[abellaw]

So i am relatively new to head fi and an emphasis on sq. My question is since getting into high quality headphones, what is your experience with "regular" headphones. I often listen to them when checking out my friends music collections. And i am finding that often times i would rather not listen to music than listen to them on ibuds or whatever. Dont get me wrong but i can love listening to my portapro's just cant do ibuds anymore lol

 

[esien]

i don't know. when i listen to my white ipod earbuds for a while. i would just forget about my $2500 home rig and just enjoy the music. if you do A-B comparison between them, the difference would be VERY noticeable. but listening through ipod doesn't get in the way of just enjoying the music for me.

 

[Adamora]

Quote:

Originally Posted by esien /img/forum/go_quote.gif i don't know. when i listen to my white ipod earbuds for a while. i would just forget about my $2500 home rig and just enjoy the music. if you do A-B comparison between them, the difference would be VERY noticeable. but listening through ipod doesn't get in the way of just enjoying the music for me.

same here, tho the harsh treble hurts me sometimes =[]

 

[EYEdROP]

When I was a kid, I always experimented with cheap department store headphones. I was looking for bass impact, or more mids to hear the guitar riffs better. Back then I was satisfied much easier than I am now and I would just get immersed in the music. Nowadays, I have all of this gear that sounds great but I spend so much time comparing my gear rather than intently listening. Dont get me wrong, I still have intimate sessions and eargasms. But back when I was young and naive, I got exited easier.

For me, Ive found a few cheaper headphones can fool my ears and actually sound pretty darn good for the price. There are a few that sound really bad to the point where it hurts my ears or blurs way too much detail but I find iBuds or similar to still be listenable.

My 2008 Focus has an awful stereo system compared to the premium ones Ive heard from infinity, bose, etc... But it plays my FM radio and classic rock just fine, and I still find myself singing along.

 

[Adamora]

Bose car speakers DO sound good...to an extent..but heck this is off-topic, ignore me.

 

[EYEdROP]

I asked my dad what he thought about sound, and he said "as long as its in stereo". He hears the difference between my hi-fi stuff and a regular radio but he just dosent care, as long as it isnt mono..

 

[krmathis]

Not sure what you mean by "regular headphones". Are they defined by price, availability, sound quality, looks, ...?

 

[tintin47]

I use ibuds and other cheaper phones all the time for convenience, and sometimes I listen to albums on less than great phones because the recordings are low fi or sloppy, so a high end rig sort of degrades your experience. You might be doing it wrong if you can't still enjoy music no matter what is making it, as the actual music should come first. ibuds aren't good phones, but they still reproduce what is on the track.

@eyedrop: Why does your dad think that mono is bad? I have some albums that sound far better in mono than they ever could in stereo (Petsounds and Sgt. Peppers spring to mind.).

 

[abellaw]

When i said regular i am referring to just generic headphones that are at stores for like 10 dollars. i mention ibuds just because i have a problem with apple in general and they are also well known as a point of reference.

I rollerblade so when i skate i use my creative buds and they work and i enjoy the music enough to skate too...but at times i find myself listening for things that either arent there or arent as emphasized as they are with my other headphones.

 

[krmathis]

^ OK, now I am with you.
I have no problem using "regular" 'phones, as long as its not for critical listening. I for one use those stock white Apple iBuds in my portable rig. They sound good "enough", but I miss some isolation.

Koss PortaPro is fine as well...

 

[Shoewreck]

The lack of SQ (or probably different signature) strikes at the first moment, but everything feels completely listeneable after a minute or so.

 

[abellaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ OK, now I am with you. I have no problem using "regular" 'phones, as long as its not for critical listening. I for one use those stock white Apple iBuds in my portable rig. They sound good "enough", but I miss some isolation. Koss PortaPro is fine as well...

I see i really like my porta pros better than my sr-80's but i think that is just my taste....

i think this is such a funny phrase but when you say critical listening what do you mean exactly

 

[lucky]

Music is music; I may prefer some phones to others, but the end goal is the same.

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not sure what you mean by "regular headphones". Are they defined by price, availability, sound quality, looks, ...?

I would interpret it as common headphones or cheap widely marketed headphones.

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Music is music

People say that to me a lot. It is about the music, and I see bad headphones as a barrier between me and the music. Upgrading gear, in my opinion, is a method of revealing the music better.

Anyhow, there's no reason to listen over common headphones, since I have my stuff with me everywhere I go.