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My Reference Music Tracks - 2025 Expanded List

  • Writer: dbstechtalk
    dbstechtalk
  • 3 hours ago
  • 10 min read

In November 2021, I compiled a list of reference tracks to determine what I seek when assessing a product. Although I continue to use that list, I often incorporate other tracks. I've chosen to update my reference list to align more closely with my listening habits during review testing. Some tracks will remain, while others will be replaced, and many new tracks will be added.


Another reason for updating the songs is that I now use Tidal and AmazonHD streaming services less frequently than I did nearly four years ago when I first created the list. I've transitioned to primarily using downloaded music, which accounts for approximately 85% of my listening and testing. The playlist is available on Tidal and features music that I have both downloaded and streamed, enabling me to evaluate both methods.


When compiling a list of reference tracks, it is advisable to select those you admire for their production quality and that sound both natural and accurate. These tracks should accurately represent bass, mids, treble, staging, tone, timbre, details, and resolution, whether in the overall sound or in specific elements like vocals, percussion, or instruments. Incorporate a variety of reference tracks from different genres to obtain a broader perspective. Orchestral, jazz, and acoustic genres are particularly effective for showcasing a natural and realistic reproduction of instruments and vocalists. Additionally, include tracks with varying mixing and mastering qualities to evaluate how a product reproduces details and resolution. Reference tracks don't need to be your all-time favorite songs, but they should be ones you know very well. You should be familiar with how these tracks sound on your own reference equipment, so when you listen to them on different gear, you can identify and compare the differences.


I tend to prefer progressive classical, orchestral movie soundtracks, jazz, rock, heavy/hard rock, acoustic, country, and oldies. While I do listen to other music genres, I don't do so regularly.


NOTE: Please keep in mind that I am not a professional sound engineer, producer, musician, or vocalist, etc. I have not done any scientific research, measurements, or in-depth testing of any kind; just my own listening, comparing and internet reading/research. I have limited, real-life experience with recording, mixing and mastering gear. I have been involved since my teenage years with various churches as an amateur sound booth technician.

Please take these thoughts, opinions and reasonings as just that, my honest audiophile thoughts, opinions and reasonings.


Here is a link to the previously mentioned reference track list: https://www.thehonestaudiophile.com/post/does-your-music-preference-impact-your-sound-impressions


Let's briefly examine each song and discuss what I listen for when testing equipment.


Tidal Playlist link: 2025 THA Reference Music


Tingvall Trio “Beat”


What I'm listening for:

Natural piano tone and timbre

Percussion tone and timbre

Bass tone and timbre


Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun”


What I'm listening for:

Accurate stage depth, layering and imaging

Female vocalist tone and timbre


Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”


What I'm listening for:

Female vocalist tone and timbre

Piano tone timbre

Accurate stage depth and layering


Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure”


What I'm listening for:

Male vocalist tone and timbre

Detail retrieval, resolution and control 


Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold”


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre


Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium”


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre

Accurate note weight and density

Percussive impact Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love”


What I'm listening for:

Male vocalist tone and timbre

Dynamics throughout the entire frequency response

Soundstage depth, layering


Patricia Barber “Code Cool”

 (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Sibilance

Hot treble


Christian Scott “New New Orleans” (Beware this track can be painful on a lot of gear)


What I'm listening for:

Forward upper mids/lower treble

Sharpness

Harshness

Lackluster detail resolution Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip”


What I'm listening for:

Imaging

Precision

Stage width, depth and layering

Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre

Realistic stage width, depth and layering

Detail retrieval and resolution


Ilhan Eshkeri - 47 Ronin “47 Ronin”


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic range

Percussion impact

Instrumentation

Tone and timbre

Realistic stage width, depth and layering

Cher “Believe” (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Sibilance

Hot treble

Distortion Houston Person “You are my Sunshine”


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre

Realistic detail retrieval and resolution


Diana Krall "Singing in the Rain"


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre

Separation

Female vocalist tone and timbre


40 Fingers "Last of the Mohicans"


What I'm listening for:

Natural tone and timbre

Separation

Realistic detail retrieval and resolution


David Phelps "America the Beautiful/God Bless America Medley" -


What I'm listening for:

