Is some music better on headphones, some through speakers?

[wasted]

I would assume so...but

I listen to heavier stuff on headphones, more complex.

I've found older classic rock stuff better through stereo at home or outside at the beach or pool.

Is this true for everyone or am I just assuming too much?

[bacardimayne]

All music is better on headphones imo

[Estranged Reality]

To be quite honest this isn't even a subjective question, a good pair of headphones is always going to produce better sound than a stereo system where by default you're going to (technically) lose more sound.

But the real question is, will most people notice? Probably not. Especially in the era of Beats headphones, where the emphasis is placed on distorting the dynamics of the album.

[AxlisOld]

Beats are to headphones what Bose is to home theater. The ironic thing being that Bose makes halfway decent headphones.

I agree, you will notice subtlies in music through headphones that you wouldn't normally witha stereo.

[classicguns4life]

All music is better on headphones imo

Thats pretty much my thoughts as well. I love sitting back and listening to anything on headphones, whether it be Welcome To The Jungle or something quieter like One In A Million.

However, there is definitely some stuff I just love to blast on good speakers and you can't beat that feeling. Sort of why I love going to concerts. There's just stuff that sounds better when being listened to loud and communally. You don't get much better than blasting Paradise City or Nightrain, etc.

But yeah, 9 times out of 10, I'm sitting around listening to music on headphones because I actually want to listen to whats being played, not just have it going on around me.

[Crash Diet]

I prefer good quality headphones

but sometimes and some genres will be sounded better in a proper sound system

[wasted]

I agree all music sounds better on headphones, but does some music suit being played on speakers more, actually I mean does some music suit certain situations better.

Like say a barbq, do you play Dilinger Escape Plan or Rocks by Aerosmith?

If I'm at home I put on a Dylan record, If I'm walking to the subway I'll listen to Megadeth on headphones.

Even different records from same band. Unpluuged in NYC at home, In Utero on headphones. AFD at a barbq - CD on headphones.

I've just noticed the cds by my stereo are Hotel California, On the Beach, Unplugged in NYC, Exile, Together Through Time, Silver Lining.

my phone has Angel Dust, CD, Megadeth, Death Magnetic, From the Muddy Banks of Wishkah, Tomahawk

[Guest Len B'stard]

Speakers, all day. You can't actually hear music proper on headphones, i'm sorry but you just can't. This idea is fuckin' killing off music, how are you supposed to listen to genres like Reggae or Hip Hop on earphones? You can't really get these types of music unless you listen to them in the context that they were meant to be listened to in. That fuckin' thumping bass that you can feel vibrating through your body, through your teeth, thats like the heart and soul of that shit, thats the fuckin' groove, thats what you get down to, those basslines, earphones just kill all of that.

You talk about subtleties and all that which is all well and good but thing is, music is designed to make you get up and move, this idea of sitting around with earphones on looking out for the triangle and cowbell overdubs seems a bit silly to me, for it to take precedence over the fuckin' richness and depth of the music.

It's all about sound systems I hate this idea of all these little people all in their own world listening to their own kinda music on their headphones and that, it's all so like...compartmentalized and...ugh, y'know, what happened to walking down a street and having all these shops blaring their music out into the streets and that, it just makes everything feel more alive and vibrant...instead of a bunch of people with their own little earphones, listening to music that sounds tinnier than a fuckin' can of beans.

If you are listening to music on earphones you are actually not hearing it in it's proper context, popular genres at any rate, not talking about your classical or your prog rock here. Reggae and Hip Hop particularly sound dead on earphones but even like, rock bands that make proper use of the instruments they got, like The Who for instance, you can't actually proper hear Entwhistles magic on earphones.

Edited September 9, 2013 by sugaraylen

[wasted]

I wonder if some music, like Radiohead has been made to listen to on an iPod. Things like Bullet for My Valentine to me sound good on headphones, it's just loud. but an album like The Wall sounds great on a stereo sort of wafting through the room. Lies and AFD sound good on a stereo too, just a ghetto blaster will do.

Pop music and dance music sound much better in a club.

[Guest Len B'stard]

It's interesting you should say that actually because i've felt the same about certain sorts of pop music, that they've gradually been like...changed to be suitable to headphones in that a lot of the instrumentation, the stuff thats laid over the beat and bass is very shrill and high pitched, so it kinda makes it suitable to both clubs and earphones, the clubs where you can really cop a load of the bangin' bass and the shrill stuff sort of fill in the gaps for the people that listen to it on earphones.

