Do headphones go together well with single driver loudspeakers?

[Postal_Blue]

I have a very cheap pair of Single drivers (zigmahornets), and while they have their faults, I enjoy them for much of the same reasons I enjoy headphones. I would love to hear some of the more elaborate horn designs.

There was some single driver talk in the DIY forums about 2-3 months ago, when a couple members undertook builds

[boomana]

I don't have much experience with a variety of speakers, but I love my Cain & Cain Abbys along with the Bailey sub (really needed the sub to fill out the bottom). I actually use my headphone amp as a preamp to an F1.

I don't really make a connection to headphone listening and speaker listening, but the Abbys's sq is just to my taste. I've also been impressed with the Omegas I've heard, so who knows. The few single-driver set-ups I've heard all work for me.

[Uncle Erik]

Originally Posted by donunus

hahahaha thats funny but true. Isn't this the original purpose of audiophiles though? Recreating the live experience in their homes? Everyone should realize that recreating live orchestral music or real instruments is different from trying to recreate the artificial soundstage of amplified instrument recordings like rock/ jazz fusion, etc... This is why we need at least 2 headphones for these different dedicated purposes. Now every once in a while a product comes out that can do it all, that is rare and it usually becomes a jack of all trades master of none.

Yep, audiophiles used to record all the time. That's why almost every reel-to-reel deck has recording heads. Used to be common practice. Sad that the practice has fallen away, especially with much more portable high-quality digital decks and microphones. A lot of audiophiles used to build their own gear, too. The hobby would benefit if more people got back to these roots.

And I totally agree about the difference between headphones for acoustic music and those for electronically amplified and processed music. Thank the almighty for the K-501 and Grados.

[MD1032]

Originally Posted by blumenco

The honesty here almost makes me cry.

Eh, I don't know where he got that statement from. To me, it seems like there's so much detail and fullness of sound in real life that speakers and headphones just simply can't compete with for the same reasons that a real pipe organ will blow an electronic one out of the water with. It's not even a matter of turning up the bass or the treble on any sound system.

I hate to say it, but when you get out there in the musical world, you realize that everything you've ever heard from any headphone has been at best a rudimentary replication of that sound. Take St. Mary the Virgin's Aeolian-Skinner in NYC. I recently played that organ. I heard a recording of it and thought it was nothing special. It didn't sound very full or loud. Sure enough, in real life, I immediately realized that I had my volume control set at a mere fraction of the decibel level the organ reaches. The contra bombardes were almost shaking me off the organ bench, the low 32' flutes made my innards rattle to the point where you get nauceous, and full organ, even for a second, literally left my ears ringing. It's not just for organs. When I first heard the Philadelphia Orchestra live, I was blown away by how much presence and impact the double basses had compared to what I heard in my headphones. You can have 15 subwoofers and not duplicate that same exact PLUCK in real life that just grabs you out of your seat by your ears.

As for single-driver designs, I've never heard a good one, so I can't comment, but my experience is that the more drivers a speaker system has, the better it sounds. I've especially found that three-way systems sound much, much better than two-way because they fill in the midrange to the point where it's coherent and detailed, and not compromised between two sources.

[Jacques]

Originally Posted by MD1032

...To me, it seems like there's so much detail and fullness of sound in real life that speakers and headphones just simply can't compete with for the same reasons that a real pipe organ will blow an electronic one out of the water with. It's not even a matter of turning up the bass or the treble on any sound system.

Yes, no system, speakers or headphones can even come close to the 32' organ. It is also thru for just about any acoustic instrument. I am generally interested in the midrange of a live orchestra. It is so rich and smooth and it is where most of the performance is.

That said, I would rather have a coherent midrange from a single driver and let go some bass and highs than the other way. Most good headphones are single drivers. This is why I think that the idea of single driver speakers system should at least be considered. It is too bad that there are no dealers around where I live.

I doubt that such a system would appeal to someone in amplified music but I have to admit that I have virtually no reference in such music.

[blumenco]

Originally Posted by MD1032

Eh, I don't know where he got that statement from. To me, it seems like there's so much detail and fullness of sound in real life that speakers and headphones just simply can't compete with for the same reasons that a real pipe organ will blow an electronic one out of the water with. It's not even a matter of turning up the bass or the treble on any sound system.

I hate to say it, but when you get out there in the musical world, you realize that everything you've ever heard from any headphone has been at best a rudimentary replication of that sound. Take St. Mary the Virgin's Aeolian-Skinner in NYC. I recently played that organ. I heard a recording of it and thought it was nothing special. It didn't sound very full or loud. Sure enough, in real life, I immediately realized that I had my volume control set at a mere fraction of the decibel level the organ reaches. The contra bombardes were almost shaking me off the organ bench, the low 32' flutes made my innards rattle to the point where you get nauceous, and full organ, even for a second, literally left my ears ringing. It's not just for organs. When I first heard the Philadelphia Orchestra live, I was blown away by how much presence and impact the double basses had compared to what I heard in my headphones. You can have 15 subwoofers and not duplicate that same exact PLUCK in real life that just grabs you out of your seat by your ears.

As for single-driver designs, I've never heard a good one, so I can't comment, but my experience is that the more drivers a speaker system has, the better it sounds. I've especially found that three-way systems sound much, much better than two-way because they fill in the midrange to the point where it's coherent and detailed, and not compromised between two sources.

I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY!! The reason I was so moved by that statement is that yes, indeed. a stereo cannot recreate live music. I also think that it should not. a great system should come close though. where it diverges (out of physical limitations), however, it should simply make people happy. to communicate musical intent. if not live volume settings.

I think that to intentionally make things unrealistic by bass and treble boosts (sometimes inherent in the design of two way, three way, or even single driver monitors) is unfortunate practice.

-There are good single driver designs out there. It is a growing market sector. Computer speakers included...but also the ultra expensive realm and everything in between is growing, which is where I look up at the rest of the world from.

-Clark