30 Tracks That Expose Where Your Headphones’ Bass Falls Apart

These songs will expose every weak spot in your headphones’ bass response.

A good pair of headphones should shake your bones without turning music into mud. These tracks help you find out if yours can.

Each song leans on a different kind of low end, from soft sub glides to punchy kick drums. Play them in order, listen closely, and note where your gear stumbles. By the end, you will know if your bass is honest or just hype.

1. Massive Attack – “Angel”

The haunting bassline of “Angel” serves as the ultimate test for sub-bass extension and texture.

Jump to 0:30 and ride the bass swell until 1:30. The line slips from a low hum into a heavy wave that peaks near 35 Hz, then backs off before rising again.

Good headphones turn each surge into a smooth push of pressure with no buzz. But, on lesser sets the swell blurs into mud or disappears.

2. James Blake – “Limit To Your Love”

Only a few tracks challenge sub-bass capabilities like James Blake’s “Limit To Your Love.” After a sparse piano-and-vocal opening, the famous drop lands at 0:55 with a deep note that wobbles between 22 and 28 Hz.

Because of this, the driver must leap from rest to full stroke in an instant. A great rig lets you follow the slow wobble inside the note rather than just feeling a push of air.

If you hear clicks or the bass flattens into one thud, your gear is struggling.

3. Hans Zimmer – “Why So Serious?”

This piece from The Dark Knight soundtrack contains some of the deepest bass ever recorded in a mainstream release.

Around the 3:25 mark begins a slow, ominous bass sweep that sinks toward 15 Hz and settles near 22 Hz for thirteen full seconds.

You will feel ear pressure more than you will hear an actual tone. High-quality drivers stay silent except for the pure sine. Weaker ones may rattle or even mute for a moment. And, if pads or housings vibrate, note the frequency where it happens.

The good thing is, the peak level sits just around minus 12 dB FS, which means you can test at normal listening volume without danger.

4. The xx – “Fantasy”

“Fantasy” showcases how minimal sub-bass can transform a song when reproduced properly. And, on the 2009 CD the note sits ten decibels under full scale, which is perfect for checking low-level linearity.

The track is quite sparse and atmospheric. At 1:02, a single B-zero note arrives at 31 Hz and hangs for about one and a third seconds, then the pattern repeats.

Almost nothing else in the mix drops below 60 Hz, so any roll-off in your headphones shows right away. In fact, many listeners say half this song vanishes on bass-light gear, and that makes it an easy pass-fail check.

5. Dead Prez – “Hip Hop”

“Hip Hop” delivers one of the most relentless bass assaults in music. The bass comes in immediately as a wobbling sub-bass line under the iconic “It’s bigger than Hip-Hop” hook. Essentially, the entire track from the intro onward is a continuous bass assault.

From the opening bar a wobbling 36 Hz sine rolls under the hook and it barely pauses for the next four minutes. And, about eighty percent of the song carries that tone, making it great for spotting thermal compression in small planars or IEMs.

A well-tuned set should keep Stic.man’s voice clear even while your head vibrates.

6. Bicep – “Aura”

Electronic duo Bicep created a track that tests smooth bass depth without being overpowering.

At 1:32, the beat drops and a low-passed saw wave slides around 38 Hz while a side-chain pump makes it breathe with every kick. You want to hear a deep hit followed by a quick release into silence.

When everything is right you will notice a soft growl over the sub instead of a mid-bass smear.

7. The Knife – “Silent Shout”

“Silent Shout” reveals whether your headphones can produce true sub-bass or are simply faking it.

Right from the first second, isolated fundamentals hover between 25 and 40 Hz. The first harmonic sits twelve decibels lower, so you can check true extension without upper bass masking.

Then, at 1:05 a long 26 Hz note holds for two bars. Watch for fluttering cones or amp hiccups in that window.

8. Pigeon Hole – “Wolves”

This electronic bass track wastes no time as the drop hits early with a forceful bass assault. Plus, the single’s DR is only 5, which pushes drivers close to their limits and makes this track a festival favourite for spotting weak spots.

The early drop at 0 :29 stacks three bass parts:

• a 33 Hz sine
• a 60 Hz saw
• and a snarling 100 Hz stab

Each layer gets a brief solo at 1:07, 1:18, and 1:31, handy for A B checks.

Good headphones keep the layers separate so you can point to each one in the mix. If it all melts into a single roar, your rig lacks bass separation.

9. Laszlo – “Supernova”

“Supernova” tests whether your headphones deliver balanced bass across all frequencies.

