Any opinions out there on speakers that come close to sounding as good as your cans?
Mar 18, 2003 at 3:45 AM Post #62 of 78
Either one will cause hearing damage if one listens at unsafe listening levels. It all depends on which one you listen to louder.
 
Mar 18, 2003 at 4:18 AM Post #64 of 78
Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheus
yes, ultimately that's true.

but you shouldn't need to turn up headphones us high as speakers to enjoy the same quality sound...


Actually, if you have equivalent systems, they should be at about the same listening levels once the sound gets to your ears. So I disagree with that statement.
 
Mar 18, 2003 at 7:43 AM Post #66 of 78
My impression was that headphones can cause more damage than speakers even at moderate volumes because of their proximity to the eardrum.

But perhaps I'm dragging this thread a wee newt off-topic.
 
Mar 18, 2003 at 9:08 AM Post #67 of 78
For my main speaker system, I own a pair of Kef Q5's accompanied by a Klipsch reference RSW 12 subwoofer to help fill in the bottom end...which it does tremendously well with nice rish, full, and lushous bass. These speakers are powered by an Arcam A75 integrated amp (for music listening) and a Onkyo TX-DS696 for HT. IMHO, I love my speaker set-up, but it cannot achieve what I like best about listening to music...being able to be intimate with my music and having it seemingly come from inside my head (as the Ety's do). Plus, I like being able to better hear the minute details in music. I haven't had the chance to listen to a lot of extremely expensive speaker systems out there, but the ones I have heard (and would have liked to listen to them for longer) were various Lynn speakers and some Sonus Fabers. I just didn't seem to notice the warmth in the speakers that my HD600's or W1000 provide. However, I wouldn't doubt that my feelings on this opinion will change over time when I am able to own a really high quality speaker setup once I start making a lot more money to be able to afford it. I think I can compare my liking of headphones versus speakers by explaining my understanding and explaining of the Etymotic type of sound. Just how some people say they don't like the lack of visceral bass that the ety's provide, I say I prefer the ety's (over most headphones) because I can hear the music alone, at a greater level, without implementing the physical feeling of music along with hearing it all at the same time...which often takes away the pure clarity for me. Same thing goes for headphones in general...I would rather more closely hear the music with greater detail and warmth and sacrifice that visceral feeling that full sized speaker systems provide. But that's obviously just me
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Mar 19, 2003 at 7:13 AM Post #69 of 78
Quote:

Originally posted by scrypt
My impression was that headphones can cause more damage than speakers even at moderate volumes because of their proximity to the eardrum.


If they're both at moderate volumes at your ears, then they will both cause the same amount of damage. If they are at the same volumes at the drivers, then yes, the headphones will be louder to your ears, because they will be closer, but no-one measures speakers at their drivers (they usually measure 1m away).

(I don't get the impression that TeamH3 minds us going off topic like this.)
 
Mar 20, 2003 at 1:00 AM Post #70 of 78
I don't mind at all! Actually, for a beginner like me, it is very good reading.

On the topic of ear damage (headphones vs. speakers), the one thing that i notice is that when I listen to music with my HD600's, my ear drum's can feel the air pressures coming from the headphone diaphram when a moderately strong bass sound is played. Occasionally, this sensation will catch me by surprise, and sometimes it does cause a breif discomfort. As far a speakers go, I have only had this type of sensation when some nut asks me to listen to his car stereo, and I am hit with 6 or 8 subwoofers in his explorer. Now that's crazy. Another thing to consider is the restriction of air flow when headphones are on your head. The air created by the diaphram will tend to go straight into the ear, rather than bleed into the room, due to the headphone cusion that seals around the ear. Speakers don't have this issue.

Anyway, my hypothesis is that the lower frequences that cause the headphone diaphram to move more while trying to reproduce the sound, can aggravate/irritate your ear organs. A duration of this aggravation probably could cause some premature deterioration of your ears.

Again, thanks soooooooo much to everyone for all the spirited convo on this thread!

TeamH3

PS - I'm still reading!
 
Mar 20, 2003 at 1:34 AM Post #71 of 78
Quote:

Originally posted by TeamH3
"...... As far a speakers go, I have only had this type of sensation when some nut asks me to listen to his car stereo, and I am hit with 6 or 8 subwoofers in his explorer. Now that's crazy. Another thing to consider is the restriction of air flow when headphones are on your head. The air created by the diaphram will tend to go straight into the ear, rather than bleed into the room, due to the headphone cusion that seals around the ear. Speakers don't have this issue......"


IMO this happen sometimes in a closed type cans, but in an open this is more bearable, sometimes this doesn't happen at all, the subwoofers issue is the same, is a closed an smalll enviroment, if you open the windows the effect will vanish considerably.
 
Apr 15, 2007 at 5:04 PM Post #72 of 78
After owning my Cremona Auditors for a month I don't think I can go back to headphones again. I know my HD650 aren't the most detailed headphones however the level of detail coming out of the speakers doesn't even compare. Also soundstage is actually soundstage and not headstage like in headphones. Listening to all my headphones yesterday I expected at least to do better on the base department but now that I listen more closely the speaker rig makes up for the lower frequencies with tighter and more controlled base.
 
Apr 15, 2007 at 6:24 PM Post #73 of 78
Personaly I still find that my HPs can offer some thigns that my speakers can not. They have great detail and a really nice high frequency sparkle.
HOwever, I find that I rather listining to classical, and acousitc music on my horn speakers, hands down.
The imaging is insane, and with the horn design I get bass down to the mid 40s

Intrestingly enough, my speakers cost me $150 where as the HPs are $750
 
Apr 16, 2007 at 7:37 PM Post #74 of 78
If you like electrostatic (M-L) performance, put a bass tube behind each panel. My room is too bright and my music wasn't as focused as I heard it in the showroom. I put some 6 ft bass tubes behind the panels (with some rugs and wall murals) and took care of brightness and primary sound reflections(echo). It also helps to have as much room behind them as possible, not against the wall. My front mains are two ft off side wall and 3.5 ft in front of the back wall. Toe in at about 20 degrees. I also use a 15" Velodyne HGS. So far I have not heard a hp that sounds as good as this. I'm still looking but availability and price are limiting factors. I would love to hear some O2s with a good amp but not interested in dropping 3-5 on a rig to find the magic not there.
 
Apr 17, 2007 at 3:47 PM Post #75 of 78
Thought ide chime in,
I had the HE-60 and HEV-70, and corda aria,akg 701 and the er4s. I really enjoyed headphones but found i didn't really like listening to it by myself in my room and i started to find the HE-60 really bright. I took them to the meet here in MI and heard our hosts sepakers and was baffled to how much i prefered their sound to my headphones, and there were 5 of ous listening to it. After that i decided to sell all my stuff and i moved to the Magnepan 3.5's and Rogue Audio Tempest II Magnum. The high's on Magnepan speakers are really good and they cover a good range. The HE-60 isn't even on the same level of those speakers. I would really try to listen to them as they sound a lot different than other speakers that cover highs and mids and not the full spectraum. Also when you listen to them its crazy how the voice sounds like its inbetween the speakers unlike other speakers were you can close your eyes and point where the speakers are at.
 
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