speakers and headphones - a listening contrast

[dazoy]

Hello Friends,


I have also posted this thread in headphones subsection, to get the members who are more passionate about headphones than speakers, but we all overlap all over the spectrum of music and sound, , so post there if you so incline, or here - No hard rules..

ON the outset I do not intend to become a speaker vs headphone discussion, and all this is based on my personal experience and observations. You might (and righty so, may have a different perspective).


1. I realize no matter how good speakers are there is some accuracy lost with distance, as you area bit further away from the speakers.

2. I also can find lots of details from good sets of headphones paired with the right amps that I probably would not e able to pick up whilst listening on speakers, not headphones.

Despite obvious benefits listening over headphones,, I somehow seem to enjoy listening on speakers, and the even fact that I am missing some subtle detail does not seem to bother me so much any more as long as the music is enjoyable, and I not purposely hunting for things missing etc..

what are other members thought on this? Ho do they think about this dilemma, and balance it..

Cheers,

 

[sound_cycle]

Hi
My son got me a pair of sound magic e80 on my name day. I admit I heard detail that was not evident in my speakers. And this with a DAC I believe shouldn't hold a candle to my multibit all singing all dancing affair in my home system. I also learnt that I have overcooked my broad band absorption.

So what do I do. Two things. For one I listen on my commute using my moto g4 plus. And I am further committed to speakers in a room with more money thrown at it.

I am fool to think that it will be achievable with the room and money I have. Maybe. The son has told me enough times . Why ? Because. Listening on headphones just is not as immersive as my Sony boombox or so I maintain. It is a preference foible thing. I am not claiming to be right.

Ciao
Gr

 

[dazoy]

Thank you for your opinions.

I too think speakers sound more immersive, even if they don't sound as good in reproducing music by the time it reaches the ears.

Cheers,

Saurabh

 

[csricharan]

I have a small collection of earphones and have noticed that every time I go from them to the music system, I sort of miss the details. And over time, I have taught myself to expect different things from different listening set-ups. But I have to say that earphone listening is more immersive, less distracting and has the advantage of shutting out the outside world to a great degree ... I miss those days in Hyderabad when all the folks went out and I would blast off on my dad's music system without any distrubances.

Sent from my PLK-UL00 using Tapatalk

 

[amit11]

I too have experienced the same. Earphones give more joy..sound more original than the sound coming from speakers. Initially when i had purchased music system, i used to think that approach is best. But these days earphones started giving more joy.
Previously i was trying to sort out within myself which approach is better vs the other, but now have come to terms with myself.
Having said that i still prefer and get inclined to the free sense and feeling of sitting in a chair and wondering at the sound coming from between the speakers, rather than putting over / plugging an earphone. There is some sense of "grand" in the sound emanating from speakers which headphones cannot make it.

Sent from Note5

 

[spirovious]

Since headphones do not have crossover,they will sound accurate compared to average speaker system.Also they are on/around ears,surrounding noise is kept minimal.
Thatswhy many enjoy headphones.

 

[drkrack]

Hello Friends,


I have also posted this thread in headphones subsection, to get the members who are more passionate about headphones than speakers, but we all overlap all over the spectrum of music and sound, , so post there if you so incline, or here - No hard rules..

ON the outset I do not intend to become a speaker vs headphone discussion, and all this is based on my personal experience and observations. You might (and righty so, may have a different perspective).


1. I realize no matter how good speakers are there is some accuracy lost with distance, as you area bit further away from the speakers.

2. I also can find lots of details from good sets of headphones paired with the right amps that I probably would not e able to pick up whilst listening on speakers, not headphones.

Despite obvious benefits listening over headphones,, I somehow seem to enjoy listening on speakers, and the even fact that I am missing some subtle detail does not seem to bother me so much any more as long as the music is enjoyable, and I not purposely hunting for things missing etc..

what are other members thought on this? Ho do they think about this dilemma, and balance it..

