Unfortunately, I think that's correct. Have the same issue and 'till I move to a forest hut and start terrorising the wildlife from a solar & wind generated electricity attached to my sonic weapons, I think that I'll have to stick to hp's :((((
Headphones is a more accessible way to experience very high end audio. 1000 bucks get you a very good dac/amp and headphones but spend that on speakers and you have a mediocre setup. Also headphones don't need any room acoustic or messing around with placement. I like both equally much, headphones reveal a lot of details and speakers give you a more physical sound
If you're smart in how you spend your money, you can have a very nice preamp, power amp, and speaker setup for under $1000. The used market is where it's at.
hartsickdisciple ... yeah ... I been buying high end speakers and amps etc from the secondhand market. There are many in great condition at half or less than half the retail price. 😬 But it’s true, if you want to go the headfi route, you can enjoy a lot for less. I got the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge, that’s about $2,750 (new) and can pair that with a high end headphone of say $2,000 (new) and it would be awesome sounding. That is you wanna splurge. I did not go headfi because I like so hear the sound from speakers coming from up front.
Paul is a solid cat. When the top guy is this passionate about his profession, it shows how much it trickles down into the company's culture. Employees who are happy from the top down will always produce great products. And Paul seems like a person who has a genuine connection with his product, from production to the consumer.
I wish i could have big loud speakers that would shake the walls. But because of my living situation i have to use open back headphones. At first it was just a means of listening to music and movies. Then i started getting into planar magnetics and fell in love. I also started experimenting with different amps and DACS and now its become my favorite hobby.
I'm autistic & have aural-tactile synesthesia. I feel bass in my body when listening to headphones just as if listening to speakers and moves to different parts of my body depending on frequency. I guess this is one of the benefits of being autistic. I could never afford high end anything audio due to my disabilities but I found that I had good ear to recognize potential in an audio product & could modify less expensive gear to perform at an extremely high level. Headphones were my only means of listening for many years but I still prefer speakers due their imaging properties compared to headphones. My current headphones which I have modified slightly are the Sennheiser HD579's. My speaker setup are modified JBL LSR305's with modified Tannoy TS10 subwoofer run off a modified Asus Strix Raid DLX. Both sound great but the speaker are my pride & joy.
I love my 25 year old Sony MDRV6 headphones! The problem with headphones is that most people bump up the volume too much and damage their hearing. If you want to enjoy music music when you are 60 ( when you can afford the great gear ), don't destroy your hearing when you are 20!
I didn't. I got into the habit of putting it on pretty quiet. If other kids wanted a listen of what I had in my walkman (which was pretty rare), they complained they couldn't hear it and wanted the volume turned up. The rule of thumb I use is "If you have to pause your music to hold a conversation, you've got it too loud."
I think the most dangerous is when you listen in a noisy environment and you crank the volume up. So you end up listening at 88db SPL or something like that 😅
I've been a headphone guy for years with a Focal as my daily driver at home and a HD650 at work. I've relegated my HIFIMAN planars to my wife. Recently, I put together a 5.1.4 THX Ultra certified home theater setup, and playing music out of that in multi-channel stereo was... a truly transformative experience. The soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation of a good loudspeaker setup... headphones cannot even come close. It's a totally different experience. My music took on a totally different life.
I mix music, and sometimes use headphones to do some surgical eq. I turn my monitors completely down, but leave my sub going. That way I can feel the sub running through my feet. While the headphones are great for tiny tweaks, nothing beats the speakers for a full mix. My two.
It's hard to mix at the right volume with headphones too. You can calibrate your monitors and work precisely at 82spl for example, not with headphones.
The preference for speakers may derive from their ability to replicate (however accurately) the live music experience, and in fact I seek a system that not only reproduces the brilliance and depth of real instruments, but also the volume and dynamics of a live performance.
This is why gamers use headphones. Because only by using headphones do you get the sound in your ear so that you can hear all the tiny sounds like footsteps and what not. But wearing headphones for hours on end do get tiresome for most people. There is something freeing by just sitting back and listening to some good music coming from a good speaker system.
I like isolation sometimes, headphones have incredible microscope audio like you said. It is supra natural because we usually don't put our ears that close to music. But I also love speakers because of the waves and magnetic stuf happening. I just love both and can't think of letting one over the other. Also headphones are how i got into audiophile stuff. Because my akg k700 and asus xonar sound card just gave me an incredible, like never before, experience of listening to what most people don't. It opened my mind so much.
As someone with neighbors in my apartment I cannot always enjoy my stereo and surround setup, so my in ears or over ears are critical to my enjoyment of music on a daily basis. I also like the introduction of haptic or audio feedback devices like the sub-pac or basslet that help to supply that visceral quality of music headphones by their nature cannot give.
Sometimes interest in headphones come from necessity, moving from a house with separates and subs to an apartment. Hopefully dsp will someday get us to proper imaging.
IEM's are awesome, you can use them in very loud environments like I do at work, they fit under my welding helmet, and they simultaneously work as ear plugs, everything has its purpose.
I currently live in an apartment with family so I mostly use my speakers during the day (1-9pm) as loud as I like so no issues there. Still use headphones when anyone is sleep at home or in the building. Although I much prefer the sound of speakers for the reasons Paul describes, it's sometimes nice to have that close off feeling when you can enjoy your music privately without anyone judging your musical taste.
Paul - Audeze is pronounced like Oddessy, but instead of the S sound, substitute a Z sound. And, I totally agree and love mine. Nothing quite sounds like them. 🎧
I couldn’t agree more Paul about headphones being the microscope however they lack they feel of the loudspeaker. I started my audiophile hobby with a pair of MDR Sony headphones and was blown away how detailed they sounded. Gradually moved into the Sennheiser HD 650 and then 800. Now I have them in my dedicated 2 channel listening room and separate dedicated home theatre, and use either for different purposes. Totally agree on the Apple EarPods too, have replaced my noise cancelling headphones except while I’m on the plane.
I am very impressed with my latest acquisition...The Sony ZX300 Hi Res player with the balanced XBA-3 headphones...High gain output of 200 mW from the player with the headphones barely breaking a sweat at 100mW...I can turn these thing up and there is no distortion right to the pain threshold.
The best experience I've had with headphones/earphones was with custom in ears. When they are made properly, the user cannot feel that he/she is wearing them and the isolation is unmatched with any other types of earphones. They stop at the second bend of the ear canal, so the bores are really close to the tympanum, making the music listening experience really unique.
You said you hate in ear monitors but love your iPods? Which you put in your ears? I like headphones exactly for the reason that the shut everything else out and you can concentrate on the music.
I agree with the reason to use loudspeakers. I want to actually feel the music physically. And this is the reason headphones can't replace speakers. I use headhones now and then to my keyboard and mobile phone but almost never for music listening in the living room.
Absolutely love a fact that you, an audio expert, uses AirPods because he just likes it. While having acces to the best audio of most people. A good lesson for most people, to enjoy music, not the bitrate.
I use them both. Loudspeakers until 22:00, thereafter I switch to my Beyer Dynamic headphones to be kind to the neighbours. It's both a complete different experience, that's what I like about it.
