Headphones vs loudspeakers


Could you tell why headphones sound better than loudspeakers in general? When listening to music through headphones you hear more details, more ambiance and at the same time the sound is more pure than through loudspeakers. It's also as if you can listen to inferior CD-player without sacrificing much of the sound quality. Even with an excellent audio system the sound has less immediacy and is not so detailed as with headphones. What is the problem with audio systems? Are we dealing with psychoacoustics or...?

Chris
dazzdax

Showing 1 response by newbee

Nothing wrong with room audio systems (assuming proper set up and associated room acoustics). IMHO its far superior to listening to earphones (my last set were STAX). For the most part in earphones you get lots of detail and the ability (with good earphones) to accurately access what is on the recording - a great monitor.

But the price you pay is a loss of the sense of 3 dimensional imaging one gets in a good traditional set up. Most ear phones, even those trying not to, put all of the music in your (fore)head - you do not hear its source as coming from different, and appropriate places, as in a natural acoustic.

Odds are that if you think headphones are 'superior' you have either never heard a properly set up room system or have no appreciation for what it can do.

FWIW when I first encountered my STAX phones in a B&M store I couldn't imagine what anyone could hear to justifing the huge price (I'd heard & owned other phones). But, what the hell, I listened and bought them on the spot. I used them for about a year mostly for the reasons you mention. But as my room system/set up improved so did my preference for the acoustic added by the room.

Horses for courses.