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The Best Song to Test Your Headphone Performance: 'Fast Car' by Tracy Chapman
In the quest for aural quality, the choice of music to test headphones is crucial. Sean Olive, sound researcher at Harman, suggests 'Fast Car' by Tracy Chapman as the best song for this task. In this article, we will explore why this song has been highlighted and how we can use it to evaluate the quality of our headphones.
Why 'Fast Car'?
Sean Olive has been doing research for over 35 years, and his choice of 'Fast Car' is not random. The song, released in 1988, offers a well-balanced recording with all audio frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the audible range of a healthy, young ear.
Elements to Evaluate
Bass: Pay attention to the electric bass and bass drum in the song. Can you clearly distinguish these elements?
Cymbals: Observe the clarity of the cymbals - does it sound shrill or crisp?
Chapman's voice: Tracy Chapman's voice is critical. A good speaker or headphone should reproduce the bass without masking the voice.
Importance of Balance
Listen to the overall balance between voice, bass and other musical elements. Is the voice at the same level as the instruments or is it overshadowed?
Expert Advice
Sean Olive suggests that, in addition to 'Fast Car', pink noise, with all frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, can be useful for identifying resonances and defects in any frequency range. Although not pleasant, it is effective.
Limitations on Daily Experience
It is essential to recognize that, although 'Fast Car' serves as a test bed, the actual Hi-Fi sound experience requires specialized equipment and high definition files. Using Bluetooth headphones on the street may not reveal the full potential of a song in high quality.
Conclusions
The choice of 'Fast Car' as a reference for testing headphones is based on years of research and rigorous testing. By applying these criteria during our evaluations, we are able to gain a deeper appreciation of the hearing quality of our devices.
OUR HEARING CENTERS
We also work together with the Junta de Andalucía and the Andalusian Health Service, as well as with several organizations based in the United Kingdom.
For more information, please contact any of our hearing centers:
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