Well, to be honest, if you are an audiophile and you can't afford very good speakers (5000$ and above), you can get away with a pair of , let's say Sennhesier HD 800, or if you love classical music very much let's say Audio Technica AD2000X. These are headphones that will offer you trully hifi sound for around 600$-1000$. Let's be honest, with these money you buy only entry level speakers or best you can find a decend medium level used speakers. Even a pair of sennheiser HD600 will offer you a hifi sound for only 300$. Yeah headphones don't have even close the imaging of good speakers but this is a compromise you have to do if you want hi-fi sound for little money. And by the way, the amplifiers for headphones are much, much more cheaper than amplifiers for speakrs. You can buy a really good headamp for 600$-800$ or less.
My JVC SP-333 speakers cost me $20. Goodwill and Craigslist are your friends here. 100wpc class AB Kenwood amp was $40. Sony SACD player was also $40. I'll take this over your $1000 headphone setup any day. You can FEEL the BASS! Can't do that with headphones!
there are also alot of people that take a MC Donalds hamburger any day over kobe beef, that doesn't mean anything at all, so sory but you have nothing to do with hi-fi, you're just a basshead, no offence!
George Popescu Funny how wrong you are. My favorite bands are Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath… and goes well into Daft Punk and Portishead. Lately I've been enjoying Bass Mekanik and Bassotronics. However, since my AT VM540ML arrived yesterday, I've been playing a lot of Wilburys, Beatles, and Stones… but go on about how much you know me…
I am a fan of headphones and floor standing speakers. When I bought my actual system in 1985-86, I first chose a set of headphone that reproduced music the way I wanted. The headphones I bought were Sennheiser HD 430 (which is an open back) and used them to match speakers in a listening room, easy with an open back as you use both at the same time and you can hear the discrepancies in the reproduction of the music played. It really help in narrowing the field of almost spot on and near miss sets of speakers for a closer look. In the end, I went for Celestion Ditton 66 Series 2 that I setup in my living room about 30" from walls. For power to feed them, I bought the Kenwood Basic series M2 for the front speakers and Kenwood Basic M1 for rear Technics SB-L100. I could not be happier since it plays most music I threw at them to my liking and that is what matters in the end. I still have the same system and still pleased with it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Someone else who hates in-ear earphones! I got a pair when I replaced my phone a few years back (bundled with it). They got a few minutes of use, then were consigned to a box of e-waste and I went back to the earbuds that came with my previous phone. I can't stand the feeling of them or how they make me nearly deaf to my surroundings. Regular old smooth plastic earbuds let the sounds around you leak in so you can still hear what's going on around you. I subscribe to the philosophy that headphones are for adding to your soundscape without annoying everyone around you. I think those in-ear ones are aimed at people with the philosophy that headphones are for replacing your soundscape with a different one.
This is kind of off topic for this video, but I have just started watching your Y-tube videos and I have been very impressed with your knowledge and the presentation of your videos. I have been putting together a small system and recently purchased a Kanto subwoofer to compliment my other speakers. It is my first subwoofer. I started looking for information on setting up the sub and found your channel. I have to say that getting the crossover and volume on the sub set right has been a real challenge. Your note that you should hear the bass, with your ears, but should not be able to tell that is coming from the subwoofer itself has been the basic guide I that I have used. I've got it pretty close, but I have also found that sub settings can really be dependent on the individual song and the music source. I mostly listen to online available music. So, the consistency is not always there. So, sometimes, I have to tweak things just a bit, depending on the song, and or the music source. But...I've got it pretty close. The subwoofer really does add a lot to the overall enjoyment of the system. Just wanted to tell you good job and thanks.
If you want to properly cross sub-woofers to stereo speakers you are going to need two of them to run in stereo. Otherwise, you will always be trapped between being able to locate the sub and having a thin sounding listening experience. Once you have two sub-woofers you are going to want to volume match them to your floor speakers and then choose a crossover frequency that does not create an interference pattern with your floor speakers. I would also suggest that you do not get a sub-woofer that was designed for home theater use as they tend to be muddy and focus more on air volume moving mass than acoustic accuracy. My suggestion would be to build your own. Audiotechnology drivers and Hypex Sub-woofer plate amps work brilliantly together. I have two Audiotechnology 15E1022510 drivers powered by two Hypex DS8.0's boxed, ported and crossed over at 120Hz. The image blends perfectly.
Joel, I appreciate your comments, but I think you misinterpret my intent. I am not an audiophile. I just wanted to improve the sound of my music, so I decided to add a subwoofer. Using the information I found here in Paul's videos, really helped getting it set up to sound good.
Audiophile is a sliding scale. We all started out just wanting to "improve the sound of our music" a bit. Every improvement leads to more imperfections noticed and more improvements. I'm just trying to save you some money by suggesting the best option right away. I would have saved thousands if I knew what to jump straight to in order to get the best sound possible instead of incrementally increasing my equipment over time making some mistakes along the way.
Okay, Joel, I guess if one classifies anyone who enjoys music to be an audiophile, I fit into that broad category. But, since finding all of the types and styles of music that are available online, even just through UA-cam Red, has made me want to listen to the music of years past, whether it's rock and roll from the 1950's and 1960's, Motown, the Beatles, or even the big band genre from the 1940's. I am not much into Jazz. Also, having grown up during the sixties, and having lived in a major metropolitan area where country music was just for "hicks", today I find I like the country stuff from those same earlier years. It's got Heart. Having added the small subwoofer recently really adds the punch that makes all of those areas of music sound even more classic...sort of "Juke box style", and using Paul's philosophy of setting the sub so you can hear that "oomph", but you can't really tell where it's coming from, gives the added touch I find I like a lot. So, in those terms, I guess I would qualify as an audiophile. And, sure, I tweak things around according to the style of music, or source (it can vary quite a bit from one provider to another), but am I going to invest in a bunch more new equipment....Nada. Thanks for helping/making me sort out my thoughts on this topic. I'm really just a nostalgic, but happy camper with my new toy.
Energy, soundwaves produce energy and that is how you "feel music". Headphones let you isolate and become introspective of and with the music, speakers while still providing that introspective experience also have that "big air movement" which is very much an external thing... Both have their place. I am wondering if using headphones as a tool to tune speakers?
Got a pair of HifiMan Ananda’s for Christmas. Thanks Santa! Love those suckers. But actually still love my old small Advents (and speakers are just better in general. Currently waiting for some .7 Maggie’s). Love it all tho!
Paul, thank you for such an honest opinion. I consider myself an armature audiophile. I love it and continue to learn all the time. I have assembled a very nice system made from partially used components which has allowed me to have a system of high quality which fits in my budget. What I have learned is that we don’t have to have perfect Systems to enjoy music and the “art” of music. Sometimes what works for you is just that. It works for you in the budget you have. You analysis of the Apple EarPods is exactly that. They are great for what they are intended. I also love mine. I really encourage people to not get intimidated by the word audiophile and think they have to have $10,000 speakers or they don’t fit in. It is like wine, sure expensive wine can be great, but not everyone can afford it and sometimes, it is not all that good regardless of the price. Set a budget, start somewhere, check out used equipment and continue to learn and upgrade when you can.
o/24/2020: Hello, Tom from Orlando, Florida. What do you think of the: BOSS Waza-Air Wireless Guitar Headphone Amplifier? I am worried about losing some hearing and Tinnitus: Would the Waza be safe? Please read this: Decibels & Damage Sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). Sounds of less than 75 decibels, even after lengthy exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss. However, extended or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels (approximately the level of a vacuum cleaner) can cause hearing loss.