Male vocalist tone and timbre

Natural tone and timbre

Separation

Layering


Jethro Tull "Aqualung"


What I'm listening for:

Seperation

Layering

Imaging


Sandi Patty "Swingin' Love Medley"


What I'm listening for:

Shouty

Resolution

Boxy


Petra "Jekylll & Hyde"


What I'm listening for:

Bass impact Recessed Vocal

Resolution

Bite/Edge/Crispness

Body


Steve Green "He Holds the Key"


What I'm listening for:

Clarity

Dynamic

Details

Resolution

Tone

Timbre


Brian Free & Assurance "Medley: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name/Doxology/Revive Us Again"

What I'm listening for:

Autotune

Artificial

Digitized

Seperation

Layering

Eva Cassidy "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got that Swing)"


What I'm listening for:

Defined

Balanced

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Body

Note weight


Meatloaf "Bat Out of Hell" (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Clarity

Resolution

Details

Dynamic


The Cathedrals "Look For Me (Around the Throne)"


What I'm listening for:

4 Part Harmony

Tone

Timbre

Seperation

Layering


The Cathedrals "Champion of Love"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Body

Note weight

Tone

Timbre

Clarity

Separation

Layering

Details

Resolution


Charlotte Church "A Bit of Earth"


What I'm listening for:

Clarity

Details

Resolution

Tone

Timbre

Width

Depth

Layering

Note Weight

Natural


Norah Jones "Come Away With Me"


What I'm listening for:

Details

Resolution

Tone

Timbre

Intimacy

Natural


Megadeth "This Was My Life"

What I'm listening for:

Bass Impact

Depth

Layering

Clarity

Details

Resolution

Sarah Brightman "Angel"


What I'm listening for:

Width Depth

Details

Resolution

Tone

Timbre


Wycliffe Gordon "When the Saints Go Marching In"


What I'm listening for:

Placement

Depth

Layering

Dynamics

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Liveliness

Natural


The Eagles "Hotel California" (LIve at the Forum, Los Angeles, CA)

What I'm listening for:

Placement

Depth

Layering

Dynamics

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Crispness

Liveliness

Elvis Presley "Burning Love"


What I'm listening for:

Imaging

Placement

Separation

Layering


Elvis Presley "Hound Dog"


What I'm listening for:

Imaging

Placement

Separation

Layering

Shouty

Bite


Journey "Open Arms"


What I'm listening for:

Placement

Depth

Layering

Dynamics

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Crispness


Neil Young "Cinnamon Girl"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Details

Resolution

Layering


The Danish National Symphony Orchestra "Game of Thrones Suite"


What I'm listening for:

Liveliness Imaging

Width

Depth

Layering

Tone

Timbre

Control

Natural


Hyperion Knight "Rhapsody in Blue"

What I'm listening for:

Natural

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Depth

Note Weight

Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek the Motion Picture "The Enterprise"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Jerry Goldsmith - Rudy "The Final Game"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic Percusssion control

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


The Danish National Symphony Orchestra "Welcome to Jurassic Park"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity Liveliness

Natural


Johnny Cash "I walk the Line" What I'm listening for:

Details

Resolution

Note weight


Journey "Don't Stop Believin' "


What I'm listening for:

Placement

Depth

Layering

Dynamics

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Crispness

Lynyrd Skynyrd "Simple Man"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution


Lynyrd Skynyrd "Free Bird" (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Aggressive

Shouty


Miles Davis "All Blues" (feat. John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans)


What I'm listening for:

Intimate

Natural

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution


Miles Davis "Blue in Green" (feat. John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans)


What I'm listening for:

Intimate

Natural

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution


Olivia Newton John "I Honestly Love You"


What I'm listening for:

Forward vocal

Clarity

Natural

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Note weight


Bruce Rowland - Man From Snowy River "End Titles"


What I'm listening for:

Details

Resolution

Control

Tone Timbre

Layering


Ozzy Osborne "No More Tears" (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution


Ozzy Osborne "Road to Nowhere"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution


Pistol Annies "Hell on Heels"


What I'm listening for:

3 Part Harmony

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering


Rush "Tom Sawyer"

