speakers sound better then headphones regardless of price - Page 15

sell the shure and get something cheaper and better then.

The shures are decent- but your omission of a dac/amp is dumb. But I'd say the sennheisers mx980 earbuds outperform the shures. Yes, earbuds. Here in the uk these are around £90, with a fiio e7 around £50. Combination of £140, which is less than the price of the shure.

This wan't the impression I got, but it's obviously your call and your business not mine.

The thing is trying just this headphone alone with no amp/dac, doesn't make one experienced enough to make statements about the 'entire' headphone world. I never make statements on the 'headphone' world, as I consider myself not experienced enough. For example, I haven't had a go at all (apart from a few hours with a hd600 and hd595) with open cans- they leak too much.

IM NOT BLAMING YOU, AS IT PLAGUES HEADFI.

I mean there exists so many different headphone markets, like;

- earbud

- universal iem

- custom iem

- full size over ear closed

- half sized (portable) on ear closed

- full sized open

- half sized open.

And even sub- categories within these markets. Like with full sized open, you can have different types of driver technology- dynamic, orthodynamic, electrostatic,.....

After one has experience with these headphones markets, then experience with different amps/dacs/sources comes into question. Once you've answered this then you can make sweeping statements about the headphone world, with substance.

For example; I've come across too many headfiers that barely know acknowledge the difference between on ear and over ear closed headphones. They think the difference is physical and doesn't affect sound. And if a small ultra portable doesn't match up to the beasty denon d2k, then it's crap. It's just an example of a recent head-fi trend, and it needs to die quickly.

casey i've decided to chime in, too.

I find it interesting that few people in the speaker community cross over into the headphone community, and visa versa. I actually just purchase a pair of swans m200 mkIII's and I love them more than my FA-011's. I've come to a healthy compromise that, while I do love speakers and headphones alike, they're just built for different occasions. My swans (IMO) are more revealing than my grados were, or my senns, or my fa-011's for that matter. I think that, just how IEM's are useful for listening in libraries/quiet places, speakers have their uses too, no?

I prefer my speaker setup compared to any headphones I've listened to, and it's relatively modest. I have the Dayton BR-1 bookshelf speakers (a DIY speaker kit sold on Parts-Express for about $150), TSC ASW-8 subwoofer (company went under, but it cost me $100 or so at the time), and a decent stereo receiver I purchased for $60 on Craigslist.

All in all, my setup cost around $310-330, and it sounds fantastic. Definitely beats my D2000 in almost every way, except in pure bass extension. 

If you know where to look and what to buy, I think speakers offer a better value overall in a more natural, better sound. This is even more true if you can DIY.