Headphones have their place. The problem I have with headphones is that they're not representative of the experience you get watching live music. You don't go to a concert and put headphones on.
On the other hand, the band does wear headphones when tracking the song in the recording studio... So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But then while some producers use headphones to mix the songs, others use speaker systems like Dunlavy... So confusing!
@@TassieLorenzo That's true, but the best equipment for producing media isn't always the best for playing it back. Nvidia Quadro graphics cards are used for professional graphics work, but people playing the games use Geforce cards. 2 different tools for 2 different purposes.
I've had the same pair of $99 Sony MDR-V600s headphones for over 10 years and I've never had the urge to upgrade. They sound fantastic, but given the opportunity, I'd ALWAYS rather listen to music through a proper set of speakers.
Sometimes this is exactly what I want. For example when the noise level is too high in the office and I need to focus on my own work. In this case headphones help a lot.
I had Stax electret headphones, best sound ever that I base my diy loudspeaker balances on. I now have Audio Technicas that are outstanding. No room BS!
For Audiophiles on a budget, dollar for dollar headphones get you into a higher end product ..ie.$2000 spent on speakers vs. $2000 spent on a Pair of Audezes or Dan Clark’s, gives you a better sound scape..and of course in the recording studio you gotta have a good pair of closed backs…thank again for you great and consistent work..
thank you, finally found some who explains it perfectly. Difference between closed back, open back and speakers explained perfectly in a vid open back kinda give you best of both worlds imo sound stage and precision in sound, ofc the sound stage cant compete with good huge speakers but in the speakers u cant get the level of precision
I've used headphones as I started out with good quality sound components on a budget, and used closed headphones such as beyerdynamics dt770 to cut off my neighbours antics when I lived in an appartment. When it was quieter I also liked the open sennheiser hd598s. I watched movies and listened to music and watched youtube with it. I've built my own headphones amp which made a huge difference compared to my 1970s amp I usedat the time. When I moved to a free standing house I've built myself 2 pairs of speakers to watch movies and listen to music and hardly use the headphones anymore. I love the sound and listening with my whole body just like Paul. I used a pair of in ear etymotics when mowing the lawn or work in the garage with loud power tools. The passive noise cancelling is amazing and the sound is pretty good too. I got used to in ear headphones in about 1-2 months. Really sore ear canals at first but now it's pain free. Sometimes I enjoy being in my own little cocoon with headphones on, sometimes I want big powerful sound coursing throughout my entire body. There is a time and place for every type of speaker or headphones to enjoy music or to remove the noise you don't want, or don't want to share or bother others.
Hi Paul, I've always been a fan of high end audio. I suppose I can thank/blame my father for that haha. I just wanted to say I am a big fan of your page. Ive seen lots of answers to some questions I have pondered over the years and it's nice to see them laid out in a way that makes sense to the average person. Thanks for what you do!
Likewise, exactly why I like going to live concerts, to feel the music, since in my apartment I use headphones most of the time as to not risk disturbing neighbours. Need a good dose of serious bass from time to time. Funny, you mention the pants. I was at a couple of concerts where it felt like my jeans were moving in the breeze.
.. i have a question about head-phones, as far as I know - there they only ones of there type ... there called (Skullcandy Crushers-wireless) they have mini subwoofers, it vibrates my head .. (its slogan is Bass you can fell)
What do think about using a pair of bass shakers attached to your seat and a paid of headphones on your head. I have the same problem with headphones I can't feel the bass but the soundstage is incredible. All that music literaly in your head nothing else to distract you just the music in your head no matter what way your turning you head you could be in a small room a large room it takes the room outta the equation I just miss that thumping bass and if you don't have a lot of money you can afford to play the music loud enough to enjoy in say an apartment building. But perhaps a pair of bass shakers wouldn't bother the neibors as much and you could still get a little bit of that punch back
If program material has dynamics that assume about 10 feet of air between the listener and the speakers, then the dynamic envelope will be wrong over headphones. I use them when I make recordings, but they never sound right. I must guess how what I'm hearing through headphones will translate when played on speakers. They are sometimes a necessary tool for recording, but I get no pleasure from listening over headphones.
You can cover a lot of that distance with a custom EQ preset made according to David Griesinger's differential equalization method. See his video "how to equalize headphones for accurate timbre and frontal localization without head tracking".
Thanks for this, Paul - great to hear a 'speaker guy' acknowledge the strengths of headphones. When I got into this hobby, reviewers barely acknowledged the headphone jack on a component they were reviewing (in some cases, for good reason) but that has all changed over the last 5 years. There are still a few holdouts but the magazines and online bloggers know they cant afford to ignore the headphone lovers out there. Ultimately, pitting one vs the other makes no sense to me : I've yet to see a sign anywhere that stops a consumer having both. My biggest objection to speakers, esp subwoofers, is that they are a weapon in the wrong hands - I dont know anyone who wants to hear AC-DC at 120dB in a residential environment, but they definitely dont want to hear it at 3am : you can have that cake and eat it too with headphones and the only loser is your hearing ;) Thanks for the vid.
ROTFL!, except for the hearing loss. joking aside, professional equipment that is about 1000 watts total RMS can blast out about 130dB (ie. with compression/horn tweeters(125 Watts/channel),and folded horn sub (750 Watts) ). It is just like standing next to a jet engine full throttle at takeoff at less than 3FT from the speakers.
I love headphones. They found great, can offer incredible imaging and detail, and when used with an EQ you can get as flat a response as you could ever want. For years I made cassette tapes to use on my car stereo. The car lacked a lot as far as response goes, and with a good set of headphones, some time experimenting and good notes I could get really good sounding music in my car. The trick was to EQ the recording just for that environment, and headphones helped me dial that in. My speakers? Not so much. These days we us CD players, if you can find a car with one, and Bluetooth. I hate Bluetooth because of all the Compression that comes with digital media. But, if I can get things set up to EQ and record my own CDs I'll do that all over again. And if I can find software to EQ music and store it via lossless digital media I'll do that. Hopefully the result will be everything I had with cassettes but without the noise inherent with tape.
I'm fully on the speaker side of the equation, but current circumstances have brought me to discover what audiophile sound from headphones can be and I'm not that disappointed. I'll take a well set-up system via speakers w/o question, but an equally well set-up headphone kit will keep me going.
Dear Paul, I am a fan of your channel, even though it’s hard to find Phase Audio products in my country, and I learn much from you. Isn’t there one particular characteristic that you haven’t mentioned concerning the basic difference between speakers and headphones? Come to think of it, I have yet to find a UA-cam channel that mentions it. I am referring to the fact that I assume that every music recording was made to be propagated via a pair of speakers. Sound from both speakers would reach both the listener’s ears albeit with slightly different sound levels and phasing. A good recording and a good sound system would be able to portray a near realistic reproduction of the recorded music only if sound from both channels can be heard by both ears, and that is something that no set of headphones could ever achieve.
