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Are Headphones Fit for Serious Music Listening?

Not for me they’re not, but I welcome and appreciate that they might be for you. Here’s why:

First, I am aware that extraordinary headphone gear exists out there, rivaling the best of 2-channel gear.

Second, I do own headphones myself. They’re Bowers & Wilkins; I think they’re a pretty decent set. They live in my gym bag because I listen to podcasts with them.

As I rejoin the audio fold, it becomes more and more clear to me that different folks experience music in different ways, leading them to different head spaces and different beliefs and different corners of this hobby. Yes, that much should be self-evident, yet many people don’t seem too aware of it; they think their way is the way, and they’re quick to dismiss other people’s points of view, sometimes in terms that can be unpleasant to witness.

The number of fruitless arguments we see around here could be greatly reduced if folks respected the diverse ways in which other folks consume, appreciate, enjoy, and love their music, and agreed to disagree.

Back on topic - i strongly believe that - for me - music is to be felt as well as heard.

I’m not necessarily talking about 115 dB peaks and wall-shaking electronic sub-bass, though that’s fun too. I’m talking about the tangible, tactile quality of tight, well-controlled bass that envelops the entire head and is felt in the chest as sound waves radiate, deep inside the chest if one’s amps + speakers couple allows it.

I’m listening to A Tribe Called Red’s Nation II Nation album as I write this. VC is on 35 out of 100, probably no louder than 70 dB, yet I distinctly feel the waves of tribal drumming hit my body, in ways wholly unrelated to my hearing sense yet deeply complementary to it.

And there you have it: headphones, by definition, don’t / can’t give this to me, so - for me - headphones don’t work for serious music listening. But they’re great for podcasts.

How about you guys? How do you experience your music, and how loud do you like it?

 

devinplombier
marco1's avatar
marco1
617 posts
 

Headphones are for when you’re bored thinking about upgrades to your speaker system or when your better half continues to tell you to turn it down. I own 2 very nice dedicated headphone amps and 3 sets of headphones.  Oh, and easily get bored.

knownothing
1,703 posts
 

I find myself alternating now in late night listening sessions between headphones and my 2.1 channel system.  My room is pretty good, and my system comes alive at around 60db with the sound on good recordings extending wall to wall and bass that has presence and can be felt.  The room has sound insulation so is fine up to 70db at night for other residents and neighbors unless I am playing Yello or Skrillex or something like that.  But sometimes I just want to listen to the intense details provided by my open back headphones and will forgo the bass punch for the retrieval and nuance of my cans.

So my answer is yeah, headphones are fit for serious music listening.

kn

larsman's avatar
larsman
2,399 posts
 

I love headphones, as do most of the people on most of the forums I go to; Audiogon people don't seem to like them - the headphone thread sees almost no action -  but that matters to me not a jot. 

If you want to hear really good headphones, Bowers and Wilkins is not what you want. They're great at what they specialize in - speakers. Plenty of companies that do only headphones, like Audeze, Hifiman, ZMF, and others are much better.

Focal is one of the exceptions that make both great speakers and have a full line of great headphones. Headphone amplification is also very important in the chain.... I've got tube and SS headphone amps, and 3 sets of headphones. 

soix
10,295 posts
 

I enjoy both but prefer my big rig because headphones can’t produce the scale of a performance in a room like a good 2-channel system can.  But I chose my HeadFi setup to have the same sound characteristics that I value in my home system and enjoy it for what it is and when I don’t wanna fire up the big rig. Is it the same?  No.  Is it enjoyable?  Absolutely.  I would love to hear the RAAL SR1a phones at some point because they do seem special, but to me headphones will never replace what my home system provides.  It’s just physics.  

fatdaddy2
454 posts
 

At 2 in the morning with family members still asleep for another 4 hours, it's headphones or nothing.  Quite satisfied with my K801's with mod'ed cables and WA6 tube amp.

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