Will decent speakers always out do headphones?

We know one thing, is that they (better ones) are very likely going to be sealed back headphones, to keep the noise interference down so you won’t go deaf - cranking things up to keep the riffs and drums out.

This brings it down to a small selection of candidates. That is if you were looking to get ones that actually work rather well at their appointed job, re the nature of your query....

@telemarcer
As a fellow trumpet player I can relate to your post and I can tell you I have never enjoyed headphones as much as sitting in front of a 2 channel system. We hear things from a perspective that few people ever have the joy of experiencing. For me, it stems from hearing myself from behind the bell, resonating in my head from the mouthpiece and the 360 degree sound surrounding me. That combination of stimuli, for me, can never be duplicated by any headphones. Yes, the physical sound pressure is also a big part of it. Surely I can hear the details deep in a recording with my headphones on but the "completeness of performance" pales in comparison to the aural rightness that happens in my room experiencing the waves all around me.

My 2 cents as a musician

ps: I too had to get headphones to keep my sanity and the peace in this house.  It's a compromise but better than no music at all.   Yes, not being able to enjoy the 2 channel system is aggravating as hell some times but family dynamics and respect is paramount.

@telemarer - Headphones are the answer to your question. It's a compromise you have decided to make for your family and that's a fine thing. It just won't be the same as listening to a high end speaker system. They can be very good and enjoyable. They are just different.

A phono pre-amp with cross-feed can help with the hard left/right panning by bleeding a bit of the other channel into each ear, kinda like speakers in your room. But, you'll never feel the music in your gut. Or, if you do, you have it turned up WAY too loud...... :~)

There is a whole world of headphone users at head-fi.org. I'm guessing it is a much larger community than AudiogoN, but I haven't spent any time there in years. Check it our for WAY more information than you can likely digest regarding headphone listening.

Have fun and enjoy the new experience.

The sound from my speakers is like a (heavy blanket on a cold winter night :-) Joking but its the best I can put together at my time.
I wonder how many of us that spend big dillars would not want that same feeling on a flight to ...