Since you want to beable to hear your surroundings, open back headphones fill that area, all the examples you shown are close back. close back are designed for listening in confined spaces with other people around as the sound doesnt leak out where as open back have leak at least half of of the sound to the surroundings hence are good to use in public or place with others
This may seem silly but I have a question...How do headphones or earphones cover a wide frequency range with a single driver but speaker units need different drivers for reproducing the same range?
It's because of the loudness and driver size. As the cone moves more in a speaker to make enough volume in the room, and when it is big enough to make bass in the room, it becomes difficult to avoid Doppler and other distortions. In a headphone, the close proximity to the eardrum allows for a small driver to be very loud and have full range.
Definitely a headphone guy here. Ultimately I got into headphones because I don't like playing music out loud in a multi-person household. The thing I don't like about headphones though is that many models are tuned for bright piercing treble and a bass-heavy low end, and I feel like bright treble is a risk for hearing damage. Right now I'm on the Sennheiser HD660S which has a very gentle treble, although you do sacrifice airy detail and it can sound a bit boring. But it suits my needs.
There are now 20 (euro) headsets for gaming that vibrate; in addition to bass notes,they start a vibration,separate from the drivers; this vibration does not damage your eardrums,it just shakes the headset; you can turn it off,there is a button on the left side that you just press; i was just now trying a set like this out now,and i selected Paul to see how they reproduced voice; of course,the quality is not great( not as good as a 20 year old Panasonic over-the-ear that i use).
I am a fan of Paul. And he is a good adviser. I am also is on the journey of audio amplifier making. I love to experiment on the circuits and the boxes. But at this moment I am just a novice. Thanks Paul. You are such a good guide.😊
And I find your answer at the end very interesting. I guess I would just assume that an audiophile who is into speakers would also be into headphones. But that would be like a car guy also being into motorcycles.
Try Focal Clear and Hifiman Arya with a good DAC and amp - the clarity, detail and perfect balance of all frequencies may just make you reach for your headphones a little more often :)
@@skylordsrebornpvpreplays5795 Hi, I have never owned high quality speakers so I could not tell you how those headphones compare to them. From what various reviewers have said, you would need to pay a lot more for a set of speakers which would match those headphones in quality. But, of course, speakers will always be better for soundstage and the physical impact of music. I personally prefer intimacy and the feeling of being sucked into the recording which is so much better on headphones. Plus my flat's acoustics (and small size) are so bad that it would not make sense to invest in expensive speakers. I use M-Audio monitor speakers with a Wharfedale subwoofer which, except for the fact that they can make my flat shake, are miles behind the details and accuracy of the above headphones. I now use them with a Topping D90 + A90 stack and they are breathtaking with well-recorded music. Even though some of my friends think I am crazy, I can honestly say that I do not regret any of the few thousand $ that I have spent on the above system. It takes me to audio heaven whenever I feel the need to leave Earth for a while. ;-)
I hate in-ears too, but I sure do love my active noise cancelling Bose QuietComfort wired headphones, and I use the wireless ones with the same earplug style design. They're super comfortable, they don't actually go into your ears, and I wore them all of the way to Asia (30 hour travel time) without discomfort. They're not particularly more hi-fi than the Apple Airpods, but they don't fall out. I also love the wireless ones for working around the house, or working on the car. Completely different than my Grado RS2e headphones which I'm surprised you didn't mention because they're fairly open, well priced, and have a great sound. Nothing like speakers, but as mentioned.. a fraction of the cost.
Great observations. Headphones do not recreate the tangible aspects of music the way speakers can, nor can they truly create the sense of space, even with open-back headphones. Planar headphones can be utterly amazing in the upper mids and highs, but lack deep bass. Monsoon (now essentially defunct) employed planar drivers in their multimedia speakers (such as the MH 502 system I still use with my computer) and home audio speakers (such as the FPF 1000s) but found the bottom end rolled off at about 100 Hz (making woofers and/or subwoofers necessary for a realistic experience). Even the lower midrange can be less than stellar with planar drivers. Planar headphones are thus limited in what they can do even though they do some things extremely well.
The biggest benefit for headphones is that you are not listening to the room. You don't need sound dampeners and diffusers. Also, you can get better sound for the same money.
living in a city-appartement, listening to music at nite,
and the neighbours come knocking furiously at your door
then you become a headphone-fan/user
Audiophile equipment is kind of gear towards home owners.
Joel Doxtator so no speakers and bass-box for the "no house owners"?
Unfortunately, I think that's correct. Have the same issue and 'till I move to a forest hut and start terrorising the wildlife from a solar & wind generated electricity attached to my sonic weapons, I think that I'll have to stick to hp's :((((
TheMusicForMasses u might be surprised to view a large peaceful audience of music-loving animals around your cabin
I grew up in apartments, which I hope to never have to inhabit again, mostly for this reason.
Headphones is a more accessible way to experience very high end audio. 1000 bucks get you a very good dac/amp and headphones but spend that on speakers and you have a mediocre setup. Also headphones don't need any room acoustic or messing around with placement. I like both equally much, headphones reveal a lot of details and speakers give you a more physical sound
If you're smart in how you spend your money, you can have a very nice preamp, power amp, and speaker setup for under $1000. The used market is where it's at.
hartsickdisciple ... yeah ... I been buying high end speakers and amps etc from the secondhand market. There are many in great condition at half or less than half the retail price. 😬
But it’s true, if you want to go the headfi route, you can enjoy a lot for less.
I got the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge, that’s about $2,750 (new) and can pair that with a high end headphone of say $2,000 (new) and it would be awesome sounding. That is you wanna splurge.
I did not go headfi because I like so hear the sound from speakers coming from up front.
Good speakers gives so much detail and physical sound that headphone never can give... Some games at night headphones are great
@@hartsickdisciple What sites do you buy used equipment from? Thanks.
this guy really just said 1k for speaker set up = mediocre set up
agree 100%. i use headphones A LOT but everytime im sitting in front of a nice sounding pair of speakers...it's just amazing
Paul is a solid cat. When the top guy is this passionate about his profession, it shows how much it trickles down into the company's culture. Employees who are happy from the top down will always produce great products. And Paul seems like a person who has a genuine connection with his product, from production to the consumer.
Air pods. Wow. I'm speechless. This has shaken my confidence in you Paul.
Its just sound to go. He already knows it is not audiophile.
I wish i could have big loud speakers that would shake the walls. But because of my living situation i have to use open back headphones. At first it was just a means of listening to music and movies. Then i started getting into planar magnetics and fell in love. I also started experimenting with different amps and DACS and now its become my favorite hobby.
I'm autistic & have aural-tactile synesthesia. I feel bass in my body when listening to headphones just as if listening to speakers and moves to different parts of my body depending on frequency.
I guess this is one of the benefits of being autistic. I could never afford high end anything audio due to my disabilities but I found that I had good ear to recognize potential in an audio product & could modify less expensive gear to perform at an extremely high level. Headphones were my only means of listening for many years but I still prefer speakers due their imaging properties compared to headphones. My current headphones which I have modified slightly are the Sennheiser HD579's. My speaker setup are modified JBL LSR305's with modified Tannoy TS10 subwoofer run off a modified Asus Strix Raid DLX. Both sound great but the speaker are my pride & joy.
