Mitch Gallagher’s Monitor and Headphones Reference Playlist

A common piece of advice given to those who record, produce, mix, and master music is, “know your monitors and room.” No doubt, this is great advice. To craft great-sounding recordings, you need complete confidence in what you’re hearing. But how do you get to know your room or studio monitors/headphones? How do you know what’s “right” as far as the sound goes?

The situation becomes even more difficult when you’re comparing or evaluating different sets of monitors or headphones. They all claim to have “flat” frequency-response curves, for example. If that’s the case, then why do they all sound different? Which is “right”? What does “flat” sound like, anyway?

I’ve faced this problem many more times than most engineers and musicians. As an engineer, writer, gear reviewer, pro-audio magazine editor, and content creator for Sweetwater, I’ve evaluated more sets of monitors (and other gear) than I can possibly quantify. Early on, I came up with a solution for evaluating and comparing products by ear and have been refining it ever since. Now you can take advantage of my method yourself!

Problem, Meet Solution

What Are We Looking For?

Not the Same As Mix References

Do This

The Monitor Reference Playlist

Put Your Ears to Work

Sweetwater Has Monitors & Headphones for Every Need

Problem, Meet Solution

Very few of us have a golden-eared, innate sense of what something sounds like on a technical, recording-studio level in a vacuum without having a basis for comparison or a means of measurement. Put a set of monitors in front of a musician or engineer and play a track. Maybe they’ll have some broad-strokes impressions: “They seem bright to me”; “They sound boomy in this room”; etc. But to really dig in, to get a true sense of what the monitors or headphones are doing, you need a sound basis (no pun intended) for evaluation. Otherwise, you’re at the mercy of the piece of music, how your ears are working on a given day, what you had for lunch, or whatever other factors might influence your subjective response. What we want is an objective evaluation basis.

The solution I arrived at (and by no means claim to have invented; I’m sure others do a similar thing) is to use a carefully curated set of recordings as a baseline reference. By listening to these select tracks, I can quickly get a good idea of what a set of monitors or a pair of headphones can do and even how acoustics are impacting the sound of the monitors in a room.

Now, most of us listen to music we’re familiar with — often our own mixes and productions — to “learn” a set of speakers or headphones. That’s all well and good. But what I’ve assembled is a playlist of curated tracks that spotlight specific performance aspects of the monitor system and allow you to more effectively reach a conclusion about its performance.

What Are We Looking For?

I listen through my playlist of tracks for perspective and insight into specific monitor and headphone performance parameters and considerations, including:

Frequency Response — How high and how low do the speakers or headphones go? Are there obvious peaks and dips in the frequency response? All monitors claim a deep bass response, but the lowest note on an upright bass is 33Hz. Synthesizers, certain drums, and other instruments can go even lower. Can you accurately hear those low frequencies? Is it just rumble or boom? Or are those low frequencies missing completely?

Dynamic Response — How the monitors handle soft versus loud on a macro level is important, of course. But I’m even more interested in how they translate micro dynamic changes, small accents, and the way musicians and vocalists use dynamics to shape a phrase.

Midrange Clarity — Can you focus on each instrument or sound separately? Is there separation of sounds and lines in the music, or is it hard to pick things out of the midrange wash?

Detail — Can you hear the finer details in instruments, sounds, and vocals? Things such as the pick or fingers making contact or a bow being drawn across a string? Little vocal sounds, mouth noises, fine cymbal details?

Soundfield — How wide is the stereo spread?

Imaging — Can you pinpoint each instrument’s location in the soundstage or follow its panning accurately in the stereo field?

Resolution — Can you clearly hear very quiet and transparent sounds, such as low-level reverb tails, accurately and smoothly as they fade to silence or within the context of a mix?

Depth — Can you hear “into” the mix? Is there front-to-back imaging as well as left to right?

Sweet Spot — How wide/tall/deep is the sweet spot? Does the sound change radically when you stand versus sit? Do you lose all perspective if you lean to one side or move farther back or forward?

Fatigue — Are the monitors or headphones easy to listen to for extended tracking/mixing/editing/mastering sessions?

Headroom — Do the monitors or headphones have sufficient headroom and power to play cleanly at the volume level you require in your room?

Noise — Do the monitors hiss or hum or make mechanical noises (rattling or buzzing)? If they’re a ported design, is there port noise on certain notes?

Well-selected test or reference tracks will help you evaluate these concerns and gain quick insight into the performance and response of the speakers or headphones.

Not the Same As Mix References

Many engineers use commercially released tracks or their own mixes as references for comparison as they build new mixes. For me, the tracks I use for evaluating monitors and headphones are not the same as those I use for referencing mixes — I’m listening for different things and have a different mindset. For the things we’re talking about here, I rarely use more than a very short snippet of a track, just the minimum required to hear what I need to make an evaluation. It’s not about liking the song, the artist, the style, or the genre — or, really, even the sound of it. (Though all the tracks I use sound fantastic.) We’re not listening for pleasure or to compare to a track we’re working on. The point is to play sounds that tell you about an aspect of monitor or headphone performance.

