i've been listening to my audioengines exclusively for the past two weeks

The room acoustics can be a PITA. And so can be neighbours.

There are reasons for both systems. Ideally everybody has them both for different occasions.

Ditto on headphones being able to achieve fun audio on the cheap.I just went through a round of new heaphones and amps after years of not indulging. Guess what? I'm back to using a pair of PX100 right out of my ipod. Sure HD600s and an amp give better detail and sound, but those little PX100 and an ipod -- when you're not fastidiously sweating out audio comparisons -- do the same trick almost as well when you just want to enjoy music on-the-go. For for $300 I can carry my ENTIRE music collection with me, where ever. That's something my home stereo could never offer me. consequently, I'm listening to it less and less.

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Are you correcting me? ..... I don't see anyone else in the room.

Actually Bang for the buck is correct. I was speaking about a ratio, and the amount of performance (Bang) that can be had per dollar (Buck) ipso facto "Bang for the Buck". Bang for the bucks is just some multiple of the ratio that I was referring to.

and now I must go and find other Nits to Pick.

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Not at all!
...I did not even see that you mention "bang for buck" until I just scrolled back right now.

Crap! Then I'm the A-Hole who ended up correcting you. Sorry.

I would choose speakers in most cases, but that is not an option. Anyway, there is something special with headphones, and you can tweak the sound more easy and cheap.

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No harm done!
I am in good mood, as always.

[size=small]Just for the sake of the experiment, I constructed the following contraption to simulate a typical speaker setup while listening to cans.[/size]

[size=small]Source: Zen Vision M 60 Gb[/size]
[size=small]Virtual speaker positioning: Mixing console[/size]
[size=small]Room acoustics: Alesis Miniverb[/size]
[size=small]Crossfeed/amplification: Corda Move[/size]
[size=small]Cans: Audio Technica W1000[/size]



[size=small]1] Source: Line out to mixing console, high resolution material[/size]
[size=small]2] Mixing console: the pan pots were used to virtually locate the left and right signal to a more centred position (pots set to approx. resp. 9 and 3 o’clock). In practice speakers are positioned 30 degrees left and right from the centre.[/size]
[size=small]3] Alesis Miniverb is a small reverberation device set to small room. This is very tricky. Have you ever paid attention to the reverberation of your listening room? Check it by clapping your hands. It is probably more than you would ever have imagined.[/size]
[size=small]I tried to find a setting that more or less simulated the reverb of my room the best. The level is determined by trial and error.[/size]
[size=small]4] The Corda Move is a portable amp that has crossfeed. It simulates among other things the frequency depending channel separation and signal arrival times (search the web for HRTF) that you experience when you listen to speakers.[/size]
[size=small]5] From the few cans I own, W1000 proved to deliver the most convincing results.[/size]

[size=small]Other relevant factors:[/size]
[size=small]Close your eyes and imagine you’re listening to your speakers. This is very important. We are pre-programmed to how our cans sound even before we’ve put them on our heads.[/size]
[size=small]Take your time to get accustomed to the new situation.[/size]

[size=small]And now for the results:[/size]
[size=small]= Fiddling with all variables in the setup lead to a setting that at times sounded very speaker-like. Using W1000, which are closed cans, normally leads to a more closed-in sound. The sound field gets some distance. The only thing that didn’t really convince was the centre image. The lead singer seemed to be standing a few feet in front of me, not a few meters, like when listening to speakers.[/size]
[size=small]= Compared to normal listening to cans, the image is more mellow and very relaxed.[/size]

[size=small]I realise there are more factors that are responsible for the cans/speakers differences, but I know now that adding room acoustics to the mix helps the brain to form a more convincing image.[/size]

I'm wondering if headphones have ruined me. I've never had a nice speaker setup so I finally decided to lay down some cash on one. I dropped $900 on a set of speakers and $400 on a receiver. I'd read rave reviews about theses speakers so I'd figure I'd give them a chance. Yesterday I hooked it all up for the first time and I was totally not impressed. I'm going to spend some time on them tonight and try to determine if there is a problem with the receiver or something.

My experience of a few years dictated that my headphone was don when it came to music. I used to have all my "quality" music go through my headphones.

Then one day, I bought a second hand Naim amplifier off ebay, paired with some okay speakers, what I experienced was nothing short of earth shattering. I really cannot recommend Naim stuff enough to you all.

Even now, the scale and power of the little bugger makes me tremble with adrenaline on pieces like Andrey Nevsky by prokofiev. I have a nice sub to add weight below 40hz, and that makes a nice difference to listening on headphones.

I have never heard such clarity before this naim amp. There is a thread on how much each component is really worth in reproducing sound, before I heard the Naim Nait3 most amps were just transitory and useless. Naim have forever grappled me with their arms. For the foreseeable future I shall try my best to treat myself to good Naim equipment every 2 years.

Naim is probably the best way of enjoying audiophilia on the cheap, and it is the most evident. I can't wait to get the Nait 5series!

Hi loudspeakers-like front soundstage phonephiles,
 
I find an interesting way to produce in front stereo by using Ultrasone Pro2900.
 
Please refer to the pictures in http://www.andaudio.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=101628
 
the best
 
jy

I don't know, it's almost the opposite with me. I think because I've spent so much time listening to headphones over speakers, that I've actually begun to prefer them. I like the private-ness, I like the feeling of the headphones on my head. I don't know why, but I just do. I think as well it's also because I don't have a proper speaker setup, nor have I heard one. So in other words, I don't know what I'm missing with speakers.