CAR AUDIO · BLANK RECORD

Listening comparison checklist

Use this page when you want a written note of one listening comparison, made with the vehicle parked. You leave with a blank checklist for the setting you started with, the one change, and what you heard. Download it, copy it, or print it. The page does not upload the sheet.

One familiar piece of audio. The original setting, then one change.

  1. 1Write down the current setting.
  2. 2With the vehicle parked, choose one familiar piece of audio.
  3. 3Change one thing only, and keep the playback settings the same.
  4. 4Note your preference, what you heard, or “No clear preference,” then decide whether to keep the change or restore the original.

A personal note does not show that the sound improved. Do not turn the volume up to an uncomfortable level. This page does not tell you how to remove panels, write settings into a processor, or work with the sound while driving. It is not a buying guide and it does not measure the car.

Download blank template (.md)

When this record is not enough

  • You changed more than one thing. The note can no longer show which change you heard. Use the tuning log template if you need each value and how to put it back.
  • You need a measurement, a speaker recommendation, or a shop diagnosis. This checklist does none of those.
  • The sound you want to describe was already happening in the car, rather than a change you chose. Use the noise observation log.

How a filled note can look

Illustrative example — not a real vehicle case

DateExample date only
Parked place and seatExample parking spot, front left seat
Audio piece and time rangeOne familiar piece, a short middle section. Not a real recording.
Original settingBalance centered. Example only.
The one changeBalance moved one step to the right. Example only. Not a recommended setting.
Settings left unchangedVolume and fade left as they were.
What sounded differentThe voice seemed to sit more to the right. No other difference noted.
PreferenceNo clear preference
Restored the original?Yes
NotesUnknown whether a second listen would match. This example is not a measured improvement.

Questions

Does a filled checklist show that the sound got better?

No. It records a preference, including “No clear preference.” It is not a measurement.

Can I compare several changes on one sheet?

The sheet is for one change. If you need a list of values, use the tuning log instead of stretching this checklist.

Do I send the sheet to SALACO?

No. The download, the copy button, and the print button stay on your own device. This page has no upload.

Other records

Tuning log template, for the values and how to restore them Noise observation log, for a sound you already noticed All car audio guides

Editorial responsibility: SALACO. Checked on 15 October 2026. Not reviewed by an acoustic expert.

The steps and blank fields are SALACO’s own record. This page does not report a listening test SALACO ran, and it does not use another site’s results as its own.

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