Headphones vs Speakers

YOu Will love it
The headphone would give you the most transparent sound possible since it avoid room reflections which, Arguably, has the greatest impact on sound.

Try to read reviews on http://www.head-fi.org/forums/ which has the experts on headphones.

Only thing different about them is that

1. you need to get used to something on oyur head..which can affect you
2. If soundstage is important for you; you may not like the imaging which will make sounds seem to come from inside your head

If you like rock Buy the SR 60 it is a easier load. the SR 80 performs better with a headphone amp.

If you like jazz and vocals, Beyer and AKG entry levels are very good.
If you want to travel with it , the Sennhieser PS 100 and 200 are very very good.

If you want in the ear phones Shure E2 or etymotic research make some excellent ones.


but IMHO SR60 is perhaps the best deal around..

oh what is music without wide soundstage...
I feel speakers give far more good sound than headphones. Cant carry a headphone while enjoin music or movies...

Dear Neutral,

Headphones & Speakers are like comparing oranges & apples ! They are different yet same. Much the same as an orange & apple are different fruits yet belong to the same fruit family ! Some prefer the headphones over the speakers & some the later. It finally boils down to personal tastes, Neutral.

Arj & myself prefer the headphone sound because it is fun & enjoyable !!....you want music on the go, all the time, anytime, everywhere...off course not at the movie theaters..... as of now...though that is changing with the advent of Dolby headphones....that we shall cover another time, if you are interested.....

Again in Headphones there are different types of headphones...I really don't know what your source is. If it is a portable player then you are much better off with a lower impedance headphone (Grado are low impedance units) If you are willing to invest in a headphone amp then high impedance headphones are recommended. Like Arj said, the sound seems to be coming from inside your head...though if you invest in a headphone amp you do get amplifiers that can inject crossfeed....now you are playing with the big boys because your headphones with a half decent player ( good player is even better) will sound just as good an a high end system you would have paid a lot more for ! If you check out what Arj has recommended, you will find a thread http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7226 which may be of interest to you, if you want to pursue the headphone-amplifier combination.

You may want to check out http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/all-headphones/ for recommendations & specifications for various headphones & US prices.

If you could advise about your source, perhaps Arj &myself would be able to help you further, should you desire to pursue this further.

Thanks,

Regards,

Junia.

Headphones are good for what purpose they serve.

But the sound from them isn't very realisitic. How do you hear a 30-20Hz frequency in your head. They are massive waves and can only be felt. So a lot of the charm of live music goes away becuase real insturments actually make sound waves you feel.

Also the stereo as someone suggested is over exagerated and squished.

I do enjoy headphones at times but music from a good pair of speakers I find more enthralling. One of my favorite headphones is the Sennheiser PX-100, excellent budget headphones. The only draw back they have are they are open air type and not good for noisy environments and what you hear everybody around you will hear.

Dear Oarnura,

I live in a place where I cannot open up the BEAST to more then 5% without the neighbours calling the cops ! Wish they made houses like they do in India and have cops like they do in India !

So how do I enjoy a good "Star Wars" like movie or a good bass content CD ?....a beefy headphone amp with crossfeed to eliminate the music in your head feeling, a good headphone and the buttkicker !! http://www.thebuttkicker.com/Berkline%20Seating.html
It really kicks butt & you can feel the 10 to 40 Hz thumps !!

Offcourse the best option was to open up the Beast, but that would land me in jail in about 10 minutes flat.

So for me I have found a happy compromise of relatively high volumes, decent sound stage, lot of artifical thump and not going to jail for disturbing the peace !!

Regards,

Junia.

Junia,

Move!!!!.

Sonic_Master schrieb:

oh what is music without wide soundstage... I feel speakers give far more good sound than headphones. Cant carry a headphone while enjoin music or movies...

A very incorrect generalisation

Not everyone considers a true soundstage very important to music.. it is afterall an audio illusion designed by the sound engineer and created mostly óut of spec'by speaker interaction with the room

try putting that point in head-fi.com..you might learn a lot about headphones.

once u hear a STAX or an AKG 1000 you will definiltely take back you words.

But then everything about aud
io is so subjective

About a year ago I was relocating, and faced with the prospect of being without my regular system for a few months. Thinking this to be an excellent opportunity to add a decent headphone based system to my assemblage of electronics, I went about auditioning, very seriously and for lengthy periods, some highly rated systems from Sennheiser, Grado and Beyerdynamics, coupled with some well reviewed headphone amps. Unfortunately however, they did absolutely zilch for me. Sure, the music was very immediate, but to my ears, pretty unnatural.

