High-end Speakers V Headphone - you kidding me....

[Gregadd]

I had a problem with aftermarket that was microphonic.

 

[Simon Moon]

While I fully appreciate my headphone rig (Audeze and headphone amp), it will never replace my speakers.

Listening to speakers is a much more visceral experience, much closer to a live musical event, than headphones.

Headphones do not: reproduce the physical impact of music interacting with my body (not just my ears), reproduce the type of ambient information that is part of very low frequencies, and does not create an image and soundstage that I perceive; between, behind, and beyond the edges of my sound room, that seems external to me, that my speaker system does.

I can listen to a good recording of a chamber ensemble, for example, where I can virtually 'see' the musicians, in a real acoustic space, at close to their actual size, where it seems like I can stand up and walk around among them. I have never experienced that with headphones.

Why would I only want to excite the teaspoon of air in my ears, when I can excite the 18,000 gallons of air in my room? Which do you think would have the most visceral impact?

 

[Addicted to hifi]

While I fully appreciate my headphone rig (Audeze and headphone amp), it will never replace my speakers.

Listening to speakers is a much more visceral experience, much closer to a live musical event, than headphones.

Headphones do not: reproduce the physical impact of music interacting with my body (not just my ears), reproduce the type of ambient information that is part of very low frequencies, and does not create an image and soundstage that I perceive; between, behind, and beyond the edges of my sound room, that seems external to me, that my speaker system does.

I can listen to a good recording of a chamber ensemble, for example, where I can virtually 'see' the musicians, in a real acoustic space, at close to their actual size, where it seems like I can stand up and walk around among them. I have never experienced that with headphones.

Why would I only want to excite the teaspoon of air in my ears, when I can excite the 18,000 gallons of air in my room? Which do you think would have the most visceral impact?

Couldn’t. Agree more. headphones are great but they just don’t sound like speakers.

 

[Cellcbern]

Couldn’t. Agree more. headphones are great but they just don’t sound like speakers.

Agree - no matter how expensive/good the headphone setup is I can't get used to the lack of images/soundstage coming from where they do with my speakers and where the singers/musicians are at a live performance. I will never get used to the sound coming from the back of my head/between my ears.

 

[Gregadd]

A wicked combo

 

[LL21]

Indeed...giving very serious consideration to 800S and tubed amp myself. Reading up voraciously and looking thru the 2nd hand ads worldwide...

 

[Kingrex]

I enjoy my headphones. But i miss the tactile sence of air compression you get with speakers. One of the most impressive systems I ever heard was a competition auto stereo. It turned your body into jello. It makes me wonder if the ultimate audio experience might not be had in a small pod. That, or a suit or blankets thrown over you like you wear for an Xray. Yet that suit vibrates to the music so you feel it, as well as hear it.

Rolling with that thought, how many of you have put in your ear plugs and opened up the volume on your Marshal 8x12. There is nothing like the pressure and power created by large diaphrams moving air. Headphone can not do that. Speakers can. A sealed pod like being in a car could do it even better.

 

[Gregadd]

Indeed...giving very serious consideration to 800S and tubed amp myself. Reading up voraciously and looking thru the 2nd hand ads worldwide...

You might want to enter the contest at headphones.com
I think they are running a contest to give away a pair of 800s.

 

[Gregadd]

I enjoy my headphones. But i miss the tactile sence of air compression you get with speakers. One of the most impressive systems I ever heard was a competition auto stereo. It turned your body into jello. It makes me wonder if the ultimate audio experience might not be had in a small pod. That, or a suit or blankets thrown over you like you wear for an Xray. Yet that suit vibrates to the music so you feel it, as well as hear it.

Rolling with that thought, how many of you have put in your ear plugs and opened up the volume on your Marshal 8x12. There is nothing like the pressure and power created by large diaphrams moving air. Headphone can not do that. Speakers can. A sealed pod like being in a car could do it even better.

You make good points.
Have you tried binaural? No conventional speaker even comes close.

 

[Gregadd]

Is there any reason to get the the Stax sr 009 over sr 007a given there is about a $1300 price differential?

 

[LL21]

You might want to enter the contest at headphones.com
I think they are running a contest to give away a pair of 800s.

Just missed it by 4 minutes! Thanks for thinking of me!

 

[Kingrex]

You make good points.
Have you tried binaural? No conventional speaker even comes close.

No. Have not hear binaural. I bet it very nice.
I only have ok headphone, AKG, and a Shiit tube headphone preamp. I like it and appreciate what a headphone can do. And even want better at some time.

 

[LL21]

Is there any to get the the Stax sr 009 over sr 007a given there is about a $1300 price differential?

Interesting...I have been doing a lot of reading about headphones lately...still continue to zero in on the Sennheiser HD800S after much research (and it helps to have bought/owned 3-4 Sennheisers over the last many years).

...while reading, I came across an article that said Bob Katz (recording studio master fame) prefers the Stax 007 over the 009. Specifically, he likes the Stax and the Audeze LCD-4 (where he preferred the LCD-4 in a much-publicized shoot-out with the Focal Utopia.) Thought his preference of 007 over 009 was a factoid you might consider in all the various readings you may be doing.

On a totally separately note, I need 25 feet for the headphone cable if we go with an 800S...which means I need to buy one no matter what (not just for [more] 'upgrade-itis')...what are you using?

I am thinking there are a few options: in order of increasing expense Cardas, ALO, Cardas Clear, Stefan Audio Arts Endorphin...but for money and performance, I am thinking Moon Audio Black Dragon Premiums. Have you looked into this at all? Again, not really about swapping just for the sake of it...since I need 25', then I need to get one of these anyway...the cost of the Moon Audio is (I think) comparable to stock and is readily available. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Gregadd]

Thanks for the info.
I am not a cable guy.
I would not be able to help you there.
I think you can make your own cable.
That would be fun.
I am still getting to know the 800s. When I do maybe I swap out cables then. It's funny you need 25' and I need one meter.

 

[brudge]

Ok sound.

 

[brudge]

YOU KNOW, it may not represent 200.000 dollas worth of sound but it might just do the job for to night.

 

[brudge]

I'm looking forwards to some discussion here now...

 

[brudge]

Head phones is gonna give you tinnitus.. That is a ring in your ear for ever - no cure no relief.

 

[K3RMIT]

Thanks for the info.
I am not a cable guy.
I would not be able to help you there.
I think you can make your own cable.
That would be fun.
I am still getting to know the 800s. When I do maybe I swap out cables then. It's funny you need 25' and I need one meter.

Longer cables on some phones need an increase I. Wire gauge.

 

[LL21]

Longer cables on some phones need an increase I. Wire gauge.

Thank you...yes double the length, double the impedance...changes to bass control. Evaluating my options...TA adjusts each cable for length in their network box. Have also read great things about TA Ultra headphone cable from IanB...and then found his comments from 2020 elsewhere which were effusive!