View Full Version : In praise of headphones
Whilst I have decent kit I'm spending 90% of my time using cans these days. Here's why: https://www.stereophile.com/content/are-you-experienced-0
mostly using cans myself now
but the best headphones are more truthful messengers than the best speakers. There are fewer ways for the sound to go wrong.
Cobblers. There's no bass. How can that be more truthful?
southall-1998
15-06-2017, 12:11
You can't beat a good set of cans :D
S.
but the best headphones are more truthful messengers than the best speakers. There are fewer ways for the sound to go wrong.
Cobblers. There's no bass. How can that be more truthful?
plenty bass
walpurgis
15-06-2017, 13:40
You can't beat a good set of cans :D
S.
Baked beans or hoops? :)
Haselsh1
15-06-2017, 14:46
That is my current dilemma. Recently bought Grado's and although they are stunning in the mid and treble, there's no low bass.
Arkless Electronics
15-06-2017, 15:15
My Sennheiser HD580 can's have very impressive bass extension to below 20Hz... mainly noticeable on film and TV soundtracks. I've never noticed any REALLY low stuff when using them just for listening to music... I use mine almost exclusively for films and TV and almost never for music though.
Whilst I have decent kit I'm spending 90% of my time using cans these days. Here's why: https://www.stereophile.com/content/are-you-experienced-0
Oh I don't know, as an ex STAX owner, and still having some Grado RS1s, Sony MDR-V6, Jays V-Jays etc. there is a magic in speakers that is lost with headphones IMHO. Most of it I think is because stereo sound is designed for speakers, and not headphones, if all recordings were done in binaural too then I do very much think that headphones would destroy speaker sound at a much more modest price, but as it stands I find speakers more natural and less fatiguing in the long term.
plenty bass
plenty of imaginary bass.
plenty of imaginary bass.
You misspelt that. It's plenty Imagery and bass [emoji57]
That is my current dilemma. Recently bought Grado's and although they are stunning in the mid and treble, there's no low bass.
Previously had the Grado 80s and yep there's no bass, lovely sound but no bottom end, recently upgraded to the 325s, different beast altogether, much more of a balanced sound, excellent real agile bass........ definitely not imaginary Macca;):ner:
Never really used cans much, now I use them a lot at low level to mask my tinnitus.......ahhhhhh blessed relief.:):)
narabdela
16-06-2017, 08:31
Cobblers. There's no bass. How can that be more truthful?
Doesn't sound as if you've heard a good pair of cans yet, or possibly good, clean, accurate bass isn't your cup of tea.
That is my current dilemma. Recently bought Grado's and although they are stunning in the mid and treble, there's no low bass.
I notice that you use the SR125e....
"The SR125e’s offer a very balanced bass sound, without overdoing it — one thing’s for sure, these aren’t designed to bring any boosted bass to hip hop or rap tracks. Instead, they’re designed to sound the way the mixing engineer intended it."
https://headphonereview.com/on-ear/grado-sr125e-review/
You want bass - try Audeze models. Admittedly you hear it, don't feel it.
Doesn't sound as if you've heard a good pair of cans yet, or possibly good, clean, accurate bass isn't your cup of tea.
]
headphones just do not do bass. Don't understand what the argument is. Yes you can hear the notes okay, even the timbre of the instrument, but it isn't 'bass' like you get from a decent big loudspeaker. Where is the physicality? Might as well just sing the tune to yourself in your head.
headphones just do not do bass. Don't understand what the argument is. Yes you can hear the notes okay, even the timbre of the instrument, but it isn't 'bass' like you get from a decent big loudspeaker. Where is the physicality? Might as well just sing the tune to yourself in your head.
Am I unusual in being content to just hear the bass rather than feel it?
Nope I don't especially want to be vibrated with low freq either. Better feeling the wife. If you have one lol
maybe we should have a poll?
walpurgis
16-06-2017, 13:42
maybe we should have a poll?
Hope it will be more successful than the ones before the election! :D
Headphones are OK if you like the soundfield to be confined to the inside of your head. Move your head and the entire Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra moves with it! Not what you hear in practice, or what you hear when using speakers.
Fidelity is not limited to frequency response.
Lol. Better than being afraid to move. I like both tbh but cans are at least neighbor and family friendly. Some music is better on them and some on speakers
Lol. Better than being afraid to move. I like both tbh but cans are at least neighbor and family friendly. Some music is better on them and some on speakers
Neighbours have no right of complaint between the hours of 0900 and 2300; as for family they should have thought about that before marrying/being born into the family of a music enthusiast. Just tell them to turn the telly up a bit, that's what my neighbours do.