The conjuring up of an imaginary sound stage with air separating the singer as well as the various instruments, and the bass from the percussion instruments hitting the chest / ears even at low volumes are to me sensations to die for, and I doubt I would obtain those from a headphone setup.

But then, that is just my opinion, to each his own!

Cheers

true bass is something which definitely is a big drawback..and perhaps the biggest deterrant. in fact there are folks on heqdfi who connect a sub for the below 45hz freq

But regarding "natural sound" and "soundstage " are in itself is a hot debated topic. and being so personal a view, would not want to get into it

Dear Bigears,

I get my kick by connecting the buttkickers !

http://www.thebuttkicker.com/Berkline%20Seating.html

I wouldn't want to connect them to by chest...I will proberably die !

By all in all without disturbing the peace I have a goodtime !

Regards,

Junia.

P.S. Oh yes I am moving from Bradenton to Tampa...got to have the freedom to open up once in a while !

Dear Junia & Arj,

Isn't this the beauty of this hobby.

Everybody following it can have a great time..... and everybody can be right at the same time!

Cheers

PS

Wouldn't mind getting my butt massaged by the buttkicher from time to time....

But Junia i have heard alot about buttkicker but upto what extent these give the effect of subwoofer..

can i connect 5 surround speakers and a buttkicker instead of using the subwoofer?

Does it gives outstanding experience?
How far this buttkicker is successful?

Amen Bigears !

It finally boils down to personal tastes & having a good time !!

Dear Sandeep,

Before I answer your question let me share some personal history with you.

I thought I could recreate live music in my living room so went and got the very best equipment money could buy, only to be sorely disappointed that no electronic equipment could create the dynamics & atmosphere of live music.

That was one side of the coin, the other side was I couldn't afford to have all the artists ( read as no artist) I liked to play live music in my living room so I had to compromise live music with processed music. Ever since then it was a compromise downhill. Compromising with my conscience, I decided to have fun rather then worrying about technicalities of music. This lead me to experiment with headphones & trying to recreate a live concert experience with good headphone amps, headphones etc.... Like Arj & Bigears have mentioned you cannot say headphones are better then speakers or vise versa....it is all about you enjoying your music. As long as you are having fun go for it !!

Sure you can connect a buttkicker with 5 surround speakers. The best option would be (if you have two subwoofer outputs....or can manage a twin feed) is to have both the buttkicker & the subwoofer connected ! I can promise you, you will feel the thump in your rear & your chest !

Hope the above helps !

Regards,

Junia.

jsa_ind schrieb:

Amen Bigears ! It finally boils down to personal tastes & having a good time !!

Absolutely Junia, just a small rider...

Personal tastes are ever evolving and may change over a span of time, the only constant is to have a good time!

Cheers

Or, in the words of our very good friend Sub,

buttkicker does it creates lot more involvement than the velodyne subs?
yes i do believe that buttkicker will shake alot and creates the feel.

what about buttkicker in music? how will be the experience..

I have heard that there are albums where the lows will go dead down to 5Hz!!!! so i think we can feel this freq using buttkicker( i couldnt remember the album name ) can u mention any?

regards,
Sandeep

Dear Sandeep,

Jurassic Park is a good example of really low frequency sounds. Normally a buttkicker is set around 20 to 25 Hz.

A buttkicker and a subwoofer is like comparing an apple & an orange...they are different yet similar as both can be termed as fruits. Similarly one cannot make any generalization of which is better then the other.... both are good in their own ways!

Regards,

Junia.

Hi Sandeep,

Junia can explain to you the buttkicker phenomenon better, but, just to give you an idea, the Velodyne HGS 18 I have too makes the sofa judder during Jurassic park. And to add to the considerable anxiety already generated by Mr Spielberg is the constant fear that the vibrating window panes could finally gasp their last and need replacing!

Cheers

Dear Sandeep,

In continuation of Bigear's thread you can get the best of both worlds by a duel feed into the subwoofer & buttkicker !

Front & Rear....opps...how about that !!!!! Naughty naughty I wasn't referring to that............!!!

Regards,

Junia.

Hi Junia,

Have you heard about the latest model of the buttkicker which is programmed to vibrate in a slightly different manner when movies of a particular genre are being played...

big ears....this new version of buttkicker has to be experienced now thats what I call a good brand extension .....ha ha !

manek.

