I don't know that I "get" soundstage.
I have an old pair of Apple iPod earbuds (not the newer "earpods", I mean the old kind without a mic, from the pre-iPhone days). I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD558s (over-ear, open-back). Supposedly the HD558s are supposed to have a very good soundstage, but I honestly can't tell any difference whatsoever. I have a whole mess of different music and even downloaded a bunch of FLAC "headphone tester" files with 3D spatial recordings, and they both seem to have basically the same sense of "width" and "space". Neither produces sound that seems "inside my head".
I don't understand what the situation is here. The general opinion seems to be that earbuds typically have bad soundstage. Are old Apple earbuds known for being an exception or something? Are my ears broken? What am I supposed to be listening for?
I have an old pair of Apple iPod earbuds (not the newer "earpods", I mean the old kind without a mic, from the pre-iPhone days). I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD558s (over-ear, open-back). Supposedly the HD558s are supposed to have a very good soundstage, but I honestly can't tell any difference whatsoever. I have a whole mess of different music and even downloaded a bunch of FLAC "headphone tester" files with 3D spatial recordings, and they both seem to have basically the same sense of "width" and "space". Neither produces sound that seems "inside my head".
I don't understand what the situation is here. The general opinion seems to be that earbuds typically have bad soundstage. Are old Apple earbuds known for being an exception or something? Are my ears broken? What am I supposed to be listening for?