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Headphone Performance Testing

Excellent headphones are rarely cheap. That’s not to say a budget set can’t perform well, but there is a threshold that high-end ones step into that cleans up your listening experience.

You’ll hear that background rumbling bass; you’ll be able to pick out each layer of sound, and there will be zero distortion (unless it's intentional in the music). Those high-pitched vocals, screams, or quick-rapped lyrics will be crisp and still comfortable for you.

And, they will play well with your preferred EQ settings.

Sure, you should test them with the genre you know best. But it’s also smart to push them a little harder, see what they’re really made of.

What makes good headphones?

While we are largely in the realm of ‘personal preference’ for 99% of what we discuss, there is a general level of quality you should look for in your headphones. For much of it, to experience music as its best, these are non-negotiables, especially when you are dropping a few hundred/thousand dollars on a pair.

• Clarity and detail, you should be able to hear all the details in the instrumental, effects, and vocals. Everything. The difference between a basic set and a high-end set is night and day.

• Soundstage: If it sounds like the music is just being pumped in a single direction, you’re missing out. You should feel like music is coming from all angles, putting you in the middle of the action.

• Frequency response: look for minimal or zero distortion, and no unusual emphasis on bass, mids, or highs.

• Soft and durable padding - extended listening sessions can get cut short with low-quality padding.

• Sturdy headband with plenty of adjustability to it, so those with a larger or smaller than average head size can be comfortable.

• Lightweight without being too heavy on the clamp (so they don’t grip your head too tightly).

• Features like noise cancellation, EQ settings, wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth codec support.

• Sound signature - do you prefer a neutral sound? V-shaped? Warm?

Does brand matter?

In short, yes. But don’t let it sway you too much.

Brands that specialize in audio, like Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Focal, and Audeze, typically have stronger R&D and higher-quality components. They're constantly innovating, competing on patents, and refining sound signatures. As well as aiming to offer varying price brackets.

That said, no brand is flawless. Even the best names have duds. The upside? There’s almost always a review online that will stop you buying something crap.

Should you buy solely based on brand reputation? Absolutely not. Find a store where you can try a few pairs on and listen before you buy; you’ll usually need to book an appointment. But it will be worth it.

You might be surprised, those Sennheisers you’ve been eyeing might not hold up next to SONOS, or maybe you’ll find what you are looking for somewhere unexpected, like Skullcandy. Seriously.

And while a good EQ can help fine-tune things, it won’t fix bad hardware. If the drivers can’t deliver, no amount of tweaking will save your sound. You’ll hit limits you didn’t know they had.

Totally unsure where to start? Check the audiophile forums. Reddit’s r/headphones, Head-Fi, and HiFiGuides are filled with obsessive testers who’ve already done the dirty work.

Burn in

You’ll often hear people talk about “burn-in time” for headphones. The theory? New headphones need anywhere from 4 to 100 hours of pink/white noise to “loosen up” the drivers and improve frequency response.

But here’s the more widely accepted reality: burn-in is more about you than the hardware.

It’s not so much that the headphones change in a dramatic fashion; it’s that your brain adapts. You’re adjusting to the clarity, the separation, the lack of muddiness. Going from compressed, low-res sound to something sharp and hi-fi can be jarring at first. It’s like listening to something on Spotify, then to the same track on TIDAL or Qobuz. Wild.

So, burn them in if it makes you feel better, just in case. But chances are, it’s you who’s doing the tuning.

So, what tracks should you be hitting play on?

Certainly not a definitive list, but here is a range of songs that will test your bass, treble, and separation. Where possible, always listen to at least 3 or 4 songs that you are very familiar with; you’ll be able to pick out differences and improvements quickly. For testing out different types of sound, this will serve you well.

• Bon Iver - Holocene, micro textures, and airy production.

• Radiohead - High and Dry, vocal realism, midrange.

• Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage, electronic layering, spatial effects, sub-bass, low end.

• Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon (Count Basie + Orchestra), warmth, brass clarity, analog

• Chase & Status - Baddadan or No Problem, energy handling, sub-bass, drop impact.

• Gojira - Stranded, for precision heavy distortion, vocal layering, low-end slam (clarity instead of a wall of noise).

• Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover, note separation, treble response, guitar clarity.

• Pink Floyd - Breathe, left-to-right placement, effects, wide spatial and ambient.

• Headie One - Both, vocal sharpness (front and centre), spatial production, punchy low-end.

• Billie Eilish - Bad Guy, sub-bass, sharp production, vocal intimacy.

• Hans Zimmer - Time, dynamic sound, low-end swell, cinematic layers, gradual.

• Kendrick Lamar - DNA, punch bass, vocal clarity, sharp production, layered effects, low-end control

• Aphex Twin - Windowlicker, extreme panning, production chaos, glitch, high/low extremes.
  
  Do you need to listen to them all? No. But select a few, press play, and you’ll soon know if a pair of headphones is for you or not. We’ve added a couple of extras to the playlist, too.

P.S. It can also be used for speakers. But you’ll want to adjust your levels, etc, as you go.

A good pair of headphones sounds good to you. The brand specs help narrow it down, the reviews help narrow it down more, but your ears make the final call, as they should.

If your headphones disappear and all you’re left with is the music?

You’ve picked the right pair.

The Essentials

Your Catch Up

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The Playlist Edit 

Music Discovery

Who are we listening to this week? Here are our three picks & a playlist!

A Final Note

Until next time,