Why headphones?

N

NulloModo

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Dec 16, 2002
Messages
4,602
Hey,

There are a ton of headphone threads that come through here. I just wonder why. Is it because you are in a dorm and don't want to disturb the roomie(s) or you live at home and the parents won't get angry when you turn the music up?

Other than that, I don't get it. Am I the only one who hates having something strapped to their head whilst listening to music/gaming/etc? I mean, I have a good set of cans, but they are only used with my minidisc player while on flights, and that is infrequent at best.

A good 5.1 surround sound system is so much better for gaming purposes, and a solid 2.1 is great for music. So why the phone love?
 
Because not all of us have optimal positions for a 5.1 setup.

A good set of headphones sound better to me than a mediocre set of computer speakers (Klipsch ProMedia...Logi Z5500...etc etc.) so why waste the money and space? I feel far more immersed in a game with headphones on and the lights dim -- it eliminates a lot of the background noise (in my case, the air conditioning).
 
Low price, good sound, intimacy, isolation, lack of space and proper room setup, easy to swap and compare... need I say more?
 
NulloModo said:
Hey,

There are a ton of headphone threads that come through here. I just wonder why. Is it because you are in a dorm and don't want to disturb the roomie(s) or you live at home and the parents won't get angry when you turn the music up?

Other than that, I don't get it. Am I the only one who hates having something strapped to their head whilst listening to music/gaming/etc? I mean, I have a good set of cans, but they are only used with my minidisc player while on flights, and that is infrequent at best.

A good 5.1 surround sound system is so much better for gaming purposes, and a solid 2.1 is great for music. So why the phone love?
Click to expand...

Once you try some good headphones you will understand right away, trust me.
 
Working 3rd shift has caused me to wear headphones way more than I used to. GF is sleeping about 12ft from my comp most of the time so I gotta whip them out. It actually is more immersive, but then again I have a weak 5.1 setup.
 
NulloModo said:
...
A good 5.1 surround sound system is so much better for gaming purposes, and a solid 2.1 is great for music. So why the phone love?
Click to expand...

soundstorm, oh yea....

im not a big fan of head phones, but the theory is that they give you a better sense of 3d sound, making it easier to tell if those footsteps are coming from the right or the left, but yea, i have 4 speakers + subwoofer (like i said im running soundstorm, dont have a sound card) and i can tell where stuff is, but for the average 2 speaker plus maybe a subwoofer, all you have to do is space your speakers farther apart.
 
takeabao said:
Because not all of us have optimal positions for a 5.1 setup.

A good set of headphones sound better to me than a mediocre set of computer speakers (Klipsch ProMedia...Logi Z5500...etc etc.) so why waste the money and space? I feel far more immersed in a game with headphones on and the lights dim -- it eliminates a lot of the background noise (in my case, the air conditioning).
Click to expand...

I have the z5500 and I still love using my headphones better than my 5.1 set. The sound is so much better and personal so to speak it's hard to explain. i feel like I'm in a movie with headphones and with games it's a must, at least in CS:S and CS 1.6. They also bring out ambient sounds well too and well recorded mp3s sound amazing.
 
For me, I have a 5.1 klipsch speakers which kick butt.... but when my fiance is sleeping I cant run the speakers (we live in a 1 bedroom apt) so I have to use the headphones.
I dont mind the headphones too much, but I need a better set (I have a set of mmgear 4.1's)

Certain things I like about headphones.. but I think I just need a better set to get rid of the things I dont.

D.
 
if i am playing aFPS i find my sen's to be far better then y 5.1 and that oincluded when i had it going out to my receiver and out via my tower speakers and bose center channel.

i find i hear more detail with headphones on and dont get distraction of other sounds around you.
 
I like the sound quality of headphones but I find the good full size headphones make my ears sore after less than an hour of wearing them. I had to buy a cheap pair of Panasonic walkman style headphones just because they don't hurt my ears after a few hours of gaming.
 
kuyaglen said:
Sometimes you dont want others to hear what your listening to. :D
Click to expand...

lol, like what? Avril Lavien? Britney Spears, lol, nothing prooves your more a man then blasting some good old Shania Twain really really loud so everyone in the building can hear you :D
 
Late night (or even evening, if you have fussy neighbours) listening. The headphone experience is more immersive for games I have to say.
 
