Hello! I'm about to get the new Pioneer A-70DA and Martin Logan ESL speakers togheter with my current Oppo BDP-93 and media server. But I could also be able to choose between that or getting a Sennheiser HD800 with HDVD800 headphone amp. For me speakers or headphones doesn't matter. For me the entertainment is the important factor and I like using headphones just as much as listening to speakers... So, if we don't compare the flexibility of having speakers vs. headphones, and just focus on the actual sound. What would be the best bang for the buck? Sennheiser HDVD800 with HD800? Or Oppo BDP-93 with Martin Logan ESL and Pioneer A-70DA? What do you think guys? Experience and thoughts please.
Speakers vs. Headphones?
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Daniel Cederqvist said:
That's an intriguing choice, but ..... although I don't have the privilege of being able to use loudspeakers now, and although I have 15 headphones and have reviewed 150 altogether, I'd still vote for the speakers. Why is because room-filling sound has pleasures that simply cannot be replicated with headphones. Secondly - the cord, especially the HD800 cord, is a nuisance, unless you sit perfectly still at all times. Someday when wireless is perfected at the top end (i.e. HD800 quality), and you can get that in a small lightweight size that doesn't shift any at all when your head moves, headphones will have an advantage insofar as the sound and soundstage won't change according to where your ears are relative to the speakers' "sweet spot".
It depends on your priorities. For clarity / detail retrieval get the headphones. For physical impact and comfort get the speakers.
Headphones have a huge advantage that they sound the same in whatever room you listen to them in and wherever you sit in it, whereas the sound from speakers are hugely influenced by the environment and where you sit to listen. Put headphones on and instantly you're listening to them in a perfectly-treated listening room and hearing them exactly as their makers intended limited only by the quality of the source, amplification and your ears. It's a far more intimate listening experience, you may even hear details that you've never heard on loudspeakers, and well-mixed music can occupy a virtual 3D soundspace inside your head so huge that makes speakers sound flat and two-dimensional.
But if you want impact and scale there's never ever going to be anything that beats loudspeakers. Headphones are also a bit crummy at sharing your music simultaneously with other people, unless you have cans to go round. Also if you're a bit deaf in one ear that's going to have a far bigger impact on your perception of the sound with headphones than with speakers.
But if you want impact and scale there's never ever going to be anything that beats loudspeakers. Headphones are also a bit crummy at sharing your music simultaneously with other people, unless you have cans to go round. Also if you're a bit deaf in one ear that's going to have a far bigger impact on your perception of the sound with headphones than with speakers.
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Whilst there are benefits for headphones (sound the same wherever/detail), most headphones are like speakers - they're not necessarily a flat response. Many will have a "house curve" added by the manufacturer to give them a certain sound, or to make them more tolerable of lesser quality material, so don't be fooled into thinking you'll be hearing things as they should be.
Having recently tried some excellent headphones recently (now that I finally have a headphone socket I can use), I find that I prefer listening to music through my speakers. To me it just sounds more natural, and I don't really lose much detail at all, even at lower volumes. I also felt "restricted", and whilst the headphones were comfortable, I personally felt a little uncomfortable while wearing them.
Choosing headphones is much like choosing speakers - try as many as you can until you find some you really like. I really like the Oppo PM1s.
Having recently tried some excellent headphones recently (now that I finally have a headphone socket I can use), I find that I prefer listening to music through my speakers. To me it just sounds more natural, and I don't really lose much detail at all, even at lower volumes. I also felt "restricted", and whilst the headphones were comfortable, I personally felt a little uncomfortable while wearing them.
Choosing headphones is much like choosing speakers - try as many as you can until you find some you really like. I really like the Oppo PM1s.
masterblaster
Well-known member
MajorFubar said:
I almost fully agree. Two remarks, first, if you get your room acoustics right it's also possible to perceive a huge 3D soundspace and hear all details with loudspeakers. In many situations details are lost because of the far from neutral acoustics. Second, I have never heard good stereo imaging (like it is in front of you with certain kind of music) with headphones but I have to admit that I did not try many high end cans.
I prefer near field listening as a compromise.
