Headphones vs speakers

don't the people on public transport and the library complain?

He wouldn't hear them, would he?

i know people who have attended drum+bass parties where the DJs transmitted to a short-range (like 100 meters) radio setup; everyone was raving along with radio walkmen. this was a noontime thing in the middle of a park.

I did this a few months ago, it's great! Also for the neutral onlooker, of course...

but given the choice, i'd rather live in a place where i could play music loud from a nice stereo (ideally bose or even better a bryston PA amp and studio monitors)

Oh well, if I am to be deaf before I hit 30, so be it!
God, I hope I won't be deaf before I hit 30!

another thought... i think i prefer speakers in the car. i don't have car now, but when i did, my car stereo (i installed a decent one) was one of the few places i could really enjoy music, without disturbing the neigbours (although instead i was possibly risking my life and upsetting pedestrians, but let's not talk about that)

even if you don't own a car, isn't it great crusing around (city OR countryside) on a nice day with your fave tunes a-blazin? who's with me?

One needs to listen to some music sitting down in front of the speakers from time to time too though - music becomes more "mighty" that way.

Driving is by far the best way to listen to music (on the whole -- perhaps the Windy & Carl record I've currently got on wouldn't work too well, but you catch my drift).

MP3s through quality speakers is usually a bad idea, though---unless they're really absolutely top quality MP3s, they're going to sound like utter ass. bad, bad idea.

otherwise, it's really the music and the situation that decide. i spend most of my time personally listening through headphones, but that's mostly cos i listen on public transpo or while at work in my sad little cube.

The neighbours would never complain, that's for sure!

as for simple music listening, it's those details, sonic artifacts, often appearing out of nowhere as 'extras' in otherwise familiar (yet headphoned) music while you're seperated from the outside world, that makes headphone listening one (of several) ways of listening

immersion tanks (in one of which john cage (imo) ought to have been confined) are the expensive alternative to this listening method i suppose

gigs are too loud -- seems to be the standard these days -- headphones quite correctly have in the past been linked to even more hearing damage, but these days, with the proper external-sound elimination technology in place, seem to deserve a secong chance

the whole thing kinda makes me think of the last scene in Morvern Caller which is an extreme close up shot of Samantha Morton in a club obviously dancing to pretty fast "rave" but the soindtrack is playing something slow and lazy and lovely - its a glorious opposition/ juxtaposition.

however you can do soem really cooll 3D spatialisation shit that only works on headphones / in-ear phones. (as its basically a a controlled environment)

I love my headphones (two pairs of Sennheisers, one for indoors, one for the walkman), and I love my speakers too.

That IS a new scratching post! They're big lads.

What are they?

B&W 685s.

And they are FUCKING AWESOMES.

Ah! I recognised those kevlar cones but didn't know they'd taken to using their full name as the logo now.

I had my heart set on some B&W CDM-1s back in the day (1996) but they didn't do much for me at audition; ended up with the Heybrook Quartets, which are ill-sited and underused to this very day.

Just put Caribou's Milk Of Human Kindness through these, an album I & Emma know well and have listened to many times on the old speakers from both CD and vinyl, on the Zeppelin, on my AKGs, and Em's immediate reaction was "wow, it's like you've completed a level and uncovered a load of secrets!" My initial reaction was "shit, they're fucked" but what I thought at first was a dangerous-sounding whirring from deep within the cabinet was just an organ track I'd never noticed before!

In conclusion - these speakers are fucking' 'mazin'.

