[Sambones]

When I'm only wearing one earpiece, either of an IEM or headphones, it sounds different. Like, all of its faults are right there. I remember before my head-fi days my CX300's sounded fine, except for when I was only wearing one. Then, they sounded muddy, and bassy, and just dull. Now, I know can hear that almost immediately upon donning them. But, with other headphones that still sound good, they just don't when I'm only wearing them half-way.

Is something actually changing, will even good headphones sound bad with only one earcup on, or does it actually help you distinguish shortcomings?

If it is indeed the last one, why?

 

[gbacic]

It's probably because playing it through one side removes all the realism that it could possibly have, making them sound like what they are: reproductions of the real thing.

another factor is probably that the positioning on your ear gets messed up with on/around ear headphones.

 

[Sambones]

Well, the reason I'm asking is that my Fostex T20's just had one ear cut out, but the other one still sounds fine (I'm gonna make a thread about that, once I get to actually trouble-shooting it). That surprised me, and I'm wondering why everything else, even headphones I still love, sound bad with only one ear.

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

Is this for real? You're only hearing one channel of a stereo recording.

 

[11amaberry]

Yes, as mentioned above you lose the stereo sound... both channels are not equal. Some sounds only go to one side or the other, such as bass. If the side which supplies that certain sound is gone, it changes the entire listening experience.

 

[Sambones]

So, even good headphones sound bad when you're only listening to half of them? Meaning, that the music I was listening to just happened to not do any of that?

And, @Bender, no, my hearing is fine. The headphones broke, and I was listening to them for a while, and it didn't seem to match my previous experience, so I asked.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Umm.. you've got two channels in a headphone/IEM. Different sounds are coming from each of them. Take one out, you lose whatever sound was coming from it..

 

[jjinh]

LOL, you need both earpieces for both channels

 

[MomijiTMO]

I'm confused...

 

[Kees]

Did you actually think the two channels are the same?

 

[murrays]

Think of it this way - the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Also, if you have a multi-way speaker system, try listening to only the woofer or only the tweeters. The concept is the same.

 

[Graphicism]

Obviously when you only wear one ear piece the music is only going in one ear and coming straight out the other, perhaps if you cover the other ear up with your hand it will sound better?

 

[SillyHoney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism /img/forum/go_quote.gif Obviously when you only wear one ear piece the music is only going in one ear and coming straight out the other, perhaps if you cover the other ear up with your hand it will sound better?

Nice

For the question of the OP, I'm so confused. Normally music is recorded in each channel is so different. So of course it will sound very different when you listen to only one channel.

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sambones /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, even good headphones sound bad when you're only listening to half of them? Meaning, that the music I was listening to just happened to not do any of that? And, @Bender, no, my hearing is fine. The headphones broke, and I was listening to them for a while, and it didn't seem to match my previous experience, so I asked.

I'm not questioning your hearing. Do you understand how "stereo" works vs. "mono"???

 

[Ypoknons]

Buddy, you got 148 posts without realizing that headphones are stereo

Stereo means that information carried on the left channel of the headphone is different from that of the right side of the headphone. So if you lose a channel...