Hi Manek,

Sorry, but you will need to buy this one unsighted as they have stopped giving demos altogether.

Seems they had a tough time getting the enthusiasts off the sofa....

Hi Junia and Arj,

I use a computer n-Force 2 sound card as a source. The reason the Grado came to my head is because I lack headphone amplification. From your posts, I understand that the sound quality is worth it. Currently, I use a Sony but that's ordinary. It's a big let down compared to my audiophile rig.

Is there any place I will get to try Grado, Sennheiser, Bayerdynamic in India or will I have to buy them blind. Maybe get my brother to import from Canada.

A question. Is the amplified headphone jack on a preamp the equivalent of a headphone amplifier?

Dear Neutral

If you live in Bombay or Bangalore, I would be very happy for you to audition the Grado RS1. Many consider this the best low impedance headphone in the world ! I don't know whether you can buy a Grado in India....maybe your Brother can help you out.

For reviews on Headphones you may check our www.headphone.com Though for use without an amplifier I would recommend a Grado. Arj could offer some more inputs here.......

For Sennheiser there are a whole bunch of people whom you can negotiate the very best rates. Or you could pick one up from Sennheiser in Singapore. S F Ho (The Managing Director of Sennheiser Asia) is a personal friend of mine. As long as it is for personal use, if you mention my name he will sell you one at the Distributor price.

Here are the Indian distributors for Sennheisr.

Sound Team
B-2, Nalauda Usha Colony
FT. A-3 Ramchandra Ext. Lane
Malad (W)
Mumbai 400064, India
Phone: (91) 22 881 4041
Fax: (91) 22 881 0374
soundteam@vsnl.com

Advanced Telemedia Pvt. Ltd.
R-21, Hauz-Khas Enclave,
New Delhi - 110 016
India
Phone: (91) 11 26865188, 26511481
Fax: (91) 11 26864302
E-mail: sales@atmpl.com
Website : http://www.atmpl.com/

Elkon Electromedics
B-33, Nand Bhuvan Ind. Estate
21, Mahakali Caves Road,
Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 093. India
Phone: 91 22 28301030, 28323530
Fax: 91 22 28203373
email: electromedics@rediffmail.com

Elkon Electromedics
30B, Mhatre Plaza
Dahanukar Wadi
Kandivali (W)
Mumbai 67
Tel/ Fax: 91 22 28063128
email: electromedics@rediffmail.com
Contact persons:
Mr. Jubin Vaidya
Mr. Rakesh Ojha
Website: http://www.elkon.com/

Pace Communications (India) Pvt. Ltd.
17-2B, Ghanshyam Industrial Estate
Veera Desai Road, Andheri West,
Mumbai - 400 053
India
Phone: +91 (22) 5694 1915
Fax: +91 (22) 5694 1917
email: pace_comm@vsnl.com
Website : http://www.pace-mediateck.com/ / http://www.pace-comm.com/

Velwin Electronics
No. 52/41, First Street,
Bhakthavatchalam Colony
Vadapalani, Chennai - 600 026
South India
Phone: +91 (44) 2472 7784
Phone: +91 (44) 2472 5672
Dir: +91 (44) 2472 0701
Fax: +91 (44) 2472 1150 (Studio)
email: velwin@eth.net

Sennheiser electronic ASIA Pte. Ltd
http://www.sennheiserasia.com/
438A Alexandra Road
# 08-10 Alexandra Technopark
Singapore 119967
Phone (+65) 6-2735202
Fax (+65) 6-2735038
web.asia@sennasia.com.sg

For Bayerdynamic it is:

AVF Distributors (I)Pvt.Ltd.
12&208 Jogani Ind. Complex
Bldg. No. 6, Near ATI
Chunabhatti, Mumbai 400022
Tel. +91 222 / 5 28 71 86
Fax +91 222 / 5 28 71 90
rajavf@bom3.vsnl.net.in
in India.

I think the guys name is Rajiv who handles AVF.

Hope the above helps you.

Regards,

Junia.

Dear Manek & Big-Ears,

Now why would I want to share my personal experience in public !!!

Try the "Butt" and you will not be disappointed....front & back....full service is offered by the Buttkicker !!!

I better shut up now !!

Regards,

Junia.

Thanks Junia,

I stay in Bandra, Bombay. Tell me where I can audition the Grado. The Senns are great professional headphones but using the headphone out of a computer, I doubt I will hear anything.