It's great, isn't it? I'm an audiosceptic thesedays but changing speakers changes everything - it's really like the old cliche about gaining a new record collection.

yeah, ever since i got my first-ever pair of nice-ish speakers, it's been like whoah

(but i've also been someone who's been listening to MP3s through computer speakers for the last few years, so)

I've never noticed much difference between CD players before, if I'm honest, although I have with amps when there's been a big step up in terms of output. These B&Ws replace a 10-y-o set of £200 Tannoys R1s, though, so they certainly ought to be a serious improvement! Had a couple of WOAH moments with He Poos Clouds yesterday morning, too; big stand out wtf experiences as opposed to the general "everything's a little bit better" feeling.

i feel like it's time for me to step up and purchase something better. i still use the receiver, cd player, and speakers (all sony - real audiophile quality amirite) i've had since high school

tbh tho my setup is still nicer than what most of my friends/family have (which is basically computer speakers or those ipod speaker docks), so i don't even know what i'm missing

When I first stepped up from half-decent mini-systems to even just an entry-level hi-fi it was like... going to the cinema rather than watching a 14" portable. Seriously. I've now got two full-on hi-fis in the house, and a B&W Zeppelin dock, just because I honestly can't see the point in listening to music on crappy equipment. It's just nowhere near as FUN.

what components would u recommend to set up a good entry-level, affordable hi-fi? (i realize i could just do an ilx search but i thought it'd be worth asking)

This probably marks me out as both a sad '90s schmindie nostalgist and a weird superstitious freak, but a couple of Saturdays back, before heading up to Wembley, I tried to conjure up the spirit of 94-95 with some appropriate tunes.

The entire family were out, so Sharkboy, PJ Harvey and Autechre (Matinee, To Bring You My Love and tri repetae were always big hi-fi faves anyway) were played very loud for a coupla hours. I never get to do this any more and it more or less banished any notions of selling all my gear. Swapping out the Audiolab amps for the little Cyrus? Not yet, thanks.

Mark CL: how much can you spend?

well, i'd probably do it over the course of a year - maybe $1200? is that to be laughed at?

What's your budget?

If I were to go out and buy an entry-level hi-fi tomorrow, I'd get:

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3736
http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3494
http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3865

Maybe. That'd be about £550. But listen to stuff first, if you can, with music you know well, and perhaps buy a copy of What Hi-Fi first to just brush up on terminology etc.

x-post

thanks - yea it'll def. be something i should spend some time listening to and trying out different components. plus i'm moving in three months, won't likely buy anything until after the move

That's almost exactly the system the Pinefox got a couple of years ago, Nick (plus a Pro-Ject Debut III), with a little guidance from me.

$1200 is not to be laughed at all. Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with hi-fi options in the US. (And Sony separates are not to be laughed at either).

Yeah I was also gonna recommend the NAD gear. I coupled them with some awesome B&Ws 600 series speakers for a total of approx. 1500 USD price.

Since I got two Squeezeboxes hooked up, I have speakers cranked in both the living room and bedroom after work. After 7 I turn them progressively down until after 10:00, they are turned off and I switch to headphones when the wife goes to bed. I prefer speakers, but am happy with my AKG (open) and Denon (closed).

One thing I hate though is bars that play the music too loud to talk over. It's not that I'm old, this bothered me since college. I just cannot understand a word people say if the music is too loud. The best solution I encountered is a heavy metal bar called Tequila in the gothic barrio of Barcelona. They play old school metal, but at a pretty low volume. However, there are headphones hanging above every bar stool and along the walls if you want to rock out. Awesome. Here's pics of my friend Mob'e and I from 10 years ago. It was the afternoon and empty when we discovered it. We stopped by another night and it was full of longhairs chillin and bangin.

http://www.fastnbulbous.com/photos/mspain13.jpg
http://www.fastnbulbous.com/photos/mspain11.jpg
http://www.fastnbulbous.com/photos/mspain12.jpg
http://www.fastnbulbous.com/photos/mspain21.jpg

That is a fucking GENIUS idea. I get so pissed off by too-loud music in pubs / bars - I go to a pub or bar to drink and chat, not have music I didn't choose blasted at me.

Once I took headhpones with me to a bar and someone actually asked what I was listening to and we ended up having a nice musical conversation!

Yeah, screaming in a bar when you're trying to relax and socialize is the worst. I cosign this headphone idea.

