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Can headphones ever be as good as high end stereo?

I am absolutely satisfied with the sounds of my current setup but I feel like I'm unable to listen at the volumes I prefer on a regular basis due to the ole spouse. I've been considering switching over to headphones. By selling my current speakers and amps I could easily finance stax 009 phones and a suitable amp, which seem to be regarded as the pinnacle of headphones.

My question is, what would I be losing or gaining in the switch? Right now my setup emits a beautiful wall of sound and I would hate to give that up. Understand that I have never owned a pair of headphones worth more than 80 bucks so I have no idea what good ones sounds like. Almost all source material would come from a pyon ultima table. Thanks
bfin3
james633
1,026 posts
 
Keep the stereo you would miss it but add some headphones. 

Good headphones can hang with the best stereos in resolution, tone, dynamic range etc (I do mean the best) but you will lose all of the soundstage. 

A another option to the stax would be the new Focal Utopia headphones that are coming out this month. The only issue with Stax is the amp and amp selection. A more traditional headphones will give you more options. 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/811270/focal-elear-and-utopia-launch-with-impressions-head-fi-tv

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/worlds-best-headphone-focal-utopia#ljcH6spRCL1zsXyb.97


tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
I'd keep the stereo and try some good modest phones and a decent amp.  After a while you'll know.  I have Senn 600 and AKG Q701 and like them both (although the AKG's really need the tube amp to shine).  My starter amp is a Bravo Ocean which sounds fine.  My wife is out of the house enough lately that I'm listening to my speakers more than the phones.  I would not give up either the phones or the bigger rig.  Other phones to check out in that price range would be Phillips X2/X27 and Beyer 880.
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Not this week.
rebbi
1,326 posts
 
@bfin3 
For what it's worth, I just put up a post on my audio blog that's relevant to your original question! It's part of a series I've been writing on my experiences getting back into the world of portable/headphone-based high end. Here it is:

https://stevefolberg.wordpress.com/2016/08/19/entering-the-parallel-audiophile-universe-part-iii/ 

Enjoy!
erik_squires
16,069 posts
 
Good headphones with the right DAC/amp are pretty magical.

Set your standards by listening to a Pono. It’s got one of the best output stages around. Second to this is the UFO DSD DAC’s if you can find them, Blue Coast may still sell them.

At the last California Audio Show I went to, the best and worst sound at the show (speaker or headphone) was from headphone stands. Pono and Blue Coast among the best of them. The absolute best headphone setup was a $5k setup by Audio Visions of SF but I can’t remember the brand. It was a rather wide tube headphone amp on top of an equally large DAC.


Best,


Erik
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