Anyone using a headphones only setup?

[Giubanix]

Just wondered if anybody has resorted to (or just simply prefers) using headphones for all their listening?

I guess there could be any number of reasons - keeping the neighbours happy, blocking out the neighbours noisy tv that's ruining the quiet passages in your classical music, or maybe you work shifts and do all your listening in the middle of the night.

Recently I've been experiencing an increased noise from the tinnitus I've had for a long time, but which has never been a problem until now. I find myself often switching my amp off and using headphones (at a sensible volume) instead, because I don't notice the intrusive tinnitus sound so much on headphones, probably because the music is close up too.

I've started wondering if I could live with using headphones all the time. My AKG Q701/Graham Slee Novo combination doesn't give the 3 dimensional depth to the soundstage, or the sense of weight and scale that my speakers provide, but there's more detail as a compensation. Also, it gets rid of the temptation to try to improve the sound by moving the speakers around yet again, only to end up with them back within a centimetre or so of where they started.

[Giubanix]

Sorry for posting this in the wrong forum, one day I'll get the hang of where this stuff belongs... :eyebrows:

[Alex_UK]

Not all my listening, but a lot of it is done through headphones these days - needs must, rather than a conscious choice, but in some ways (the immediacy you've eluded to) I prefer it, although comfort for a long term session is always a factor.

[Marco]

Sorry for posting this in the wrong forum, one day I'll get the hang of where this stuff belongs... :eyebrows:

No worries. The secret is in reading the sub-headings, underneath the section names:


The Artist's Palette - All cable/equipment support discussion. Also mains accessories or anything which relates to the 'infrastructure' of your audio system. Info on tubes and headphones (inc. headphone amps and systems) should also be discussed here.


;)

The reason for that is because we like to keep what could be described as minority or specialist interests, all in the one place, for easy and quick reference.

Marco.

[Marco]

I prefer it, although comfort for a long term session is always a factor.

I'd have thought that your baby bonnet and ear muffs would've cushioned your wee lugs accordingly, no? :D

Marco.

[howardc1951]

I'm almost entirely using headphones - and I'm getting the best sound I've ever had. I recently bought a QLS QA350 SD card wav player - that's the one with the built in headphone amp. I'm using it with a pair of Ultrasone headphones and the combination gives fantastic detail but portrays it in an incredibly natural and realistic manner mainly due to the way the Ultrasones work which is different from conventional 'phones. I've no idea how much I'd have to pay to get sound this good from a conventional system but it would be a lot - far more than I could afford.

[morris_minor]

My AKG Q701/Graham Slee Novo combination doesn't give the 3 dimensional depth to the soundstage, or the sense of weight and scale that my speakers provide, but there's more detail as a compensation.
You could try a two week loan of a Reflex Ultra Linear amp from the Graham Slee Forum. I use this with HD650s and Denon AH-D7000s. With the Denon's especially the sound is closest I've ever come to "big speaker" sound from headphones. The weight, as you put it, is really quite remarkable from little transducers.

[Giubanix]

You could try a two week loan of a Reflex Ultra Linear amp from the Graham Slee Forum. I use this with HD650s and Denon AH-D7000s. With the Denon's especially the sound is closest I've ever come to "big speaker" sound from headphones. The weight, as you put it, is really quite remarkable from little transducers.

I may keep that in mind, but it wasn't so long ago that I got the Novo, so I'm not looking to replace it so soon. Of course, if my tinnitus doesn't calm down a bit and I end up selling my amp, I could always put the money towards another headphone amp. Another thing of course, is I just got the PSU1 power supply for the Novo last week, so I'd end up with two of those as well. :doh:

[morris_minor]

I may keep that in mind, but it wasn't so long ago that I got the Novo, so I'm not looking to replace it so soon. Of course, if my tinnitus doesn't calm down a bit and I end up selling my amp, I could always put the money towards another headphone amp. Another thing of course, is I just got the PSU1 power supply for the Novo last week, so I'd end up with two of those as well. :doh:

Ah - you could look for a second hand SoloSRG with a plug top supply and do what I did which was to get the UL upgrade. This may work out a bit cheaper, possibly :scratch:. I'd also upgraded my Era Gold V to a Reflex which came with another PSU1, so I had one spare for the SoloUL. The difference between the SoloSRG and the UL was really quite pronounced, so I'd imagine the difference between Novo and UL to be very noticeable once burnt in. I know I've never heard such good, deep, spacious h'phone sound before :D.