My cheap JBL headphones can emulate the bass feeling on the body.
@@necrodh Your jbl dont even have bass
How do I get that aural tactical synthesis thing?
I love my 25 year old Sony MDRV6 headphones! The problem with headphones is that most people bump up the volume too much and damage their hearing. If you want to enjoy music music when you are 60 ( when you can afford the great gear ), don't destroy your hearing when you are 20!
I’ve two sets of those & one is 25 years & older! For the monies, they are very difficult to beat!
I didn't. I got into the habit of putting it on pretty quiet. If other kids wanted a listen of what I had in my walkman (which was pretty rare), they complained they couldn't hear it and wanted the volume turned up. The rule of thumb I use is "If you have to pause your music to hold a conversation, you've got it too loud."
My AKG are gentle to my ears i have more than 10 years listening with them and 0 ear problems
Dang it I am 25 and I think I have already destroyed my hearing because I never listen to songs without full sound both in headphone or home theater.
I think the most dangerous is when you listen in a noisy environment and you crank the volume up. So you end up listening at 88db SPL or something like that 😅
There is no replacement for displacement, that's what i miss with headphones. Precisely how you feel paul...
For me, it's "Speakers AND Headphones" (replace the "vs").
I've been a headphone guy for years with a Focal as my daily driver at home and a HD650 at work. I've relegated my HIFIMAN planars to my wife. Recently, I put together a 5.1.4 THX Ultra certified home theater setup, and playing music out of that in multi-channel stereo was... a truly transformative experience. The soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation of a good loudspeaker setup... headphones cannot even come close. It's a totally different experience. My music took on a totally different life.
What a wonderful story. I find that changes in my sound system - sometimes reveals things I had not heard before.
I mix music, and sometimes use headphones to do some surgical eq. I turn my monitors completely down, but leave my sub going. That way I can feel the sub running through my feet. While the headphones are great for tiny tweaks, nothing beats the speakers for a full mix. My two.
It's hard to mix at the right volume with headphones too. You can calibrate your monitors and work precisely at 82spl for example, not with headphones.
Totally agree. Feeling the music is as important as hearing it to me.
The preference for speakers may derive from their ability to replicate (however accurately) the live music experience, and in fact I seek a system that not only reproduces the brilliance and depth of real instruments, but also the volume and dynamics of a live performance.
Welcome to the never ending struggle lol.
This is why gamers use headphones. Because only by using headphones do you get the sound in your ear so that you can hear all the tiny sounds like footsteps and what not. But wearing headphones for hours on end do get tiresome for most people. There is something freeing by just sitting back and listening to some good music coming from a good speaker system.
Most gamers can’t afford to put in a Dolby Atmos system in their game room… If they could they wouldn’t be wearing headphones 🤣
@@wb5mgr They'd still be wearing headphones because you don't have you're damn game sound bleeding into your mic when you're trying to talk.
I just LOVE Paul's honesty! Greetings from Romania! :)
Love seeing more Romanians into hi-fi. Numai bine
I like isolation sometimes, headphones have incredible microscope audio like you said. It is supra natural because we usually don't put our ears that close to music. But I also love speakers because of the waves and magnetic stuf happening. I just love both and can't think of letting one over the other.
Also headphones are how i got into audiophile stuff. Because my akg k700 and asus xonar sound card just gave me an incredible, like never before, experience of listening to what most people don't. It opened my mind so much.
As someone with neighbors in my apartment I cannot always enjoy my stereo and surround setup, so my in ears or over ears are critical to my enjoyment of music on a daily basis. I also like the introduction of haptic or audio feedback devices like the sub-pac or basslet that help to supply that visceral quality of music headphones by their nature cannot give.
Sometimes interest in headphones come from necessity, moving from a house with separates and subs to an apartment. Hopefully dsp will someday get us to proper imaging.
IEM's are awesome, you can use them in very loud environments like I do at work, they fit under my welding helmet, and they simultaneously work as ear plugs, everything has its purpose.
I currently live in an apartment with family so I mostly use my speakers during the day (1-9pm) as loud as I like so no issues there. Still use headphones when anyone is sleep at home or in the building. Although I much prefer the sound of speakers for the reasons Paul describes, it's sometimes nice to have that close off feeling when you can enjoy your music privately without anyone judging your musical taste.
I'd love some noise-cancelling loudspeakers so that I can no longer hear the neighbour's banging on the wall.
I always love listening to a well-spoken man/woman.
If I could viscerally feel the music, the police would be knocking on my door in short order! I need a soundproof listening room.
Paul - Audeze is pronounced like Oddessy, but instead of the S sound, substitute a Z sound. And, I totally agree and love mine. Nothing quite sounds like them. 🎧
*Odyssey
But with a "z", and with a longer initial "awe" sound than what you have in "Odyssey".
Grado cans are much much better. No comparison. The best in the world.
Good joke Raffie.
@@raffiequler7510 grado build quality is a joke.
@@albertweedsteinthethuggeni7797 That's a lie. Grado has the best build and sound quality. I know that better than anybody.
I couldn’t agree more Paul about headphones being the microscope however they lack they feel of the loudspeaker.
I started my audiophile hobby with a pair of MDR Sony headphones and was blown away how detailed they sounded. Gradually moved into the Sennheiser HD 650 and then 800.
Now I have them in my dedicated 2 channel listening room and separate dedicated home theatre, and use either for different purposes.
Totally agree on the Apple EarPods too, have replaced my noise cancelling headphones except while I’m on the plane.
i love speakers. I went more to heaphones as i could get quality for a lower prices. I enjoy Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser.
I am very impressed with my latest acquisition...The Sony ZX300 Hi Res player with the balanced XBA-3 headphones...High gain output of 200 mW from the player with the headphones barely breaking a sweat at 100mW...I can turn these thing up and there is no distortion right to the pain threshold.
The best experience I've had with headphones/earphones was with custom in ears.
When they are made properly, the user cannot feel that he/she is wearing them and the isolation is unmatched with any other types of earphones.
They stop at the second bend of the ear canal, so the bores are really close to the tympanum, making the music listening experience really unique.
You said you hate in ear monitors but love your iPods? Which you put in your ears? I like headphones exactly for the reason that the shut everything else out and you can concentrate on the music.
I agree with the reason to use loudspeakers. I want to actually feel the music physically. And this is the reason headphones can't replace speakers. I use headhones now and then to my keyboard and mobile phone but almost never for music listening in the living room.
Absolutely love a fact that you, an audio expert, uses AirPods because he just likes it. While having acces to the best audio of most people. A good lesson for most people, to enjoy music, not the bitrate.
I use them both. Loudspeakers until 22:00, thereafter I switch to my Beyer Dynamic headphones to be kind to the neighbours. It's both a complete different experience, that's what I like about it.
