I test headphones for a living — here are 7 tracks I use with every new pair

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I am very lucky here at Tom's Guide. I have the position of "chief headphone reviewer" (that's a self-given title, but one no less meaningful), and that means I get to test out some of the best headphones around. And one of the most important parts of reviewing headphones?

Making sure they sound good.

To that end, I not only use the Tom's Guide testing playlist, but my own extensive collection of tracks. They cover the entirety of the musical spectrum to see how the headphones (or earbuds, or speakers, or... you get the picture) perform for a range of different music lovers.

But there are always seven tracks that I test the headphones out with first. My "first line of defense" that let me dial in EQs, and get a clear early picture about how the headphones on my testbench (see also: messy desk) actually perform.

Check out the Tom's Guide testing playlist

There's a whole team of experts that tests headphones at Tom's Guide, and we want at least some of the testing to be consistent. To that end, we have the Tom's Guide testing playlist, featuring songs that we use to evaluate quality, which we've all come to be familiar with. You can listen to it on all major streaming platforms!

Track 1. Opeth: Coil

They might be known for massive, soaring prog-metal, but Opeth bring things up close and personal for Coil. It's all picked guitars and emotive voice lines, not a kick drum or growled line in sight. It's a wholly musical experience, and one that I savor every time it rolls around.

I want to be able to hear the fingers running up and down the metal strings, and the warmth of the acoustic guitars. The voices should be crystal clear and well separated from the guitars. The synth line that joins the party needs to be well defined and smooth, and the wind section should be wide and spacious.

The song is a conversation between the two singers — and a sad one at that. I need to be able to feel the raw emotion, as if I'm a fly on the wall of the exchange. Some headphones can make you feel distant, like you're not really there. I'm looking for a layered intimacy — and that's hard to come by.

Track 2. Myrkur: House Carpenter

When Black Metal madame Myrkur released an entire vocal-focused folk album, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. And then she belted out a version of House Carpenter, and I was completely convinced. It's layered, it's dimensional and most importantly, it's a devastating listen.

Myrkur's voice needs to be right at the forefront, clear and bright. The chorus that accompanies her should be smooth and well placed, lest it overtake the rest of the ensemble. The rhythmic string section needs to have snap to it, and I need to be able to hear the soft drum that lays a solid back. The violas and cellos should be almost three-dimensional, and the soundstage should be such that you're in the middle of the proceedings.

It's a story being told here, so you need to be able to understand what's being said. I want to be in tears by the end of the track, something that some headphones can't do.

Track 3. Mogwai: Ritchie Sacramento

Mogwai's post-rock stylings on Ritchie Sacramento lend a shoegazey feel and a tonal warmth that underlies the track's focus on farewells, remembrance and friendship. One of the best mixes around sure helps out a lot, but the layered soundscape and rare vocal track make the tune feel both completely separated from the band's traditional material and yet so Mogwai it hurts.

The synths and their bright focal points need to be clear and bright, while the lightly distorted guitars need to wobble. The voice needs to ebb and flow in and out of focus, like a badly adjusted looking glass. There's a lot of depth to the recording, that's for sure — and there's got to be plenty of warmth for the bass guitars and the drums.

I want to come away from the track feeling satisfied, and I want the vocal impact to be clearly felt. There's a lot of great layering here, and that needs to come through with the headphones I'm testing. Bad headphones can get lost — but you can get lost in the track with good headphones.

Track 4. Pat Metheny Group: Last Train Home

I love jazz, and Pat Metheny's style is one that I just can't get enough of. The entirety of Still Life (Talking) is a piece of jazz gold, but Last Train Home is the track from the album that makes me feel like I'm 12 again. It's evocative, homely, and comforting. Some might call it saccharine, or even corny, but its chuffing drum beat and effortless, constant string solo is breathtaking.

The pianos need to ring out with the perfect timbre, and the drums need to be quick and sharp. The bass guitar should be deep and low, and perfectly audible. The vocals have to bring a certain degree of presence, but never take away from the rest of the track. The slick synth that underlines the entire piece should fill the gaps without taking centre stage.

It's a track that should make you feel like you're heading home after a long time away. You've been looking forward to this, you've been excited about it — and now, as you drift off to sleep, you're nearly there. Bad headphones pull you out of the moment; good ones cement you directly in the middle.

Track 5. Fatima Al Qadiri: Hip Hop Spa

There's not much you can say about Fatima Al Qadiri's bizarre mix of rave, dance and atmosphere. There's something intangible about the entirety of Genre Specific Xperience, but album opener Hip Hop Spa nails its colors to the mast. It's like the 90s genre we never got. It's the musical form of old 3D animation, using strange samples and a deft hand to create something unnerving.

The steel pan samples need to ring out, and the massive bass booms should be headshaking. The track ebbs and flows, and there's plenty of dynamism for impressive headphones to get their teeth stuck into. As the track moves and digital vocal samples are layered, the headphones need to be able to keep up.

I want to feel uncomfortable while listening to Hip Hop Spa. There's something disturbing about the track — like something is very, very wrong. And that's when you know your headphones have done something very, very right.

Track 6. Tchaikovsky: Rite of Spring

This is where I listen to an entire "album." This particular recording of The Rite of Spring is one of my favorites, as composer Von Karajan guides the Berlin Philharmoniker through the strange dance of one of classical music's most uncomfortable pieces. It's beautiful, unnerving and filled with just what a headphone tester could want — things to find and details to seek out.

There's great dynamic range here, and I want the headphones to keep up. I need the quiet sections to be quiet, and the loud sections to be deafeningly loud, without having to adjust the volume control. The strings need to feel massive, as if there were a host of violinists and cellists in my office. I need the crash of cymbals and the rush of the full orchestral weight pushing down on my head.

Classical music is a test for any pair of headphones, and there's little that tests everything that a set of cans can do than The Rite of Spring.

Track 7. Watain: Before the Cataclysm

There's a great deal I could write about any kind of black metal, but Watain remains at the top of my list of the most devilish of tunes. Before the Cataclysm brings rage, fury, and unholy attitude in buckets. It also sounds absolutely massive, with tremolo-picked guitars and angry drum beats. It's sharp like a massive saw blade, and as brutal as being keelhauled.

A lot is going on in the track, but good headphones should be able to keep it from becoming a massive wall of noise. Guitars need to be distinguishable from bass, drums need to be powerful, and the vocals should be scratchy and scary. The lead guitar that lies over the top should be easily picked out from the din.

Watain are a terrifying force of nature already, and the best headphones should place you in the middle of the maelstrom. Bad headphones can make everything sound like a big, metallic mess — and where's the fun in that?

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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