[discoman]

http://starwars.apple.com/ep2/breath...athing_md.html

I just watched the Star Wars Trailer. The breathing sound is amazing from my little H/K computer speakers. It really feels like there is someone breathing in front of me in a long dead silent tunnel, and the air is moving my hairs.

I pluged in my headphone, I can heard more details, but the feeling is gone. All I can hear is a 'recording', not 'being there'.

I have tried with 3 different headphones, none of them come close to what my computer speakers can offer. So, is this the limitation of headphone can offer? Headphone can give you much more details at a fraction of price, but cannot give you the depthness?

 

[carlo]

that's a little suprising. usuallyi find the spacial effect of a speaker setup superior to headphones, somehow it just feels more intimate and closer to the music. go figure. but this is with a full blown, fairly decent two-channel setup... not with (no offense) h/k speakers.

i assume your grado's were one of the 'phones used. still, it could be attributed to the quality of the amp on your computer (do you play games w/ headphones? how does it sound?).

also, the l/r effect of speakers obviously allows one to percieve sound on a wider and deeper stage. just for the hell of it, you can experiment with the characteristics with speaker positioning, as well as nearfield/farfield setups. always a ton of fun.

as a solution, consider using a dsp program to help with spatial qualities. you're messing with the signal, but you're also listening to a trailer/media files where sound integrity isn't of the upmost importance.

 

[Xevion]

Want to hear how good headphones can sound? Try some bninaural recordings.

You can download a few freebies at www.binaural.com, while the music or sound samples are rather boring, imaging is freakishly good. I will be adding some binaural CDs to my collection as soon as I can.

Aside from that, speakers can generally do a better job of physical placement, but once you have a nice pair of headphones and get used to them, they can image extremely well, particularly with binaural recordings.

But speakers are just there more "there" then headphones, and I don't htink there really is much of a way to change that.

 

[Gluegun]

Two words:

Dolby Headphone.

That should fix your little problem! ESP. with the DT931's!!!

 

[raymondlin]

I have never read a post in any hifi forum saying "The limitation of speakers", but I have seen quite a few thread like this about headphones. There is a reason in that, mainly is the way the sound is produced, one is next to your head while the other is at a distance. And while at a lower end of the market, headphones are the way to go, when you get to a certain price range (i.e. $3000). Speakers will blow any headphones out of the galaxy.

 

[Jeff]

I have a hard time watching movies with headphones because of how most of the soundtrack is recorded. The actors just don't sound natural with headphones, like you said, they sound like a recording. I have not tried Dolby Headphone yet, but so far my experience with DSP hasn't been too good. I see that Pearl Harbor will include a DH track on the DVD. Maybe it will sound more natural somehow? I wolud think it's hard to get rid of the 'recording' sound.

 

[Xevion]

Binaural!
Binaural!
Binaural!
Binaural!
Binaural!


If dolby headphone sounds half as good as binaural you will probably be impressed.

 

[domer2004]

My dad's Jamo 7.7's blow all the headphones that I have heard away, except maybe in detail. As far as bass, presence, etc. you can't speakers. I'm sorry, but you can't. No damn it you can't!

I have had the same feeling. It's very cool to listen to headphones, and they have their place, but so do tower speakers.

Brett

 

[discoman]

I just tried Binaural demos, Wow!!

It really works!
The sound makes me turn my head a few times, before I can realize it is from the phone.

When I was listening Demo 6, "Marianne in the Shower", I really hope there is a **** DVD with Binaural!

So, I can watch it at night with my ibook and V6

The tracks are a bit too short and plain, I can't tell I will enjoy it in terms of musical or not. But I think I will get a few CD from them later.

Thanks

 

[Gluegun]

Now that you like binaural, try dolby headphone!! w00t!!

 

[chych]

You know what sucks? I was listening to a CD on my home theater, a rare event (Cambridge soundworks movieworks 408... speakers are like $30 each... with an onkyo 575x reciever) and it was disturbing at how much speakers rock headphones in soundstaging and imaging and bass presence. Speakers are definetely for me... eventually I'll get some good ones...

 

[raymondlin]

Quote:

Binaural! Binaural! Binaural! Binaural! Binaural!

The problem is that there is nothing I like in binaural, and listening to binaural recording just for the sor purpose of making headphones sound good is not a reason at all. I listen to music, not for things to move around.

 

[dngl]

I would love to get speakers some day, but they are inconvenient now, when I am at college, and cost a heck of a lot more than a headphone system. My headphone system cost about $1100. I would have to spend about $5000 to get a speaker system that wouldn't compromise sound quality too much. But yeah, speakers are better... just bigger, louder, and costlier.

 

[domer2004]

I agree with Raymond. I mean sometimes it is cool to hear sound effects, but still, I want music. I don't care if there were a recording of a toilet flushing that was more realistic than standing right in front of it, so what?? MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!

Brett