Headphones vs speakers….

Thanks guys, wow, a lot to read here!

I thought I was done with my quest for great headphone and headphone amp combo but….

I should have mentioned my Benchmark amp and preamp will be used in a small room as I’m now in an apartment. I used to own big Magnapan speakers with great amps and I’ll probably never enjoy music like that again - I like my music loud but I can’t do that in this apartment. I’m out on the town a lot so I use portable headphone amps, right now the Ifi Gryphon. I’m happy but always wondering if there is better in a truly portable headphone amp.

my room is maybe 14 feet long by maybe 12 feet wide so I guess I’ll be giving up good soundstaging which I love. Using Totem 1 bookshelf speakers and will hook up a Velodyne sub with these. However today I swapped the Totems out for a Pair of Paradigm S2 v2 - horrible! My room isn’t yet treated (will be in two more weeks) but the Paradigms were just muddy as hell compared to the Totems and I’m wondering if this was due to the bigger cones on the paradigms coupled with an untreated room.

right now I’m just dabbling with what I have laying around (Naim Nait 5i ) until my Benchmark system is complete with the DAC 3. However, I doubt that will have any effect on the Paradigms sounding better, but who knows how much of this is due to a very untreated room.

Re my headphones - too many to mention, all quality, some cheap but great for my sound preference, “good” bass. My cheap DT770s at $130 gets me 95% of the way of my favorites right now but at over $2000 with a good cable - Fostex TH 900 (for bass). Waiting for a pair of Audeze LCD2 to test out that flavor.

Just to add in case anybody chimes in on cans and portable amp - the most important thing for me is a wide soundstage but I sacrifice this by using closed back because of the bass - can I find both? Not sure how much an amp affects this, but I like forward mids (vocals). My other little portable amp which I love is an older Oppo HA2 - I think this sounds warmer than the Ifi Gryphon. I’m curious about the Audeze but these will also be the closed back.

You may never equal the headphone with the speakers and the room you now have. If volume is in play, and low bass, stick with headphones and everyone will be happier I guess. You see to be leaning that way. And if speakers and headphones are going to cost the same, stick with headphones.

I know how fabulous headphones can sound these days but the listening experience is night and day for me and if forced into headphones I could probably adapt. They just don't sound like a good loudspeaker, and that's what I do prefer.

You might consider an extreme nearfield experience with your speakers and see how it might sound. Keep experimenting with the Totems. Good luck!

Listened all night after getting B&W i5 in ear wireless headphones with an Android phone. Being freed from the wire immerses you in a sea of fabulous sound. Sennheiser TW3 if you want more bass at the expense of some transparency compared to the B&W. At these prices embrace the healing power of and.

* quantum leap over AirBuds.