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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
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
2,987 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.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
In a word, no.
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tonykay
1,301 posts
 
Bfin3,

So that this thread doesn't end on a negative note, just try a few high quality phones and you'll learn what many of us already know, i.e. that headphones can give you state of the art sound at a fraction of the price of speakers. A pair of Stax 009s (with driver unit) will cost in the $4-5K range but sound like the best speakers you have ever heard. Remind me again, how much are those high end Wilsons or Magicos?
wolf_garcia
6,696 posts
 
I had Grado 60s that died after many years, replaced them last year with new SR80is that are amazing...not closed back, not exotic, simply amazing once broken in (that takes a while). I've used countless "cans" for live mixing for years (closed back) as well as for recording, and the inexpensive Grados for when I want to just listen to music on phones, so I say don't be frightened by the low cost...speaking of which, I also have one of those inexpensive little Chinese tube headphone amps (Bravo?) as my preamp doesn't have a headphone out...am I a cheapskate? Yes indeed. I prefer speakers of course...but love them Grados...
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