Same experience here. I started out with headlhones though and later on I got the beolabs. Now that I have speakers I really like I haven't touched the Hd650s for months.David@FrankHarvey said:
I would go for the speakers and buy something like the b&w p5 wireless on ear, b&o h6 over ears, akg nc90 noice cancelling or klipsch 10i in ears for other occasions.
Best entertainment would be speakers. Best bang for buck the headphones I listed above: for 200-400 pounds you experience what a speaker can do for around 2000 pounds. Ime with the hd650 and hd800 you get in the audiophile region where audiophile nervosa creeps in. Best avoid it.
masterblaster said:
I don't doubt that, but sadly the acoustics of most people's living rooms don't even nearly approximate ideal, and in fact it's getting progressively worse with the increase in popularity of bare painted walls in place of lining paper and wallpaper, and laminate floors in place of underlay, thick carpets and rugs. Then they'll join here and post some opening welcome thread along the lines of "My new £2,500 HiFi sounds **** and nothing like it did in the dealer's do you think I should spend £500 on speaker wire", no son try carpeting and wallpapering your bloody room so it doesn't have the same acoustics as an old recording studio's reverb chamber
MajorFubar said:
And then Cno will reply how all listening is subjective and it's best to be open minded about trying new solutions, especially if they are sold by Linn. So best to buy the $500 wire and hear for yourself if it improves things or not. And then lindsayt will reply how wire ruins the signal in the signal path so it's best to whistle and yodel round the house. And then I'll have to go to the pharmacy to get more headache pills, but not before I post a facetious comment with an obnoxious meme first.
paulkebab said:
yep! home cinema for daytime use and headphones with amp for night time listening on computer
drummerman said:
Yes, I want it all. I even connected 2 Bluetooth speakers through a splitter and set them a few feet apart, and was surprised by the big soundstage.
I invested heavily this year in my headphone set up but I still much prefer speakers. They fulfill different needs in my opinion. I love my HP set up but if the neighbours are out then it's speakers every time for me
Womaz said:
Posting that you prefer speakers in a headphone forum is bad manners. But if you have something specific that us headphone enthusiasts should know, then please share that.
dalethorn said:
Not sure how it is bad manners, it's my opinion and is relevant considering the original post. I love my headphone listening too and like I say I spent a fair amount of cash earlier this year to improve my set up .
Certainly no bad manners as far as I can see !!
Womaz said:
It is not relevant to the first post - the original poster shared specific information that could help inform people about headphones here on this headphone forum. You shared no such information, just a negative swipe at headphones. Now if you have something to actually contribute to the headphone forum, feel free to do so, otherwise have respect for the other members here and say nothing.
dalethorn said:
I would imagine it is only you who thinks I have been disrespectful......as no other members have took offence. Like I say I prefer listening with speakers, but I have clearly stated that I love my headphones too................anyway no further comments from me as I will not get into a petty argument over this. Everyone has a right to post on here!
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Now that I finally have a headphone socket, I've given a few a try, and I don't think it is for me, not for serious listening anyway. I still like certain headphones, but whilst listening to them, I just felt like taking them off and returning to the speakers, as they have plenty of detail for low level, background listening.
Womaz said:
No, it's only you who thinks it's OK to come to a headphone enthusiast forum specifically to diss headphones.
David@FrankHarvey said:
I think that really depends on the quality of the speakers you have. If you already have very good speakers, then you may not find the detail advantage of headphones all that compelling. The detail advantage is really about being able to achieve high levels of detail for far less money than with speakers.
"....The detail advantage is really about being able to achieve high levels of detail for far less money than with speakers."
Yep, that's the primary key - cheaper. But for thin-walled apt. dwellers, people in hospitals, dorms, rest homes, hotels, .... headphones take full-range audio to places that speakers can't go.
Yep, that's the primary key - cheaper. But for thin-walled apt. dwellers, people in hospitals, dorms, rest homes, hotels, .... headphones take full-range audio to places that speakers can't go.
dalethorn said:
actually, I didn't think there was anything wrong with his post either, he just said he preferred speakers, he didn't diss anything. So, actually there's two of us that thinks it's ok ;p
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