MrWizard6600 said:
lol, like what? Avril Lavien? Britney Spears, lol, nothing prooves your more a man then blasting some good old Shania Twain really really loud so everyone in the building can hear you :D
Click to expand...

i think he meant late night videos....for....when....he's alone 0_o
 
Also, there's no reason to create disturbance even during the day to piss off your neighbors and/or roommate's. Respect others with how you want to be treated. make a ton of noise that's annoying to others and don't expect people to be the kindest around you.
 
Cyrilix said:
Low price, good sound, intimacy, isolation, lack of space and proper room setup, easy to swap and compare... need I say more?
Click to expand...

That's pretty much the reasons I didn't get a full on 5.1/6.1 speaker system. I also live in an apartment right now and the walls are thinner than paper.

I enjoy headphones because they immerse you like no other. If you have a good set coupled with a good soundcard (audigy 2 ZS or higher) the experience is eargasmic.

Expecially for me when I play my FPS games, you can really hear footsteps and sutble sounds that clue you in to where your opponent might be.

Headphones are also very private (depending on the type you have), with a set closed cans that I'm about to order, there is no sound in and no sound out when you where them. You can drown out your annoying family members without angering everyone else around you in the neighborhood/apt complex.
 
The reason I use headphones is coz I'm married and the Mrs. dont like loud explosions and stuff when she's sleeping at 02:00 in the morning :)

I dont think the neighbours in the apartment I live in would appreciate that either.
 
I mainly listen through headphones, mainly due to the fact that the sound is much better than any speaker setup in my pricerange (when you factor in room acoustics/etc), and the level of intimacy involved. Oh, and the online headphone community is cool too :)
 
More bang for the buck on a reasonable budget, though I daresay a good speaker setup will image better than headphones, unless binaural recordings are played.
 
Headphones definitely give the best bang for the buck in terms of sound quality. Especially when you consider that you can buy a really nice pair of high-end headphones for the cost of a single pair of good speakers, nevermind the reciever/sub/center/surrounds.
 
NulloModo said:
Hey,

There are a ton of headphone threads that come through here. I just wonder why. Is it because you are in a dorm and don't want to disturb the roomie(s) or you live at home and the parents won't get angry when you turn the music up?

Other than that, I don't get it. Am I the only one who hates having something strapped to their head whilst listening to music/gaming/etc? I mean, I have a good set of cans, but they are only used with my minidisc player while on flights, and that is infrequent at best.

A good 5.1 surround sound system is so much better for gaming purposes, and a solid 2.1 is great for music. So why the phone love?
Click to expand...

The price difference for a very good set of headphones vs an equivalent sound quality set of speakers is enormous.

From what I gathered from your post you seem to be not very concern about sound quality.

What sound system do you consider to be good 5.1 surround sound system? If you are thinking Klispch or Logitech then you are really missing out...
 
I use headset for gaming and when my gf is sleeping or watching or homework. I use the headset b/c i use ventrilo or in-game voice chat a lot and it is sometimes easier to tell where things are coming from. I do like using my 5.1 system, Z-5500, for games sometimes when I'm not using VOIP because you get all the explosions and louder hehe. I use my 5.1 system for music most of the time, just like the bass and loudness. So headphones aren't useless!
 
Yup, I find it easier to get into my games (and movies) with a good set of cans blocking out the rest of the world, and my neighbours find it easier not to get into my games (and movies) with a good set of cans.

$150 cans > $150 speakers
 
NulloModo said:
Other than that, I don't get it. Am I the only one who hates having something strapped to their head whilst listening to music/gaming/etc? I mean, I have a good set of cans, but they are only used with my minidisc player while on flights, and that is infrequent at best.

