# Do you have a specific song that you test speakers with? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186 "2013-01-14T17:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/1 "2013-01-14T17:22:01Z")
Usually I use Rage Against the Machine’s “Take the Power Back” or, for bass-driven uses, [Rock Bottom](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unjXSPbbYec) frm Caspa & Rusko. What about you guys? ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/2 "2013-01-14T17:30:15Z")
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. I’m by no means an expert on music, but I find that piece has enough range that I’ll notice any parts the speakers (usually headphones in my case, I go through them quickly) aren’t as strong. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/3 "2013-01-14T18:13:21Z")
Born to Love You, by Flim and the BB’s. It’s got the soft, the booming sonic bass for a quick second, and over-arching harmony that can really give you a good sense of the range you’re going to get from your speaker arrangement. IMO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/4 "2013-01-14T18:24:37Z")
Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto, for the dynamic range at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/5 "2013-01-14T18:34:24Z")
The end part of “Tubular Bells,” with the various instruments being introduced by Viv Stanshall. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/6 "2013-01-14T18:42:12Z")
The full album version of Locomotive Breath. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/7 "2013-01-14T18:44:13Z")
“Dance On A Volcano” by Genesis. The drums on that track seem to be an excellent test of car speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/8 "2013-01-14T18:51:45Z")
The _Dies Irae_ from [Verdi’s _Requiem_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Verdi)). Any Robert Shaw recording. If it can stand up to the first 30 seconds of _that_, it’ll take anything. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/9 "2013-01-14T19:05:38Z")
Autobahn by Kraftwerk ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/10 "2013-01-14T19:38:00Z")
[Ween, Reggea Junky Jew](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiG9TSfFA9M) good heavy bass ---
**Author:** ![EMCEE\_98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@EMCEE\_98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EMCEE_98)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/11 "2013-01-14T19:41:24Z")
_Achille’s Last Stand_ by Zeppelin. Kind of a tradition in our family since my dad blew out some top-of-the-line Bose speakers back in the 80s testing with the same song. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/12 "2013-01-14T19:48:35Z")
Back when I did that sort of thing, I used [Fanfarra](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwgHebDiEoA), from Sergio Mendes’ album _Brasileira_. Lots of heavy percussion and some vocals. ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/13 "2013-01-14T20:05:05Z")
The Obvious Child from Paul Simon’s The Rhythm of the Saints. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/14 "2013-01-14T21:01:09Z")
I know this isn’t really what you mean but I have a sound file that tests a 5.1 surround sound system by speaking through each individual speaker and then having the sub woofer make a noise. It has helped me more than once diagnose when a speaker became disconnected. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/15 "2013-01-14T21:07:17Z")
Rush 2112 Overture. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/16 "2013-01-14T21:15:48Z")
[Yello - Tied Up](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v93WOgGnx_c) If they can do a good job with the highs from the brass as well as the bass from the vocals you’re in good shape. There’s also a few thunder claps in the song that really good spaekers will bring out the impact of. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/17 "2013-01-14T21:58:12Z")
[Explosions](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTrZCrb4I_4) by the Mary Onettes. Starts off with a good intermix of drums, high notes, segues into a broader range before getting into the vocals. Don’t really need to listen to the whole song either! _Just Like Honey_ by the Jesus and Mary Chain is similar but doesn’t have as good a range. Songs with a decent amount of “popping” sounds in them seem to test things well. E.g., _She Drives Me Crazy_ by Fine Young Cannibals. If the “pops” are clear at a fairly high volume then you’re good to go. (Either that or you’ve just blown a driver.) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/18 "2013-01-14T21:58:27Z")
**Pink Floyd** , Time Between the soft clocks, bells, gongs, heartbeat, deep bass rumble, and screaming guitar, most speakers beg for mercy when only even cranked halfway. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/19 "2013-01-14T22:17:00Z")
The Windows “ding”. All I care about is if they work or not. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/20 "2013-01-14T22:28:18Z")
I use Boston or Rush commercial cd’s, because of the clarity of it all, and set my equipment to it, if I don’t have an analyzer with me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186.md?page=2)