Why do headphones sound so good...

I also agree with most all of the above.

I would add excellent headphones have very little phase shift, as their single diaphragm moves nearly/almost as one solid piston through the range of 200Hz to >8kHz.

In that same range, most all speakers have hundreds of degrees of phase shift (time delays), which change with the frequency being reproduced.

A lack of time-domain distortion can also be called a high level of time-coherence. This is not the same as phase coherence.

Time-coherent operation goes a long way to revealing the touch on any instrument, the enunciation and inflection in any voice, intense dynamic contrasts, and clarity of the individual artists, almost regardless of what those headphones might be plugged into.

I use the word 'any' in the last sentence, for you should be able to track those characteristics of the performance through any tone range/any performer. Also, any image, as odd as it may be to hear it inside your head, should be stable in any tone range.

If you encounter a tone range where something isn't right about one of those characteristics, you are in a range where phase shift and possibly other distortions are high.

My first truly involving headphones were Koss ESP-9's. Still have them, now with a dead power supply, but someday...

Best regards,
Roy Johnson
Designer
Green Mountain Audio

I would add excellent headphones have very little phase shift, as their single diaphragm moves nearly/almost as one solid piston through the range of 200Hz to >8kHz

In that same range, most all speakers have hundreds of degrees of phase shift (time delays), which change with the frequency being reproduced.

Roy,

Agreed. Minor and gradual (smooth) changes in phase seem to be extremely important in tranducer design between about 300 and 4 Khz (preserving timbre over the senstive mid range frequencies ).

I suspect this is one of the reasons speakers with similar frequency response sound so different. I suspect that another reason stems from differences in off-axis response or dispersion.

So two alike speakers in on axis frequency response can sound totally different. So why do the audio magazines and specs all look primarily at on axis freq response?....go figure!!!

Other factors are IM and harmonic distortion ( again something audio mags rarely delve into and are often horrific in many speakers at higher or realistic listening levels and especially at low frequencies but also, suprisingly, bang in the upper mids/treble where it is most audible (ringing, breakup)...again nobody seems to look at this....go figure!!!)

Further factors are baffle and edge diffraction.....again nobody examines or measures these effects as a test on commercial products....again ....go figure!

BTW: I still have my trusty AKG 240's (1979 vintage Stucio headphones), the first headphones that really blew me away. I think the Koss were stunning too - although I found them a bit heavy/uncomfortable to wear. (However, I do find headphone listening an unnatural sound even if distortion is more easily heard. It is not just the "in your head" sound but the lack of reverberation that I don't like... a certain reverberation of a live room is quite essential, IMHO, in hearing more detail in the music as the reverberations help seperate sounds and let the brain/ear gleen more - so I rarely use headphones as a good pair of loud speakers simply wins hands down!)

Right on all counts, Shadorne.

Best regards,
Roy Johnson
Designer
Green Mountain Audio

They don't sound good - you are simply not used to real live music.

Music can be felt as well as heard, especially the lower frequencies. With earphones music cannot be felt. Earphones usually lead to irreparable damage to hearing as the users turn up the volume to compensate for this loss.

Live music also carries an acoustic signature of the room. Using speakers you have a similar effect. Earphones rob you of this.

Regards
Paul

I love my headgear but it doesn't touch my main speaker system. The headphones appearingly more detailed lack the substance given by a decent pair of speaker with decent electronics. One reason headphones may appear asttractive is that you can play them louder than the average speaker system if you live with others. I really like my headgear but I love my main system. I like the effect of the sound of speakers in a room. Headphones lack the body and weight of decent speakers. I have an HR-2 Emmeline amp and Sennheisser HD650 headphones so my headgear does not lack warmth or body but my Hales with my Pass electronics simply have more of a good thing. If your room makes your speakers unlistenable then headphones are the obvious solution but if you can beat the room then nothing beats loudspeakers.