Its never gonna sound this good...is it? (Headfi vs Hi-fi)

[shafesk]

Listening to my Akg through my xcans connected directly to my macbook, I'm getting goose bumps listening to Adele and Nicolas Jaar. The thing is, I have spent at least 10 times that on my hifi. While it is a really really good setup imho opinion, it is left in the dust by the detail retrail retrieval ability of my can setup. When I connect my music streamer to the can setup, it just gets better. The thing is I've heard 150,000 dollar hi-fi setups and I've heard an insane Stax sr 009 setup, the 150,000 didn't hold a candle to it. If you want to hear everything recorded I think nothing beats a headphone setup. I would love to know your opinions on this, do you think where absolute fidelity is concerned, headphones are king?

 

[Anonymous]

I think you're probably onto something there but for me it's about more than just the best possible fidelity. I like to feel the sound around me (I like it quite loud sometimes :rockout: ) and you just can't get that with headphones.

I also like to share listening to music with my wife and friends which, unless I was running a silent disco setup, wouldn't be very social with headphones

 

[Overdose]

Listening to my Akg through my xcans connected directly to my macbook, I'm getting goose bumps listening to Adele and Nicolas Jaar. The thing is, I have spent at least 10 times that on my hifi. While it is a really really good setup imho opinion, it is left in the dust by the detail retrail retrieval ability of my can setup. When I connect my music streamer to the can setup, it just gets better. The thing is I've heard 150,000 dollar hi-fi setups and I've heard an insane Stax sr 009 setup, the 150,000 didn't hold a candle to it. If you want to hear everything recorded I think nothing beats a headphone setup. I would love to know your opinions on this, do you think where absolute fidelity is concerned, headphones are king?

Totally agree on the high fidelity front, with speakers though, you get the added 'ambience' of the room acoustics and what seems to me to be more 'presence'.

That is just a personal observation mind you and I haven't had any 'thinking' cider to give any more flowery an opinion. :cheers:

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

believe it or not but my speakers are better at detail retrieval than my headphones - Sennheiser eh350, so nothing outrageously expensive but no slouch either.

I also heard Stax headphones. this experience actually prompted me to try out ESL speakers for a change. this didn't happen yet, but magnetostats grace my living room for about 6 mths and I'm rather happy with their performance. maybe you should try some ESL or planar/ ribbon speakers for a change too?

 

[Thompsonuxb]

I'm also in the 'I like to feel my music' camp - I have never felt a need to spend too much on phones. own an old pair of Beyerdynamic DT231 were £50 and with the exception of the audiolab 8200a a genuinly superb earphones stage - most earphones sound rubbish in todays amps imo.

I do like listening to my portable cd player a Sony Discman, max resoultion, I struggle with low bit rate....lol

but music is physical for me too.

 

[toyota man]

Hi Shafesk I love to feel the music and also when leeping around like a looney pulling the headphone amp off the hifi unit or pulling the jack plug out is not good. many years ago with an onkyo amp i forgot to switch the speakers off the sound was amazing I thought these headphones are rather good ( very loud + very late at night) it was only when her in doors pointed out in a way that only a woman could the erra of my ways woops:rofl: :rofl: 😳

 

[steve_1979]

Listening to my Akg through my xcans connected directly to my macbook, I'm getting goose bumps listening to Adele and Nicolas Jaar. The thing is, I have spent at least 10 times that on my hifi. While it is a really really good setup imho opinion, it is left in the dust by the detail retrail retrieval ability of my can setup. When I connect my music streamer to the can setup, it just gets better. The thing is I've heard 150,000 dollar hi-fi setups and I've heard an insane Stax sr 009 setup, the 150,000 didn't hold a candle to it. If you want to hear everything recorded I think nothing beats a headphone setup. I would love to know your opinions on this, do you think where absolute fidelity is concerned, headphones are king?

I've had the chance to do a straight comparison between some £10,000 ATC active speakers and my £250 Westone earphones. In terms of absolute fidelity and detail it's very close but the Westone earphones just about beat the ATC speakers. The earphones also have tighter and better controlled bass than any speakers that I've ever heard too.

Of course when it comes to the stereo imaging and actually 'feeling' the bass the speakers beat the headphones by a mile. Overall I think that the speakers sound the best but there's pros and cons to both ways of listening.

 

[shafesk]

Interesting points, we all seem to agree that headphones are better for absolute fidelity...unfortunately they lack in the soundstage and social aspect of speakers but who knows, dsps develop rapidly, I don't think the day is far where you can get speaker like imaging from headphones. I don't know how they would come go about designing a headphone which can be heard by more than one person at the same time :wall:

 

[chebby]

I don't know how they would come go about designing a headphone which can be heard by more than one person at the same time :wall:

If they make some huge, oversized, wooden 'cans', put some big drivers in them, got rid of the headband and cushions and put them on the floor (or on special stands) it could work.

 

[relocated]

I don't know how they would come go about designing a headphone which can be heard by more than one person at the same time

That would be a splitter cable I guess. Do Stax no longer have output for 2 sets of headphones any more? My old Micro Seiki electret could output to 2 sets back in the 70's(?).

 

[ID.]

A fair few Japanerse headphone amps I see have two outputs.

I like my headphones, but I prefer the soundstage I get from a full stereo, and I think I get just as much detail when I strap my speakers to either side of my headnI get as much detail as my headphones.

 

[busb]

Hi

My Sennheiser MM450 Bluetooth 'phones free me from wires even if not being the last word in SQ. Don't underestimate not having trailling wires! However, despite being fairly comfortable (on-ear rather than either in-ear or over-ear), I don't find any 'phones hugely comfortable because my ears are like the rear doors of a London taxi!

Headphone listen suits classical, jazz & other naturally recorded music better than synthesised dance that will drop the output of one channel to zero amplitude for a short period - this sounds highly unnatural to me as if someone is sucking out my brain through one ear! I also find imaging far more extended when listening to speakers & not bounded by my head.

Headphones are great for on-the-hoof listening IMO but I occasionally use them in other parts of my home away from the lounge. They are also great for not disturbing neighbours at night.

 

[Phileas]

Well, there's not much, detail-retrieval-wise, between my Senn HD580s (played through Benchmark DAC1) and my AVI ADM40s.

So, for me, the only advantage of 'phones over my speakers is quietness.