Headphones vs full range speakers


I've never had any really high end headphones. I had like a $500 pair of Seinhauser earbuds for a while. I thought they sounded really good even pushing off a phone. Question is who has gone from listening to speakers for your main listening pleasure to headphones or vice versa. Can get something like the top of the line Focal Utopia headphones while pricey they are in line with "mid grade" speakers. 
 

I don't entertain often at all and the wife does not listen anymore. Just started thinking why not simplify and get some kick butt headphones. 

mofojo

When i succeed to install my relatively good but low cost audio system in his rightful three dimensional embeddings controls space, i throw all my SEVEN ,dynamics, electro-acoustic,magneplanar,or hybrid headphones in a drawer for ever...

When i begun my journey with the same audio system now for years, any of my headphone was better than my speakers..

Now i prefer the same speakers on all acoustical counts...

Take yourself your conclusion...

M y own conclusion is : mechanical,electrical and especially acoustical embeddings controls are much more impactful in S.Q. than almost any upgrade of a piece of gear...

The only usefulness of headphones is listening without bothering others...

By the way the total cost of my audio system well chosen gear for sure is under 500 bucks... I had been lucky... it will cost me over one thousand now...( i dont count here the price of my main 7 or even 9 headphones if i add them all)

 

 

By the way i modified all my headphones with success, increasing their S.Q. with modifications in the shell room cups from damping technique and decreasing also the vibrations of the cups through the headband etc ...

it is there in this "tweaking" process i discovered the destructive power of vibrations, cross talk, and benefit of  ACOUSTIC science....

If you want to know why speakers are POTENTIALLY  better than most headphones if someone learn how to install them  it is simple... It is small room acoustic control the key....

@gdprentice

wow you have a couple really nice systems there! 
Do you prefer the Focals or the Sennheisers? 
 

Never owned floorstanding Focals until recently and they are lowly 836w but I love the hell out of them. 

I know now that @mahgister is not a young chicken , but his ears must be quite

good. I have Focal Clear with Pro-Ject Headbox DS2 and I enjoy theme a lot.

When getting old and your ears go down , I think that highend headphone makes a lot on sense.If  I am robbed in a couple of years, I will use the insurance money ,

buying less highend speakers and even more highend headphones and headphone ´ s amplifier

I have used Focal Chorus 836VW for a long time as front speakers. Now , they are used as rears in my HT system.  They are much too good for that specific use , but 

I would not have had much if I had sold theme to buy averadge speakers for rears.

I never said that headphones were bad....

I only say that speakers WELL ACOUSTICALLY implemented in a room can beat them...

From my experience....

by the way i begin my audio journey preparing my retirement and pledging to create a headphone system more useful for many reason than my Speakers...I sold my 2 pair of dual concentric Speakers and bought headphones...

During the last 6 months i put all my headphones in the closet... COMPLETE REVERSAL of my knowledge and situation...