Well, to be honest, if you are an audiophile and you can't afford very good speakers (5000$ and above), you can get away with a pair of , let's say Sennhesier HD 800, or if you love classical music very much let's say Audio Technica AD2000X. These are headphones that will offer you trully hifi sound for around 600$-1000$. Let's be honest, with these money you buy only entry level speakers or best you can find a decend medium level used speakers. Even a pair of sennheiser HD600 will offer you a hifi sound for only 300$. Yeah headphones don't have even close the imaging of good speakers but this is a compromise you have to do if you want hi-fi sound for little money. And by the way, the amplifiers for headphones are much, much more cheaper than amplifiers for speakrs. You can buy a really good headamp for 600$-800$ or less.
My JVC SP-333 speakers cost me $20. Goodwill and Craigslist are your friends here. 100wpc class AB Kenwood amp was $40. Sony SACD player was also $40. I'll take this over your $1000 headphone setup any day. You can FEEL the BASS! Can't do that with headphones!
there are also alot of people that take a MC Donalds hamburger any day over kobe beef, that doesn't mean anything at all, so sory but you have nothing to do with hi-fi, you're just a basshead, no offence!
George Popescu Funny how wrong you are. My favorite bands are Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath… and goes well into Daft Punk and Portishead. Lately I've been enjoying Bass Mekanik and Bassotronics. However, since my AT VM540ML arrived yesterday, I've been playing a lot of Wilburys, Beatles, and Stones… but go on about how much you know me…
it's a big difference between being a melomane (music lover) and being a audiophile (hi-fi sound lover).
de gustibus non disputandum !
I am a fan of headphones and floor standing speakers. When I bought my actual system in 1985-86, I first chose a set of headphone that reproduced music the way I wanted. The headphones I bought were Sennheiser HD 430 (which is an open back) and used them to match speakers in a listening room, easy with an open back as you use both at the same time and you can hear the discrepancies in the reproduction of the music played. It really help in narrowing the field of almost spot on and near miss sets of speakers for a closer look. In the end, I went for Celestion Ditton 66 Series 2 that I setup in my living room about 30" from walls. For power to feed them, I bought the Kenwood Basic series M2 for the front speakers and Kenwood Basic M1 for rear Technics SB-L100. I could not be happier since it plays most music I threw at them to my liking and that is what matters in the end. I still have the same system and still pleased with it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Someone else who hates in-ear earphones!
I got a pair when I replaced my phone a few years back (bundled with it). They got a few minutes of use, then were consigned to a box of e-waste and I went back to the earbuds that came with my previous phone.
I can't stand the feeling of them or how they make me nearly deaf to my surroundings. Regular old smooth plastic earbuds let the sounds around you leak in so you can still hear what's going on around you.
I subscribe to the philosophy that headphones are for adding to your soundscape without annoying everyone around you. I think those in-ear ones are aimed at people with the philosophy that headphones are for replacing your soundscape with a different one.
This is kind of off topic for this video, but I have just started watching your Y-tube videos and I have been very impressed with your knowledge and the presentation of your videos.
I have been putting together a small system and recently purchased a Kanto subwoofer to compliment my other speakers. It is my first subwoofer. I started looking for information on setting up the sub and found your channel. I have to say that getting the crossover and volume on the sub set right has been a real challenge. Your note that you should hear the bass, with your ears, but should not be able to tell that is coming from the subwoofer itself has been the basic guide I that I have used.
I've got it pretty close, but I have also found that sub settings can really be dependent on the individual song and the music source. I mostly listen to online available music. So, the consistency is not always there. So, sometimes, I have to tweak things just a bit, depending on the song, and or the music source. But...I've got it pretty close. The subwoofer really does add a lot to the overall enjoyment of the system. Just wanted to tell you good job and thanks.
If you want to properly cross sub-woofers to stereo speakers you are going to need two of them to run in stereo. Otherwise, you will always be trapped between being able to locate the sub and having a thin sounding listening experience. Once you have two sub-woofers you are going to want to volume match them to your floor speakers and then choose a crossover frequency that does not create an interference pattern with your floor speakers. I would also suggest that you do not get a sub-woofer that was designed for home theater use as they tend to be muddy and focus more on air volume moving mass than acoustic accuracy. My suggestion would be to build your own. Audiotechnology drivers and Hypex Sub-woofer plate amps work brilliantly together. I have two Audiotechnology 15E1022510 drivers powered by two Hypex DS8.0's boxed, ported and crossed over at 120Hz. The image blends perfectly.
Joel,
I appreciate your comments, but I think you misinterpret my intent. I am not an audiophile. I just wanted to improve the sound of my music, so I decided to add a subwoofer. Using the information I found here in Paul's videos, really helped getting it set up to sound good.
Audiophile is a sliding scale. We all started out just wanting to "improve the sound of our music" a bit. Every improvement leads to more imperfections noticed and more improvements. I'm just trying to save you some money by suggesting the best option right away. I would have saved thousands if I knew what to jump straight to in order to get the best sound possible instead of incrementally increasing my equipment over time making some mistakes along the way.
Joel Doxtator a big yes
so much money wasted
buying online
not knowing what you really get
Okay, Joel, I guess if one classifies anyone who enjoys music to be an audiophile, I fit into that broad category. But, since finding all of the types and styles of music that are available online, even just through UA-cam Red, has made me want to listen to the music of years past, whether it's rock and roll from the 1950's and 1960's, Motown, the Beatles, or even the big band genre from the 1940's. I am not much into Jazz. Also, having grown up during the sixties, and having lived in a major metropolitan area where country music was just for "hicks", today I find I like the country stuff from those same earlier years. It's got Heart.
Having added the small subwoofer recently really adds the punch that makes all of those areas of music sound even more classic...sort of "Juke box style", and using Paul's philosophy of setting the sub so you can hear that "oomph", but you can't really tell where it's coming from, gives the added touch I find I like a lot.
So, in those terms, I guess I would qualify as an audiophile. And, sure, I tweak things around according to the style of music, or source (it can vary quite a bit from one provider to another), but am I going to invest in a bunch more new equipment....Nada. Thanks for helping/making me sort out my thoughts on this topic. I'm really just a nostalgic, but happy camper with my new toy.
What do you think of the vintage AKG K1000 ear-speakers? Thanks
Respect for being candid about the earpods. Not easy to do in this business...if it works, it works!
Energy, soundwaves produce energy and that is how you "feel music". Headphones let you isolate and become introspective of and with the music, speakers while still providing that introspective experience also have that "big air movement" which is very much an external thing... Both have their place. I am wondering if using headphones as a tool to tune speakers?
Got a pair of HifiMan Ananda’s for Christmas. Thanks Santa! Love those suckers. But actually still love my old small Advents (and speakers are just better in general. Currently waiting for some .7 Maggie’s). Love it all tho!
Paul, thank you for such an honest opinion.
I consider myself an armature audiophile. I love it and continue to learn all the time.
I have assembled a very nice system made from partially used components which has allowed me to have a system of high quality which fits in my budget.
What I have learned is that we don’t have to have perfect Systems to enjoy music and the “art” of music.
Sometimes what works for you is just that. It works for you in the budget you have.
You analysis of the Apple EarPods is exactly that. They are great for what they are intended. I also love mine.
I really encourage people to not get intimidated by the word audiophile and think they have to have $10,000 speakers or they don’t fit in.
It is like wine, sure expensive wine can be great, but not everyone can afford it and sometimes, it is not all that good regardless of the price.
Set a budget, start somewhere, check out used equipment and continue to learn and upgrade when you can.
