[smargo]

please tell me why you prefer headphones to speakers?  i am not attracted to listening to headphones

- ive tried them in the past - but i find that when i use them - its only once or twice - then i go back to my speakers

Are headphones too confronting to me -that means ive gotta be totally immersed  in the music - the other way (speakers)

i can listen to my equipment as well - or am i too claustrophobic in general

[Wind Chaser]

I don't expect to persuade you or anyone for that matter but IMO headphones are superior to speakers for critical listening.

Speakers are great for background listening, but they are comparatively cumbersome and take up a lot of space, especially when ideally positioned for the best possible sound. They also tend to interact with the room and thus require the additional expense of room treatments in order to get the most out of them.

Even without room treatments, dollar for dollar headphones are superior... whether it's a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, the same amount of money spent on headphones as opposed to speakers will yield vastly superior sound quality.

But biggest reason for me though is enjoyment / satisfaction; music comes alive and is more interesting through headphones. I feel more connected and emotionally engaged to the work of the artist, whereas with speakers my mind tends to focus more on the work of the gear.

[Tyson]

Great speakers in a good room can make you feel like you are at a concert or in a club. 

Great headphones can make it seem like the music is being injected directly into your soul.  It's a much more intimate experience.

[Letitroll98]

I'm done, it can't be expressed better than Tyson just did.

Okay, you didn't think I was going to shut up did you?  I would only add that lifestyle changes can dictate headphones over speakers.  Living with others who don't want to be blasted at certain hours of the day or night, apartment dwellers trying to maintain their lease, compromised speaker placement, etc may dictate headphones only.   For myself I prefer speakers to headphones, but for a number of years had a lifestyle situation that dictated headphones and I amassed a modest collection of various headphones and amps.  When that changed and I had a dedicated room for stereo I went right back to speakers selling most of my phones and amps and buying new speakers.

[adydula]

e

[dB Cooper]

One isn't 'better' than the other; they are different experiences that fall short of reality in different ways. Maybe more accurate to say different strengths and weaknesses. I guess I would say that a given headphone dollar can buy you a LOT more resolution than a given room-system dollar, not to mention that with a room (speaker) setup, you're not just listening to the system- you're listening to the room, with all the considerations that entails. Headphones are blissfully free of this latter problem. That said, the spatial presentation of headphones isn't everybody's cup of tea. I used to use crossfeed but have lately been just accepting the headphone experience for what it is.

Bottom line, a world-class headphone setup can be had for probably five cents on the dollar compared to speaker/room systems. Almost all the systems I heard at the last Capital Audiofest I went to fell short of my Beyer Amirons resolution-wise and those headphones are only $599 MSRP and can often be found for less than that. Since I have champagne tastes and a (cheap-) beer budget, and since their strengths align well with my listening priorities, I mainly listen through headphones these days. I have come to view speakers as the solution for 'social' listening and headphones for 'critical' listening, while acknowledging that we are waaaay into 'Whatever floats your boat' territory here.

[Letitroll98]

Well circumstances have sent me back to headphones so I'm digging my ol Hifiman HE 400i orthodynamics.  Yesterday was all ELO and Rolling Stones.

[Bob2]

Great speakers in a good room can make you feel like you are at a concert or in a club. 

Great headphones can make it seem like the music is being injected directly into your soul.  It's a much more intimate experience.

+2

A few years ago I was trying different headphones and amps and never found what I liked. Sold all that and have been enjoying my speakers.
Had a change in some of my gear recently and ran across some AKG 701's I had squirrelled away. Plugged them into my DAC and they actually sounded much better than I remembered. That lit the candle. After some research I purchased new Audeze LCD 2's and an amp. I am pleasantly surprised how much I like their sound.

Headphones won't replace speakers for me but they are great for those times I feel like using them. 

[FullRangeMan]

HP always had more detail than a speaker especially speaker with xover, the problem is that some headphones have small soundstage, apart from that the rest is good.

[RePete72]

Headphones for breakfast music
Speakers for lunch and dinner
Headphones for late night snacks

It’s all about maximising opportunities to enjoy music, no need to chose when you can have both 😁

[Freo-1]

One point worth mentioning about headphones is that it's less expensive to obtain high end playback with headphones than with stereo speakers.  Granted,  one can spend $$$ on headphones as well. 

[mcgsxr]

The vast majority of my headphone listening is done while on the go (trains/planes).

I do at times listen at home with phones, but after wearing them for hours for work, I more often default to the speaker setup at the end of the day.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Headphones sound great but for me it is all about comfort.  After about 15-20 minutes I get tired of having something around my ears.  On ear phones and ear buds are even worse for me.

[pumpkinman]

I could never wear any pair I owned or borrowed for more 30-40 minutes. A comfort thing for me

[Freo-1]

I can sit and read for a few hours with the Abyss 1266 cans listening to jazz or classical.  Sounds great 👍

[FullRangeMan]

Confort not a issue for me, what I feel boring are small soundstage what are somewhat mitigated by balanced cable.

[AllanS]

One point worth mentioning about headphones is that it's less expensive to obtain high end playback with headphones than with stereo speakers.  Granted,  one can spend $$$ on headphones as well. 

That’s how I got my foot in the door.  All I could afford at the time was a pair of Grado SR325.  I’ve been able to build a couple of modest systems since but am still grateful for those…

Headphones for late night snacks