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Headphones vs Speaker sound....

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B777Captain

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Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostWed Nov 11, 2020 4:05 pm

Gang...

I’ve asked this before... but I’m still not quite there with it yet.

I’ve got the AKG model headphones and I have 8 very nice Klipsch speakers and two Deftec Subwoofers with my setup.

From what I read on the forum.... it sounds like most if not all are basically saying the headsets make it sound like the sound coming directly out of the speakers. To my ears, nothing can be further from the truth. There’s just no comparison... yet I get the impression... its the same sound in the headphones compared to the speakers????

I recall a few saying it depends on which input you plug the headphones into.... and I will experience the with that.... But again, is it really “as good” as what comes out of speakers???

I just find that hard to believe...as mine currently nor ever have sounded anywhere near as good as from the speakers.

Thanks for discussing this subject so I can understand it better.

Pat
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Las Vegas, Nevada
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NickNelson

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostWed Nov 11, 2020 4:36 pm

B777Captain wrote: it sounds like most if not all are basically saying the headsets make it sound like the sound coming directly out of the speakers.


In my view, a good set of headphones will nearly always reproduce sound much more accurately than a good (or better than good) set of speakers. But they will sound different, in part because there won't be the additional resonances
generated by the room the speakers are in.

I suppose it all depends on what you like, and what you are used to.

Nick
Last edited by NickNelson on Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mdyde

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostThu Nov 12, 2020 3:57 am

[Topic moved here.]
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.
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tf11972

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostThu Nov 12, 2020 2:54 pm

If you have really good (but expensive) headphones, the difference to speaker systems disappears (under the assumption you have your ears close to them so that the room-influence is minimized).
I have both, AKG K-812 and Nubert nuPro, a well-known brand in Central Europe. I was often flashed by the natural reproduction of the headphones, wondered if the loudspeakers are on and pulled the cans from the ears - silence :)

But these groundshaking bass of huge subwoofers a headphone never can reproduce - and the soundstage is in the head, not in front of it.
Best regards
Thomas

Forestpipes - Virtual Pipe Organs
https://forestpipes.de
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B777Captain

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostFri Nov 13, 2020 12:56 am

Yes, Sorry Martin and thank you!

Pat
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B777Captain

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostFri Nov 13, 2020 12:58 am

Mine still just sound slightly “electricity” although it’s not bad but honestly.... I just don’t have anything to compare it with.

Would anyone want to fly to Las Vegas for a day of fun playing the organ with me and testing out my headphones Lol.... Which are AKG 7 series... so they’re pretty reputable!

Pat
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RichardW

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostFri Nov 13, 2020 1:36 pm

Caveat: Anything to do with sound is subjective and personal.

I have some AKG701s and four KH120 Neumann speakers with a sub. My personal reference is to listen through the speakers. Headphones always sound as if I have put myself inside a box. The sound detail is also very comparable. The headphones obviously have less background noise and no room resonances but they still sound odd to me.

Regards,
Richard
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larason2

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Re: Headphones vs Speaker sound....

PostFri Nov 13, 2020 6:18 pm

I personally believe that the difference between speakers and headphones is more than just the other reflections/reverberations of the sound in the room. Headphones generally only have one driver, or multiple very small drivers, and while at the low volumes (relatively) headphones put out, there is very little distortion and good sound reproduction, I feel that having multiple larger drivers with passive or active crossover does affect the quality of the sound, and what frequencies are able to be reproduced, and at what volume, and with what clarity/distortion/fidelity/depth. Also, speaker setups that have pipes divided across multiple channels will have less intermodulation distortion. That doesn't mean that a speaker system will always sound better than headphones, however I think in general, speaker systems have the potential to sound better than headphones, depending on what components they use, how they are set up, and how audio is routed to the speakers.

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