10 of the best songs to test your speakers | What Hi-Fi?

10 of the best songs to test your speakers ; Radiohead - The National Anthem. To test overall balance · The Cat Empire - Fishies ; Bob Marley & The ... Skiptomaincontent WhatHi-Fi?THEWORLD'S#1TECHBUYER'SGUIDE Search Subscribe RSS UKUSCanadaAustralia WhatHi-FiMagazineSubscriptionWhatHi-FiMagazine...Whysubscribe?ThebesthomeentertainmentbuyingadviceIn-depth,unbiased,expertreviewsIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorFrom£4.99View News Reviews BestBuys Deals Advice Features Awards Forum More Awards Subscribe Newsletter Sound+Image AustralianHi-Fi trendingSkyGlassBestwirelessearbudsSpotifyHiFiPS5stockBestTV WhatHi-Fi?issupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Learnmore Everyreviewerat WhatHi-Fi?hastheirowncarefullycuratedlistofsongstheyusetoteststereospeakers,spanningallgenresandmusicaltastes.Thisiscrucialfortestingspeakers,especiallyifthey'renew:it'sbesttousesongsthatyouknowreallywelltohearwhatthespeakersarecapableof.Bythattoken,you'llprobablyalsohaveyourownplaylistsfortestingthevariousfacetsofaudioperformance,butwhat'stheharminaddingafewmoretracks?Aspartofourbesttesttrackstotrialyourhi-fisystemguide,we'veputtogetheralistoftensongs(alongwithsomeextrasuggestions)thatweusetotesteveryaspectofapairofspeaker'sperformance,fromtrebleandbassqualitytothewaytheyhandle rhythmanddynamics. Thisisbynomeansacompletelist–we’dbeherefordaysifwetriedtolisteverysinglesongweusefortesting–butit'sastart.Togetyoulisteningtothesetunesrightaway,we'veputtogetheraplaylistofthese songsonourfavouritemusicstreamingservices:ListenonAppleMusicListenonDeezerListenonQobuzListenonSpotifyListenonTidalRadiohead-TheNationalAnthemTotestoverallbalanceAsisRadiohead’swont,TheNationalAnthemisadense,multi-tieredweddingcakeofasong,withacousticandelectronicinstrumentsfiringoffinalldirections–nottomentionabrassensemblethatappearstohaveturneduptothewrongbooking.Everythingisdialleduptoeleven,fromthetreatmentonThomYorke’svocalsandtheoverdrivenbassguitarsound,totheTheremin-ywailinginthebackground.Yourspeakersmuststriketheperfectbalancebetweenorganisationandattack,betweendynamismandpoiseand,mostimportantly,betweencontrolandabandon,throughoutthefrequencyrange.Donecorrectly,thisisathrillingcacophony.Donebadly,it’sjustacacophony.Alsolistentothese:TheCatEmpire-FishiesHotChip-ReadyForTheFloorBobMarley&TheWailers-TurnYourLightsDownLowTotestspaceBobMarleygetsmuchofthecreditforbringingreggaetoaworldwideaudience,butIslandRecords’sinsistenceonahigh-glosshi-fisoundmadethetraditionallyrough-and-readygenremoreaccessible.TurnYourLightsDownLowdemonstratesthisbeautifully:it’ssuchaspaciousrecording,witheachinstrumentsecureinitsownareaofthesoundstage.Yourspeakersmustdescribeeachplayer’spositiononthestageand,mostcrucially,thespacebetweenthemifthelow-heatsimmerandintensityofthetuneistohavefullimpact.Notmanysongsusespaceasaninstrumentquiteaseffectivelyasthis.Alsolistentothese:NineInchNails-RightWhereItBelongsJóhanJóhannsson-BytheRoes,andBytheHindoftheFieldTheChemicalBrothers-DasSpiegelTotestattackanddecayAmorestop/start,truncatedandaltogetherabbreviatedcollectionofelectronicallyderivedsoundsyou’reunlikelytofind–soDasSpiegelisasplendidtestofyourspeakers’disciplineasfarasattackanddecaygo.Asidefromstrummedrhythmguitarandblownmelodica,everysoundherehasseeminglybeendesignedtoappearfromnowhereandendjustasabruptly.Fromthefour-squareboom-bapofthedrumpatterntothesqueals,hissesandsqueaksinthebackgroundasthetunebuilds,controlneedstobemartial.Andthethrumming,almostunbrokenbasssoundsonlyaddtothetest.Alsolistentothese:TheDeadWeather-60FeetTallIgorStravinsky-TheRiteofSpringCan-SpoonTotestrhythmandtimingDrummerJakiLiebezeitestablishesanirregular,complexcageforhisbandmatestoworkwithin,andtheresultisaremarkablythoroughtestofyourspeakers’abilitytointegrateafiendishlyoff-kilteranddisparatecollectionofinstrumentalstrandsintoacogentandunifiedwhole.Ataround2:23,Liebezeitunleashesavolleyoftypicallyriskyfillsandpadsthatwouldbetrickyenoughforyourspeakerstomanage,rhythmically,ontheirown.Butthereareburblingbassphrases,guitarpickingandkeyboardoutburstsconfusingthingsfurther-andthat’sbeforeyoufactorintheobtusevocalinputsDamoSuzukideliversinhissecondlanguage.Alsolistentothese:Radiohead-15Step65daysofstatic-PrismsAnneSofievonOtter-BabyPlaysAroundTotestmidrangequalitySwedishmezzo-sopranoAnneSofievonOtter’s2001albumwithElvisCostello,FortheStars,isapitilesstestofyourspeakers’powersofmidrangecommunication.Notonlyisthisopen,spaciousandrelentlesslyhi-firecordingloadedwithminisculedetails–ofvonOtter’sphrasing,ofhertongue,teethandpalatenoises-italsorevealssomeofthesecretsofherbreath-management.It’sahi-ficliché,butinthisinstanceit’strue:ifyourspeakersareuptoit,thiswillsoundlikeshe’srightthereintheroom,singingwithequalquantitiesofemotionandcontrol.Alsolistentothese:TomWaits-IHopeThatIDon'tFallInLoveWithYouNinaSimone-IPutASpellOnYou20ofthebestalbumsof2020MaxRoach-LonesomeLoverTotesttreblequalityJazzstunt-drummerRoachisbandleaderhere,andhisimpeccablehi-hatandridecymbalplayingisadecenttestoftreblefidelityinitself.Butit’ssaxophonistCliffordJordan’swailing,keeningandstridentplayingthatreallyseparatesthehigh-frequencymenfromtheboys.Hissquealsandflurriesofupper-registernotesneedtoshine,butnotspilloverintogratingsharpness.From3:00to3:12,hetestsyourtweeters’abilitytocontrolanotewhilestillretainingitsgritandattack.SingerAbbyLincolnandchorusweighinwithsomehigh-frequencyfidelityexaminationoftheirownat4:38,andagainfrom6:04onwards.Alsolistentothese:JohnWilliams-ThemefromJurassicParkBruceSpringsteen-Terry'sSongGeorgeGershwin-RhapsodyinBlueTotestdynamicrangeTheabilitytoshiftfrom‘veryquiet’to‘veryloudindeed’,whetherit'savoice,asingleinstrumentoralarge-scalesymphonyorchestrainfullattackmode,isanessentialloudspeakertalent.Andtherearen’tmanypiecesofmusicasusefulatdemonstratingthedynamicpotencyofanorchestraasGershwin’sRhapsodyinBlue.Insidethefirsttwominutesitswitchesfromplaintivepianotostrings/brass/percussionoverloadandbackagainseveraltimes–andeachtimeitdoes,yourspeakersmustmaketheswitchinstantlyandwithoutdisplayinganyunduestress.Whichisnotaseasyasyoumightthink.Alsolistentothese:RamidDjawadi-LightoftheSevenMikeOldfield-Pran'sDepartureThundercat-UhUhTotestbasscontrolMassiveshow-offThundercat(StephenBruner)deliveredoneofthemorecriticallyacclaimedalbumsof2017withDrunk.AndonUhUh(abriefbutexhaustingexplorationofthesix-stringelectricbassguitar),heplayswithsuchfranticvirtuosityyourspeakershavenohidingplace.Bassextension,speed,tonalvariation,andattackanddecayallgetthesortofexaminationthatspeakerengineersdread.What’srequiredhereiswelldefined,welldescribedvariationinnotetonalityandintensity.Intherighthandsit’saremarkablyathleticpieceofplaying,butinlesscapablecareit’sjustalow-frequencymessofoverlappinginformation.Alsolistentothese:MassiveAttack-AngelSBTRKT-WildfireSergeiProkofiev-MontaguesandCapuletsTotestdetailThedevil’sinthedetail,apparently–certainlythat’swherefullenjoymentofapieceofmusicexists.Andinabigsymphonicset-piecelikethistherearenumerouschancesforyourspeakerstoshowoffjusthowcapabletheyareofpickingupthenuances.Thesoundofaflute-player’sembouchure,therattleofasnarebeneathadrum-skin,theblareofatrumpetasitsoundsthecharge,eventhesqueakofatimpanifoot-pedal–tinydetailslikethisarewhatmakesapieceofmusictrulyalive.Doyourspeakerspickuponthetinyinputsofthetriangleinthebackgroundofthispiece?No?PutthemoneBayandauditionsomenewones.Alsolistentothese:HansZimmer-CowardArvoPärt-TabulaRasaSexPistols-PrettyVacantToteststereofocusThoughatthetimeconsideredadangertoBritishcivilization,fortyyearsontheSexPistolsdon’tsoundlikeanykindofthreatatall.Theydosoundbrilliantlyproduced,though.Givenwhathehadtoworkwith(guitar,bassanddrumsofafairlyrudimentarykind,andavocalthat,whilecompelling,ishardlyamelodicparadigm),ChrisThomas’sproductionofPrettyVacantislittleshortofmiraculous.Fullandwidescreen,withtheshapeandlayoutofthedrum-kitabsolutelyexplicit,itthoroughlytestsyourspeakers’abilitytoformacoherentwhole-stageimage.Alsolistentothese:PinkFloyd-MoneyCarlOrff-CarminaBurana:OFortunaMORE:10ofthebesttrackstotestyourheadphones10ofthebestvinylalbumstotellsomeoneyoulovethem10ofthebestmoviescorestotestyoursystem10ofthebestinternetradiostationsformusic10ofthebestpodcastsformusicBestfreemusicappsToday'sbestMusicdealsTheNumberoftheBeast(2015...Amazon£6.59£5.28ViewTheNumberoftheBeast(2015Remaster)TheBeatles-LetItBe...Base.com£8.69ViewTheBeatles-LetItBe(MusicCD)FleetwoodMac-Rumours-...ZavviUK£22.99ViewFleetwoodMac-Rumours-VinylQueen-SheerHeartAttack...365games.co.uk£29.49ViewQueen-SheerHeartAttackVinylShowMoreDealsWecheckover250millionproductseverydayforthebestprices 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