What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Layering

Depth

Control

Details

Resolution

Imaging

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra "The Untouchables"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Two Steps from Hell "Cannon in D Minor"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Two Steps from Hell "Victory"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Two Steps from Hell "Impossible"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Two Steps from Hell "Heart of Courage"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Van Morrison "Gloria"


What I'm listening for:

Clarity

Width

Layering

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution


Hans Zimmer - The Last Samurai "Ronin"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Hans Zimmer - Rush "Lost But Won"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic Bass impact

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity


Gil Shaham - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra - Vilvaldi: "Concerto in E Major Spring, RV 269 i. allegro"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Yuja Wang - Gustavo Dudamel - Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela Rachmaninoff: "Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 i. Allego ma non tanto" (Live)


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural Note weight

Liveliness


Otis Taylor "Sunday Morning (A)"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution


Otis Taylor "Sunday Morning (B)"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution


Otis Taylor "Sunday Morning (C)"


What I'm listening for: Bass control Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution


Nitty Gritty Dirt Band "Fishin' in the Dark"

What I'm listening for:

Harmony

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Natural

ZZ Top "Sharp Dressed Man"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution

Recessed vocal


Bruce Broughton - Tombstone "Final Credits"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Bruce Broughton - Silverado "End Titles"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Boston "Foreplay/Long Time"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution

Clarity


Metallica "The Unforgiven"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution Clarity

Intimacy


AC/DC "Hells Bells"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution

Clarity


AC/DC "Back in Black"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Width

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution

Clarity


Metallica "Nothing Else Matters"


What I'm listening for:

Bass control

Depth

Note weight

Layering

Details

Resolution Clarity

Intimacy


Hans Zimmer - Backdraft "Hard Lesson to Learn"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic Percussion control

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


Reba McEntire "Fancy"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering


Wynonna Judd "Ain't No Sunshine"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Natural


Oak Ridge Boys "Elvira" (Beware this track is painful on some gear)


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Details

Resolution


Skillet "Comatose" (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Width Layering

Details

Resolution

Bass control

Shouty


Reba McEntire "You Lie"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Natural


Josh Groban "You Raise Me Up"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Natural


Adele "Set Fire to the Rain"


What I'm listening for:

Forward vocal Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Layering

Natural


Evanescence "Bring Me to Life " (Beware this track is painful on most gear)


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body

Width Layering

Details

Resolution

Bass control

Shouty Aggressive


Renee Olstead "Thanks for the Boogie Ride"


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body Width

Layering Imaging

Natural


 ABBA "Chiquitita"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Note weight

Body Width

Depth

Layering

Natural

Forward vocal


Bear McCreary - So Say We All "Colonial Anthem/Black Market" (Live) (Beware this track is painful on some gear)


What I'm listening for:

Dynamic

Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Caitlyn Smith "Supernova (Voice Memo)"


What I'm listening for: Width

Depth

Layering

Imaging

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural

Liveliness


Willie Nelson - "Midnight Rider"


What I'm listening for:

Tone

Timbre

Details

Resolution

Clarity

Natural


So there is the list of 87 songs I use to test every product. It includes a range of genres, recording qualities, and bit rates. Some are personal favorites, while others are not, but each serves a purpose. I hope this clarifies my music preferences, choices, and what I focus on when evaluating a product.


I am Dave the Honest Audiophile. Thanks for reading, and I will catch you in the next one. Don't forget to enjoy the music and that honesty is the BEST policy!


I am not a professional sound engineer, producer, musician, or vocalist, etc. I have not done any scientific research, measurements, or in-depth testing of any kind; just my own listening, comparing and internet reading/research.  I have limited, real-life experience with recording, mixing and mastering gear.  I have been involved since my teenage years with various churches as an amateur sound booth technician.

Please take these thoughts, opinions and reasonings as just that, my honest audiophile thoughts, opinions and reasonings.


Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkDbs @TalkDbs



Recommended Gear:

Rosson Audio Design RAD-0: http://www.rossonaudiodesign.com/

Audeze LCD 2 Closed: LCD-2 Closed Back (audeze.com)

Massdrop THX AAA 789: 


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