These songs uncover issues that most DAC and amp reviews don’t talk about.
Not all audio flaws come from your headphones or speakers. Sometimes, the weakest link in your chain is the DAC or amplifier. Unfortunately, the signs aren’t always obvious.
But, worry not. The right test tracks can expose issues like digital glare, dynamic compression, treble grain, or lifeless timbre. Whether you’re auditioning new gear or double-checking a setup that just doesn’t sound right, these songs are your ultimate truth-tellers.
Here are our top 25 picks:
Dynamic Range and Macrodynamics
Dynamic range refers to the difference between the quietest and loudest parts of a song. Macrodynamics capture those dramatic volume swings that create emotional intensity.
With DACs and amps, we’re listening for:
- Clean signal delivery across soft-to-loud transitions
- Enough power or current to handle musical peaks without distorting
- Freedom from compression that flattens climactic moments
Bad DACs may veil quiet sections or smear soft details, while underpowered amps may clip or lose control during loud peaks. In fact, even high-end gear can choke dynamics if mismatched with the rest of your setup.
| Song Title | Artist | Album/Version | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1812 Overture | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Telarc Digital (Cincinnati Symphony) | Cannon blasts (15:55) must hit hard with no distortion; quiet strings (6:00–7:30) should be delicate, detailed, and free of hiss or harshness |
| Take Five | The Dave Brubeck Quartet | Time Out | From 3:00, drum solo swings between soft and loud hits — should have punch, snap, and clarity without sounding squashed or dull |
| Wake Up | Arcade Fire | Funeral | At 1:50, the band surges into full throttle — weak gear may compress dynamics, obscure guitar layers, or make the sound congested |
| Time | Hans Zimmer | Inception Soundtrack | From 0:00–2:30, the crescendo must swell with natural force; poor gear exaggerates loudness or loses control in the orchestral climax |
| Hurt | Johnny Cash | American IV | Intro is soft and intimate — listen for breath and string texture. By 2:30, swelling emotion must be powerful yet clear, not edgy or smeared |
Microdynamics and Detail Retrieval
Not every weakness in a DAC or amp shows up in thunderous crescendos or stadium-sized orchestral swells. Sometimes, it’s in the quietest moments, like a breath before the next lyric, the scrape of a finger on a guitar string, the decaying shimmer of a reverb trail.
Microdynamics are the subtle, moment-to-moment shifts in volume and expression that bring a performance to life.
When a DAC or amp lacks the resolution to handle these, you may not even realize what you’re missing. But, you may notice that the music feels flatter, duller, or emotionally distant.
A good DAC or amp should reveal every layer of a recording without overexposing it or smearing the finer textures.
These songs are designed to test exactly that: low-level retrieval, microdynamics, and the ability to resolve quiet nuances without making them disappear into the background.
| Song Title | Artist | Album/Version | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | The Beatles | The Beatles (White Album) | McCartney’s fingerpicking should have crisp, natural texture. Listen for foot tapping and micro-shifts in attack and tone between string strokes. |
| Teardrop | Massive Attack | Mezzanine | Ambient textures and layered percussion should feel airy and ghostly. Decay trails must fade naturally — bad gear will cut them off or blur them. |
| No Sanctuary Here | Chris Jones | Roadhouses and Automobiles | The plucked guitar has gritty resonance and texture. You should hear pick attack, breath in the vocals, and a rich sense of space around both. |
| Cold Cold Cold | Cage the Elephant | Tell Me I’m Pretty | Lo-fi textures fluctuate in tone and volume. Listen for how clearly the DAC/amp preserves vocal imperfections and gritty nuances without blurring. |
| The Sound of Silence (Acoustic) | Simon & Garfunkel | Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. | From the first pluck, note the string decay and vocal breathiness. You should hear shifts in vocal pressure and ambient room cues between lines. |
Treble Smoothness and Grain
Treble is one of the first places where a bad DAC or amp shows its flaws.
Some DACs introduce a kind of grain or glare that makes high frequencies feel brittle or metallic. So, if something sounds sharp, thin, or harsh (especially on vocals, strings, or cymbals) it could be the gear, not the mix.
Great gear should let treble sparkle without ever hurting your ears. It should sound clean, detailed, and natural, not etched or artificial.
