[kesslerjesus]

I'm asking this because I recently got my hands on some DT48s. These headphones really made me question the reason why I have been purchasing headphones lately, and also, the purpose that different audio companies seek to fulfill when engineering new headphone designs and technologies.
 
Is the purpose of the modern headphone to replicate the full blow speaker-in-a-treated-room experience? or do headphones seek to create a specific audio experience of their own that speakers probably would not be able to?
 
So far I've realized that for music creation and mixing, studio monitors are amazing as music translates easily to a variety of different audio systems. Headphones on the other hand, sometimes try to replicate the speaker experience, but fall short in certain aspects, while also excelling at other things.
 
Somewhere in-between these two poles is the DT48 though, since it does not sound like full-blown speakers when listening to music, but because it is very precise in the way that it reproduces sound, it is the only headphone I now trust. The reason for this is because whatever music I make with those headphones, sounds amazing through studio monitors and speakers --even if the sound of the headphones themselves is not that engaging.
 
On the other hand, while mixing with headphones like my previous loves (the ultrasone 2500s), hd280s and even dbi pros, mixes that sound well through them, will not translate well to speakers or most other systems.
 
Because of this observation, my second and final question is the following:
 
Could it be that many new headphone designs (ex. the ones that use s-logic technology, or angled drivers, or other fancy and witty methods of delivering sound) are trying so hard to replicate the speaker--experience that they ironically create new sound experiences that although enjoyable and sometimes interesting, do not achieve the original purpose?

 

[EYEdROP]

Glad you like the DT48. Most headphones are designed to replicate speakers in a room or a live venue. They use diffuse field frequency response to achive this, along with angled drivers, pumped up bass, etc...  They still have some inherit headphone advantages while masking headphone disadvantages. I think they do indeed create their own experience that is pleasing but artificial, sounding neither like speakers or phones. The DT48 just sounds like a headphone straight up. It sounds as industrial as it looks.

 

[hudamanium]

I think the idea of headphones is to simulate speakers to an extent, but at a lower cost.
 
My speakers are cheap. 25 bucks. In order to get an actual great speaker setup, I would probably have to spend into the hundreds--> thousands.
 
However, with headphones, I can get a various of sound sigs with an amp and it will still be under a thousand. The quality of sound will be pretty much the same as speakers, but at a much lower cost. 
 
Not to mention, people are living closer and closer, and headphones are a way to enjoy music (loud or soft) without annoying others in our area. 
 

 

[rroseperry]

I think that headphones use the speaker in a room as a model, but all models aren't interested in precisely replicating that experience.  For example, look at all the very bassy headphones designed for rap and electronic dance music.  I suspect they're going after an experience headphone specific experience, not something the way you'd experience it at a concert or club.
 
But high end phones are trying to replicate good speakers in a well set up room.
 
<edited to clear up some dumb typos>

 

[Guidostrunk]

IMO, I think Headphones stand on their own, for the basis they create their own experience in sound. Theory of big sound in a little package. The only common denominator is that they are speakers but in a smaller package. If that makes any sense. Just trying to throw out another point of view. Cheers

 

[ktsai1283]

You mention "original purpose", but what I've seen most of the time is that headphones with fancy technologies such as S-Logic, angled drivers, and other exotic methods of delivering sound aren't marketed toward the professional user who would use headphones for monitoring, mixing, or mastering.  Instead, they're aimed more toward musical enjoyment.  This makes sense--most studios already have monitors; headphone technologies that try to replicate speakers are just gimmicks these professionals can definitely do without.  You bring up a good example in the DT48, which outperforms others you've tried in accuracy, thus translating well to monitors and other audio sources even though it has been said to have a small soundstage and doesn't try to be anything else BUT an accurate pair of headphones (not headphones-but-also-kinda-speakers headphones).
 
One exception off the top of my head is Ultrasone's PRO line, which uses S-Logic.

 

[judy1992]

Don't most people want a headphone that tries to duplicate a actually speaker or HT experience? Never heard any studio headphone, but I can understand the allure of those wanting something more then a simple headphone experience..

 

[Omega17TheTrue]

Quote:

You mention "original purpose", but what I've seen most of the time is that headphones with fancy technologies such as S-Logic, angled drivers, and other exotic methods of delivering sound aren't marketed toward the professional user who would use headphones for monitoring, mixing, or mastering.  Instead, they're aimed more toward musical enjoyment.  This makes sense--most studios already have monitors; headphone technologies that try to replicate speakers are just gimmicks these professionals can definitely do without.

Wrong, because headphone can be very acurate it is often use for critical monitoring, even SPL have create the phonitor, a pro headphone amp to mimmick speaker soundstage. > http://www.spl.info/index.php?id=357