A good 5.1 surround sound system is so much better for gaming purposes, and a solid 2.1 is great for music. So why the phone love?
Click to expand...
First off, not all headphones are uncomfortable (I find many high end headphones to be quite comfortable!).
With high end headphones, you get certain audio qualities in games that are not possible with computer speakers, no matter how many channels you have (since we have so many gamers on these forums, that's the main reason you see soo many talking about headphones). That, plus the fact that headphones have a much much better performance to cost ratio than computer speakers do (heck, any speakers for that matter). A 200$ headphone can very well sound just as good as a pair of 1000$ speakers (sound quality wise).


The reason I use headphones mainly for computer use? They are just sound soooo darn good! My bookshelf speakers can't keep up. Not to mention, that my bookshelfs aren't really near field speakers, so positioning is a major concearn with me (limited space.. ea), whereas a headphone just goes: ploop, right over your ears. Still, there are times when my speakers come in handy, such as when I don't want to stay tied to my computer and get up and move around, or do something in the house while listening to music, etc.

I think Floruro sums it up perfectly ^_^.
Floruro said:
Once you try some good headphones you will understand right away, trust me.
Click to expand...

When I am doing novice voice recording for my work, I get the most detail from the headphones that just doesn't come through over my speakers sadly. That way I can be fairly critical in the mastering phase.

Headphones have their place, and speakers have their place. Headphones appeal more to the budget minded computer gamer here, in a nut shell.

~Hope this helps
 
towert7 said:
First off, not all headphones are uncomfortable (I find many high end headphones to be quite comfortable!).
With high end headphones, you get certain audio qualities in games that are not possible with computer speakers, no matter how many channels you have (since we have so many gamers on these forums, that's the main reason you see soo many talking about headphones). That, plus the fact that headphones have a much much better performance to cost ratio than computer speakers do (heck, any speakers for that matter). A 200$ headphone can very well sound just as good as a pair of 1000$ speakers (sound quality wise).


The reason I use headphones mainly for computer use? They are just sound soooo darn good! My bookshelf speakers can't keep up. Not to mention, that my bookshelfs aren't really near field speakers, so positioning is a major concearn with me (limited space.. ea), whereas a headphone just goes: ploop, right over your ears. Still, there are times when my speakers come in handy, such as when I don't want to stay tied to my computer and get up and move around, or do something in the house while listening to music, etc.

I think Floruro sums it up perfectly ^_^.


When I am doing novice voice recording for my work, I get the most detail from the headphones that just doesn't come through over my speakers sadly. That way I can be fairly critical in the mastering phase.

Headphones have their place, and speakers have their place. Headphones appeal more to the budget minded computer gamer here, in a nut shell.

~Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Very well said. The price/performance is a big one for me, as well as space. I live in an apartment room right now and I'm going to be in college after summer. So there is really no reason for me to get speakers.
 
If I may be so snake—speakers are selfish and annoy others. Headphones are polite.
 
towert7 said:
First off, not all headphones are uncomfortable (I find many high end headphones to be quite comfortable!).
Click to expand...

That varies from person to person as we all have different size/shaped ears.
 
Gatticus said:
That varies from person to person as we all have different size/shaped ears.
Click to expand...

True, but many high-end headphones have good designs that are many steps beyond the comfort risk that you take when buying cheap phones. In my experience, it just so happens to be that high-end headphones are designed for excellence, and comfort is a major factor.
 
I find that I hear things a lot better with headphones on, ie in AA when people are capturing objs its VERY VERY hard to hear on speakers, but when you are listening with headphones its hella easy
 
Cyrilix said:
True, but many high-end headphones have good designs that are many steps beyond the comfort risk that you take when buying cheap phones. In my experience, it just so happens to be that high-end headphones are designed for excellence, and comfort is a major factor.
Click to expand...