[technobear]

I mostly listen to Audiolab 8200CDQ and Beyerdynamic T1. This is a great combination.

[Pete The Cat]

I'm 25:75 speakers to cans nowadays. I came to accept that they're two different experiences each with pros and cons after I damaged my hearing and with having to listen to music at much lower volume as a result. Previously I liked to feel the sound physically (bass in sternum). The cans often win now due to conveying detail better in quieter listening sessions especially at the low end. My favourite combo is a White Noise Audio Mk3 with Denon AH-D2000s.

Pete

[Giubanix]

I've always done quite a bit of listening on headphones. Generally, speakers up till 9.00pm, then headphones after that. Recently though, I've been thinking that I'd like the (relative) simplicity of a headphone setup, mainly because you stick them on your head, and they sound they way they sound - no tinkering required to get the best from them.

I seem to have become a bit obsessed the last few months over getting the best sound from my speakers, constantly moving them a little this way, a little that way... frankly it's getting to the point where all I'm doing is listening to the sound rather than the music. Retreating inside a pair of cans would put an end to that. And as a bonus, it'd give me an excuse to think about buying yet more stuff. :eyebrows:

[Pete The Cat]

Tweaking the hardware is part of the enjoyment for me but I know what you mean about getting too hung up on sound. Occasionally I get more fun from listening to my old system out at the back of the house than I do from my main rig - my expectations of it are lower and so the focus is just on the music.

Pete

[wee tee cee]

I work shifts and listen to headphones quite a bit. In my limited experience the quality of sound that a reasonable headphone rig can produce is quite exceptional. The unravelling of music you have listened to for decades is humbling.
I found it very difficult to a hear kit/ cans/ amps.....superlux cans vfm are magic.

[Lord Soth]

My current Headphone combo is

Oppo BDP 95 (Digital Source) -> Decware CSP2+ (Headphone Amp) -> Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohms).

With the right valves in the CSP2+, this combination puts me in audio nirvana everytime!

[daytona600]

www.head-fi.org headphone website
some of these guys have very expensive setups


www
I've always done quite a bit of listening on headphones. Generally, speakers up till 9.00pm, then headphones after that. Recently though, I've been thinking that I'd like the (relative) simplicity of a headphone setup, mainly because you stick them on your head, and they sound they way they sound - no tinkering required to get the best from them.

I seem to have become a bit obsessed the last few months over getting the best sound from my speakers, constantly moving them a little this way, a little that way... frankly it's getting to the point where all I'm doing is listening to the sound rather than the music. Retreating inside a pair of cans would put an end to that. And as a bonus, it'd give me an excuse to think about buying yet more stuff. :eyebrows:

[Werner Berghofer]

Ian,


Just wondered if anybody has resorted to (or just simply prefers) using headphones for all their listening?

certainly not all of my listening is done via headphones, but for the large part I prefer using them. I’ve been fascinated by headphone listening since my youth, partly because I simply could not afford the speakers I liked, or I had no dedicated listening room, didn’t want to annoy others or needed that certain level of detail required while I was working for the Austrian radio (manually cueing ¼" tape on Studer machines, editing by cutting with razor blades).

Whenever I listen to new music that interests me, that I want to know better or I really want to dive deeply into familiar music, headphones are my first choice. I had a lot of different headphones, mainly German and Austrian brands. Introduced at the end of the 1960’s, the Sennheiser HD414 was a great step in the history of headphones; I think I owned at least three pairs of these and its siblings. Then came a series of different headphones manufactured by AKG, but their latest model K701 and its successors made me eventually switch to Beyerdynamic.

I currently own AKG K271, K701, Beyerdynamic DT 990/600 Ω and T1 headphones, but the AKGs are used very infrequently. I never owned more comfortable, better sounding (and looking) headphones than the Beyerdynamic T1. In combination with Schiit Bifrost DACs and Valhalla or Lyr headphone amplifiers they reproduce music in outstanding quality. I enjoy every single minute listening to this combination.

Werner.

[Giubanix]

Then came a series of different headphones manufactured by AKG, but their latest model K701 and its successors made me eventually switch to Beyerdynamic.

I currently own AKG K271, K701, Beyerdynamic DT 990/600 Ω and T1 headphones, but the AKGs are used very infrequently.

Werner.

