PC gaming: speakers vs. headphones

When gaming on a PC, do you usually prefer using speakers or headphones?

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Gawd
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
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When gaming on a PC, do you usually prefer using speakers or headphones?
 
The only time I prefer headphones for anything is when it is either noisy around me, or when I would disturb others.

I like the "freedom" of spatial sound.
 
Headphones easier to use with Mic for me.
 
Depends on what I'm playing and the time of day, but the majority of gaming is with speakers (2.1 set).
 
GAH... I accidentally voted wrong
I am actually a Headphone Guy ...... own 4 pairs of High End headphones and always looking at more (yeah.. got a small problem).
I find different headphones for different situations are best as I never really liked speaker setups (too many blown speakers over the years as a kid) plus I need to not bother others with the noise so headphones ftw

D.
 
I go back and forth depending on mood but I use my Klipsch 2.1 set most of the time. I get more detail and immersion with headphones but like the more open sound and greater output of speakers.
 
My wife has misophonia so headphones are a must for me, even though I prefer speakers. So tired of my goofy dog pulling my headphones off my head. For so many years while playing WoW I would turn off in-game sound and listen to music on YouTube. Really trying to get up to speed on the best PC gaming/music options available now. So out of the loop.
 
My headphones are all so much better quality than my speakers it is no contest, really. If I had the money to burn on a killer system and didn't live in an apartment I would use speakers every time though.
 
I just recently got a new set of Senheiser headphones. I would always game with my 5.1 speakers.

But now I'm going to use both.
 
Single player games = Speakers. More immersive.

Multiplayer games = Headphones. No one likes hearing feedback when you open your mic to talk :)
 
I've used the same speakers for almost 12 years now. I can't believe they still work like new after the brutal treatment they've received. I've had them so loud for so long on a few occasions that I could smell a burnt electronics smell coming from the amp. But like the Energizer Bunny.....

Headphones only go on when I can't disturb someone else in the house. I'm still searching for a light weight set of Bluetooth headphones with great sound that won't cost three figures.
 
I live in a block of flats and as a considerate neighbour I wear headphones.
 
Depends on the situation. A lot of the time I'll use speakers (LSR308's) because I like the freedom it affords. I find positional cues to come through better on headphones (HD650's) though, so if it's an FPS or suspense type game where positional sound offers a gameplay advantage I'll throw on the headphones.

I tend to use speakers more during the summer and headphones more during the winter, my PC room suffers moderate seasonal temperature fluctuations, when it's 90+ I usually don't want to be wearing foam insulation on my ears. When it's 0 outside and low 60's in my PC room, earmuffs sound great.
 
Headphones for me while gaming, so I don't disturb my neighbours.

Aune T1 DAC/amp with tube buffer, into open-backed BeyerDynamic DT990Pro 250ohm headphones. Open sound, lots of detail. A bit lacking on mids, but otherwise very nice sound. The open backs help keep my ears from overheating too, quite nice.

I use the RCA outs from the DAC/tube sections to feed music to my home theater setup, while Netflix just goes over HDMI.
 
My LSR305s beat my ATH-A900X in everything except the tiniest of detail retrieval, so speakers.
 
If I lived alone where I can play audio loud then I would choose speakers. For now I'm using Mr Speakers Mad Dog headphones.
 
Speakers are real nice, they give a better surround field don't interfere with your glasses, etc, etc. However, it does cost a lot more to get the same quality as headphones, and of course can bother other people. I loves my speaker setup, but headphones make sense for a lot of people.
 
Sycraft said:
Speakers are real nice, they give a better surround field don't interfere with your glasses, etc, etc. However, it does cost a lot more to get the same quality as headphones, and of course can bother other people. I loves my speaker setup, but headphones make sense for a lot of people.
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IMO, I don't really think that is as clear cut as in the past anymore. Reason being diminishing returns on headphones kick in sharply after $100, but there is a HUGE jump in quality with speakers once you hit the $260 mark with the LSR305 compared to the cheaper stuff.
 
I pretty much only play multiplayer games so therefore use headphones which for positioning and footsteps is superior to any speaker.
 
Found positioning with speakers to be as good as any headphones even been accused of cheating from it. Biggest advantage of speakers is comfort. I can listen at relatively high volumes with no discomfort with speakers but with headphones even at lower volumes for as little as an hour I feel the need to stop for a while.
 
Palladium@SG said:
IMO, I don't really think that is as clear cut as in the past anymore. Reason being diminishing returns on headphones kick in sharply after $100, but there is a HUGE jump in quality with speakers once you hit the $260 mark with the LSR305 compared to the cheaper stuff.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I find you need to spend quite a bit to get real good speakers, never mind what you spend on the room. Not nearly so much for headphones. I'd rate my SVS MTS-01s, which were $1500, as about equal to my Denon AH-D2000s, which were about $250.

And then of course to get the nice positional audio from speakers, you really need a surround system which pushes up the price a lot.

Don't get me wrong, I like speakers, I have an extremely pricey speaker system hooked to my computer, but I appreciate what you can get in headphones for a reasonable price.

And then as others have mentioned you get to fight with the room. If you have a small room, as I do, getting the bass level is a pain. I've put a fair bit of cash in room treatment, and I have electronic correction, and I still have bass issues to be dealt with.

I use my speakers 99.9% of the time because they are a better experience than my headphones, but I paid a ton to have that. You spend $100-200 on headphones and maybe another $100 for a FiiO or O2 headphone amp and you have some really good detailed sound. Speakers just take a lot more money to get the same kind of sound.
 
Speakers. I like massive horizontal and vertical soundscapes, plus response to nearly 20Hz if you want to turn it up a bit (occasionally)... That feeling when it sounds like someone is sitting in your lounge playing an instrument, or singing, or feeling the floor shake. Living in the middle of nowhere has it's perks!

Being a hifi douche I am very biased, wore headphones for years and have tried many, love them for portable sound and environments where a hifi is not possible or acceptable. Each has it's unique sound and advantages but if I had the same budget to build a cost effective hifi or good headphones, for home use, hifi would win every time. Even without huge bass and smaller speakers, it is less fatiguing, less hassle and just gorgeous to fill a room with sound. Used, good quality hifi gear can be had for a steal. But would you want used headphones?
 
Honestly, I tend to prefer headphones.

Until recently I was in an apartment and absolutely HATED when neighbors would party at night and the *THUMP*THUMP*THUMP*THUMP* would come right through the walls, hell I may as well have been in the room with them, that's how loud it was...

Headphones allow me to have the sound up as loud as I can stand and I bother nobody else.
 
I find it interesting that the divide is so evenly split between preferences. In years past, a strong majority, mostly hi-fi douche types (thanks for that one, N4CR ;)), would have said headphones were far superior.

I agree it's not very cost-efficient to go with speakers (my choice). I've dropped about $1600 on my PC sound system... and it's only 2.1. :p
 
Speakers are superior. I spent maybe $400 on my setup and it does as well as any headphone short of Stax. Plus the sound stage is huge and the comfort and bass impact is obviously improved.
 
$1.6 on a PC sound system is cheap. I've got over $13k worth of audio gear for my PC sound system. Not much so speakers just a crap load of Stax headphones, Audeze, Sennheiser, Sony's, DAC's and tube amps and more tube amps and more Stax amps then cables. All over the place not even plugged in.

I obviously have a problem.
 
I'm recovering slowly, it is the result of spending 4 years on that wasteful site headfi, good riddance I was banned.
 
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