sound stage in headphones

[musica]

With headphones I perceive the instruments on the sides and behind the head, nothing in front is it normal?

 

[Adaboy4z]

I guess it depends on how the song was mastered.

 

[DVDdoug]

It might be normal for you. It turns-out that most people don't get a realistic soundstage illusion. Headphone Soundstage Survey

 

[Dunring]

There's some headphones that have a deep front to back soundstage, like the Sennheiser HD800s or the Audio Technica ADH1000x. Others like the Hifiman Sundara have it wide, but literally no depth to them (but the HE-560 has depth and width pretty equally). The song also matters, the mastering technique can add it. It's not real though, there's no more information getting to you. A lot of people like it for orchestra music or live concerts. Gamers think it makes them hear enemies from farther away, but having a silent noise floor, and detailed headphones with well matched drivers for good imaging is much better.

 

[threni]

With headphones I perceive the instruments on the sides and behind the head, nothing in front is it normal?

You're wearing them back to front.

 

[posvibes]

I have never, ever experienced a straight stereo headphone soundstage out front, perhaps occasionally a brief note or two a millimeter in front of my eyebrow ridge. Down towards the back of my neck, out to my shoulders, back of the head and well beyond the plane of my ears, but never out front.

And it is a shame

 

[musica]

I have never, ever experienced a straight stereo headphone soundstage out front, perhaps occasionally a brief note or two a millimeter in front of my eyebrow ridge. Down towards the back of my neck, out to my shoulders, back of the head and well beyond the plane of my ears, but never out front.

And it is a shame

the same thing happens to me
we are unlucky

 

[Chrispy]

It might be normal for you. It turns-out that most people don't get a realistic soundstage illusion. Headphone Soundstage Survey

Seems you have to vote in that to find out....and been so long since I've used mine, I'll have to dig 'em out and play a few different things to see my general impressions. I don't remember having any difficulty with soundstage particularly but this thread has me wondering....

 

[Doodski]

To repeat post but this track has some nice imaging effects.

 

[Chrispy]

To repeat post but this track has some nice imaging effects.

Okay, so pulled 'em out and started with this. Made sure L/R cups were "correct". Not much in front, maybe this is one reason I just don't use headphones (never really used them unless necessary). It's like sitting between two speakers that are really close to you....don't think I'd get much of an image in front of me doing that either, tho. Sort of how @posvibes describes. Maybe why I've always preferred speakers? While headphones do give you a good seat still, it's not out in the audience, more an on-stage thing.

 

[Doodski]

Okay, so pulled 'em out and started with this. Made sure L/R cups were "correct". Not much in front, maybe this is one reason I just don't use headphones (never really used them unless necessary). It's like sitting between two speakers that are really close to you....don't think I'd get much of an image in front of me doing that either, tho. Sort of how @posvibes describes. Maybe why I've always preferred speakers? While headphones do give you a good seat still, it's not out in the audience, more an on-stage thing.

I enjoy the special effects of headphones and enjoy more the separation of the instruments as compared to speakers. That and I can crank the SPLs as far as I want and nobody bugs me and vice versa.

 

[Adaboy4z]

To repeat post but this track has some nice imaging effects.

Thanks for putting me on to that Album!!! It wonderful!

 

[Chrispy]

I enjoy the special effects of headphones and enjoy more the separation of the instruments as compared to speakers. That and I can crank the SPLs as far as I want and nobody bugs me and vice versa.

Special effects? Separation or just different vectors? I did use 'em more often when I had roommates and was making those magical mixtapes late at night but that was a long time ago.....

 

[Chrispy]

Makes me wonder if some headphones may have some forward-positioned drivers to help out?

 

[dlaloum]

You can only really get a proper soundstage & imaging with HP's if you process the sound and impose appropriate Head Related Transfer Functions... (HRTF) - is adjust for the fact that our ears are on top of our shoulders, attached to our head, and have all sort of bits in them that change the sound based on where it is coming from....

Hence you have products like the Smythe Realiser, or the "Out of Your Head" software

When fully set up and tuned to your specific ears, the illusion can be very very good indeed - but otherwise it can also be a bit hit and miss (due to individual differences !)

 

[Doodski]

Special effects? Separation or just different vectors?

Yeah all that phase induced vector leading lagging stuff going on. It can get pretty interesting. My Sennheiser HD 598SR do a decent job and that's why I have not replaced them with better yet.

 

[LTig]

The only way to get a real soundstage experience when using headphones is playing recordings taken with a dummy head. It works best with radio dramas, not so well with music (there is only an extremely small amount of such recordings available at all).

 

[Chrispy]

Yeah all that phase induced vector leading lagging stuff going on. It can get pretty interesting. My Sennheiser HD 598SR do a decent job and that's why I have not replaced them with better yet.

Eh?

 

[Doodski]

Eh?

I was referring to The Complex Number System for imagining and maybe rationalizing the imaging and special effects.

 

[Chrispy]

I was referring to The Complex Number System for imagining and maybe rationalizing the imaging and special effects.

Got a link?