These songs will help you catch if your system adds edge where it shouldn’t.
| Song Title | Artist | Album/Version | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Don’t Go | Nils Lofgren | Acoustic Live | The steel-string guitar sparkles with fast, sharp plucks. From 1:00 to 2:30, listen for clean highs that stay smooth without turning sharp or tinny. |
| Hide and Seek | Imogen Heap | Speak for Yourself | Her layered vocals should sound airy and light. Between 1:00 and 2:00, watch for sibilance or edgy highs — harshness here often means DAC or amp issues. |
| Both Sides Now | Joni Mitchell | Both Sides Now (2000 orchestral version) | String swells should be rich and velvety, not sharp. If her voice or the strings sound piercing from 2:00 onward, your gear may be adding unwanted glare. |
| Don’t Know Why | Norah Jones | Come Away With Me | Her voice should feel soft and close without any upper grain. Cymbals around 0:45–1:15 should be gentle and smooth, not scratchy or brittle. |
| Sweet Child O’ Mine | Guns N’ Roses | Appetite for Destruction | The opening riff is bright but should never feel shrill. From 0:00–0:45, watch for sharpness in the highs. Cymbals during the chorus must stay crisp without splash. |
Timbre and Harmonic Accuracy
Timbre is what makes a trumpet sound like a trumpet, or one singer sound different from another. It’s not just about pitch. It’s about tone, texture, and overtones. Harmonic accuracy is about how faithfully your gear preserves those qualities.
Some DACs strip out warmth or richness, making instruments sound thin or cold. Some amps add their own color, changing the way voices or guitars feel.
You might not notice right away, but over time, everything starts to sound the same or just a little off.
These songs are a good way to hear if your gear is getting the tone right or messing with the natural sound.
| Song Title | Artist | Album/Version | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helplessly Hoping | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) | Vocal harmonies should blend naturally but keep their own tone. Listen from 0:20 for warmth and clear separation without smearing or plasticity. |
| So What | Miles Davis | Kind of Blue | The muted trumpet between 0:40–1:30 should sound breathy and metallic. If it’s too sharp or dull, your DAC or amp might be shifting the tone. |
| Tamacun | Rodrigo y Gabriela | Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006) | The guitars should sound fast, full, and woody. From 1:30–2:15, listen for body resonance and buzzing strings — not smeared or overly dry tones. |
| Little Wing | Stevie Ray Vaughan | The Sky Is Crying | From 0:50–2:00, his guitar bends and vibrato should feel smooth and rich. If the tone is cold or chalky, your gear could be stripping harmonics. |
| River Man | Nick Drake | Five Leaves Left | His voice should sound breathy and close, not veiled or overly crisp. The string parts around 1:00 should float naturally without sounding fake or sharp. |
Imaging, Layer Separation, and Background Blackness
When a DAC or amp is doing its job right, you should be able to “see” the music in front of you. Not literally, of course, but each sound should have its own space.
Imaging is about where things are placed left to right. Layer separation is how clearly you can tell instruments apart when everything plays at once. Background blackness is the silence behind the notes.
If your gear adds noise or can’t handle complexity, everything will start to blur together.
Some songs sound wide and clean even on average gear. But with the tracks below, low-quality DACs and amps will struggle. The space will collapse, the layers will smear, and you’ll lose that sense of clarity.
| Song Title | Artist | Album/Version | What to Listen For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bubbles | Yosi Horikawa | Vapor | In the first 30 seconds, listen for how clearly the bouncing balls move across the stereo field. Background textures should stay quiet and distinct. |
| Royals | Lorde | Pure Heroine | From 0:00–0:45, the kick and snaps should feel spaced apart with deep silence between them. Bad gear will blur the space and reduce contrast. |
| Us and Them | Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon | Between 2:30–4:30, the sax, vocals, and drums should each sit in their own space. A poor DAC or amp will smear the layers into a crowded mix. |
| Angel | Massive Attack | Mezzanine | From 1:00 onward, focus on the bass drone, soft percussion, and whispered vocals. If details get lost as the mix builds, the source may be to blame. |
| Strawberry Swing | Coldplay | Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | The guitar intro should sound off-center with ambient texture behind it. From 1:00 on, each instrument should stay separate as the mix fills out. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I use this list properly?
- How different are these from songs to test headphones or speakers specifically?
- Can a bad DAC or amp really ruin the sound, even with great headphones?
How can I use this list properly?
To really hear what your DAC or amp is doing, isolate it in your setup. Use lossless files, bit-perfect playback, and consistent gear. When testing DACs, keep the same amp and headphones.
For amps, keep the DAC and source the same. Volume match carefully and replay the same sections for A/B testing. Small differences matter.
How different are these from songs to test headphones or speakers specifically?
Some songs overlap, but you’re listening for different problems. With DACs and amps, you’re checking signal integrity and clarity.
With headphones or speakers, it’s more about physical sound delivery and tonal balance.
Can a bad DAC or amp really ruin the sound, even with great headphones?
Yes. Even the best headphones can’t fix distorted signals or missing detail. A poor DAC can smear textures or crush dynamics. A weak amp can clip, flatten peaks, or add noise.
The headphones only play what they’re given, and bad source gear can hold them back more than you’d think.