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Tapfret 
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 12 2007
Location: Bryant, Wa
Status: Offline
Points: 8581
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 Posted: February 21 2017 at 10:35 |
 Quinino wrote:
On another perspective, some pair of speakers can be really "sexy", can't they ?
(Sonus Faber Grand Piano Domus, they sound gorgeous, too)
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Well, I used to think my Definitive Technology BP6 was sexy until I started hearing "...those don't match the room, can't you get something smaller..?"
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Rednight
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 18 2014
Location: Mar Vista, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 4807
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 09:07 |
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In the late '70s had on some crisp sounding Sennheiser phones while lying on my back and listening to Red's Starless when a more than mild California earthquake rolled across the land. Will just say that it was a moving experience.
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"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17487
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 09:05 |
Hi,
I'm not enjoying headphones a lot ... and here is an example.
LP: From the 70's, specially the German stuff like Schulze, Tangerine Dream and even CAN that was usually very well done, studio wise, for my ears. I have what some folks would have called 30 years ago a very high end setup, with ESS Heil AMT1 speakers (air motion transformer!) and a high end turn table with a $300 dollar cartridge on it ... it makes a difference on that cartridge, btw.
The quality is smooth and strong.
Now you get the CD's and put them on in the same system, and they do not sound as clear. Perhaps is this or that or what not, and it simply does not measure up. So I go get one of SW's remixes and guess what ... it sounds great on headphones, but does not seem to divide well on the speakers ... which I thought was a bit weird for me.
I think the crunching and all the bruhaha for the digital stuff has taken away some quality or what we used to call "hi fidelity" which you will KNOW what it is about if you EVER get one of those RED SEAL albums that came out in the late 60's and early 70's ... these were the best of the best super recorded, clean and strong all around. No headphones, to my mind, have ever come close to those. So here, speakers would win.
The future, though, is changing things, and I believe the digital will eventually will surpass the other stuff and at that point the headphones might become a better listen, but in the end, IF MUSIC is about the room and the acoustics on it, it would be impossible for it to sound better on headphones, since you can not duplicate the air movement (sound) in the room in your head!
I'm not overly technical on these things ... sorry!
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com
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TeleStrat
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 27 2014
Location: Norwalk, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 9319
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 08:57 |
I don't use headphones for everyday listening since I prefer speakers. I do use headphones with my digital recorder if it's late at night.
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omphaloskepsis
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 19 2011
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 6339
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 08:43 |
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It's speakers because I like sharing the experience with my wife.
Edited by omphaloskepsis - February 21 2017 at 08:49
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Mascodagama
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 30 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 5111
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 08:36 |
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A highly subjective question. I have fairly high end speakers at home and love to hear them fill the room with music. I'm also very fond of my wired headphones (Sennheiser HD 600s and 650s) which were a fraction of the price. Some recordings I enjoy more through speakers, others through the cans.
The fact is though that I commute and the majority of my listening is done on trains via wireless headphones. I doubt that any currently existing wireless 'phones really offer outstanding fidelity, but I find the sound on my Sony MDR-1000X set is more than good enough. I think the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 and the top Bose model are also considered respectable.
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tboyd1802
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 01 2012
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 898
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 08:07 |
I use both.
I commute an hour a day, and listen to music while on the bus. I use Bose noise cancelling headphones for the bus. At home, depending on the music, my mood, and where I want to listen, I will either listen to music through my surround system - 5.1 Denon speaker system - or through one of a couple of bookshelf systems distributed throughout the house. The bookshelf systems are wireless Bose Soundtouch systems - convenient, and sound ok, but nothing to write home about in the sound department.
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He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. Living frugally, saving his money, he died early, surrounded by greedy relatives. It was a great lesson to me -- John Barrymore
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DeadSouls
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 28 2016
Location: Chile
Status: Offline
Points: 4255
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 07:51 |
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I enjoy both, but headphones.
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Darious
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 30 2014
Location: Poole, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 246
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 05:22 |
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Generally I listen off speakers but if I particularly like a certain album I would also give it a headphones treatment for a more "close-up" listen
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Writing about truth is a little bit like getting your dick out in public and hoping no one laughs (Steve Hogarth)
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Quinino
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 26 2011
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 3654
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 05:00 |
On another perspective, some pair of speakers can be really "sexy", can't they ? (Sonus Faber Grand Piano Domus, they sound gorgeous, too)
Edited by Quinino - February 21 2017 at 05:03
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 04:57 |
It depends. For general listening anything will do as long as it's half-way decent - I'll use headphones in the evening and bookshelf speakers during the day (I have Kef, Mission, Q Acoustic and a pair of 1970s Wharfdales to choose from - on balance I prefer the 'dales but the Mission and Q Acoustic are so similar there is little to choose between them as to which comes second, the Kefs are meh, okay but nothing special). Bookshelf speakers are a compromise, I'd prefer floor-standing but my wife does not, and given a free choice music comes a poor second to a peaceful married life.
