I like speakers - Page 2

If the situation allows, speakers are the usual choice for a main system--at least for most of the world. That said, HPs are an essential part of that system imo. I still want a higher quality HP amp and will probably order a spare 501 in a month or two. Were the planets to align at an auspiscious moment, I may even acquire an HP-1. Other than that, my days of theorizing and experimenting with HPs are over.

There should be a speaker forum here.

Speakers then Headphones then Speakers

I have fallen into the habit of "scanning" new CDs over the speakers first for overview, then listening critically with the cans for licks and lyrics. When I get back to the speakers again, I know the music better and enjoy more detail. Works for me . . .

I started with speakers, still listen to speakers, and will continue to listen to speakers. I like a large *external* soundstage that headphones just can't produce. However, I also had a set of Koss Pro 4AA's a looonnnggg time ago, and have had a set of headphones as well as a speaker setup as long as I can remember.

I watch a fair number of DVD's and am a pre/pro away from a 7.1 surround system (should be able to fix that this month), and have yet to hear a competent seven channel headphone

I also live in a multiunit building. My upstairs neighbors might be a bit unhappy if I started running my speakers at 3 am, but they seem to be OK with my playing my headphones then

I like to listen to music at work, but I don't think the government would really like me setting up an audiophile level speaker system in my office.

I do some sound processing on my PC. If I want to hear what's going on, headphones give me a much better monitoring capability than computer speakers).

A sound system is a tool for the enjoyment of music. However, there are a variety of ways and situations in which music plays a role. To me, the question of headphone or speaker is somewhat silly. It's simply a matter of selecting the right tool for the situation at hand. Sometimes that will be speakers, other times it will be headphones.

Must have both!

I do my serious, critical listening in front of speakers. Unfortunately it requires work and dedication. I have to fire up a bunch of components, then I have to sit in the right spot and have my head pointed in the right direction to get the best results. If it is my outdoor system I have to uncover things and pull out port plugs which keep my subs from becoming packrat nests (little bastards). All of this also requires time.

Headphones are casual listening, with excellent results independent of the room/chair/orientation that I am in. I don't get the amazing image that speakers can deliver, but sometimes I will trade that for not having to focus or expend effort. This is especially true after a rough day at work.

Lol, no kidding huh, outdoor system is such a pain in the ass to start up, especially on the boat.

I find it easier to relax while listening with headphones (HD600), I have no idea why, it just is.

...snore...

...snore...

(wakes up)

(shouts HEADPHONES RULE!

(flicks his Bic)

(falls back asleep)

...snore...

...snore...

I too love my speakers.... But I couldn't bring myself to part with my cans either.

I love to listen with speakers but sometimes it's just too impractical to have them on. Take now for instance, It's 5am and I can't sleep as I have some HTML coding I should be getting on with. Anyway, i'd love to put my speakers on but somehow I don't think my old man would be too impressed, seeing as this is the only day of the week that he get to lie in.

So the Grado SR60's are on. Plugged into the Pre-Amp and the Naim CD player is on. Now be under no illusions, the sound is fantastic and i'm really enjoying the music. Also just had a hour or so of listening to the very fine brodcast from BBC Radio 2 which was also great. I'd put my Stax Lambda Nova's on but then i'd never get anything done or even get back to sleep.

One of the things that I like about 'phones is that you can monitor whatever you you want at whatever time of the day/night and nobody gets their door down about the noise.

Don't know about anybody else, but I often record new discs to MD and listen to them on the way to work - 1hour journey. This gives me time to listen to it and get used to what the disc is about, then when I get some quality time i'll listen to the best tracks through the speakers to really soak up the sound and hear it at it's best.



Sure speakers are great and more often than not (to me) give a more satisfying sound but they are not as practical. So lets all say a big hooray for cans and bring em on. The more the merrier.

BTW, I'm sat here at 5am on a Sunday Morning, funnily enough listening to "Sunday Morning Comin Down" from the Austin Sessions from Kris Kristofferson.



Sound As Ever

No, No I dont like that all benG. I will agree however that speakers are flawed. And i think headphones posess the capability to be more real than speakers through binaural... But nothing will ever match the bass you feel around you that speakers have, not even the 7506's. All in all i think that the short term solution to sounding the most real (barring price) is a good pair of speakers.

I like speakers as well, but it's going to take a decent amount of money and work to get my speaker system up to my headphone system. But I will do it, eventually. There are a few problems, as I see it, w/ headphones:

1) Lack of body impact from bass
2) Lack of huge soundstages
3) Small

I think 3) is actually the most important, in terms of convincing you you are listening to something real. When you go to a concert or performance, things sound, well... big, life-sized. When you listen to headphones, you can always tell you're listening to a point-source, in comparison to what you'd get in real life. Speakers are physically big enough to convey that sense of scale and presence.

Yap headphones dont compare to speakers.

I only use headphones when I cant use my speakers

The main problem to me is not the size of the soundstage, but its location: in the middle of my head. Under other circumstances, a clear voice speaking there would indicate a need for psychiatric care. It's just not a place that sound is supposed to originate from.

With regard to bass, I have had some interesting experiences in tube rolling the ZOTL. With the right tubes in the ZOTL, the HD-600 can send deep bass that feels like its going right down your back (we're talking normal listening levels, not ear damage blasting). There's some serious bass impact possible with cans that I just hadn't heard before.

Same here Vert. I've sold most my my headphone gear already but it's quite a bad hobby finding myself spending 3 times more money then I would with headphones.