosion of emotion and open D-tuning power chords (my favorite sounds a guitar can make).
This song is chalk full of personality, so when earbuds can replicate each layer and harmony with ease I am super impressed.
So while the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds aren’t my favorite earbuds I have tested, they enhanced Lizzie’s voice and made it even more delicate, especially when using the Dolby Audio settings, making me feel like I was right there in the studio.
Silver Lining - Mt. Joy
This is a song I will never skip — It’s a banger. So if a pair of headphones ever make me want to skip it I’ll know they are a firm no from me. The song is totally upbeat and is a great one to test the fit of headphones (do they fall off when I dance around).
Thankfully I haven’t encountered a harsh skip on these yet, but I have come pretty close. The EarFun OpenJump earbuds. I didn’t get on with these at all but the fact they couldn’t let me enjoy what is one of my favorite songs spoke volumes.
Jumpsuit - Twenty One Pilots
I recently went to see Twenty One Pilots live, and anyone who has seen them in the flesh can attest to this: the bass shakes your bones. This is my favorite bass test as I think it’s quite a harsh one.
But it was actually a set of open ears that shocked me here. The Soundcore Aeroclip earbuds, while not built for bass, coped really well. I use these when I work out so I need some bass to keep me motivated and these carry brilliantly.
Kingslayer - Bring Me The Horizon (feat. BABYMETAL)
This is the heaviest song I test with regularly because some headphones just aren’t built to deal with metal. This fact was clearly pointed out by the LG xboom Buds which made the song sound muddy and actually managed to lose the drums completely.
Sympathy is a knife - Charli XCX
This is another of my favorites for bass testing. Charli XCX has been taking everything by storm since the Brat Summer of 2024. Not a pair of headphones but certainly an honourable mention is the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker which has a bassX button on the top to or course, enhance the booming bass.
The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes
This song exposed my favourite headphones I have tested: The AKG N9 Hybrid headphones. I will be yapping about these cans until the cows come home and for good reason; they elevate absolutely anything.
These headphones complement this track extremely well creating a crisp and clear vocal profile. But I would love everything I listen to on these headphones.
There are so many other songs I could talk about and this playlist is ever changing, but these are the best starting point for getting audio that suits me… and maybe you too.
