Use your ears
The ultimate audio shootout playground. For pros, enthusiasts, musicians, and students.
What Is a Shootout?
A tradition as old as recording
In the audio world, a “shootout” is a side-by-side listening comparison — microphones, preamps, converters, monitors, you name it. Engineers and musicians have been doing them for decades in studios, classrooms, and trade shows to cut through the marketing and let their ears decide.
Sonic Shootouts brings that tradition online and expands it beyond gear. Compare anything with sound — instruments, plug-ins, recording techniques, mix revisions, audio codecs, or music skills. If you can listen to two or more things, you can do a shootout.
Features
Studio-quality tools
Everything you need to compare, learn, and challenge yourself about almost anything related to sound.
Instant Switching
Switch between audio sources with sample-accurate timing. No gaps, no clicks, no artifacts.
Multi-Track Compare
Load up to 8 audio files simultaneously. Switch between them instantly with zero-gap crossfading.
Polling
Optionally, ask a question and let your audience vote. Gather opinions from listeners and see which tracks come out on top.
How It Works
Explore or create — your call
Explore Shootouts
Browse shootouts
Find shootouts by topic — gear comparisons, instrument demos, codec tests, and more.
Listen and compare
Switch between tracks with instant A/B switching. Playback is perfectly synchronized and level-matched.
Vote and discuss
Cast your vote in polls, leave notes, and see how your ears stack up against the community.
Create Your Own
Upload your audio
Drag and drop WAV, FLAC, MP3, AAC, or M4A files. Any combination of formats and sample rates.
Pick a template
Start with a preset like Classic Shootout or Poll, then tweak the modes and options to fit your needs.
Publish and share
Save as a draft or publish right away. Share the link and let listeners weigh in.