[JahJahBinks]

How would everyone compare headphone to loud speakers? With the same source, very similar interconnects, can a $200 headphone + $200 amp beat $400 loud speaker + $400 amp in terms of sound characteristics?

 

[Matthew-Spaltro]

IMO yes.

 

[Lisa]

Funny you mentioning this.
I just got an new CD. Normally I listen to music portally or when I can't sleep in bed. Just using a PCDP and earbuds.
But now I put the CD on my stereo component set. I hardly ever listen to it actually. But after listening to the MX500s for a bit now(not even a week, before that the MX300s) the stereo set sounds like those cheap 'came with' headphones, but the bottom ones of them.
I have an old portable headphone from Sony; MDR-005E. Which I would describe as 'you hear sound when you put them on'
My stereo sound like that.
Must say I never liked this stereo from the start. I just never came round to upgrading it cause I hardly ever use it. Come to think, why might that be?

 

[peter braun]

Quote:

How would everyone compare headphone to loud speakers? With the same source, very similar interconnects, can a $200 headphone + $200 amp beat $400 loud speaker + $400 amp in terms of sound characteristics?

Yes most definitely, I believe a $200 headphone + $200 amp setup should be able to best any speaker/amp combo until you get into the well over a thousand dollar range.

 

[JahJahBinks]

Is it because of the physical characteristics of loud speakers that it is hard for them to be more revealing than headphones unless they are those really expensive ones?

 

[Costas]

It depends on what you like Jah Jah. If you like a wide, open soundstage and realistic dynamics, plus the feel of "being there" then no headphone in my opinion can create that as effectively as an excellent set of speakers and accompanying amplification. Of course, we are now talking about $000's as opposed to your initial budget.

If you really like to get into the nitty gritty detail and want to create a more intimate listening experience then that's where headphones come in.

Depending on my mood I will either listen to my headphone rig or my speaker rig. I am just as happy with both (mind you my speaker rig is pretty good).

I believe there is a "point" where speakers are a better option for music listening. Below that point, dollar for dollar, headphones represent a superior listening experience. Where that "point" is depends on the individual.

 

[Bongo]

Good question. A bit of an apple to artichokes comparison though. Dollar to dollar, a decent headphone/amp combo will best a speaker/amp combo hands down for detail, presence, and isolation (certainly), but a speaker system is much more realistic with regard to soundstage. Unfortunately (for most of us) a speakered system very dependent upon the listening room acoustics. So theheadphone system is the "great equalizer" negating the need for a dedicated listening room for optimal acoustical entertainment.

 

[bifcake]

Without a doubt! I think you'd have to spend over $10k on a speaker system to get it to sound better than a good set of headphones such as Senns HD580/600. No reasonably priced speaker is going to give you the detail, sound integration and accuracy of a very reasonably priced headphone.

 

[halcyon]

I agree with Costas the most (although to a degree with everyone).

It depends on what you want.

If you want believable width and depth of soundstage with stable positioning of sources in the soundstage, then even inexpensive loudspeakers can best the best of headphones.

Why? Because headphones always move with your head and as your hearing and vestibular senses are connected, there will be a sensory mismatch when you move your head when listening to headphones.

This mismatch is a major contributor in the 'inside head' imaging that is common to all headphones (although to a varying degree). It is a biological fact of human hearing and you cannot escape it even with the most expensive headphones, cross-feed amplifiers or anything else except head-tracking based sound source virtualisation (and even that has a significant system lag).

But, even cheap loudspeakers stay where they are when you move your head

That is why the location cues for the sounds are much more believable to human hearing.

Also, it is impossible to keep one's head completely still while listening to such a degree that the head movement do not destroy the illusion with the best headphones.

Of course, there are many more virtues that headphones do better than loudspeakers (and vice versa), so I think it's really difficult to say which one 'the best' in all situations for all people.

It's like what Costas said: what are you after?

If you are after the most detail and least distorted frequency response, then under normal real-life conditions even $200 headphones will be better than most expensive loudspeakers.

This is due to the fact that a headphone is closely coupled to your head/ear and there is very little additional reverbation / diffraction (and associated loss of detail) with headphones.

With loudspeakers you are hearing up to 90% of REFLECTED sound of the total sound power (i.e. sound that has first reflected from a room surface before it reaches you). This means that with a loudspeaker you are always listening to a loudspeaker + room combination and the room is a significant factor in how many loudspeakers sound.

I hope that illustrates some of the major differences a bit.

best regards,
Halcyon

 

[Guyferd]

You would find more detail in the headphone for the same amt of money.
Unless you are talking like those $1-2k over soundsystem+amp, this might blow away the headphones.
But then, it really goes back to your preference.
For less than $200, I can hardly find any good speakers than can match headphones.
The detail is so much more, but at the expense of feeling of being there and soundstage,
of course if you want feeling to be there you have to like get a damn good headphone amp costing like $600plus , ie EMP. But then again with speakers you can move around your room comfortably and still get a very good sound
Unlike headphones it is a pain to move around...

 

[dudlew]

I think even with $800, you can do plenty with speakers, if you consider used especially.

For detail and neutrality, even though never hearing a $400 heaphone sytem, I think it bests speakers hand down

But considering dynamics and soundstage, a speaker system in the $400 range would not lose. I love listening to my speakers and amp even though they are lower than your budget.
Speakers are also a little more forgiving IMO. Nothing can beat literally feeling the music either, an experience I love

But consider a NAD integrated with some affordable Paradigm or PSB floor standers and you could have something good in your price range maybe?

If you want detail and accuracy, headphones.
If you want dynamics, sense of scale, and a better illusion of reality, Speakers (although as stated here in an elevated price bracket).

D

 

[SuperGiraffe]

I am always torn between my headphone rig and my loudpeaker rig. Some music sounds better on the speakers, some better on the headphones. My headphone set-up (based on HD-600) sounds quite detailed, pleasant, and relaxing. My speaker set-up (through Dynaudio Audience 60s, augmented by REL sub) sets my feet a-tappin' better and seems to provide a more balanced, integrated sound, even if it doesn't quite match the level of detail retrieval that the phones do. Of course, if its comparing money-wise, the Dynaudio/REL setup alone is well over $2,000 new, while the Senns, my headamp, and the CD player cost less than the Dynaudios alone.

The best things about the phones, by far, though, are that I can crank Smashing Pumkins when I get home late at night without my downstairs neighbor banging on my door within five minutes.

 

[pedxing]

DynAudio 60's with Rel must sound good. I auditioned a similar setup last year. If I ever buy another subwoofer, it would probably be a Rel.

Unfortunately, before you can start getting the details from a headphone like the HD580, you have to spend several thousand dollars. A good speaker setup can create a better ambient atmosphere and spaciousness (depends on the acoustics of the environment too). There is some low bass that I can hear (not feel) from some expensive setups that I never heard before with headphones.

The only down side of an expensive stereo system with speakers, amp, and subwoofer is that it is not portable. Sometimes it is not even convenient to move from one apartment to another without a lot of hassle of disconnecting wires and carefully packing the equipment up.