Headphones or speakers

[abasio]

I have big ears & live alone so I go for speakers.

If I fancy really loud music late at night though I will don my headphones!

[damagedone]

I have some really good Bose noise reduction over-ear headphones and I've been listening to music almost exclusively with them since I got them.

 

However, I have recently unpacked my Sony 5.2 system and I will be blasting out the music as soon as I get the house to myself.

 

I do like to be fully immersed in the music so it either has to be in my ear (preferably with noise reduction) or up loud.

[thorn726]

i would prefer speakers any day... you cant ever get enough sub out of headphones, but i do LOVE my wireless(of course wireless=even less bass oh well) headphones for after hours.

 

sucks living in a thin walled building but my neighbors are pretty cool so at least i can bump it Up during regular hours.

 

main reason i prefer speakers over headphones is the four speaker effect of being surrounded (not using surround sound) even if i cant always crank it all the way up

[RAH]

You could buy one of these nemo:

 

http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/...description.php

 

They're custom made to fit your ears, and with the price of only $1150.00 they will make sure your wallet goes on a very long diet.

 

The company got bought by logitech a while ago tho..

Save yourself 500$ and get the triple.fi's instead, it's the same thing sans the custom fit.

[Malevol3nt]

Save yourself 500$ and get the triple.fi's instead, it's the same thing sans the custom fit.

Actually I'm not that rich to buy any of that stuff. Only got a 20 in the pocket, and a fat minus in the bank. Mmmm..

[Lemmiwinks]

meh psytrance isn't psytrance if you don't listen to it on speakers IMO... part of the listening experience is the bone-rattling bassline (especially with new stuff... anyone say dark psy? lol). If you don't turn that volume up and feel the bass then you are definetly missing something IMO.

 

I only use headphones when speaker-listening is out of the question (too late at night, girlfriend is taking a nap, guests at home etc...)

[Daniël]

headphones & speakers both have their unique functions, i really can't choose, it's like asking if i like icecream with strawberry or banana...

 

 

 

mmmhhh, banana icecream

[needle ninja]

I prefer speakers.

The closed headphones I use get hot after a while and I like to move around too much.

[Ormion]

meh psytrance isn't psytrance if you don't listen to it on speakers IMO... part of the listening experience is the bone-rattling bassline (especially with new stuff... anyone say dark psy? lol). If you don't turn that volume up and feel the bass then you are definetly missing something IMO.

 

I only use headphones when speaker-listening is out of the question (too late at night, girlfriend is taking a nap, guests at home etc...)

I actually can enjoy Darkpsy without the bass vibrations. After all I was never a bass addict, and especially in Drakpsy if the bass is too loud you miss a lot of the details that you can enjoy with headphones.

[Melancholyman]

tell me when you found a pair of earphones that you can lay on the side on without being bugged, cause I prefer the same, but I can not lay on my back all the time...

Same here, that's the problem since it's very hard to fall asleep on you're back...grrr

 

 

I totally agree that certainly psytrance or many ambient releases for that matter is really ment for a speaker setup. The bass has a function, and you can never get the same feeling even with very expensive headphones. And speakers can be just as revealing as headphones, you only nee to spend ALOT more money for it but the experience is many times greater aswell.

[Kryll]

home listening.. ?

 

 

 

well..

 

i have only my headphone i use for mixing

it has tiny fitting ear-cups, so doesn't have good accoustics on the low freq's

my speakers are still in reparation (troubles with the wiring or servo's it seems)

 

 

 

for home listening:

i'd prefer a headphone with large ear-cups, a massive sennheiser for example, with a very long wire

 

but some music just doesn't work on headphones... a good stereo setup widens up the sound, giving it more space to move in

 

so it depends

 

 

if u choose a headphone for home listening

id go for things like these:

 

 

 

if u want speakers for home listening, be sure NOT to put them on the floor

best is to place them at a height where the tweeters are about the same level as your ears, or just a bit lower

[p(sy)ayam]

grado rs1 + amp

senn hd650 (+amp)

[Melancholyman]

if u want speakers for home listening, be sure NOT to put them on the floor

best is to place them at a height where the tweeters are about the same level as your ears, or just a bit lower

What should one do with floorstanders?

[Kryll]

What should one do with floorstanders?