A couple of years ago I got some really nice speakers at a garage sale for next to nothing. Klipsch, mid-size bookshelf speakers from the late-80s sometime, in good condition. And they sounded great, made me realize that if you don't have a budget for an amp some decent speakers that are very sensitive can be a good option. Barely had to touch the volume knob which seemed to keep distortion low. Unfortunately I couldn't fit them in my tiny apartment so I gave them away. I don't know if Klipsch has a good reputation anymore, I suspect true audiophiles don't rate them, but these were very well built.

Klipsch makes good to outstanding speakers, ranging from the RF-10 ($538/pr) and RF-62 ($878/pr) to the flagship P-39F ($20,000+). However, I think I recall seeing a consumer line at Best Buy, which I wouldn't vouch for.

i know people who have attended drum+bass parties where the DJs transmitted to a short-range (like 100 meters) radio setup; everyone was raving along with radio walkmen. this was a noontime thing in the middle of a park.

I've done this once, and it's terrific -- not so much for the dancing part, which feels fairly normal, but because you can take a break and have a normal quiet conversation with someone while watching all these other people silently and eerily dancing, and try to guess from their movements what song just came on that everyone seemed to get all excited about. (One of the highlights was a couple hundred people smiling and silently dancing and vaguely moving their mouths, and then suddenly a few dozen among them freeze and go "baby got BACK" in unison...)

I love these speakers.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3614337241_d5046daa46.jpg

Who can recommend speakers that are surprisingly great for a relatively low price. I am looking for the KOSS PORTAPROS of speakers!

i love my epos ELS 3 minimonitors, they are $399

Is that considered a good price for speakers? Perhaps I can't afford good ones!

I need receiver too.

admrl...they are considered "entry level" for audiophile i guess

but these are supposed to be the best value out there

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542120815/infinity-primus-p162?v_c=GoogleBase&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=542120815

I need receiver too.

― admrl, Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:50 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this is an onkyo 2 channel (as long as you don't care about surround sound) that's supposed to be a GREAT value for price, had one for a minute and loved it...also bonus one of the few value priced ones now that has a built-in phono stage if you are interested in having a turntable

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=543899&is=REG

I have $200 headphones, but no speakers. So I went shopping for speakers, started listening at the $500 level, and it was awful: mushy, undefined, resonant spikes all over the spectrum. A $700 pair was little better, as was a $1000 pair, twice my budget and still not close to headphones. Hmm, can I make conclusion?

Good headphones will always outdo speakers for the same price and way above for detail and clarity. What they can't do, in my experience, is physical impact and spatial presence. I've got £200 headphones and £400 speakers.

I have $200 headphones, but no speakers. So I went shopping for speakers, started listening at the $500 level, and it was awful: mushy, undefined, resonant spikes all over the spectrum. A $700 pair was little better, as was a $1000 pair, twice my budget and still not close to headphones. Hmm, can I make conclusion?

― B'wana Beast, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 8:47 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i would really suggest those epos els 3s i posted....

i saw a guy driving while listening to headphones recently & thought it was really bizarre. i mean i know you're not going to get really great sound in the car but it's so much fun to blast some tunes while you drive, right? but a friend of mine told me he does the same thing so i decided to try it just to see what it was like. don't know how they do it. the sound of the road being totally closed off made me feel weirdly isolated & i felt like i was in constant danger of crashing or veering off the road.

headphones vs. speakers is a tough one, but in the car headphones are clearly for psychopaths. anyone else seen/done this?

+ clearly illegal and dangerous

Oh and Scik Mouthy pretty much OTM. Headphones will not replicate the physical thrill of great bass popping up.
Also, headphones don't really fit the way I usually enjoy music (ie. walking around, doing other stuff at the same time). I only use them late at night.

Stating the obvious, but speakers are only as good as the room they're in and where they're sited - which makes them all the more difficult to assess in a shop or (if you're lucky) in a dedicated audition room. You really have to take them home for a weekend to get any idea whether they're right for your listening environment.

