[MadMan007]

Speakers. If you go used you can get a lot of value in speakers, same for headphones of course, but seeing how much some people spend on phones they better have a really good reason to not go speakers. As far as what to put money in to I kind of combine them in a way, for example sources can be used with both.

 

[murphyb74]

At this stage of my life, the speakers are mainly for movies with the family. Perhaps when the kids are grown and gone, I will listen to music more through my speakers. For now, 90% of music listening is via headphones - and sounds pretty good!

 

[franklevinson]

If we're talking recording, speakers for sure, especially when mixing. But I also like to hear something through headphones as well before making a final judgement.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4nder /img/forum/go_quote.gif I prefer headphones. Every time I listen to something on speakers I keep wondering how it would sound on my headphones that are much more detailed, intimate and involving. Speakers just aren't that engaging and I find the usually bone rattling bass a disturbance rather than something to strive for, but then I haven't heard the ultra high end of speakers yet, they may make me change my mind.

What speakers have you been listening to? Try electrostats, ribbons, planars, or AMTs. They'll typically give you as much detail as headphones with much better balanced bass. You don't have to spend a fortune, either. Used ESS AMTs can be had for $200-$300, a new Magnepan MMG pair goes around $600, and I've seen used Quads go between $450 and $1,500.

As to the OP - I prefer speakers. The Quad ESL-63s stomp all over the headphones. They're just wonderful. The very lowest octave of bass isn't there, but I should have a pair of Linkwitz Orion+ speakers together by the end of the year. Those go all the way down, and I'll move the Quads into a secondary system.

 

[nhancakes]

Heard a set of la scalas last year and those have been my dream ever since... i prefer speakers to headphones.

 

[pyrokid]

Speakers, without a doubt.
it probably helps that my (inherited) speaker rig also blows my headphone one out of the water, cost wise.

 

[ical]

My hifi system eat my headphone rig for breakfast in every aspect. Definitely the speakers.

 

[MaZa]

Speakers by far. I love headphones ever since I was a kid and got my walkman, but speakers are simply better in about every way, better soundstage/imaging, better bass, everything but intimacy. But they require so much hassle to make sound excellent, room acoustics and such, and speaker rigs are quite expensive overall... Plus, I live in apartment house with SUCKY isolation (rent is very cheap though). Hell, if anyone sneezes loudly next door, I can hear it. I have to use headphones so I wouldnt bother my neighbours too much with late night listening sessions. No big hometheaters for me either.

 

[Redcarmoose]

A lot of folks here don't want to do the footwork to find the truth. They may even put their heads in the sand. Most everyone knows that no headphone can beat a good pair of speakers. Anyone who would contest this is has not found world class speakers in action.

 

[DeusEx]

I'm primarily a speaker guy who also moved into headphones because of portability/volume issues - I own Polk LSi15 towers, Energy RC-10 bookshelves, an Onkyo 805 AVR, and will purchase a 15" Sub and Emotiva Power Amp for the HT system. To me, the best and truest sound definitely comes from speakers, as I think music (and movies/etc.) was meant to travel across a medium to reach your ears, you will never get that full, dynamic, rich sound out of headphones, due to the strict nature of the physical design and comparison of size. But speakers require so much more resources to do well, such as space, room acoustics, placement, compatbility, and can cost much more (have you heard of million-dollar headphone setups? Probably not.) There's no limit to speakers, as the factors are too many and too sensitive. I myself will probably stop at a pair of K702s/DT770s and SE530 for portable usage...but my speaker journey will most likely never end.

The first time I heard hi-fi speakers, I was completely blown away - I could not believe that speakers could produce such a sound. and they were only $1k towers. i recommend every headphone lover on here go do the same.

 

[GuyDebord]

Good speakers are way better than good headphones.
I would survive without my headphones but not without my speakers!
I use headphones only when my speakers are not available, they are the least bad substitute....

 

[koven]

definitely speakers, im slowly beginning to move away from head-fi and spend more in speaker-fi

 

[logwed]

I like MY headphones more than MY speakers. I love the intimacy of headphones, but it also doesn't help that my speaker equipment is nowhere near the level of my headphone equipment.

 

[ffrr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pedalhead /img/forum/go_quote.gif It might seem like a stupid question to ask on a headphone forum, but having listened to my headphone setup pretty much exclusively for the past few weeks, I spun a disc on my loudspeaker system just now & realised what I've been missing. The imaging & bass of my main system just blows the headphones out of the water. I guess it might not be a fair comparison, my headphone setup is somewhat mid-fi, whilst my loudspeakers are stand-mount Sonus Fabers with diy infinite baffle subs in an acoustically treated room, but it's enough to make me think twice about a ~£2k upgrade to my headphone setup I've been considering as I'm thinking it just can't possibly raise it's game that much. I originally got into headphone listening when our first child was born, for obvious reasons, and I do enjoy the intimacy and practicality they offer, which is of course something a loudspeaker based system cannot provide. I'm curious as to how other people feel about this...are you using headphones for practical reasons, as a secondary system, or is it really the case that the higher-end headphone systems can match or surpass a decent loudspeaker system?

No headphone will ever approach what even a mid-fi decent speaker can do. that being said, I do enjoy my headphones and there are times when I find them essential(checking mixes in the studio, late night listening when the girls are asleep(I have two young daughters)..
but..

again, compared to speakers, headphones are an enormous trade off.

 

[tom hankins]

Speakers, speakers and more speakers.