Are headphones better than external speakers?

[Oktyabr]

Something to peruse:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function#Localization_of_sound_in_Virtual_Auditory_space.5B10.5D

[ShearMe]

Something to peruse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-related_transfer_function#Localization_of_sound_in_Virtual_Auditory_space.5B10.5D

Real audiophiles have an engineer calculate their specific HRTF and implement a filter for their custom stax headphones. Lol.

[Oktyabr]

HRTF is often given as the reason speakers are used to mix and master rather than headphones, at least by sound engineers permitted to actually put that sort of labor into a particular track.  That said headphones are capable of reproducing a well recorded track, in regards to "soundstage" and instrument placement as well.  Further, headphones will generally provide better detail and information retrieval than a given speaker.  Last but not least headphones are physically closer to a single point source than any multi driver speaker.  Put a speaker close to your head and depending on which driver your ear is closest to, you will hear a different sound.  This also eliminates several problems in speakers including time and phase alignment, room/cabinet reflections, and baffle step compensation.  Headphones > speakers, at least for critical listening

[soup]

You could try wearing it with the headband on the back of the head, or in front. It may look ridiculous, but hey, at least it should work.

 

 

Or use ducttape.

[genkifd]

Elaborating on this point, the stereo image on most music is too wide for headphones anyway, at least in the case of true stereo acoustic music. People that claim they can pinpoint instrument positions with headphones while listening to such a recording are fooling themselves.

totally agree. i have listened to my cousin's Bey T1 system for a number of hours with songs that im familiar with and detail is slightly better than my mid tier speakers while the deep bass, body impact and the sound stage is no where near my speakers. imo headphone never makes you feel that you are in a concert while speakers nearly always do.