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Speakers vs. headphones

OK, desperation is setting in (I'll admit it). I have a 12-by-13 room with 7-foot ceilings (carpeted room and acoustic tiles up top) and I've tried every speaker and sub placement imaginable for my very modest system (NAD 326 amp, Totem Mites, Velodyne SL-800 sub). Even without the sub, I can't get the sound to anywhere near what I'd like it to be. I had an even more basic system (NHT Super Zeros, Onkyo amp, M&K sub) in my old home and it sounded INCREDIBLE compared to what I have now. Like I said, I've tried diagonal speaker placements and everything else, including room treatments (panels on first reflection points – no bass traps yet, but it seems the problems go well beyond bass). The question(s): Is it time for headphones? Is it even possible to get decent sound in a room with these dimensions?
jeddythree
devilboy
1,176 posts
 
A good recommendation, Zd542.

BTW: I had the Audeze LCD 2/Burson combo for a while. The Audeze retrieved detail unlike any speaker I've ever heard, I couldn't get used to the "head in a vise" feeling though. Also, I need a sensation of having a soundstage infront of me. The "headphone thing" did not work for me.
donjr
1,339 posts
 
Your room is not the problem. You need more current with those speakers. Load the room with books, pillows, fat fabric chair etc and buy a current swallowing integrated for those hard to drive speakers.

Headphones are not an alternative. They're a supplement.
kiddman
341 posts
 
I use Audeze LCD-3 along with very perfectionist speakers costing 50 or more times as much. I miss nothing except the feel of bass, but I get the "impact in my head", bass down to 10hz, and love the experience. It is the experience of music, of ease, yet of clarity to the event. Great headphones are lower distortion across a wider band than the best speakers. And that's audible, making the beauty of music easy to enjoy. Headphones are great: cheaper, lower distortion, easily driven. $2k phones + $2k amp = FANTASTIC sound. And I'm a 2 channel guy!
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Nice setup Kiddman, especially if you upgrade it from NAD 326/Totem Mites.
For me the ONLY fatigue free headphones found is AKG K701 or K702. Other even more expensive Grados, Senns or Ultrasone may sound better, but catch headache within minutes of listening while K702 would not.
I've heard that audiologists can design headphones for your music needs carefully analyzing your hearing spectrum and submitting required parameters to the manufacturer such as Sennheiser for instance that has a wide veriety of custom manufactured headphones
jeddythree's avatar
jeddythree OP
4 posts
 
Thanks, everyone. The one thing I think I've decided is that the Mites might not be my cup of tea, or at least not in that room. Can you recommend a sub-$1,000 pair of monitors that will dance well with the NAD 326?
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