Bass driven music is killed on earphones though.

[wasted]

rock seems have got a softer production, say Beady Eye, it's nice to listen to on headphones, it's not just a live sound to it, which just gives you idea what it will be like in a stadium. maybe it's difference between pop rock like some of Stones albums and gash stadium bands like Motely Crue.

[MB.]

All music is better on headphones imo

Same. I listen with my headphone on most of the time.

But some songs are the best when driving. I enjoy dance a lot more when driving in my car.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I just love hearing music out in the open. There's nothing more amazing than like...fuckin' blaring sound system, outdoors, PROPER bass just reverberating all over the gaff and you turn to your mate and you can't fuckin' hear a word you're saying but the eye contacts just goin' 'THATS the fuckin' tune!'. Nothing better than that...and this earphone culture kills all of that. Some people are just so militant about their music that anything that is just a little outside of their taste it's like 'ugh, why am i being subjected to this?!?!' but i just love the idea of all these sounds just spilling into the streets at any given time.

[GivenToFly]

Chinese Democracy sounds miles better on headphones than on speakers. So many things happen at the same time that when you hear it on speakers the sounds just drown each other out, but on headphones you can pay attention to every little thing that goes on and hear the subtleties of the instruments and especially the vocals. I like the album on speakers, I love it on headphones.

[wasted]

I went to a bar in hoxton and there were people in their listening to their heapphones inside the bar. i was happy to listen to the music in the bar. I just think you listen to different music on a stereo than on headphones. well I do, and the means everyone else should.

[Guest Len B'stard]

On headphones you listen, on speakers you feel it.

[wasted]

Listen to headphones, feel the speakers.

My speakers arent that good but you do get more enveloped in it and you can move around easier. Go to the kitchen get a beer or go for a shit. If u take ur phone into a toilet u nearly always hang urself with headphone wire.

[DieselDaisy]

Headphones are good and useful when you want to listen to music analytically, picking up pick sounds etcs. But I think I prefer speakers.

[dalsh327]

It's a personal preference tied into the type of music you like, some people take their listening experience very seriously and they'll spare no expense on a really good headset or good sound system.

It'll be interesting to hear how songs are released digitally in the future, and what the sound quality will be like.

[emilyslovak]

"The Empyrean" by John Frusciante is one album that is definitely a headphone album. Headphones take it to new heights.

Re: listening to music while in a bar playing music...that baffles me. I can't listen to one thing and have something else blaring around me.

[wasted]

Do that in BK bcos they play chart stuff and it gets repet. But in a bar to have your headphones on is very. Wag hip hop or sad.

Actually thread should be retitled: do you listen to different music based on whether you are at home or walking with ipod?

but i listen to my ipod at home.

[machinegunner]

On headphones you listen, on speakers you feel it.

Bullshit.

[machinegunner]

On headphones you listen, on speakers you feel it.

I mean is there an actual premise or pov on sound dynamics on which you base this, or did it just sound good or what?

[Guest Len B'stard]

On headphones you listen, on speakers you feel it.

Bullshit.

You fancy me, don't you?

[Guest Len B'stard]

On headphones you listen, on speakers you feel it.

I mean is there an actual premise or pov on sound dynamics on which you base this, or did it just sound good or what?

Yes it's on the premise that you can't hear bass on earphones, it's sort of like the difference between being at a gig and listening to a walkman, the physical feeling you get from Sound System where you literally feel the bass, thats what i'm talking about, it's the thing in clubs that makes people move, because the music becomes a physical thing in those sorts of settings, there are certain types of music that are meant to be recieved in that context.

For example, let me give you a song, say for instance Lightning Flash (Weak Heart Drop) - Big Youth, have a listen to it, on youtube or wherever, without speakers, PROPER speakers you can't hear it, the bass is almost gone, the drums are there and all you can hear in the rhythm guitar goin' chika-chika-chika-chika, it effectively nullifies the groove.

That don't sound right through earphones. Most reggae doesn't really...and a fair deal of hip hop. Dance music too, a lot of it.

Edited September 10, 2013 by sugaraylen