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Dislike Headphones?

It's isn't so much headphones I dislike, but listening to stereo with them, especially with production that has hard pans left and right.

This is why something like a crossfeed, or binaural audio, helps to make headphone listening more natural. Stereo was designed for two speakers, where "crossfeed" naturally occurs in the room.
 
Rug Doc said:
Headphones can create great ‘in ear’ bass, but it’s not in your chest now is it.
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I had an audiophile mate over yesterday, and we were musing as to the potential of having a subwoofer running with headphones, so we could feel the air moving.
I will have a go at it some time.

He had a go with my new Hifiman Edition XS. Changed his normally derisory viewpoint on headphones within a couple of tunes, but we both saw the Cans as an adjunct rather than any kind of replacement for loudspeakers.
 
RoA said:
Yes, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Neither is either any more flawed than the other. Enjoy both for what they are.
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I totally agree I am enjoying “having” to use them until the amp returns and I am fortunate that I have a detached house so no volume issues but if we ever move in the future I could live with them rather than no music at a decent volume
 
Big Tabs said:
I had an audiophile mate over yesterday, and we were musing as to the potential of having a subwoofer running with headphones, so we could feel the air moving.
I will have a go at it some time.

He had a go with my new Hifiman Edition XS. Changed his normally derisory viewpoint on headphones within a couple of tunes, but we both saw the Cans as an adjunct rather than any kind of replacement for loudspeakers.
Click to expand...

Given me an idea for a vibrating pad to place between your chair base, or back pad and cushion. Would replicate the psychical feeling of bass…

There was similar that vibrated and attached to your sofa for AV applications a while back I remember.
 
Yomanze said:
It's isn't so much headphones I dislike, but listening to stereo with them, especially with production that has hard pans left and right.

This is why something like a crossfeed, or binaural audio, helps to make headphone listening more natural. Stereo was designed for two speakers, where "crossfeed" naturally occurs in the room.
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^^^This

For large-scale classical music I find headphones intolerable without some effective way of getting the orchestra out of my head.
 
I don't dislike headphones per se - I've owned three pairs over several decades - it's just that they send me to sleep. :(
 
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RoA said:
Why is that?
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Recently moved house and found my allocated room was so bad acoustically that I sold the loudspeaker based kit and went to Headphones, very different and just did not enjoy, subsequently negotiated space in a better room and went back to loudspeakers, wonderful and enjoying music again.
 
Rug Doc said:
Given me an idea for a vibrating pad to place between your chair base, or back pad and cushion. Would replicate the psychical feeling of bass…

There was similar that vibrated and attached to your sofa for AV applications a while back I remember.
Click to expand...
Some gaming chairs do this , i would recommend one of those.
 
Rug Doc said:
If someone could show me a headphone system that doesn’t sound like you have two speakers on your ears and the stage is basically in your head, rather than in free space then I’d be a complete convert.
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I need to preface this by saying I just now saw this thread, for whatever reason, hence my reply 2+ months later.

But having said that, have you tried "earspeakers"? I understand that they are not your typical headphones, but then...

...I am talking (1) vintage AKG K-1000, (2) MySphere 3 (the latest reincarnation of the K-1000 paradigm, from the original designers), or (3) RAAL SR-1a?

Granted - all the above provide absolutely no isolation whatsoever - but are the least "in-your-head-sounding" headphones I have heard.

Big Tabs said:
I had an audiophile mate over yesterday, and we were musing as to the potential of having a subwoofer running with headphones, so we could feel the air moving.
Click to expand...

A bunch of people did this years ago on Head-Fi with AKG K-1000 setups.

I have yet to try it, for the sole reason than in my case, it defeats the purpose of the headphone system being a compact, sideboard affair.
 
I really dislike wearing headphones and find the listening experience significantly less engaging.
But will use them occasionally, maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
 
I just don't know, the music on the speaker is much better and of better quality than on the headphones
 
And headphones can’t image at all.
For me that’s the main problem – I don’t crave bass at all.
 
InSides said:
I need to preface this by saying I just now saw this thread, for whatever reason, hence my reply 2+ months later.

But having said that, have you tried "earspeakers"? I understand that they are not your typical headphones, but then...

...I am talking (1) vintage AKG K-1000, (2) MySphere 3 (the latest reincarnation of the K-1000 paradigm, from the original designers), or (3) RAAL SR-1a?
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And Jecklin Floats.
 
Can't comment on the electrostatics but I had a pair of Jecklin Float 2 and wasn't that impressed. Mind you I used to use a Neal Ramsden 'Can Opener' in those days so they would definitely have performed better with today's better quality headphone amplifiers.

I use a pair of AKG K1000s. I still have the REL subwoofer in the loft. Back in the day, I had a young family so there was no real choice but to listen to headphones in a box bedroom. Loudspeaker listening wins everytime for me but I haven't heard the current state of the headphone art.
 
InSides said:
I've always fancied trying Floats. Never got the chance. :(
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They were the only headphones that I could bear to wear. I did (much later) have a pair of the Float 2s, but although they fitted the same, they didn't sound the same. So I sold them. I now have a pair of Meze 99 Classics in walnut, which I bought for their comfort. I think I have used them twice!
Most of my listening is very late at night at a very low level, and I find Tannoy MG12s sound good at those levels, especially now with the Accuphase E-800.
 
As a near field speaker listener who liked to nearly sit inside the stereo image, the move back to cans (650's) hasn't been traumatic. Ultimately I'd like to have experienced Quad ESL 57's with those tall legs, sat close up. The nearest thing to that I guess would probably be a high end Stax combination but I think my Lehmannaudio Linear / HD 650 combination is quite satisfying sitting downstream from a P9 / RB1000 / Apheta and Ios phono stage.
 
I don't really enjoy headphones much. I did when I was 14 and had a Walkman- but I suppose back then things were very different for me.

Loudspeakers in a room make me connect more with the musicon an emotional level.

I tend to associate headphones with work (recording, or in-ears for gigging).

I would love to hear a good set of Stax though...
 
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