Neighbours have no right of complaint between the hours of 0900 and 2300; as for family they should have thought about that before marrying/being born into the family of a music enthusiast. Just tell them to turn the telly up a bit, that's what my neighbours do.
Real talk. :)
Haselsh1
16-06-2017, 15:28
Yeah, Sue and I rent our current property and we have restrictions from 23:00 to 09:00 which is very fair to me and Sue. As we are now in our fifties we need the sleep post 23:00.
Not sure I agree that just because the law says it's ok that it's ok.
If you don't want to hear your neighbours buy a detached house or join a monastery.
Neil knows what I'm saying.
One of my neighbours used to wake me up at 0600 playing Motley Crue. Did I complain? No. Because it is a terrace house and it comes with the territory.
People who expect constant peace and quiet from their neighbours are either not living in the real world or are totally self-obsessed.
Manners and self restraint young man
Manners and self restraint young man
Well, when I was a young man, which is several decades ago now, I was quite self-restrained. Surely one of the only benefits of getting old is that you can start saying 'Bollocks' to it all? ;)
I always admired old people who did that.
Haselsh1
16-06-2017, 18:42
Oh OK, we are in a detached house :rolleyes:
Can I help it that I love to have all of the windows open during the day...?
:eyebrows:
I think that it is down to common courtesy as well.
When I lived in the UK, I was in a semi-detached house. Friday and Saturday nights were interesting as they used to come back from the pub/club/party and put the music on quite loud.
I asked them politely to keep,the volume level sensible, but they never did.
So I got up at 06:00 one morning, turned the 12" powered sub level right up and played the Prodigy as loud as I dared.
They never played the music loud late at night again.....
Simon_LDT
17-06-2017, 08:59
Yep, it's about using common sense and courtesy. I won't play my music before 12 noon and not after 10-11pm, unless I see the neighbours go out. I also won't have it on every day, or all day. It's usually every other day for a few hours. Sometimes I end up with it on most days but even then I limit to a few hours, or take a break and come back for more later in the day.
I think it's wrong to be playing music loud at 6am or past 11pm, unless your neighbours are doing the same or for some reason don't mind it.
but the best headphones are more truthful messengers than the best speakers. There are fewer ways for the sound to go wrong.
Cobblers. There's no bass. How can that be more truthful?
Oh dear! You have so much to experience, young man! ;)
Oh dear! You have so much to experience, young man! ;)
no, I just hate headphones. Use to have a decent set of Sennheisers. Gave them away years ago because I realised never used them. I don't listen to music when I'm out and about as I like to keep my wits about me when in 'the real world'. At home I have big speakers to listen to music through, why would I listen on headphones instead? No physicality to the sound. If away on holiday I am distracted by the new surroundings and new things to do, don't really think about music at all. So I just have no use for them. They are a second fiddle that I don't require.
walpurgis
17-06-2017, 09:56
I never use mine either.
Got a few pairs though, some big Audio Technicas, smaller AKG's, two pairs of very nice sounding Yamaha HP-1 orthodynamics, think there's some largish Sennheisers knocking about and I've got half a dozen sets of the Sennheiser MX-5 in ear jobs for the portable MiniDisc players I still have (great sounding things!).
willbewill
17-06-2017, 10:45
no, I just hate headphones. Use to have a decent set of Sennheisers. Gave them away years ago because I realised never used them. I don't listen to music when I'm out and about as I like to keep my wits about me when in 'the real world'. At home I have big speakers to listen to music through, why would I listen on headphones instead? No physicality to the sound. If away on holiday I am distracted by the new surroundings and new things to do, don't really think about music at all. So I just have no use for them. They are a second fiddle that I don't require.
I can appreciate that but for many folks headphones are a necessity given their situations. Up to a couple of years ago I was the same, hardly used cans at all and always preferred speakers, but I was in a large detached house so no worries about neighbours no matter how loud I wanted it, however having now downsized into a semi I am considerate to my neighbour and so now have a number of headphone systems which allow me to carry on with my enjoyment of loud music, a price that must be payed for harmony.
I can appreciate the necessity in some situations. I tend to listen between 1800 and 2200, after that the telly goes on. I don't think that is unreasonable to the neighbours.
If working hours or other commitments meant I only had the opportunity to listen to music late in the evening I guess headphones would be a necessity. I'd rather change my job or my life around if that were the case, but I suppose that is not always practical. Or possible.
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