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Author Topic: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!  (Read 15657 times)

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Marvey

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Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« on: March 06, 2013, 12:51:24 AM »
I believe it was someone from Head-Fi a few years ago said (I am paraphrasing) that headphones are awesome because we can get the sound quality equivalent of a $40,000 speaker system for a tenth of that. Considering how much headphone pricing has escalated...

I call BS on that.

I got seriously into headphones after my second child was born, and how much I have forgotten about speakers!

This modest setup ($500 speaker kit,  Crest CA-2 power amp [$500 ebay], Schiit Mjolnir as pre $750, Schiit Gungir $750) beats the crap out of any headphone rig for me. It's not finished yet as I need to add a supertweeter and will try to integrate a subwoofer (I know REL's secrets.) It does some things worse than TOTL headphones, but it also does some things better. It sounds great at low volumes for that 2am magic hour listening. And low volume means I won't wake up the rest of the family.

I strongly encourage everyone to quit this HF mickey mouse shit, get rid of (or augment) their headphones, and start building easy speaker kits (of any sort).
« Last Edit: March 06, 2013, 12:56:49 AM by purrin »
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LFF

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2013, 01:02:01 AM »
  :-00 BLASPHEMY!!!! :-00



NOTE: Purrin speaks truth.  :)p1
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Kirosia

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2013, 01:13:13 AM »
Those speakers look kinda familiar...

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Anaxilus.

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2013, 01:16:41 AM »
Actually, if you recall how truly awful most $40K speaker systems can sound, it's not that bad an argument.


I think the better argument is that relatively accurate and enjoyable performance can be had for modest sums if you choose wisely.  Chasing the dragon is a whole other phenomenon which can be just as bad if not worse in the speaker world.



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TMRaven

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2013, 01:36:24 AM »
I'd take my 400 dollar psb rig over many headphones 9 times out of 10.  Ironically, I've begun to take a liking to headphone presentation of soundstage.  There's actually times where it's cool to have the sound envelop you.

I certainly never agree when people say headphones can provide more detail or speed than speakers  per price.  I find the right speakers to separate different tones and timbres in busy passages very well.
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Marvey

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2013, 01:39:20 AM »
The HD800 is the only headphone which has better detail than a good speaker. Stats are the only headphones faster than good dynamic speakers, and even then they have issues.
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TMRaven

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2013, 01:44:29 AM »
Btw are those massive bass ports at the bottom of your towers?  They remind me a little of Atlantic Technology's HPAS tower speakers.
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Maxvla

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2013, 01:48:37 AM »
HD800s have ruined me for speakers. I just can't do their soundstage anymore. Listened to a WTL Amadeus -> Leben 300 -> Harbeth 5 setup for like 4 hours Saturday night and only on one track out of all of those did the soundstage somehow materialize into something as good or better than the HD800. The other tracks were just bad.

Since I feel I'm pretty much done in headphone land with picking up the GS-X and X-Sabre lately, I might look at those kit speakers for a fun project.
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RexAeterna

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2013, 01:50:42 AM »
i always found speakers overall better value than headphones in my experience. but of course people thought i was nuts as usual but i don't know really. i love both. just currently in most situations since i had to move i been using headphones primary for music cause i hate wall reflections and just drives me crazy(that's why my hair is way it is).

but anax does have a point as well. lot of speaker systems tend to sound not too stellar. there is good options at very modest prices but then again ''modest'' is dependable on the individual.

speakers are also harder understanding than headphones cause there is lot more to learn to get most out of your speaker system then headphone system. i know one of the most misunderstood and dumbfound topics when coming to speakers is involving both speaker and room acoustics which i think are very important personally.


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Tari

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Re: Headphones as good as $40K speaker systems for a fraction of? BULLSHIT!
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2013, 01:54:31 AM »
With the ever-escalating prices of TOTL's, headphones are definitely much less of a value proposition than they once were.


However, there are some things great headphones do that I've found even great speakers have a hard time with (speed of Stax, low level detail of the HD800 as examples you pointed out) and there is so much less that goes into setting up a listening session with headphones. You put them on your head and that's it.  I daresay headphone listeners spend more time actually listening to music than speaker users.  Its just inconvenient most of the time.


Just spent the last couple hours listening to speakers though, and it was very experiential and enveloping.  Headphones can have a hard time with that as its pumping the music straight into your ears.
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