My top 5 tracks for evaluating and testing speakers.

      When evaluating or testing speakers, whether it's a small Bluetooth speaker, a pair of bookshelf speakers, or a large, powerful party speaker, having a consistent method and some reliable reference points is essential. Although each speaker and type varies, it's crucial to establish a baseline for comparing them, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and addressing key questions to assist you, our readers, in determining if they suit your needs and are worth your investment.

      Musical preferences differ from person to person. While I use various musical genres to thoroughly assess speakers — having a basic set of playlists focusing on bass, mids, and trebles, for instance — there are specific tracks I prefer, especially at the start of the evaluation process, which cover a lot of what I need to know before getting into specifics.

      The key takeaway with these tracks, which should apply to you as well when shopping for speakers, is familiarity and enjoyment. I am very familiar with all these songs and know how they should sound. I've selected them for particular reasons, having heard them across a variety of speakers and audio systems. Moreover, I genuinely enjoy them, which underscores the primary purpose — it’s enjoyable.

      So, without further delay, here are five of my favorite tracks for testing speakers.

      Radiohead's OK Computer

      I recognize this isn't a single track, so my choice might seem unconventional. The point is to illustrate that I always start with something I know well when testing a speaker, turntable, or any audio product. This Radiohead masterpiece is one of my top three all-time favorite albums (I can't choose just one).

      As expected, I begin with the album’s opening track, "Airbag." The initial percussive guitar riff allows me to establish various baselines. The guitar stands out on its own without competing with other instruments, making it easy to hear clearly, and it's panned to the right, allowing me to hear the sparkling guitar picking from the left speaker (assuming I’m not testing a Bluetooth speaker).

      A few bars later, the drums kick in with a snare fill and cymbal crash, offering insights into how the speaker responds to attack and if the highs are clear.

      Thom Yorke's angelic vocals come in around the 10-bar mark, helping me assess the vocal mid-range and check for clarity in the “j’s” when he sings “jackknifed juggernaut.” Simultaneously, the bass line emerges, and I evaluate its accuracy and fullness. As the layers build, there's a subtly dirty rhythm guitar strumming that gives me insight into the speaker's midrange tuning. A pair of speakers I recently reviewed, the Fluance Ri71 bookshelf speakers, showcased this effectively.

      All this occurs within the first 40 seconds of the track, leaving me with four more minutes of this brilliance. By the end of the song, I have a solid understanding of the speakers' capabilities, allowing me to proceed with more specific tests.

      The Beatles – "Blackbird"

      Following the familiarity principle, this McCartney classic is a personal favorite because its stripped-down simplicity provides a sonic reset and gives my ears a chance to rest. There's no noise, nothing competing, allowing for clear listening. Additionally, as a guitarist for over 35 years, I'm familiar with the acoustic guitar, enabling me to evaluate the authenticity of the speaker — does it sound like an acoustic guitar? If so, I can proceed confidently.

      All the nuances are noticeable, such as the subtle movements and slides of Paul’s fingers on the strings (and the chirping blackbirds!), along with the sound of his foot tapping on the wood floor of Abbey Road studio. The vocals are incredibly intimate and genuine, allowing for examination of Paul’s breathing sounds and the clarity of his "s" and "t" sounds. The parts in the “Blackbird fly” choruses where the vocals are doubled create a pleasant thickness, and the climactic moments when Paul sings “Into the light…” let me assess how well the speaker manages those peak levels.

      Due to its quiet nature, you can also notice the cleanliness of the silences — is the speaker producing noise, is there any static or hum? It's an excellent and soothing song, making it easy to transition to the next tests.

      Billie Eilish – "xanny"

      This track is my go-to for evaluating how a speaker performs with bass, particularly those captivating sub-bass frequencies between 20Hz and 40/50Hz. I have a curated playlist that I cycle through (including favorites like Massive Attack’s "Angel" and Dead Prez’s energetic hip-hop tracks) to test various bass ranges, but I love how "xanny" and many of Billie and Finneas' songs manipulate frequencies in this range.

      The track opens with quiet, clean bass notes, offering a smooth tone that serves as an excellent starting point for any speaker under test. The true evaluation begins around the 35-second mark when I increase the volume, especially for larger amplifier