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Can headphones ever be as good as high end stereo?

I am absolutely satisfied with the sounds of my current setup but I feel like I'm unable to listen at the volumes I prefer on a regular basis due to the ole spouse. I've been considering switching over to headphones. By selling my current speakers and amps I could easily finance stax 009 phones and a suitable amp, which seem to be regarded as the pinnacle of headphones.

My question is, what would I be losing or gaining in the switch? Right now my setup emits a beautiful wall of sound and I would hate to give that up. Understand that I have never owned a pair of headphones worth more than 80 bucks so I have no idea what good ones sounds like. Almost all source material would come from a pyon ultima table. Thanks
bfin3
bfin3 OP
7 posts
 
Unfortunately my speakers rattling the house is too much and I can't win arguments anyway haha. New house seems like an extreme solution lol but if I'm ever in the market I'll be on the lookout for something spread out! I think I'll definitely go stax if I take the plunge. Looking at either the woo wes or the blue hawaii amps to match. Whatever I do I want it to either be great speakers or great headphone setup. I can't comfortably afford both and I don't want to split funds to have only decent speakers and decent headphones. Whatever I do I'm going all in.
extravaganza
373 posts
 
Yes it can,but in this case headphone amp or headhpone output in stereo amp matters the most.For example grado ps1000 can have similar visceral impact on ears the way speakers do,but only if amp do that .
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tonykay
1,302 posts
 
Bfin3, your problem with your spouse is not unique. For that reason I have been listening to Stax phones for more than twenty years, starting with Lambda Pros driven by an SRM1/Mk2, and now the Lambda Signatures/SRMT1S tube driver. At a recent audio show, I had the opportunity to hear both the Stax 007 and 009 models. Both of my previous phones have sounded great but the higher Stax models were a revelation. I was struck by how comfortable both models were, how refined the sound and they have a more conventional look than my Lambdas. I have no doubt that I'll be listening to either the 007 or 009s in the future, driven by my SRMT1S.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Charyo, I only listen to phones in bed , a lttle Bach or Mozart to clear my brain before sleep.
That said, the Rega Ear phone amp I got on here for about $100 makes my AKG 701's sound fine to me.
chayro
2,998 posts
 
@Bfin3 - Just remember that many of the best phones are open-back and virtually non-isolating. You will hear every outside noise and you have to listen in a quiet environment, just as you would with speakers. Take that into account before you plunge into an expensive headphone setup. There are some good closed-back phones, but just be aware of what you're getting into.
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