This is the most meaningful explanation for this topic!
I loooove speakers! I can’t really enjoy music much with headphones, not too mention they aren’t practical in a social setting
o/24/2020: Hello, Tom from Orlando, Florida. What do you think of the: BOSS Waza-Air Wireless Guitar Headphone Amplifier? I am worried about losing some hearing and Tinnitus: Would the Waza be safe? Please read this: Decibels & Damage Sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). Sounds of less than 75 decibels, even after lengthy exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss. However, extended or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels (approximately the level of a vacuum cleaner) can cause hearing loss.
I love speakers, but unfortunately my neighbours don't, so headphones it has to be for me.
Headphones have their place. The problem I have with headphones is that they're not representative of the experience you get watching live music. You don't go to a concert and put headphones on.
On the other hand, the band does wear headphones when tracking the song in the recording studio... So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But then while some producers use headphones to mix the songs, others use speaker systems like Dunlavy... So confusing!
@@TassieLorenzo That's true, but the best equipment for producing media isn't always the best for playing it back. Nvidia Quadro graphics cards are used for professional graphics work, but people playing the games use Geforce cards. 2 different tools for 2 different purposes.
I've had the same pair of $99 Sony MDR-V600s headphones for over 10 years and I've never had the urge to upgrade. They sound fantastic, but given the opportunity, I'd ALWAYS rather listen to music through a proper set of speakers.
I agree completely. I hate closed headphones for that very reason, they feel like they close me off from the world.
Sometimes this is exactly what I want. For example when the noise level is too high in the office and I need to focus on my own work. In this case headphones help a lot.
Paul, have you ever been in a bass head's car?
What you described is a big reason why I have a 15" subwoofer in my trunk.
Car audio...that's hilarious
audioquest make an open version of that headphone called Nighthawks.
The higher end HP cost for example the Abyss Phi which cost from 4k to 8k. Is the price justifiable for a HP?
I use both at the same time, it gives that concert hall dimension.
I had Stax electret headphones, best sound ever that I base my diy loudspeaker balances on. I now have Audio Technicas that are outstanding. No room BS!
I enjoy both, but my best headphones sounds more "high end" without selling my soul.
For Audiophiles on a budget, dollar for dollar headphones get you into a higher end product ..ie.$2000 spent on speakers vs. $2000 spent on a Pair of Audezes or Dan Clark’s, gives you a better sound scape..and of course in the recording studio you gotta have a good pair of closed backs…thank again for you great and consistent work..
Hi Paul, whatever topic you talk about , I just listen carefully and enjoy your voice and expression, which are very much analog!!
thank you, finally found some who explains it perfectly. Difference between closed back, open back and speakers explained perfectly in a vid
open back kinda give you best of both worlds imo sound stage and precision in sound, ofc the sound stage cant compete with good huge speakers but in the speakers u cant get the level of precision
Paul knowing your esoteric level of sound..have you considered Custom IEM’s for travel? I swear by mine.
I didn't know Paul was drinking the Apple fan boy kool-aid.
how d?oes bose pricey headphones compare with the best
I've used headphones as I started out with good quality sound components on a budget, and used closed headphones such as beyerdynamics dt770 to cut off my neighbours antics when I lived in an appartment. When it was quieter I also liked the open sennheiser hd598s. I watched movies and listened to music and watched youtube with it. I've built my own headphones amp which made a huge difference compared to my 1970s amp I usedat the time.
When I moved to a free standing house I've built myself 2 pairs of speakers to watch movies and listen to music and hardly use the headphones anymore. I love the sound and listening with my whole body just like Paul.
I used a pair of in ear etymotics when mowing the lawn or work in the garage with loud power tools. The passive noise cancelling is amazing and the sound is pretty good too. I got used to in ear headphones in about 1-2 months. Really sore ear canals at first but now it's pain free. Sometimes I enjoy being in my own little cocoon with headphones on, sometimes I want big powerful sound coursing throughout my entire body.
There is a time and place for every type of speaker or headphones to enjoy music or to remove the noise you don't want, or don't want to share or bother others.
Hi Paul,
I've always been a fan of high end audio. I suppose I can thank/blame my father for that haha. I just wanted to say I am a big fan of your page. Ive seen lots of answers to some questions I have pondered over the years and it's nice to see them laid out in a way that makes sense to the average person. Thanks for what you do!
I think most people are here because of our dad :D
When you travel constantly for work and move from apartment to apartment, it makes sense to own a headphone.
Thanks for mentioning the airpod. I've had a couple of people ask about them and didn't know what to say.
“Aww-DIZ- zee”
AWW-DEEZ-NUTS
Likewise, exactly why I like going to live concerts, to feel the music, since in my apartment I use headphones most of the time as to not risk disturbing neighbours. Need a good dose of serious bass from time to time. Funny, you mention the pants. I was at a couple of concerts where it felt like my jeans were moving in the breeze.
.. i have a question about head-phones, as far as I know - there they only ones of there type ... there called (Skullcandy Crushers-wireless) they have mini subwoofers, it vibrates my head .. (its slogan is Bass you can fell)
Hi Paul ... Greetings ! ... What's your opinion on the new B&W Formation Duo's? Would love a product review if possible
they are great audiophile speakers for enjoyment, would recommend less for mixing though
What do think about using a pair of bass shakers attached to your seat and a paid of headphones on your head. I have the same problem with headphones I can't feel the bass but the soundstage is incredible. All that music literaly in your head nothing else to distract you just the music in your head no matter what way your turning you head you could be in a small room a large room it takes the room outta the equation I just miss that thumping bass and if you don't have a lot of money you can afford to play the music loud enough to enjoy in say an apartment building. But perhaps a pair of bass shakers wouldn't bother the neibors as much and you could still get a little bit of that punch back
If program material has dynamics that assume about 10 feet of air between the listener and the speakers, then the dynamic envelope will be wrong over headphones. I use them when I make recordings, but they never sound right. I must guess how what I'm hearing through headphones will translate when played on speakers. They are sometimes a necessary tool for recording, but I get no pleasure from listening over headphones.
You can cover a lot of that distance with a custom EQ preset made according to David Griesinger's differential equalization method. See his video "how to equalize headphones for accurate timbre and frontal localization without head tracking".
1:45 when mom comes home with pizza
Thanks for this, Paul - great to hear a 'speaker guy' acknowledge the strengths of headphones. When I got into this hobby, reviewers barely acknowledged the headphone jack on a component they were reviewing (in some cases, for good reason) but that has all changed over the last 5 years. There are still a few holdouts but the magazines and online bloggers know they cant afford to ignore the headphone lovers out there. Ultimately, pitting one vs the other makes no sense to me : I've yet to see a sign anywhere that stops a consumer having both. My biggest objection to speakers, esp subwoofers, is that they are a weapon in the wrong hands - I dont know anyone who wants to hear AC-DC at 120dB in a residential environment, but they definitely dont want to hear it at 3am : you can have that cake and eat it too with headphones and the only loser is your hearing ;)
Thanks for the vid.
