Headphone vs. Speaker comparison...

[carlo]

Solude,
Notice the word *relatively*, comparing the old Gold to the Goldi (or even the Silveri for that matter), as far as the balance of sound, you don't think the higher frequencies are tipped up? But anyway it's irrelevant, just my personal opinion. For the record I've heard the old Golds with Monarchy and CJ amps and different sources upstream in a setup I know very well.

Sorry for confussing your GFA-750 to the GCD-750. That said I still say that instead of doing this sale deal you do some auditioning to figure out where you're going and what these setups have to offer.
Quote:

Convince me that $700 headphone rig can sound natural and transparent when compared to a $6000 speaker setup.

sorry, but I don't think that can be done.

best,
carlo.

 

[markl]

carlo,
sorry it's not clear to me. Do you dislike the Stratus Goldi or only the earlier version the Gold? Have you owned both and what are your thoughts?

I for one knew the Goldi's were the "one" after so many auditions that left me disappointed (some big names. I had budget for more than the Goldi's but didn't need it).

Never heard the Gold's but I love my Goldi's!

markl

 

[carlo]

hey markl,
i was clicking around and found this... sorry, lost track of this thread before. i've never owned either, but have spent at least 15 hours with the golds and well over 25 with the goldi's.

i dislike the old golds, i think the newer models are much much better. my problem was with the tweeter, as stated above. but, with the revisions, and with a big room and plenty of power upstream, i think the goldi[/] is a tough speaker to beat for full range sound and an involoving presentation.

best,
carlo.

 

[blueocp]

My dad has a pair of Silveri's with an Onkyo/Integra dvd and reciever(cant remember the models off the top of my head). Anyway, I compared them to my MG Head/600 combo out of the DVD player and the silvers do sound noticeably better. The thing is the imaging of the silvers were worse than the 600s for some reason. I am guessing it is because of the bad acoustics in the room and maybe because the system is only a stereo setup, not multi-channel. I am getting a 333ES and Sugden Headmaster on the way, and possibly some Equinox cables so I will compare the two again when I upgrade.

 

[Anders]

Solitude, noone can say how you would like a headphone system compared to a speaker system. A headphone system is considerably cheaper at a comparable level of sound quality because of size and lower need for amplification. But some people don't like headphones at all or prefer speakers.
Do you like your current components? If you do, you may only loose money be selling them. Building up a new speaker system later etc. Otherwise, you should be very convinced that it is headphones you really want.

 

[Hamsta]

Now, I'm a "speakers" man first and foremost. As much as many here may find it heresy, I really only use headphones as a convenience, much prefering the sound of "open air" hifi.

HOWEVER, when it comes to bang-for-buck I think 'phones have it sewn up. There is NO WAY you would be able to get an amp/speaker combo to match your HD600/MG head for the same $$. You probably realise this - I mean you are asking "Should I sell my main rig worth thousands, or my 'phones rig worth less than a thousand?"

Now I don't know how much debt you have (except that CN$2000 would clear "some" of it), but personally I HATE debt and will do pretty much anything to avoid or get out of it. 17.5% interest on your VISA should be enough incentive for most. Is your hifi worth 17.5%pa?

My advice would be sell the main rig, get rid of the debt (completely), enjoy your 'phones.

Good luck
Hamsta

 

[daveemac]

Hi Solude--

Having heard many of the serious headphones now (all the senns, all the grados, working on hearing stax omegaII, AT100, and SonyR10) my opinion at this point is that headphones just can't match good speakers. It's really a pretty serious gap, which I'm finding disheartening because I'm going to be relying on headphones for a while until I find a new place to live.

FWIW, if I were in your position I would keep my speakers, sell whichever components were most expensive, and replace them with things like dynaco st-70, pioneer dvd player for source, simpler cabling, bottlehead foreplay preamp...

My Newform Research 645 speakers with ARC SP6A with stan warren modified pioneer dvd333 and thorens 160 super with SMEIII arm and shure V15 cart really can't be TOUCHED by any of the phones I've auditiioned yet. I'm still holding out hope for the AT, Sony and stax however.

Good luck!

 

[Jim R]

Quote:

I'm still on the fence about selling my main rig in favor of a headphone rig and paying off my VISA.

This is a no brainer. Pay off the damn credit card debt no matter what you have to do (sell the stereo, car, kids, etc. - even get a night job). There is nothing else that will screw up your life quicker than credit card interest (been there, done that). If I had any credit card debt, the last thing on my mind would be audio.

There are pros and cons to both speaker systems and headphone systems. You can definitely achieve high fidelity on a cheaper budget with headphones though so maybe that is a good way to go when you have the cash. A pair of HD-600's from Jan Meier and a DIY CMOY amp ($30-40 and a night's work) is a pretty nice and cheap headphone alternative for a temporary audio fix.

 

[tbonner1]

I have been asking myself this question since 1975. I had Dahlquist DQ-10's and Ampzilla compared to Stax SRX and Koss ESP-9 electrostatic headphones. Since then I have had countless "upgrades" for speakers and headphones. I have not heard the current Stax products, but no headphones I have heard during this period can match the sound of a properly matched and placed pair of speakers.

This goes for even inexpensive speakers. I currently have JM Labs Cobalt 820's($1800 street price). However, I find the Sound Dynamics RT-3's(under $200) are very good and I am even able to get bass impact out of them in a small room. Even the Sound Dynamics have good detail and depth when compared the the Sennheiser 600's and an amp.

Given the choice and paying 18% on your balance, my vote goes for a paydown and downgrade to a good integrated and standmount speakers.

 

[Anders]

A good audiophile rule is to NEVER buy anything on credit.
If you have made the mistake you can consider different solutions.
If you can pay it off relatively fast you loose less than if you sell the equipment (if it is equipment that you really like and want to keep).
If you have problems with the payments and it will take a long time to get rid of the debt, do as Jim R suggests.