[BIgsurprise]

I actually prefer speakers, but for the price headphones always seem to be the better value.  Here is my short story:
 
I was never a headphone person until about September 2010.  I used speakers exclusively but for the exception of cheap headsets for Ventrilo.  I found this forum early August 2010 and did some research, and bought a pair of ATH-AD700's.  I found the sound quality exceptional for the price of $90.  I was(and still am) using Klipsch Promedia 2.1 for my speakers.  I now have HD650's and can't believe how great headphones sound for the price.  I LOVE the full, rich and bassy sound of speakers, but the quality always seems to be lacking for the same price of headphone.  My speakers sound great, but headphones have a much greater nack for displaying details.
 
IMO there is no substitute for either.  Each one has it's own place.
 
Big.
 

 

[pataburd]

If the room acoustics are dealt with, I prefer listening to outboard speakers.  Even when the room acoustics aren't dealt with, I still tend to prefer outboard speakers for their sense of air and spatial completeness.

 

[TheOak]

I prefer both at the same time.  I listen mostly in my office where I can sit for hours on end switching back between my Grado SR225is and Boston Acoustic CR75s when my ears get tired of listening to one or the other.  Usually I'll find myself listening to speakers and craving the intimate experience or screaming mids of the Grados.  Othertimes I'll listen to the Grados and want the expansive soundstage and physical presence of the speakers.  When I want both I just crank the speakers with the headphones on and jump into an orgy of sound!  It's the best of both worlds.

 

[BattleBrat]

I started out with speakers, I've only come to headphones to find a way to take it with me (note lack of stationary headphone equipment)
I play NIN's "We're in this Together" from "The Fragile" on my speakers, and in the intro I almost want to scoot my chair back, the music, ITS COMING AT ME! hits me in the diaphragm, It is EPIC it is AWESOME, and NO headphones can come close!! But I love my headphones too...

 

[feverfive]

I prefer speakers & it's not even close, tbh.  BUT, I don't have the right room nor the $$$ to make a "proper" listening environment.  If peeps w/ so much cash spent as much time on the room (& properly treating it) as they do on obsessing over amps, DACs & other gear, they could have stellar speaker systems.  I think many in this hobby are in it just to have cool toys, not for the music.

 

[b0wl1ng]

Speakers, but the intimacy of headphones is  pure joy.

 

[VALIENTE]

Quote:

.......but the intimacy of headphones is  pure joy.

 
 
Yes. There are songs that I must listen privately using my headphones. The intimacy is really great!

 

 

[bumblingbooby]

I prefer my old mid-fi speakers to my arguably hi-fi headphones, but I'm glad to have both. However, I am listening to headphones far more due to the convenience and privacy that they offer. The neighbours and significant other have no idea how fortunate they are.

 

[XiB3R]

As already posted earlier, The intimacy and detail can't be matched compared to a pair of nice headphones (also for portability) I love the isolation my HD280 Pro's through a nice EQ give me while walking the street. It's like being in a movie/video clip.
 
but then, the 2 floor speakers and 2 12in subs in my lounge room can't be matched for pure depth of bottom end and power.
 
I love both, I just love music.

 

[RexAeterna]

i really enjoy both a lot evenly now just about. it's true being able to have intimacy with music through headphones is a blessing but i do really enjoy how more life like speakers can be in a proper room and the sound all around you ''outside'' your head.

there is some headphones i heard to have a binaural/speaker like type soundstage on it's own but lot of them still suffer front imagery compared to speakers in my opinion. also i find speakers can be as detailed or more if positioned right in the listening room.

 

[RexAeterna]

I prefer speakers & it's not even close, tbh.  BUT, I don't have the right room nor the $$$ to make a "proper" listening environment.  If peeps w/ so much cash spent as much time on the room (& properly treating it) as they do on obsessing over amps, DACs & other gear, they could have stellar speaker systems.  I think many in this hobby are in it just to have cool toys, not for the music.

true. it's not as expensive as people think tho to treat a room if you like to experiment or know what materials to choose. you can make panels cheap out of fiberglass and bass traps as well out of fiber glass. carpet can be great as well and can be found anywhere(even sometimes free) but carpet is only good down to the midrange and high frequencies. fiberglass is stuff to use to build bass traps. i say with right imagination and little knowledge of materials and what they do and of course depending on room size you can have a room perfectly treated for less then 100 bucks(especially if you can get some of the materials free) or possibly less if you know where to shop and find killer deals and ask around.

 

[fabio-fi]

I like both, despite i started this journey with speakers. Headphones are more convenient when i travel, as i can take them with me and listen to high quality music. 

 

[mcmalden]

I don't dig the argument that people aren't willing to spend money on speakers due the lack of good acoustics in their room. My dad owns the Totem Staff's and the acoutics of the room they are placed in are terrible. Nevertheless they sound amazing. With good acoustics you can get much more detail and better soundstaging but a bit of blur provides for a more relaxing sound if you ask me.
 
I prefer speakers to headphones because I don't like the vocals inside my head. When I listen to headphones it seems like there is a tiny version of the singer wandering through my brains. I like it when I hear the drummer playing in the background and hear the singer in front of me etc... I think the quality/price rating of headphones is a bit overrated, you don't need high end speakers to have enjoyable sound. My brother's Ultrasone HD2200 costs about 300euro's and the frequency response is pretty messed up. My speakers which cost 700euro's and they sound way better IMHO(hope he doesn't read this though), though it needs to be said that the cables where 250euro's so that makes 950. They also test pretty good(hyperlink). Even the Senneiser HD800's haven't got a flat frequency response. The amount of detail on the hd2200 is amazing but the feeling of realism I get my speakers is worth the sactifice, all the details I do get are simply bonus.
The big pro with headphones is IMO the fact that it's more likely that you own multiple pairs while with speakers you probably won't buy different pairs so you'll have to do with one setup.
 

 

[Alghazanth]

Most definitely speakers. But because of the physical and cost issues of high end speakers, I go with headphones.

 

[ISALULA]

Headphones.
 
Why ? For the intimacy... Me and Music, nothing more.