Side Effects of Nice Headphones

[liRetro]

Has anyone noticed how critical you become of poor audio sources after you got used to the quality from decent headphones? I know a few people who said they don't care much for nice speakers and some regular sport headphones/portable speakers were fine for them...

. Now I know there are some nice sport headphones, and portable speakers but that's not what they were talking about. These are the people who will listen to a singing competition on their stock 2-4" TV speakers and consider that they could hear how well the song was sung.

So anyway I'm amused when someone says something like that. I play back something with complex vocals, or some crazy sound effect on my destop speakers and then let them listen to the ATH-700's for a sample. Hehehe, most people are like "It's nice" while it's on, then when they take the headphones off they get this look on their face when they hear the crappy desktops mudling through.

It is always frustrating when someone just doesn't believe you when you tell them they don't hear something because they are listening on crappy equipment... sigh.

 

[F107plus5]

This is NOT Bose bashing; but the Wife and I were having a little fun about a Bose infomertial a few months back.

We noticed how much better the Bose system sounded now, vs a few years ago!!

When we first heard the commercial a few years back we still had our old TV with the onboard speakers. The Bose system sounded average.

When we heard the commercial reciently, we were listening to it through our home theater system with high quality speakers and components.

Therefore! Bose has GOTTEN BETTER!!

 

[Duggeh]

My source is rubbish and my headphones are ace. I still enjoy listening.

 

[khbaur330162]

This doesn't really have anything to do with the side effects that you've listed, but I've noticed some.

Before I got my Sony MDR-V700Dj's I didn't listen to that much music. After I got them, everything sounded so much better and my interest grew. After that, I found a few bands (one in particular) that I simply loved and to this day, never really stop listening to. I listen to so much more music now and find that my "memory" of music is much better. Before I couldn't remember lyrics at all, and every time I heard a song it was, to some extent, brand new to me because I completely forgot how the tune went. (I'd just remember which songs I liked...) Not the case anymore.

I work at AMC (a movie theatre/cinema... whatever you call it) so basically I listen to people tell me their demands all day while I run around and get them their popcorn and drinks. Before I heavily started to listen to music, I constantly found myself asking what the drinks they wanted were, or I would forget the order and have to run back to the register to double check. I've now noticed, however, I have this sort of audiographic memory. (Sort of how people say they have "photographic" memories...) If I forget what they asked for, I often times play back the "audio track" that I have "recorded" in my head. It's hard to explain, but perhaps I did a good enough job for you to understand. I guess you could say a side effect is me being a better associate! (I still get paid minimum wage though...

)


And I agree with you. Most headphones sound like utter garbage now that I have a semi decent pair of headphones. I can't comment on speakers though. I've never held speakers in that high of regard because I've never heard a Hi-Fi set up before...

 

[Purgatos]

I understand people who spend tons of money on their hobbies an awful lot better now.

 

[sgrossklass]

Having high-quality playback equipment has not kept me from being able to enjoy music on mediumwave and even shortwave on the built-in speaker of a portable radio (though I also use cans for that), though in most cases when I listen to music via radio, FM stereo and decent hi-fi tuners are involved. Now admittedly there *are* some lower limits - our kitchen radio always annoys me, no bass to speak of and a tizzy reasonance in the highs (Team Tizz-Fi, one might say). My new Redsun portable with its 5" (12 cm) speaker is quite a different beast already, though going from this to my headphones or speakers on the same FM broadcast still is like opening up a different world.

 

[EFN]

Side Effect of Good Cans? .....err empty wallet effect counts?

 

[apnk]

One side effect: Always want something bigger and better.
Which leads to: A depressed wallet.

 

[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by liRetro Has anyone noticed how critical you become of poor audio sources after you got used to the quality from decent headphones? I know a few people who said they don't care much for nice speakers and some regular sport headphones/portable speakers were fine for them... . Now I know there are some nice sport headphones, and portable speakers but that's not what they were talking about. These are the people who will listen to a singing competition on their stock 2-4" TV speakers and consider that they could hear how well the song was sung. So anyway I'm amused when someone says something like that. I play back something with complex vocals, or some crazy sound effect on my destop speakers and then let them listen to the ATH-700's for a sample. Hehehe, most people are like "It's nice" while it's on, then when they take the headphones off they get this look on their face when they hear the crappy desktops mudling through. It is always frustrating when someone just doesn't believe you when you tell them they don't hear something because they are listening on crappy equipment... sigh.

No one wants to believe that their equipment is crappy.

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meyvn No one wants to believe that their equipment is crappy.

tru dat

 

[j4cbo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFN Side Effect of Good Cans? .....err empty wallet effect counts?

Yep.

First I got some Sennheiser HD457s to replace the crappy iPod phones.
Then I listened to my dad's Grado SR-60s.
Then I bought SR-80s for my iPod.
Then I tried hooking up the SR-80 to the headphone out on my SB2, without the crappy old '80-s era amp in between.
Then I started ripping everything as FLAC.

... now I've got a Transporter on order and I'm building myself a Dynahi. WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?

 

[EFN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by j4cbo Yep. First I got some Sennheiser HD457s to replace the crappy iPod phones. Then I listened to my dad's Grado SR-60s. Then I bought SR-80s for my iPod. Then I tried hooking up the SR-80 to the headphone out on my SB2, without the crappy old '80-s era amp in between. Then I started ripping everything as FLAC. ... now I've got a Transporter on order and I'm building myself a Dynahi. WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?

Before long you will be dragging along $1000 worth of allegedly "portable" rig......we are in the limbo mate

 

[Reputator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by liRetro Has anyone noticed how critical you become of poor audio sources after you got used to the quality from decent headphones? I know a few people who said they don't care much for nice speakers and some regular sport headphones/portable speakers were fine for them... . Now I know there are some nice sport headphones, and portable speakers but that's not what they were talking about. These are the people who will listen to a singing competition on their stock 2-4" TV speakers and consider that they could hear how well the song was sung. So anyway I'm amused when someone says something like that. I play back something with complex vocals, or some crazy sound effect on my destop speakers and then let them listen to the ATH-700's for a sample. Hehehe, most people are like "It's nice" while it's on, then when they take the headphones off they get this look on their face when they hear the crappy desktops mudling through. It is always frustrating when someone just doesn't believe you when you tell them they don't hear something because they are listening on crappy equipment... sigh.

unless the crap equipment you're talking about are the equivalent of a telephone speaker, I'd say it'd be pretty easy to judge a singing competition with it. You may not hear all the details, but you hear most of it, it just may not be as immersive.

 

[tjohnusa]

Now I just watch my wifes lips moving!!!!

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjohnusa Now I just watch my wifes lips moving!!!!

I saw that yesterday with my Wife too! Right after we all were driving back in her Mini-Van with all the kids on board, and I asked her where she would want me to install the new sub cause I thought something was lacking in her vehicle.

She didn't say it out loud because of the kids.