The build starts at 1:30 and the drop hits 1:46. First, you meet a 40 Hz sine that anchors the low end. Then, a 100 Hz punchy synth joins it, then a sprinkle of higher arpeggios near 250 Hz.

Good headphones show clean hand-offs between the low and mid-bass, and no grit when both hit together.

10. Tyler, The Creator – “Okra”

“Okra” features a bass that is well-rounded. It has deep sub-bass body (those classic hip-hop 808 lows ~30–50 Hz), but also a percussive mid-bass punch on attack.

The production is also such that the bass is melodic and carries the bounce of the track. As a result, this tests bass fullness and impact in a rhythmic context.

The beat drops at 0:15 with an 808 that sits around 52 Hz. Every downbeat punches, then a short tail rings for about three-tenths of a second. This rhythm checks how quickly a driver recovers after a hard hit.

Look for a thump that feels strong yet never masks Tyler’s voice. Great rigs let you follow the tiny pitch slide inside each 808 instead of hearing one flat boom.

11. Hans Zimmer – “Time”

Hans Zimmer’s “Time” tests how well headphones handle mounting bass pressure.

This piece gradually builds. And, by around 3:40, the bass tones swell dramatically for forty seconds. Then, the famous Inception “BRRRAAAM” (brass and synth) hits around 4:15 and carries deep bass content, and the climax between 4:30–4:45 layers pounding percussion with a massive low-end surge.

The synth pad holds near 30 Hz while taiko-style drums kick around 65 Hz. You want the low pad to feel like rising pressure that stays clean when the drums arrive. So, if your headphone distorts or the drums swallow the pad, the driver may be running out of room.

12. Igor Stravinsky – “The Rite of Spring (Finale)”

Few classical pieces hit the lows as dramatically as Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”

At 7:20 the orchestra stops tiptoeing and the timpani fire a volley around 60 Hz while the contrabassoon rumbles at roughly 29 Hz. Everything swells until the last smash at 8:05.

A wide-band recording like the BIS SACD (dynamic range 13) lets you feel those drum hits in your chest yet still pick out the wooden rasp of low brass.

If the bass drum sounds like it fills the room but the woodwinds stay clear, your headphones are handling power and separation the way they should.

13. Tool – “Forty Six & 2”

Tool’s “Forty Six & 2” tests how well bass holds up as a mix becomes increasingly complex.

The bass hook opens the song and sits on a low D, about 73 Hz. Then, at 2:48 the band surges, guitars and kick drums pile on, and the riff has to punch through the wall.

Good headphones keep the bass line gritty and clear, never letting it vanish behind the guitars.

Also, listen for pick noise on the strings during the intro. If that detail fades once the mix gets loud, mid-bass masking is at work.

14. Rage Against The Machine – “Bullet in the Head”

The intro of “Bullet in the Head” features Tim Commerford’s low-slung bass riff, setting a menacing vibe. Tim Commerford’s bass riff steps in at 0:05, with a low, mean, and slightly overdriven sound.

Later, around 2:50, the song breaks down to a quieter bass-and-drums section. Then, when the track flips into the slap section at 3:30 each pop shoots to about –3 dBFS while the kick sits a good nine decibels lower.

On the original 1992 CD (dynamic range 11), you can hear the snap of string on fret and still follow every cymbal splash.

But, if the guitar distortion starts to smear the bass pops, the rig is losing its grip on fast transients.

15. GoGo Penguin – “Raven”

“Raven” launches with Nick Blacka’s upright bass riff playing a rapid, rolling pattern alongside skittering drums and piano.

From 0:20 to 0:55 the double-bass runs a nimble pattern that drops to an open-E at 41 Hz and glides up the neck in quick bursts. You should catch every finger slide and the airy echo of the studio.

Then, after 1:22, the part speeds up even more, perfect for timing checks.

Quality headphones should reveal the wooden body of the instrument and keep every note separate from the break-beat drums and bright piano chords.

16. Fat Larry’s Band – “Act Like You Know”

“Act Like You Know” kicks off with an instantly recognizable slapped bass riff sliding up and down the low registers.

This funky introduction immediately tests how well your headphones handle punchy mid-bass content. And, since the track’s bass line is front and center, it provides a litmus test for bass timing and detail.

The record opens with a slapped bass run that lives between 46 and 80 Hz. On high-end headphones, the slap bass should sound natural and detailed, with each pop and slide clearly articulated. Lesser headphones might dull the snap of strings or blur rapid plucks into a thumpy mess.