I have jug ears. :) I have three sets of headphones and only the walkman style headphones allow me to listen for more than an hour without hurting my ears but they don't sound all that good. Name some very comfortable headphones that are very good sounding too and I may buy them. Currently I have Koss TD/65 (very uncomfortable as they are a closed design and are heavy), Sony MDR V500 (more comfortable than Koss, sound is not bad but I want better) and Panasonic RP-HT65 (very comfortable, ok sound quality for games but not so good for music).
 
my first real head phones were Sen' HD580's - cost me $270 when i got em almost... mm 2 years ago?

i researched and researched as i knew nothing about good head phones, and these came highly recommended on some audio sites.

I have never experienced such awsome sound quality - i used them for everything, via my recever to watch movies - EVERYTHING

For sure, if you have never owned a quality pair of headphones - get some!!


it maybe time for me to get some new ones, i may have actually blown these, sometimes i get a faint rattle with some music, oh well, i have got alot of use out of them.
 
Gatticus said:
Name some very comfortable headphones that are very good sounding too and I may buy them.
Click to expand...

Beyerdynamic DT770-80ohm, Audio-Technica ATH-900, Almost any size Sennheiser HD-555, 590, 595, 600 ,650. To name a few.
 
Aren't there 5.1 headphones that exist? My wonderance is how those work I would guess its virtual surround sound.
 
Cowcaster88 said:
Aren't there 5.1 headphones that exist? My wonderance is how
those work I would guess its virtual surround sound.
Click to expand...

Yes, there are. They actually have a bunch of tiny speakers integrated in the shell. Avoid them at any and all cost. Basically, they give a worse feeling of surround sound than stereo headphones, and sound terrible for the money.
 
Gatticus said:
I have jug ears. :) I have three sets of headphones and only the walkman style headphones allow me to listen for more than an hour without hurting my ears but they don't sound all that good. Name some very comfortable headphones that are very good sounding too and I may buy them. Currently I have Koss TD/65 (very uncomfortable as they are a closed design and are heavy), Sony MDR V500 (more comfortable than Koss, sound is not bad but I want better) and Panasonic RP-HT65 (very comfortable, ok sound quality for games but not so good for music).
Click to expand...

Umm..have you tried Beyerdynamic DT880s or Audio-Techinica W5000s? People said they were very comfortable and I have the former... I'll bet you those are a step up from most cans.
 
OK, I'll look into those suggested, thx. I used to have a pair of Sennheiser headphones (think they were 414 model??) many years ago and they were quite comfortable. The reason I have the Koss headphones is because they only cost $50.00 and sounded better to me than a pair of $100.00 Sennheiser headphones I tested back to back but I wasn't thinking about the comfort factor at the time. The Koss had a deeper and tighter bass. It's my understanding that usually a closed design will sound better than an open air design.

I should also mention that both the Koss and Sony headphones make my ears sweat after a while of use too. I think the Sennheiser open air design with the foam pads would probably be the most comfortable. The problem is that a lot of stores won't let you test headphones anymore due to hygenics so it's difficult to know which are better. I had to talk to two saleman before they let me test the Koss/Sennheiser headphones. Shoe stores still let people try on shoes that other's have tried on. Isn't that unhygenic too?
 
Gatticus said:
OK, I'll look into those suggested, thx. I used to have a pair of Sennheiser headphones (think they were 414 model??) many years ago and they were quite comfortable. The reason I have the Koss headphones is because they only cost $50.00 and sounded better to me than a pair of $100.00 Sennheiser headphones I tested back to back but I wasn't thinking about the comfort factor at the time. The Koss had a deeper and tighter bass. It's my understanding that usually a closed design will sound better than an open air design.

I should also mention that both the Koss and Sony headphones make my ears sweat after a while of use too. I think the Sennheiser open air design with the foam pads would probably be the most comfortable. The problem is that a lot of stores won't let you test headphones anymore due to hygenics so it's difficult to know which are better. I had to talk to two saleman before they let me test the Koss/Sennheiser headphones. Shoe stores still let people try on shoes that other's have tried on. Isn't that unhygenic too?
Click to expand...

For opinions, visit a real audio store (one that's dedicated to selling good sound systems, not futureshop, best buy, etc.). Also, be sure to check out www.head-fi.org --> invaluable information source of anything headphone related.
 
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