There are some headphones available (Stax maybe?) that deliberately set the drivers back from the ear a little bit to create a little bit of interplay between the channels (i.e. you can hear a little of the left can with the right ear and vice versa) that you get with speakers.

adamrl:

in my opinion the koss portapros of the speaker world are alesis MK2 studio monitors - they sound utterly fabulous and retail at about $200 for a pair of them, a bit more if you get the powered version

Driving with headphones on in the UK is not actually strictly illegal; there's no specific legislation against it, it'd just be dealt with under due care and attention / dangerous driving, I think; I asked a friend who's a policeman because I've seen several people doing this and just could. not. believe. it.

Aye, Stax make electrostatic "ear speakers" I think; super expensive flat-panel speaker rigs that hang off your head in front of your ears.

My headphone amp has a crossfeed circuit to make the sound more "natural" by giving a big of channel bleed.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/jpeg/t-amp_morsiani.jpg

Something like that.

AKG also makes the K1000 which is legendary in the audiophile world. All electrostatic headphones look funny. I tried a K1000 a couple of months ago, it wasn't as godly as people made it seem. Maybe the one I heard was just amped badly though.

If you're thinking about buying a cheap receiver for speakers, consider something like the T-amp (which, coincidentally, is the silly looking thing the rube is nearly resting his head on in the picture above). The name refers to the type of chip used, so there are many different kinds out there. They offer really incredible soundstaging and clarity at the cost of a reduced bass response and a somewhat bright sound. You can get them for as little as $30; nice ones can be $200 or more.

I'm looking to register for some nice-ish speakers on Amazon for my upcoming wedding, and could use some advice. Currently I'm using a set of these Sony's along with some older Aiwa's (I have them both plugged in as front speaker A & B and sitting on top of each other, maybe that's not even a good idea?). I want something nicer, but can't make it too expensive, and it needs to be something that Amazon sells. So unfortunately those EPOS ELS ones are out, but the Infinity P162 is possible. I really don't know what would be good.

As another question, I don't currently own a turntable and was thinking of registering for that too, but my middling receiver, a Sony DE595 doesn't have a specific phono input. Does this mean I can't hook up a turntable to it at all, or that I have to do something special? I've always had roommates with turntables, so I never bothered to figure this out for myself before. Should I get a better receiver anyway? Or would just getting better speakers make enough of a difference? Thanks for any and all help!

As a quick follow-up, I saw these EPOS ELS 303 floor speakers on Amazon, but for $900 I'm wondering if I can get something for half that price that would still be a reasonable upgrade in sound.

Ask for cash and get these - http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MORDAV904IMPL/MORDAUNT-SHORT/Avant-904i-2-Way-5-in-Tower-Speaker-Maple-Pair/1.html, best deal I've seen lately for $300.

[quote]I don't currently own a turntable and was thinking of registering for that too, but my middling receiver, a Sony DE595 doesn't have a specific phono input. Does this mean I can't hook up a turntable to it at all, or that I have to do something special?[/quote]
You can buy a phono preamp for your current receiver. Amazon sells a bunch of different ones; Cambridge is often recommended, but they seem to be available mainly from third party sellers on Amazon. Supposedly a dedicated preamp sometimes sound better than a standard phono input on modern receivers.

yeah cambridge is a great value for phono pre amps

my girlfriend's mom sent us some Bang and Olufsen Beolab 6000 speakers that she didn't want anymore. but in the shipment it looks like the base of one of the speakers snapped off (or this is why she didn't want them anymore). Anyways that speaker doesn't work at all anymore, it doesn't even seem to get power. The one I did plug in sounded pretty good, but that might have just been because I could actually hear a bass response, which I barely do out of my current tiny bookshelf speakers.

Alot of the reviews say the BeoLab 6000s aren't very good, but is this just audiophiles being snobby? Where do you take speakers to get repaired?

sorry if thats a bit off topic.