I've been thinking about getting the DT 990's. Currently using AKG Q701, Senn HD600 and Denon D2000 with Graham Slee Novo, Heed Canamp and Little Dot 1+ depending on my mood and type of music.

Werner, is there a big difference in sound between the 600/250 ohm DT990's?

[Giubanix]

www.head-fi.org headphone website
some of these guys have very expensive setups

www

Yeah, I've spent quite a bit of time looking at pictures of their setups and reminding myself that I've been spending too much money recently and that I should be satisfied with what I've got for a while. I rarely listen to myself though. :mental:

[Werner Berghofer]

Ian,


is there a big difference in sound between the 600/250 ohm DT990's?

I’ve never listened to a Beyerdynamic DT 990/250 Ω. It seems to be generally accepted knowledge that the Beyerdynamic 600 Ω models offer the best sound, but the differences are quite subtile. I chose the 600 Ω version because they are the best match for my headphone amplifiers and because I knew that sooner or later I would eventually purchase a Beyerdynamic T1, which also has an impedance of 600 Ω.

I think this → head-fi.org thread (http://www.head-fi.org/a/information-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990) covers the sonic differences between popular Beyerdynamic headphones with their various impedances quite good. Here’s a direct quote dealing with the question you asked:

DT990
The DT990 is a fully open headphone with very impressive bass. Though the treble is more pronounced in the whole line up of headphones. I classify this headphone as their fun and bassy one. One thing to note that the DT990 has the most recessed midrange of all three lines.

250 Ohm
The treble is a bit far too pronounced and covers the midrange, though it has better detail and extension over the other DT770 and DT880 models. It’s somewhat strident and can cause ear fatigue quite quickly for those who are sensitive to treble. The midrange, as stated above, is very shallow to almost nonexistent. Maybe that’s overstating it, but it’s very shallow sounding, but what can be heard is very detailed and transparent. The 250 Ohm DT880 has a much fuller midrange, but the DT990’s has more detail and transparency to it. The bass is very prominent and takes over the sound. It makes the headphone sound darker. The impact on the bass is very impressive for an open headphone and it has more extension than the 250 Ohm DT880, but lacks it’s texturing and layering. The soundstage easily beats the 250 Ohm DT880 as this ohm rating of the DT990 is much wider and deeper sounding.

600 Ohm
The 600 Ohm model is the definitive version of the DT990 and has the smoothest treble of the DT990 line. It’s also the most detailed treble of all three lines and offers the most extension. The midrange of this model is close to the 250 Ohm DT880 and is rather shallow, but far more improved over the 250 Ohm DT990. The DT990 600 Ohm’s mids are a little bit more transparent and detailed over its 250 Ohm counterpart, but not nearly as full sounding as the 600 Ohm DT880. The DT990 still has a slightly more detailed midrange over the 600 Ohm DT880. Bass on this model is just insane. It has so much impact and is so tight and controlled sounding it makes you question that’s it’s an open headphone. Also the bass is very snappy and fast, far faster sounding than the other DT990 variants. Really just the most impactfull and controlled bass I’ve heard from an open headphone. The soundstage also beats all the DT770 and DT880 models and is pretty wide and deep. The imaging though is just a bit better than the 600 Ohm DT880, but not by much. I will say that even though the treble is smoother, it still may be harsh to those that are sensitive to treble. Still much better than the 250 Ohm and 32 Ohm models.

And here’s the latest of my usual, unavoidable Schiit/Beyerdynamic promotion shots for which I am known and appreciated on AoS :-)

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/schiit_stack.jpg

Werner.

[Giubanix]

I think this → head-fi.org thread (http://www.head-fi.org/a/information-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990) covers the sonic differences between popular Beyerdynamic headphones with their various impedances quite good.



Thanks for the link Werner. ;)

[Cans]