Cheers,

That's an unfair comparison IMHO.
1. Headphones don't have the most important spoil sport involved in listening experience, called as Room factor.
2. Headphones need to move only few ml of air, whereas speakers need to move a loads of it.
3. Less Crossover, lesser electronics - more unaltered reproduction

Having been headphones listener for over 10yrs (15yrs ago) previously, I'm a satisfied adapter to speaker listening, and I like it more, mainly because
1. Its more natural, in a live concert for eg never a singer sings in your ears & for you only.
2. Spatial surround sounds, more immersive in nature esp from movies perspective
3. You're not fixed to a station especially wired headphones
4. Hearing damage over a period of time.
5. The real quality of Bass is uncomparable

 

[csricharan]

Hi
My son got me a pair of sound magic e80 on my name day. I admit I heard detail that was not evident in my speakers. And this with a DAC I believe shouldn't hold a candle to my multibit all singing all dancing affair in my home system. I also learnt that I have overcooked my broad band absorption.

So what do I do. Two things. For one I listen on my commute using my moto g4 plus. And I am further committed to speakers in a room with more money thrown at it.

I am fool to think that it will be achievable with the room and money I have. Maybe. The son has told me enough times . Why ? Because. Listening on headphones just is not as immersive as my Sony boombox or so I maintain. It is a preference foible thing. I am not claiming to be right.

Ciao
Gr

I too had an SM E80S. Lovely earphones. Lost them at a wedding. And then discovered a world of budget earphones on audiobudget.com.

Sent from my PLK-UL00 using Tapatalk

 

[dazoy]

Since headphones do not have crossover,they will sound accurate compared to average speaker system.Also they are on/around ears,surrounding noise is kept minimal.
Thatswhy many enjoy headphones.

thanks for your comments!

As far as no crossovers in headphones - Not Necessarily, they can have multiple drivers, and that would need crossover, wouldn't it? Many good headphones have more than one drivers, and have a tiny crossover circuit. Now a days crossovers can are pretty accurate too.

But, in principle, I agree, headphones sound more accurate and noise is quite reduced as well.

I think speakers, on the other hand, up close do sound accurate and richer than headphones, but further you move away, they lose the subtleties which headphone delivers as its right next to your ear, which is OK by me. I am not looking for a note to note reproduction of original. I am happier listening to music rather than worry about sounds I cant hear.

I do have a fairly allright set of headphones that I enjoy listening through at times. They get all the marks for privacy and are pretty good at accuracy, but none for convenience and definitely immersive (Note to all - yes, I know open headphones exist, so lets not start a debate on that).

Cheers,
Saurabh

 

[rraghuram]

I too had an SM E80S. Lovely earphones. Lost them at a wedding. And then discovered a world of budget earphones on audiobudget.com.

Sent from my PLK-UL00 using Tapatalk

Thanks to you I found the Rock Zircons whose bass response is off the charts. What a thrill it is to listen to Iron Maiden on these earphones. Galloping bass
and all...

:signthankspin:

 

[sonosphere]

The things that make me spend on speaker based system (despite the fact that headphones give more details acroos the whole sonic spectrum)...

1. Stereo soundstage in "front of you" (I never got soundstage type perception in headphones) A grand soundstage in front, generates a feeling of awe that somehow headphones never created for me.

2. Stereo imaging in "front of you". There is a feeling of realism and amazement when you hear instruments and vocals emanating from empty space in stereo field, that I never got from headphones.

3. Social interaction: When I have music listening sessions with speakers, in company of friends /family (especially when new movie songs are released) there is a feeling of joint-enjoyment that can't come with headphones. In joint-listening we often exchange our comments regarding music as it plays, sometimes "rewinding" to a passage, sometimes playing same passage multiple times to highlight a subtle observation. All this interaction makes music more than a personal experience. (Yes on some occasions we also have joint-fights on subjective observations... and that makes this even more fun hyeah

Regards,

 

[Rajeshh]

I've have some great memories & experiences with headphones. Headphones offer far better "value VS price" than speakers can ever possibly do + the portability, yet i am firmly in the speakers camp, the FMs who have posted why, have got it right.

For me, Audio is an experience, best shared with friends and maybe some nice single malt

Good speakers have a massive plus in their ability to make you "feel" the music.
For instance, when playing the HFO version of Hotel California. While not loud, you feel the impact of the kick drum in your chest.