[kartik]

I've enjoyed owning 2 mid-priced headphones with mid-level performance. Between the two, including the cost of headphone amps, cables etc. I would have spent about $1600. Today, I was listening to my system through my $400 Bohlender-Grabener speakers and was really blown away by the soundstage and imaging on those. Where they lost inches of ground to the headphones in detail, they took back yards in overall presentation. Thanks to my ill-spent dough on headphones, I'm now in a quandrary; should I sink more money into this hobby or sink it on a real speaker system?
Adding up the costs of say a Qualia or R10 (my favorites on audition at the head-fi meet some years ago) to those of a Maestro, I'm looking to spend at least $7-8K. OTOH, a competent 47 Labs system including the shigaraki cd transport, the Shigaraki DAC, GainCard and the LEns monitors comes to the same price. I just feel terrified at the prospect of sinking the first 3K for these cans, only to find that I still lust after speakers.

Help!

Please!

 

[Ayreonaut]

Speakers. If you've satisfied your lust for detail, then you've got what you need from your headphone rig. If you're lusting after soundstaging and imaging, speakers is where it's at. IMO.

 

[fishtankfish]

speakers.

youve gotta feel the music with your entire body.

 

[Sleestack]

If its one or the other.... speakers. Don't even think about it. I love having my SDS-XLR, but it gets used about 2 hours a week. The speakers are on 6 hours a day.

 

[skudmunky]

Or you could make a compromise and find the K1000s somewhere. Cheaper than the Qualia or the R10 too.

If you like speakers, go for them! I'm into headphones right now because I don't want to bother other people, and the headphones in my price range way outclass the speakers in my price range. There are a few things I prefer speakers for, like gaming, because of the larger soundstage,

 

[lan]

Hi kartik. Long time no see. I havn't seen your "new" place although you've been there for a while but if there's little problems with neighbors (or wife) and noise, I'd go speakers.

 

[nabwong]

Definitely speakers. There's nothing like the closing your eyes and "feeling" the performers in front of you.

 

[kartik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan Hi kartik. Long time no see. I havn't seen your "new" place although you've been there for a while but if there's little problems with neighbors (or wife) and noise, I'd go speakers.

The new place is bigger and kinda like a townhouse. I definitely can't blast the stereo (or so to speak!) but reasonable listening levels are definitely in order.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'm going to leave my current rig in the living room as such and start focussing on a smaller, monitor based rig in my study for now.

 

[pspivak]

both.

 

[XxATOLxX]

both... They both have their uses.

 

[Zorander]

I vote speakers as well. My stereo setup actually sounds more enjoyable than my headphone rig, albeit not as private (obviously).

 

[oldears]

Its gotta be...speakers! Except for those times when they might bother someone else. Then you have to have...headphones. It is easy and affordable to have both however--particularly since you already have some headphones. Get either a preamp or an integrated amp with a "pass through" or "loop out". Run your headphone setup off from the loop out. You can then use either your speakers or your headphones from the same source and you can upgrade each system independently of the other.

 

[mysticaldodo]

I did that too but found out it affects the sound. I prefer to connect the source directly to the headphone amp