Speakers vs. headphones

rv, since circumstances require that you use headphones at certain times, you owe it to yourself to try a really good headphones set up. Two very different experiences, headphones/speakers. Overall, I prefer listening on my speakers, but those times when I want my listening to be private headphones are great. Still other times I want the, what is for me, the very intimate and immersive experience of headphone listening. However, while I agree that relatively inexpensive headphones can sound good, it is not until one experiences what great headphones can do that things get really interesting.

mahgister makes a great point, as usual, about the benefits of acoustic control of the listening room, but in doing so he also explains why headphone listening can be so good - room effects are completely taken out of the equation. It is for this reason that I think it is not a matter of “better” or “worse”. If one does not object to the “sound inside one’s head” effect and can make the adjustment away from the usual “large soundstage in the room and in front”, an excellent headphone setup can compare very favorably and even surpass just about any loudspeaker in most audiophilic parameters with the possible exception of the visceral impact of low frequencies.

I own Stax Lambda Pro electrostatic headphones with the T1 dedicated tube driver and the sound is fabulous. Amazing detail, tonal truthfulness, dynamics and very articulate and extended bass lacking only that visceral “whole body” feeling. Stax, because of their design do a pretty good job of moving the “soundstage”, while still “inside your head”, to somewhat in front of your head. This is why Stax refers to them as “ear speakers”.

Highly recommended!

I am in full agreement that acoustic control of a room is extremely important and you make some excellent additional points. However, I don’t agree that with headphones there is a parallel (“correspond”) as concerns the elimination of room effects. “Shell geometry” is akin to speaker enclosure geometry. In both cases the driver is being surrounded, or at least supported by an enclosure. Speakers (enclosures) are situated in a room and their output is then subject to that room’s acoustic effects. Headphones sit on one’s head and their sound does not interface with the room acoustic. That is the advantage.

I did not say that “shell geometry is akin to speaker enclosure+room”. I said, “akin to speaker enclosure geometry”; no +room. The +room is the next step in the process. Headphones don’t deal with +room. Headphones, in a strong sense, are simply small speakers and of course both have enclosure resonances.. All that you wrote about controlling vibrations and resonance in an enclosure is correct, but this applies to BOTH headphones and speakers. The sound from the speaker then has the room acoustic to contend with.

mahgister, no need to apologize and please don’t mute yourself.

I am not arguing that one can not improve the acoustic properties of headphone shells, just as one can do so with a speaker. Nor am I arguing that headphones are “better” in any regard; except perhaps in the case of a particular listener who simply prefers that sonic presentation, but that is a subjective call. I am ONLY arguing, that if one can not, or does not have the inclination to treat a room to the extent that there is not a single acoustic “problem”, as perhaps you have been able to achieve, the fact that the output of a headphone driver does not interface with the room acoustic (perhaps problematical, or at least less than perfect) that this is a potential advantage. Again, only relevant if one likes the different sonic presentation that headphones provide.

You are suggesting that the space between the headphone driver and your ears, typically one inch or less and which in high quality headphones is a very controlled “environment” per the headphone’s design, can be as acoustically problematical as a typical listening room with typically problematical dimensions, problematical construction materials, furniture, glass windows, dogs 😊, …..

I’m having a little trouble with that notion. Moreover, if one gives any credence at all to the deleterious effects of acoustic borne vibrations from playback on electronics and playback gear, particularly if one listens to vinyl, that is another potential advantage. This is the reason that home recordings of any medium always sound best when the speakers are not playing while recording takes place.  By extension, I think the same can be said of this potential benefit while listening on headphones.  

rv, I don’t see why not.  I use my IPad for headphone listening all the time.  I take the signal from its analog mini headphone jack which goes to RCA’s plugged into the headphone amp. 

rv, no, those are not what I have. Mine are an older model Stax combo that I have had for several years. Stax has several different models of headphones and dedicated drivers, both ss and tubed. While they don’t make the exact same models as what I have, they do make very similar ones. Of note is the style of the “Earspeakers”. They are fairly large, but easily the most comfortable headphones that I have ever had on my head. The two “cans” just barely, and just enough, grip the sides of your head. The ears themselves don’t feel any pressure at all. Most of the weight is supported and suspended by the “strap” that goes against the top of your head. They are an open back design and this, plus the fact that they don’t squeeze your ears at all makes them extremely comfortable and with less of the “inside your head” sensation.

They don’t make the exact models as mine anymore, but they do have what are clearly descendants of these as well as the more traditional style of round, sealing ear pads. I am frankly not personally familiar with most of their most recent offerings and not at all the ones you ask about.

I will say that when I shopped for these years ago, the dedicated ss driver (mentioned below) I found to be too unrelenting in the highs. The Stax are extremely detailed so if one is sensitive to solid state-itis, I would be careful. The tube (hybrid, actually) drivers were much more to my liking. On the other hand it’s been several years since I listened to any new offerings from them. I would also point out that current models similar to mine cost about three times the cost of the one you ask about, yet used combos exactly like mine can be found used fairly easily for about the same amount or less as the one you ask about.

This is what I have:

Exactly!