Also listen to the ghost notes and longer pulls. The ghost notes are short (about one tenth of a second), while the longer pulls ring four times as long. That difference lets you judge note-start and note-stop control.

17. Chic – “Good Times”

Bernard Edwards’ iconic bass riff starts almost immediately and drives the song. He lays down the hook at 0:03 and toys with it every half minute.

Fundamentals hover near 70 Hz but the real trick is the subtle change in note length. Some plucks pop and mute fast, others hang a hair longer.

On the 1979 Atlantic CD (DR 11) those shifts are easy to follow. If the riff loses its bounce or bleeds into the rhythm guitar, your mid-bass timing is off.

18. Fleetwood Mac – “The Chain”

After a famous breakdown at 3:05, John McVie’s fretless bass riff (A.K.A. one of rock’s most iconic bass lines) enters at around 39 Hz. This moment tests both the weight and definition of your headphones’ mid-bass reproduction.

The bass guitar carries melody here, with sustained notes and slides that dip into the ~50 Hz region. It’s warm and thick, yet melodic. This combination tests how well your headphones can deliver bass that has both power and musicality.

Clean gear keeps the bass thick yet lets the click of the pick shine through. When the riff gives you chills instead of mush, your drivers pass the test.

A high-quality headphone will reproduce the weight and texture of each fretless slide. You should hear the smooth glide of the notes and a clean decay, without distortion. The riff should sound full-bodied and separate from the kick drum.

On a poor setup, this bass line may lose its definition or impact.

19. New Order – “Age of Consent”

The song opens with Peter Hook’s signature melodic bass hook driving the rhythm.

Peter Hook plays high on the neck, so the hook sits near 90 Hz and shares space with bright guitars. At 1:00, he shifts tone and you hear a fresh chorus effect swirling higher up.

Great headphones let the bass sing a melody without hiding the ringing ride cymbal.You should easily follow its tune even among the synths and drums.

Lesser headphones may blur the bass with the rhythm guitar/synth, since they occupy similar ranges.

20. Talking Heads – “Burning Down the House”

The song’s groove is driven by a “bubbling juggernaut of a bassline” from Tina Weymouth. This Talking Heads hit might not be an obvious bass test to some, but it’s actually brilliant for checking bass rhythm and control.

Right from the downbeat, Tina Weymouth fires staccato eighth notes that jump between 55 and 95 Hz. Each gap is about 140 ms, so you can check how fast a driver starts and stops.

The early-eighties Sire CD keeps DR 10, which means the snare crack never masks the bass pulse. If the groove feels like one long drone, the cones are slowing things down.

Also, check the interplay. The bass shouldn’t overpower the famous “Burning down the house!” shouts or the snappy snare.

21. Ini Kamoze – “World-A-Music”

The bass groove kicks in almost immediately with a classic rocksteady reggae line.

Focus on the drop around 0:30 that sits steady near 45 Hz and lets each note breathes. This bass guitar’s line is simple but very fat and round.

The kick drums at 90 Hz should remain separate from the round bass notes. So, when you can hear the space between beats as clearly as the notes themselves, you have proper sustain control.

22. The Weeknd – “Wasted Times”

The first chorus, at 0:40, releases a side-chained sub that glides between 28 and 32 Hz. Then, it swells with the kick and then ducks, once every half beat at 120 BPM. That breathing motion shows how quickly a driver can recover.

Unlike some simplistic bass drops, this track’s low end has weight, definition, and texture to it. It’s very deep but not just a flat sine wave. There’s some character, perhaps a slight growl or rhythm to the bass.

This tests if headphones can reveal the nuances in a sub-bass line instead of treating it as one amorphous thump.

A balanced set keeps Abel’s vocal ahead while the low pad feels like a soft wave, not a smear. You should sense the texture (for example, a subtle oscillation or pitch movement in the bass) which gives it a musical quality beyond just “boom”

23. Thundercat – “Uh Uh”

Basically, the entire track is a two-minute bass solo workout.

From 0:45 to 1:05 the six-string bass spits sixteenth notes that bounce from 50 Hz up past 200 Hz.

Pick noise leaps eight decibels over the fundamentals, which is gold for transient checks.

Pay special attention to sections where he might pluck a quick double-stop or a ghost note. A good system presents those subtle details amid the frenzy.

24. Kenshi Yonezu – “KICK BACK”

As an unconventional pick from a Japanese pop/rock artist (and an anime opening theme), “KICK BACK” broadens our genre spread. This track tests a headphone’s ability to handle both natural bass guitar timbre and synthesized low-end simultaneously.