 

if u have them floorlevel, try to put them in an angle so they're aimed a bit upwards

if u have an open space between you and the speakers, then you only have a minor difference

 

 

problem is that high frequency's are too directional

every object that stands in between the speakers and the listener will act as obstacle for high frequencies

 

high freq = short wavelength -> so they reflect on objects

low freq = long wavelength -> they can wave around objects

 

 

low frequencies (50 till 200 Hz) are undirectional, so they fill the room

high frequencies are directional, the source of these can be clearly distinguished

 

 

having high frequencies placed at a height between ears and chest (imo) give the cleares and most direct sound

plus you have a better resonance of the lower frequencies (as i experienced)

 

it seems that woofers on groundfloor speakers lose a bit of fullness or something

[p(sy)ayam]

just out of curiosity how about having them up in the wall/ceiling corner facing downwards? i'm going to set up my speakers (4 in 4 corners, subwoofer under my desk)

[Kryll]

just out of curiosity how about having them up in the wall/ceiling corner facing downwards? i'm going to set up my speakers (4 in 4 corners, subwoofer under my desk)

looks like a safe setup (regarding high frequencies for the 4 speakers)

 

but don't have any knowledge or experience when it comes to that

 

(mid to high) speakers have an angle of 45° where they give most power,

so i guess placing them in the top with an angle downwards would maximize the effect, and lower the amount of first reflections via the ceiling and side walls

[Melancholyman]

if u have them floorlevel, try to put them in an angle so they're aimed a bit upwards

if u have an open space between you and the speakers, then you only have a minor difference

 

 

problem is that high frequency's are too directional

every object that stands in between the speakers and the listener will act as obstacle for high frequencies

 

high freq = short wavelength -> so they reflect on objects

low freq = long wavelength -> they can wave around objects

 

 

low frequencies (50 till 200 Hz) are undirectional, so they fill the room

high frequencies are directional, the source of these can be clearly distinguished

 

 

having high frequencies placed at a height between ears and chest (imo) give the cleares and most direct sound

plus you have a better resonance of the lower frequencies (as i experienced)

 

it seems that woofers on groundfloor speakers lose a bit of fullness or something

 

Thx for the head up :clapping:

[frozen dream]

headphones all the way. i prefer music to be fully 'in my head' than coming somewhere out of 'reality'.

meh, u got it all wrong, stereo image/depth is totally worthless on any headphones. U might think it isn't, but trust me, it is.

 

the only reason you think it's fully in your head is because the source is close to the ear but the technology/mechanics of headphones are far more flawed than any larger speaker. headphones is 2D (freq and pan) and speakers is 3D (freq-pan-acoustic response)

of course these differences only really play out when were talking music production-wise since finished tracks already have all the traits to sound good.

[fluffymushi]

2D is trippier than 3D sometimes

[frozen dream]

point taken! gotta luv the good ol' snes!!! *goes playing*

[Sideffect...]

if u want speakers for home listening, be sure NOT to put them on the floor

best is to place them at a height where the tweeters are about the same level as your ears, or just a bit lower

exactly, I made myself some floor standers, easy job, not wanting to pay some fancy once @ IKEA ,

if it's that easy to make,

followed the instruction along with my B&W speakers...

 

and still satisfied

[Ormion]

meh, u got it all wrong, stereo image/depth is totally worthless on any headphones. U might think it isn't, but trust me, it is.

 

the only reason you think it's fully in your head is because the source is close to the ear but the technology/mechanics of headphones are far more flawed than any larger speaker. headphones is 2D (freq and pan) and speakers is 3D (freq-pan-acoustic response)

of course these differences only really play out when were talking music production-wise since finished tracks already have all the traits to sound good.

That's true, but the only way to fully enjoy the pan in speakers is to sit exactly in front of them, unlike headphones.

[Kryll]

exactly, I made myself some floor standers, easy job, not wanting to pay some fancy once @ IKEA ,

if it's that easy to make,

 

using flipped curver boxes overhere

 

they'll do for now hehe

[Sideffect...]

using flipped curver boxes overhere

 

they'll do for now hehe

[travbrad1001]

I prefer the sound of my headphones by far, not only is the sound way better, it also gets rid of the outside noise. I have some pretty average PC speakers/subwoofer though, and some fairly good headphones (Sennheiser HD280). If I had better equipment it might be different, but I'm broke and $80 headphones are about all I can afford.

 

That being said, I still probably listen to music about 40% speakers, 60% headphones. I listen to a lot of music while driving or hanging out with friends.