Do This

Over time, you’ll become very familiar with the tracks you select for monitor and headphone evaluation — it’s essential, in fact, if you’re going to make comparisons. I find it necessary to have a variety of tracks, genres, and styles. In addition to using music tracks, such as my playlist, I highly encourage you to use an unadorned spoken-word example — in fact, using a recording of your own speaking voice might be the ideal! Our ears are very sensitive to colorations and artifacts in the human voice. Listening to a recording of a voice can tell you a lot about your speakers.

For a long time, I used a CD of my reference songs. These days, I rely on files or streaming. Regardless of how you access the audio, it’s essential to use the highest resolution possible. I either download high-res files, such as those from HDtracks.com and others, or, when streaming, use a service that can stream at high resolution. My preference is Tidal, but there are others that provide high-res audio, including highresaudio.com, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and more.

Avoid “lossy” file and streaming formats, such as MP3s. Go for full bandwidth — at least CD quality. For me, 16-bit/44.1kHz is the bare minimum. I recommend at least 24-bit audio and a higher sample rate — 96kHz or 192kHz if possible. All of the tracks in my list below are available at CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution or higher.

In addition to using high-res audio files or streaming, use the best signal path possible to drive your monitors or headphones — the highest-quality digital-to-analog converters or audio interface, headphone amp, and monitor controller available to you.

Another tip: Do your listening at a consistent volume level. Use the same level for each piece of gear you evaluate. If you are comparing speakers, then be sure they are all set to the same level. Differences in speaker efficiency can cause level differences as much as 10dB–15dB. Be careful not to listen too loud; your ears will fatigue, and you won’t be able to make valid observations about monitor or headphone performance — to say nothing of the risk of hearing damage.

For an SPL reference, Sweetwater sells SPL meters, or you can find loudness metering apps for your phone.

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The Monitor Reference Playlist

With all that said, here is the playlist I use to evaluate monitors, headphones, rooms, and more with notes about what I’m looking to learn as I listen to each track. Note that my list is constantly changing. I’ll stumble across a track and think, “This will help me evaluate XYZ,” and it goes into the playlist.

As I add new tracks, I drop other tracks. I find that if you have too many tracks on your playlist, then it can be counterproductive. Twelve seems to be about the limit for me.

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet – “Lotus Eaters” from Air & Ground

This is the first track I’ll play through a set of monitors or headphones — it tells me so much. First, I’ll listen to the tone of the guitars (beautifully captured by Ellen Fitton). Is it natural or is it harsh or strident? Second, there are four classical/nylon-string guitars playing. Can you hear and distinguish all four and pick out their placement in the stereo field? Can you hear fingernails on strings as each guitar is plucked? How clear and transparent is the room sound/reverb? How well do the monitors or phones track the dynamics and accents within each player’s performance?

Sarah McLachlan – “I Love You” from Surfacing

I only need to hear a few bars of this track engineered, mixed, and produced by Pierre Marchand. What I’m listening for is how well the super-low synth bass notes are reproduced in the introduction. On great monitors or a well-calibrated 2.1 system, all the synth bass notes will speak well. On lesser systems, the lowest notes will be much quieter or even inaudible. If you continue listening, then at 1:41, bass guitar enters, placing even more demand on the low-frequency clarity of the speakers or phones. The bass and bass synth should be easily distinguishable from each other and from the pillowy kick drum.

Lyle Lovett – “North Dakota” from Joshua Judges Ruth

This is a masterfully recorded and mixed track (and album), courtesy of the talents of the great George Massenburg. Primarily, I’m listening for smooth, detailed reverb tails. (I remember George telling me he used multiple TC Electronic Reverb 4000 processors for those gorgeous ambiences.) If I can hear those reverb tails fading to silence behind other tracks as well as the beautiful dynamics in the instrument and vocal tracks, then I’m happy. On great monitors, you can really hear “into” this mix.

Steely Dan – “Gaslighting Abbie” from Two Against Nature

Of all the stellar-sounding Steely Dan tracks, I chose this one recorded and mixed by uber engineers Roger Nichols and Elliot Scheiner because there’s a certain quality to how the tracks sit, the presence they have because of the compression and EQ used. There are also subtle parts going on behind the very present guitars, bass, and drums. Can you hear those fine details back in the soundstage of the speakers or headphones? I find this mix is remarkably consistent on just about any playback system. If it sounds “off,” then there’s something amiss.

Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg, and Edgar Meyer – “Big Bug Shuffle” from Skip, Hop and Wobble

Acoustic-music tracks can be quite revealing on monitors and headphones — especially something as well recorded as this track/album engineered by my friend, the late, great Bil VornDick. Yes, I’m listening to how natural the instruments sound here, listening for the detail of fingers/picks on strings as well as to the clarity and low-frequency extension of the upright bass’s low notes. But what I’m really focused on with this track are the other bits — feet tapping, various mechanical noises as the players perform on their instruments, the room/reverb quality. This track is also very dynamic and showcases the players coming up to play their featured parts then dropping back as someone else takes the spotlight. Because the guitar and dobro occupy similar ranges, you need good clarity in the mids to clearly hear everything.

Avril Lavigne – “Sk8ter Boi” from Let Go

This track, by the then-17-year-old Lavigne and production team, The Matrix, is heavily limited, so I’m listening for clarity in the wall of sound. But the main reason I play this track is for the super-low drops that occur at approximately 0:13, 0:20, 0:26, and 0:33 as well as later in the song — there’s a big one around 1:51. On many monitors and headphones, you’ll hear the tom hit but not the drop. Serious low frequencies!

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones – “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” from Flight of the Cosmic Hippo

This one, once again engineered and mixed by Bil VornDick, is all about bottom-end extension and clarity. Your monitors will need to handle massive bass and sharp kick-drum transients but also provide the clarity to hear the “growl” of the bass(es). I only need to hear the first 10 seconds of this... though I usually end up listening to the whole thing just because it’s so cool. How well can you hear the subtle chords panning across the stereo field, starting around 0:33, sitting behind all those lows, drums, banjo, and reverb?

Sting – “A Thousand Years” from Brand New Day

The intro displays everything we need on this one; I listen up to about the 30-second mark or so. Really, what I’m most interested in are the first 10–15 seconds: those low drones. On many monitors and headphones, you’ll hear the drone but not the very low rumble. Then there are all those little things happening within and along with those drones. Monitors/phones need great low-frequency extension, good clarity, good dynamic response, excellent depth, and a wide soundstage to do this track justice. As you listen, try to pick out all the subtle background details that are happening throughout the track.

Yosi Horikawa – “Bubbles” from Wandering

This is a recent addition to my playlist. I discovered it when someone mentioned it while talking online about test tracks, and I’m sorry to say I can’t remember who or where. It’s an unusual track from Horikawa (who is sometimes referred to as a “sound artist” based on his penchant for building intricate rhythms using natural and found sounds) that will quickly reveal your monitors’ or headphones’ ability to convey soundstage, imaging, depth, clarity, detail, and dynamics.

John Williams – “Opening Titles”/“Theme” from Jurassic Park

Nothing like dinosaur footsteps and super-low rumbles to test your speakers! But we’ve also got a beautifully recorded French horn solo passage with luscious reverb before the full orchestra kicks in, all beautifully mixed by the legendary Shawn Murphy. Are the strings smooth and natural, or are they harsh or strident?

Daniel Lozakovich – “Partita No. 2” from Bach, J.S.: Violin Concerto Nos. 1 & 2; Partita No. 2

There are so many great classical/orchestral recordings that could be included here — and regardless of the style you work in, you should include at least one. (And, as recommended by engineer’s engineer, Bruce Swedien, you should bolster this by hearing orchestras perform live as often as you can.) For this selection, engineered by the great Tobias Lehmann and featuring violinist Lozakovich, I’m listening for dynamics, the sound of the hall, detail, clarity in the rich orchestra passages behind the violin, the soundstage, and depth. The natural sound of a violin certainly has some stridency, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming — especially as multiple players come in.

Roxy Music – “Avalon” from Roxy Music

I wind things up by playing this great track recorded and mixed by the incomparable engineer Bob Clearmountain. This track is included to provide a great overview. There are so many layers, parts, and instruments in this arrangement and such rich ambiences to parse; do your monitors have the clarity, depth, and detail to translate it all perfectly?

Put Your Ears to Work

Head over to your favorite music service and give the tracks above a listen on your monitors or headphones. Certainly, you could put together your own playlist for this purpose, but I humbly suggest starting with these curated selections — this playlist is proven to work and will get you going instantly. Then there’s always room to personalize it as you put it to work.

The key is to ignore the music (I know, an odd suggestion) and to focus tightly on the specific thing(s) you’re using a particular track to evaluate. What do you hear? As you change your rig or try out new monitors, headphones, or other gear, play these tracks again. Are you hearing differences? Improvement or not?

It only takes 10 minutes or so for me to work through this playlist and to arrive at solid conclusions about the monitors or headphones I’m evaluating. (If I don’t get caught up listening to complete songs, that is!) The more you do it, the better you’ll get at recognizing how monitors or headphones handle what you’re throwing at them.

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If you’re shopping for studio monitors or headphones, Sweetwater has a wide assortment of each, ranging from very affordable to expensive. Check out our options for active monitors, passive monitors, and headphones! Don’t hesitate to contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800)-222-4700 with any questions.

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