For headphones I've tried all the usual suspects and just don't like them. My favourite ever were a pair of Howland West electrostatics but they fell to pieces after 30 years faithful service - I now use cheap JVC (bluetooth and tethered) because I like the balanced sound they produce and can wear them for several hours without any adverse effects.
For playback-while-recording I have some nasty "Ministry of Sound" branded things of unknown parentage simply because they have practically zero spill but will use the JVCs for rough mixing and some nondescript Jamo floor speakers with 10" drivers for final mix and mastering. But frankly the ultimate test of that mix is playing it in the car through its Blaupunkts - if it doesn't sound good there then there's no point continuing.
One day I'll invest in some quality monitors but that's low on my list of priorities right now. |
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What?
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JD
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 07 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 18446
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 04:35 |
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Both, depending on the situation as may others have stated.
JBL LSR 2300 Powered monitors in my office, PSB Alphas, PSB centre and a JBL 10" sub in my Media room. AKG 240 studio headphones for those intimate moments.
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Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
Status: Offline
Points: 20604
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 04:12 |
Hmm. Speakers as room acoustics to are part of the sound. Btw, I use Martin Logan Summits X's for most listening. Wilson Watt Puppys for hard rock and metal.
Edited by SteveG - February 21 2017 at 04:14
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someone_else
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: May 02 2008
Location: Going Bananas
Status: Offline
Points: 24288
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 04:10 |
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I am not a real audiophile, so I prefer what's appropriate for the moment. When the Mrs is at home I choose headphones because, if she listens to music, she's in for worship stuff rather than prog. If I have the house for myself I like to keep my ears free instead of having my mobility restrained to the length of a wire. I have had traumatic experiences with wireless headphones in the past.
Edited by someone_else - February 21 2017 at 04:11
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Meltdowner
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 25 2013
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 10232
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 03:50 |
For me it depends on the format these days. If it's CD, I use speakers because the music sounds very flat through my headphones. With electronic music, it gains a whole new dimension with the subwoofer, although it is more immersive with headphones. If it's vinyl, I prefer headphones, because my speakers are cr*ppy and my headphones pair very well with the amp. Ultimately, if I want to lay down on the couch, I use headphones  |
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Tapfret
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 12 2007
Location: Bryant, Wa
Status: Offline
Points: 8581
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Posted: February 21 2017 at 02:54 |
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Speakers unless it will interfere with someone else's (my wife's) entertainment or sleep.
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hellogoodbye
Forum Senior Member
VIP member
Joined: August 29 2011
Location: Troy
Status: Offline
Points: 7251
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Posted: February 20 2017 at 20:34 |
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Speakers, PEL Quattro+, over headphones for trains and planes.
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65239
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Posted: February 20 2017 at 20:16 |
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Music may be better felt with speakers but it is better heard with phones, no question.
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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17487
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Posted: February 20 2017 at 20:14 |
Quinino wrote:
Music is better "felt" (rather than simply listened to) with speakers, obviously !... |
Preference, my friend, preference.
If you have had, on any occasion, the chance to hear things on speakers that cost over $500 EACH, instead of a pair, you would know the difference. The headphone set would have to be high quality studio equivalent to get the fullness of the sound.
I prefer speakers, even though nowadays, they are not as useful as they were way back when, when you would blow up some things that we call classics and this and that ... but I can take any of the high quality remasters, and I think they sound much better on the speakers than they do headphones.
I think a lot of this is about its quality ... since most home use and headphones are not what most people have, and I am not sure that the "quality" can come through as much as it would otherwise. Kinda feels like ... you're just listening to the Rolling Stones anyway ... why bother?
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com
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mlkpad14
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 23 2017
Location: U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 665
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Posted: February 20 2017 at 17:49 |
For me, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Neither of them are any better, but fit completely different circumstances for me.
Some things are meant to be listened to over headphones. David Gilmour's and the Orb's "Metallic Spheres" is literally designed for headphones, such that all of these different sounds are jumping out at you. I listen to a lot of 90s alternative hits through headphones (such as Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chilis, etc).
On the other hand, I would never play Led Zeppelin (and most other classic rock bands) through headphones. Those guys are meant to be projected. I can also never imagine playing most of Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson, and Tull by speaker - just because I like to play those loud and clear at top volume.
Some things I play through both, based on convenience. A lot of metal is good coming out loud from headphones or speakers - it fulfills the same satisfaction that I just need so badly sometimes.
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Headphones or Speakers