I was pulled down the headphone route when I realised how awful the acoustics of my fairly unique environment were.
You see, I have lived in a motorhome for 7 years. :)
So, I rethought things when I was so disappointed with my Cambridge amp , laptop, caiman dac and mission speakers.
I used the set up at my girlfriends and it was great. Just like the old days when my hi fi used to give me so much enjoyment before I downsized.
After some headscratching it was obvious that the sound was bouncing off the walls all over the place.
So the solution was a headphone set up.
If it's raining I use the HRT headstreamer. If it's dry I set the generator up and use either the Audiolab M-Dac or the M2Tech Young Dac with a mainscables rus linear psu and a Slee Novo headphone amp.
And attached to all this is a pair of Audeze LCD2's.
Not cheap I know, but....
The HRT sounds great and is well listenable and costs nothing to run remember.
The M-Dac has a no noise psu with a great headphone section and is a lovely detailed listen but it takes a long time before it's properly burnt in.
The M2Tech is a warmer, wider and more detailed sound than the M-Dac.
Either permutation gives me great pleasure.
I have been struggling to get my vinyl rips right as the front end is a 1984 Rega RP1 using a mini A2D phono preamp. My vinyl has been going mouldy in various garages for 7 years.
But with the help of a wilkinson's magic erasor I have scrubbed these clean enough to get a half decent sound from most of them.
One thing I notice with all my things high end though- the sound of electrical interfence, either from the psu from the A2D or the psu from the Novo. Not just in the silence but in the quiet spots of the music.
Ah well, it's the price one pays for having a transparent system I guess...

[daytona600]

Headphones the right ones can be superb and give a taste of super hiend systems
if you do not have the space , the room , neighbours , young kids & the budget
Recently bought a pair of headphones , but really earspeakers as Stax always say

10hz-100khz + ( H2+ ) full range Heli polymer piezo electric drivers with built-in supertweeters
with ( TR2 ) Step-up transformer driven by a pair of 9wpc 300b monoblocks

TAKET from japan just so ahead of the game , known in japan as " the king of headphones " If anybody ever wants to here them let me know
www.taket.jp

[technobear]

You see, I have lived in a motorhome for 7 years. :)

:respect:

That must take some doing.

[Mr Kipling]

Hi Ian,

You've mentioned constantly moving your speakers around. Presumabley endevouring to find that magic square inch that will catapult you into audioecstasy. Used to do the same myself. Found this and wondered if it might be of interest.

http://tnt-audio.com/casse/waspe.html

Years ago I discovered an unusual speaker set-up that produced remarkable imagery, but I don't suppose anyone will take me seriously. And I'm still trying to establish a bit of cred here.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

[SquireC]

Yes, by far most of my listening is on headphones. Stax 507's.

Used electrostatic headphones since the mid 70's. Wonderful. About to buy some new speakers as I want the choice between speakers and headphones , having just turned my garage into a music room.

Heard some Magneplanar 1.2's the other day - VERY interesting.

[Giubanix]

Hi Ian,

You've mentioned constantly moving your speakers around. Presumabley endevouring to find that magic square inch that will catapult you into audioecstasy. Used to do the same myself.

Stephen

The problem I have in my room is simply a limited range of movement for both the speakers and listening position. I've left the speakers alone for a while now, since I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get a better sound in the current circumstances.

At the moment, with my listening chair in it's normal, aesthetically pleasing, position relative to the other furniture, I get a nice tonal balance with a nice weight to the bass, but rather vague imaging. If I pull the chair forward about 18 inches, the image is suddenly much more three dimensional and realistic, but the tonal balance isn't so nice - not bad, just seems to lose a little warmth an sounds a bit more brittle.

[Cans]

:respect:

That must take some doing.


:-) It has it's advantages.
I have no neighbours. If I wish to alter my view , I get in the van and drive somewhere else. My cooking heating and water costs , well, you wouldn't believe me. But I'll try ; the last time I spent money on gas was in January, I use the works shower and tap water. I have no flush and no running water. No need. So zero cost.
The motorhome is paid for.
Which gives me money for the things in life which truly bring me pleasure.
And also a feeling on being on a permanent holiday B-)

[RichB]

I've recently changed jobs for a 3 month secondment which has required me to move down that London where I'm staying weekdays with my sister, brother in law and 2 year old niece and only getting back home to my system (and wife!) on weekends.

This has presented a number of challenges as I cant be without tunes but with us all living on top of each other a normal speaker based set up in my little room down there just wouldnt be practical. To overcome this I'm now using my laptop, a 1TB harddrive full of FLACS, my Hot Audio Dac Destroyer and a pair of AKG K450s. Obviously its no subsitute for my main system and I'm a speakers and amps man but it beats the hell out of the ipod, which I tend not to use when travelling around the city as being a small town boy I like to have all my senses about me.

I know the AKGs have their critics but for the price I paid (£49.99) I find them rather good and much better than 'in ear' phones which I cant get on with at all. I fell asleep with them on the other night listening to a bit of radio paradise, they've got a nice warm enveloping sort of sound for such tiny phones and pack away small when i'm on the road.