Search forums

Forums

Export thread

Headphones or Speakers

Apr 9, 2015#1

Yoshimickster

I go for headphones, I absorb the sound better that way.

Apr 9, 2015#2

bhamv3

Depends entirely on the situation.

Listening to music on the train, or playing video games while my wife is working nearby? Headphones, definitely.

Watching tentacle porn? I'm blasting that out my speakers at full volume.

Apr 9, 2015#3

PatrThom

I would need more info.

Headphones are great for wrapping a sound field around your head with very little hardware needed, and they are the only way to go when it comes to privacy (or binaural recordings), but they have limitations you might not otherwise consider, such as the fact that when you turn your head, the sound field moves with you, rendering positional audio cues useless for gaming/movies.

Speakers preserve positional audio and also add a more physical dimension since they can physically resonate more than just your ear canals and adjacent sinuses, but they can be inconveniently loud and even a good 2.1 setup can be quite expensive.

bhamv3 said:
Watching tentacle porn? I'm blasting that out my speakers at full volume.

Bhamv3 likes his subs to be under the table.

--Patrick

Apr 9, 2015#4

DarkAudit

These are mine...

So whadda YOU think?

(Technics SB-G400. 1979 vintage. Got 'em for $50 off of Craigslist. Paired with a Technics SA-600 receiver also off Craigslist.)

Apr 9, 2015#5

phil

I'd say most of the time speakers but mostly because I'm in an living situation where I can listen to things on speakers without disturbing anyone else. If I had a good pair of headphones I'd probably use those for a lot of things though. I enjoy it more while watching Tv or listening to music and remaining stationary. If I'm cleaning or doing chores I like to use speakers. It's nice to just start a playlist in the morning when I shower and change for the day.

Apr 9, 2015#6

Frank

I live alone, I almost never use headphones.

Apr 9, 2015#7

DarkAudit

PatrThom said:
Speakers preserve positional audio and also add a more physical dimension since they can physically resonate more than just your ear canals and adjacent sinuses, but they can be inconveniently loud and even a good 2.1 setup can be quite expensive.

See above. The .1 is not necessary with those bad boys. And if you have a vintage receiver, it's probably not even an option.

And if you know who to talk to and where to look, you can get some fantastic deals. The most expensive component in my current setup is the turntable I bought for ~$265 new. Just the receiver and speakers, a mere $150 for the whole thing.

Apr 10, 2015#8

Ravenpoe

Apr 10, 2015#9

DarkAudit

If we're talking for music, I'm gonna always disagree with wireless headphones. They just don't have the bandwidth to hang with the good wired ones.

Apr 10, 2015#10

PatrThom

DarkAudit said:
good wired ones.

more info

--Patrick

Apr 10, 2015#11

Ravenpoe

DarkAudit said:
If we're talking for music, I'm gonna always disagree with wireless headphones. They just don't have the bandwidth to hang with the good wired ones.

I'm not an audiophile. I use these mostly for gaming, and I like the convenience of wireless because they produce good sound, and I can get up and go get a drink while still talking on the headset.

Apr 10, 2015#12

drawn_inward

Even when I lived on my own, I used headphones for movie watching and especially gameplay. They block out the outside world and allow me to get more immersed.

Apr 10, 2015#13

GasBandit

I prefer speakers when not playing multiplayer, but when voice chat is a thing, I gotta plug in the headphones so that their voices and my SFX don't feed back around into the vox.

Apr 10, 2015#14

sixpackshaker

Speakers for solo gaming, headphones for raids and tentacle porn.

Apr 10, 2015#15

fade

I cannot work with headphones in. It's too distracting.

Apr 10, 2015#16

General Specific

Usually speakers. I happen to have very narrow ear canals and so ear buds hurt after about 30 mins and regular headphones are not much better.

Only exception is yard work. I have to have something to distract me from the monotony of mowing.

Apr 10, 2015#17

fade

General Specific said:
Usually speakers. I happen to have very narrow ear canals and so ear buds hurt after about 30 mins and regular headphones are not much better.

Only exception is yard work. I have to have something to distract me from the monotony of mowing.

Apr 10, 2015#18

Bowielee

bhamv3 said:
Depends entirely on the situation.

Listening to music on the train, or playing video games while my wife is working nearby? Headphones, definitely.

Watching tentacle porn? I'm blasting that out my speakers at full volume.

The Fisherman's Wife 2: The Retenticling.

Forums