Kick off at 1:00 when the chorus crashes in. A live bass guitar pops around 65 Hz while a triggered sub pad lands an octave lower at 33 Hz, and both ride a double-time groove near 170 BPM.

When the slap stays clear on top of the deep boom and nothing clogs up, your system nails hybrid bass layering.

High-end headphones will make “Kick Back” sound incredibly lively. You should hear the bass guitar’s funky pops clearly, including the initial attack of each pluck and the resonance of the strings. And, you should feel the deep thud of the bass drum/sub-bass that hits in sync.

The synergy of these gives a sense of deep-hitting bass that still has texture and definition. Specifically, note if you can distinguish the bass guitar from the sub-bass layer.

25. Rosa Walton – “I Really Want to Stay at Your House”

“I Really Want to Stay at Your House” became widely popular due to the Cyberpunk Edgerunners series, and it’s a great modern test outside the usual audiophile choices. This tests sub-bass extension and presence, especially whether a system can portray bass presence when only the deepest frequencies are present (since there isn’t mid-bass to mask or fill in).

When the chorus hits at 1:00, the mix suddenly blooms with a warm pad that hovers around 30–32 Hz. Here, the pad rides a side-chain pump and drops about five decibels on every quarter-note at 126 BPM. So, the bass swells and sinks in time with the kick.

That breathing motion is perfect for spotting drivers that recover slowly.

A good set keeps Rosa’s voice steady on top of the wave while the sub stays deep but never mushy.

26. The Chemical Brothers – “Das Spiegel”

This electronic track tests your headphones’ ability to reproduce the attack and decay characteristics of bass sounds. Throughout the track, sharp and rapid bass transients challenge how quickly your headphones can respond.

The first solid kick lands at 0:51, and it is all about punch, not depth. Each hit peaks near 55 Hz with a four-millisecond rise and a quick ninety-millisecond decay.

The thing is, the duo stack those kicks at 128 BPM, leaving almost no rest. So, you can hear immediately if a driver smears the attack or rings afterward.

On sharp headphones every kick feels like a tap on the chest then disappears cleanly before the next one.

27. Metallica – “For Whom The Bell Tolls”

This iconic heavy metal track features a celebrated intro written and performed by the legendary bassist Cliff Burton, characterized by its heavy distortion. Burton’s bass work here is legendary, and quality headphones should reveal the artistry behind the aggression.

The bass intro runs from the very start to the one-minute mark. Its root note is an E2, roughly 82 Hz, but the wah pedal and overdrive scatter harmonics right through the mids.

Listen at 0:27 for the pick scraping the strings. That little scratch should pop forward without turning the whole riff into fizz.

Strong gear reveals each note inside the distortion and keeps the kick drum that joins at 1:15 separate from the growl.

28. Bob Marley – “Turn Your Lights Down Low”

This reggae classic tests the spatial characteristics of your headphones’ bass reproduction.

The bass drops in at 0:15 with round notes that sit close to 48 Hz and linger for about half a second. Reggae leaves lots of space, so blooming lows can easily wash over the keys and guitar.

Good headphones let you feel the low glow while still catching the quiet echo around Bob’s vocal and the off-beat guitar chop. If the mix turns boomy or the room seems to shrink, the driver is ringing too long.

29. Photek – “The Hidden Camera”

After a cinematic intro, the breakbeat drops at 0:40 and an upright-bass sample walks in ten seconds later. Fundamentals hit near 55 Hz while snares and hi-hats fire sixteenth notes at 160 BPM.

The contrast is brutal for lesser drivers. They tend to blur the upright’s woody resonance with the rapid percussion. But, on a resolving pair you can pick out the finger pluck, hear the body of the bass, and still track every ghost snare at full pace.

This track tests bass texture and integration: can the headphone present the upright bass’s texture while juggling fast drum hits?

30. Masayuki Suzuki – “Love Dramatic”

This is an unconventional pick (from an anime soundtrack, no less), but it’s gained notoriety for how it showcases dynamic bass to the extreme.

The intro of this jazzy J-pop track has an extremely punchy bass kick – essentially a bass drop intro designed to show off dynamics.

Our favorite part here is that the song does not wait. At 0:03 a full-scale slam centered around 60 Hz, with a supporting sub layer at 30 Hz, jumps out of silence. That hit falls twenty decibels in the next two-tenths of a second, so you feel a punch then instant quiet.

Dynamic contrast like that exposes loose pads or rattling housings right away. So, when the impact startles you but leaves no after-ring, your headphones nail fast-stop bass.