Are you a headphone or speaker user?

[rwortman]

Speakers. Headphones for live sounding monitoring and checking mixes and every once in a while when traveling. Headphone listening is certainly pleasing enough but much less close to the ideal of recreating a live event at home. Bass from live music is not just in your ears and I have never heard headphones create an expansive sound stage outside my head. I think there is tech coming down the pike that might do that but it won't solve the body sensation problem.

 

[DuxServit]

It would’ve been interesting to see a corresponding ballot question underneath, asking the age bracket of the responder.

 

[Old Listener]

Different horses for different courses for me.

Headphones when I'm walking.

Headphones when I don't want to disturb my wife.

Speakers otherwise.

 

[amirm]

It would’ve been interesting to see a corresponding ballot question underneath, asking the age bracket of the responder.

Hard to do that with forum software. Would have to use surveymonkey or some such thing for that.

 

[jhwalker]

I like in close quarters, both with my neighbors and with my husband. Neither like music from speakers, at least at the levels I'd like to listen to. So headphones (closed back) it is!

 

[soundwave76]

I have been switching back and forth depending on the gear. Some five years ago I was a headphone guy, but then I got tinnitus (from headphones, be caerful out there!) and switched to a nearfield speaker guy when I also got better gear (Genelec 8331+7350). Now after buying the Stax L300 Limited I just might be leaning more, again, to a headphone guy...

 

[RichB]

Speakers for music, HT, and when working out.
In ear noise cancelling headphones for air travel, lawn mowing, stationary biking.
Over-ear noise cancelling for snow blowing (keeps me warm).

- Rich

 

[Silvera]

Senheiser HD660S headphones 100% of the time, I don't have to worry about playing Megadeth at 2am.

 

[Silvera]

I have been switching back and forth depending on the gear. Some five years ago I was a headphone guy, but then I got tinnitus (from headphones, be caerful out there!) and switched to a nearfield speaker guy when I also got better gear (Genelec 8331+7350). Now after buying the Stax L300 Limited I just might be leaning more, again, to a headphone guy...

I am careful and never played over 80db for a couple hours a day but still got tinnitus anyway.

 

[soundwave76]

^ I am sorry. When mine started it took me to very dark waters for many months. It's so important to listen at low volumes and also to take breaks, probably every 20-30 minutes in my opinion.

 

[srsxmi]

Primarily headphones (and IEMs). Do use speakers for background listening or TV/entertainment.

 

[Vovgan]

90% speakers
9% headphones
1% whistling

Same here. Also very interested to see the performance of top AV receivers's amps (Denon x6500 etc) for stereo.

 

[Bounce44.1]

Near Field 40%
Mid Field 40%
Headphones 20%

 

[Robin L]

Sennheiser HD 599/579 headphones might not be the most "accurate" headphones but they are in contention for most comfortable. As I've spent most of my music listening at work, for hours on end, I've got to use headphones. As I live in a tiny apartment, I'm not about to blast music via speakers. I probably listen to music more in the car than over my a/d/s 400s.

 

[Robin L]

90% speakers
9% headphones
1% whistling

60% headphones
30% Martin DRS2
10% speakers.

 

[ernestcarl]

this is my first post here, btw, so I'll be less brief than the others

I used to be obsessed with headphones. Yet, nowadays, not so much.

HEADPHONES 30% - several cans both wired and wireless but I mostly use the senn HD650 and sony mdr-7520 (w/ equalizer, stereo crossfeed & room simulator enabled whenever possible)

NEARFIELD 30% - kh120 (w/ ports blocked, 0.7m dist.) + sealed rythmik f12 xo 80Hz LR 48dB/oct

MIDFIELD 20% - sceptre s8 (w/ ports blocked, 2m dist.) + sealed rythmik f12 xo 70Hz LR 48dB/oct

OTHER 20% - smartphone/tablets/amazon echo devices/fostex 6301 speakers (garage speakers -- need them sealed as well as saw dust/dirt/debris accumulates sometimes--oh, and the metal grill is necessary as I keep a saw and many other sharp objects near the speaker driver!).

I have a couple other speaker sets for surrounds (yes, ports blocked as well) and in our family room, but seldom go there for extended periods to listen.

I'm always thinking about getting more, and more, and more speakers. Problem mostly is a lack of space... Currently I'm contemplating on getting a couple of fluid audio fx50 (yet to be released) as surrounds for the sceptres -- I don't exactly have any room even for a sceptre s6 in my space anymore and so the front port is absolutely necessary (obviously, haven't yet tested them with ports blocked or not) as they are to be mounted on the walls/ceiling (good thing these speakers have mounting points in the back as well. Also, I'm thinking of the iLoud monitors... maybe for portable use...

At this point in my life, ideally, listening to speakers is my main preference.

*why don't I use the tone controls on the back of the monitors to lower bass instead of blocking ports? Well, I just prefer using my DSP presets (easy and fast to enable and disable) and have never been fully satisfied with the sound coming out even with those turned on. Does it really improve the sound? subjectively, my asnwer is yes -- probably (?) -- but on a blind test, I likely wouldn't be able to tell which ultimately is "better" -- but definitely, it is very noticeable that the response rolls off much earlier. Also there are audible resonances at certain frequencies that I hear coming mostly from the room surfaces around me, and I'd rather avoid exciting those especially while listening at my max volume settings with EDM, heavy hip hop music, movies etc.

 

[Natchie]

Mostly Headphones guy here, with AKG 501 series for critical listening of music, Grado 80 for walking my dog while listening to Amazon kindle and earlier iRiver devices. But for playing vinyl records, through stereo receiver, definitely speakers...to hear and feel that bass in my chest...

 

[BigVU's]

Mostly Headphones guy here, with AKG 501 series for critical listening of music,

AKG's are great!

I am still a Loudspeaker dude though. After listening to some jazz guitar or some ACDC, on the system, i get silly and race to the Marshall and get even goofier at obnoxious levels and overdrive the distortion to melted cheese...

 

[Natchie]

LOL, that's a great description, "overdrive the distortion to melted cheese"! Reminds me of a crazy industrial noise band from Japan, Melted Banana !

 

[tjstyle]

70% I use IEM and Headphone
30% Speaker, mostly when working in front off PC.