ROTFL!, except for the hearing loss.
joking aside, professional equipment that is about 1000 watts total RMS can blast out about 130dB (ie. with compression/horn tweeters(125 Watts/channel),and folded horn sub (750 Watts) ). It is just like standing next to a jet engine full throttle at takeoff at less than 3FT from the speakers.
"weapon in the wrong hands" lol. Sounds like you have some disrespectful headbangers for neighbors. Maybe its me!
I love headphones. They found great, can offer incredible imaging and detail, and when used with an EQ you can get as flat a response as you could ever want. For years I made cassette tapes to use on my car stereo. The car lacked a lot as far as response goes, and with a good set of headphones, some time experimenting and good notes I could get really good sounding music in my car. The trick was to EQ the recording just for that environment, and headphones helped me dial that in. My speakers? Not so much. These days we us CD players, if you can find a car with one, and Bluetooth. I hate Bluetooth because of all the Compression that comes with digital media. But, if I can get things set up to EQ and record my own CDs I'll do that all over again. And if I can find software to EQ music and store it via lossless digital media I'll do that. Hopefully the result will be everything I had with cassettes but without the noise inherent with tape.
I'm fully on the speaker side of the equation, but current circumstances have brought me to discover what audiophile sound from headphones can be and I'm not that disappointed. I'll take a well set-up system via speakers w/o question, but an equally well set-up headphone kit will keep me going.
We have a new baby. All of a sudden headphones are making more sense to me lol.
I agree. When I listen to my IRS 5s I get the same feeling😂😂😂😂😂😂
Well, they also lack crossfeed, having super stereo instead. But that's correctable with crossfeed emulation.
Dear Paul, I am a fan of your channel, even though it’s hard to find Phase Audio products in my country, and I learn much from you. Isn’t there one particular characteristic that you haven’t mentioned concerning the basic difference between speakers and headphones? Come to think of it, I have yet to find a UA-cam channel that mentions it. I am referring to the fact that I assume that every music recording was made to be propagated via a pair of speakers. Sound from both speakers would reach both the listener’s ears albeit with slightly different sound levels and phasing. A good recording and a good sound system would be able to portray a near realistic reproduction of the recorded music only if sound from both channels can be heard by both ears, and that is something that no set of headphones could ever achieve.
Since you want to beable to hear your surroundings, open back headphones fill that area, all the examples you shown are close back. close back are designed for listening in confined spaces with other people around as the sound doesnt leak out where as open back have leak at least half of of the sound to the surroundings hence are good to use in public or place with others
Having a stereo is awesome. And
I like having a couple of headphones in my music arsenal. If can do both
Very good explaination of impedance vs E/I. As a rule, high impedance headphones cost more and sound better.
You and me, Paul, are the same, in every way, when it comes to headphones.
This may seem silly but I have a question...How do headphones or earphones cover a wide frequency range with a single driver but speaker units need different drivers for reproducing the same range?
It's because of the loudness and driver size. As the cone moves more in a speaker to make enough volume in the room, and when it is big enough to make bass in the room, it becomes difficult to avoid Doppler and other distortions. In a headphone, the close proximity to the eardrum allows for a small driver to be very loud and have full range.
Definitely a headphone guy here. Ultimately I got into headphones because I don't like playing music out loud in a multi-person household. The thing I don't like about headphones though is that many models are tuned for bright piercing treble and a bass-heavy low end, and I feel like bright treble is a risk for hearing damage. Right now I'm on the Sennheiser HD660S which has a very gentle treble, although you do sacrifice airy detail and it can sound a bit boring. But it suits my needs.
There are now 20 (euro) headsets for gaming that vibrate; in addition to bass notes,they start a vibration,separate from the drivers; this vibration does not damage your eardrums,it just shakes the headset; you can turn it off,there is a button on the left side that you just press; i was just now trying a set like this out now,and i selected Paul to see how they reproduced voice; of course,the quality is not great( not as good as a 20 year old Panasonic over-the-ear that i use).
I am a fan of Paul. And he is a good adviser. I am also is on the journey of audio amplifier making. I love to experiment on the circuits and the boxes. But at this moment I am just a novice. Thanks Paul. You are such a good guide.😊
I am trying, boss. Thanks for the kind words!
🙂
And I find your answer at the end very interesting. I guess I would just assume that an audiophile who is into speakers would also be into headphones. But that would be like a car guy also being into motorcycles.
i think most car guys can appreciate a nice bike and might even own one :P
I like to listen to music LOUD. And I'm also a considerate guy, which is why I mostly listen to headphones.
Try Focal Clear and Hifiman Arya with a good DAC and amp - the clarity, detail and perfect balance of all frequencies may just make you reach for your headphones a little more often :)
Hi, did you get maybe comparing these to speakers? Asking because I can't afford more audio gear at the moment lol
@@skylordsrebornpvpreplays5795 Hi, I have never owned high quality speakers so I could not tell you how those headphones compare to them. From what various reviewers have said, you would need to pay a lot more for a set of speakers which would match those headphones in quality. But, of course, speakers will always be better for soundstage and the physical impact of music. I personally prefer intimacy and the feeling of being sucked into the recording which is so much better on headphones. Plus my flat's acoustics (and small size) are so bad that it would not make sense to invest in expensive speakers. I use M-Audio monitor speakers with a Wharfedale subwoofer which, except for the fact that they can make my flat shake, are miles behind the details and accuracy of the above headphones. I now use them with a Topping D90 + A90 stack and they are breathtaking with well-recorded music. Even though some of my friends think I am crazy, I can honestly say that I do not regret any of the few thousand $ that I have spent on the above system. It takes me to audio heaven whenever I feel the need to leave Earth for a while. ;-)
@@MistaLova-Lova 👍
I hate in-ears too, but I sure do love my active noise cancelling Bose QuietComfort wired headphones, and I use the wireless ones with the same earplug style design. They're super comfortable, they don't actually go into your ears, and I wore them all of the way to Asia (30 hour travel time) without discomfort. They're not particularly more hi-fi than the Apple Airpods, but they don't fall out. I also love the wireless ones for working around the house, or working on the car.
Completely different than my Grado RS2e headphones which I'm surprised you didn't mention because they're fairly open, well priced, and have a great sound.
Nothing like speakers, but as mentioned.. a fraction of the cost.
Ps audio doesn't sell headphones right? So there you go
Great observations. Headphones do not recreate the tangible aspects of music the way speakers can, nor can they truly create the sense of space, even with open-back headphones. Planar headphones can be utterly amazing in the upper mids and highs, but lack deep bass. Monsoon (now essentially defunct) employed planar drivers in their multimedia speakers (such as the MH 502 system I still use with my computer) and home audio speakers (such as the FPF 1000s) but found the bottom end rolled off at about 100 Hz (making woofers and/or subwoofers necessary for a realistic experience). Even the lower midrange can be less than stellar with planar drivers. Planar headphones are thus limited in what they can do even though they do some things extremely well.
You should try the sennheiser 3.00
The biggest benefit for headphones is that you are not listening to the room.
You don't need sound dampeners and diffusers.
Also, you can get better sound for the same money.
physically feeling and connecting with the music (SPEAKERS) versus high-resolution detail, clarity (HEADPHONES)
I like how Paul has a special pair of pants for listening to music. 😂😂😂
Another great video like ever
Such a down to earth sort of guy