Dear Neutral,

If you wish, I can have someone from the office bring the Grado to your place anytime after June 10th till the end of June. How does that work out for yourself ? You can check them out off your own computer listening to your own music.

Please don't write off the Sennheiser's I have also got the Sennheiser HD 600 and love them too. I run both the Sennheiser & the Grado off my Archos with great, but different listening experiences...apples & oranges !!

Regards,

Junia.

Neutral,

I did see some Sennheiser phones retailed at lakozy at chowpatty as well but now that Junia has given you the list of disties....what more can one ask for

Manek.

I think, if you like rOCK/POP for primary hearing, you should be able to buy the Grado SR60s blind. I think in entry level they do a buttkicker on the Senns and Beyers

It is in the higher end that the senns get really interesting ( For mobile uses the PX200 is IMHO the best)
And the beyers are better suited for Classical/Jazz as they are very smooth, but they suck on Bass reproduction..

Thanks Arj, Manek and Junia,

Junia, my fear with the Senns was that my computer sound card wouldn't output a sufficiently high quality or high powered signal to justify very expensive headphones. Thanks for the list of dealers. I'll contact the Andheri one in June.

I may take you up on the Grado offer in June. A clarification. Do you deal in Grados (you are a commercial member right) or are they only for personal use.

I want the headphones essentially for night use and for gaming. Few family members appreciate being disturbed by either of these things. I don't like the 'in the head' but can't have everything. I really couldn't afford a separate headphone amplifier so my headphones must be highly efficient.

Arj, Manek, is the amplified headphone output on a preamp the equivalent of a specialised headphone amplifier?

In most cases yes, but a true head fi freak would want a dedicated amp.
I think difference may be felt only in more expensive Headphones..for entry level the built in output should do just great.

Dear Neutral,

You could have a creative audigy or Nx card which has a headphone control, if you so desire..... I would second Arj advice of Grado SR60. However please be aware these are open headphones...which means they sit loosely on your ears and you would be subject to external noises if they are above a certain level.

If you want to be completely isolated from external sound then you might want to go in for a closed headphone.

Yes you are right I am a Commercial Member, however headphones is not a line we are presently carrying...though we might change this stance in the near future...................

No Buttkicker Neutral ??!! Just joking !!

Regards,

Junia.

Hi Junia,

Aha! Just as I guessed!

It is the buttkicker that is relegating the Evidence Masters to the attic, and not the cans...

Hi Arj and Junia,

I guess the Grado SR-60 is right for me. It's efficient for a computer headphone out. Its openness wouldn't be a big problem. After 11pm (the time I will switch to headphones from my music system) ambient noise levels will be negligible.

And when I am engrossed in a game, nothing disturbs me. Except when I die of starvation, having completely forgotten lunch.

Junia, what's the use of that 'buttkicker'? I'm quite sure that money would be better spent on getting larger headphone drivers (for more bass) and a more powerful headphone amp rather than some odd device.

Dear Neutral,

Please don't take my previous comments to heart about the buttkickers.

The buttkickers have become the butt of a few jokes that have been making its rounds on the forum.

You don't need one as of now....

So relax get your headphones & enjoy yourself !

Regards,

Junia.

Dear Bigears,

You are right !

I got the best bang for the buck with my Buttkickker and therefore trashed the Evidences !!


Regards,

Junia.

Hi Junia,

please let me know when you trash evidences...there's a poor man here to pick em up.

Dear SubBoss,

You are on....there was a pair of brand new unopened Evidences which I wanted to dispose off check details at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5767253020
Give me an offer !!

Regards,

Junia.

P.S. Just joking, they are not for sale...I changed my mind...on pair eventually will land in Bombay & the other pair in Bangalore in both my houses....at least in India I can open up the volume !!

Dear Neutral,

I have got the Grado RS 1 & the HD 600. Anytime next week let me know I can have someone bring them to you.

Regards,

Junia.

i hope u will be bringing them to bangalore too..
Sachi

Dear Benkenobi,

Ask as it shall be granted !!

I will bring them over Benks....one is a high impedance & one is a low.

Junia.

hello everyone.
i am in a factory that make speakers.I am not very professional,however,maybe i can give you some advice.
i'd like to say,if you like music go on,any time,any where ,headphone is good choice.But if you require high quality sound,soundbox is better.Stay at home,watch TV with soundbox(surround sound),like at theatre.
whatever you will choose,decide by your sound requirement and preference.