Headphones, Earphones or Speakers?

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Do you listen to your music through headphones, ear phones, speakers, or some other crazy incredible surround HD robotic machine??

I'm just wondering if there is anybody else who only listens through earphones or headphones because they are embarassed about their music. I would love to blast mine with some excellent bass from my speakers but I don't want to draw attention from my family. I'm also wondering, is it bad for my ears? I have my earphones in all the time.

Headphones, for the same reason you listed, and they provide good sound quality without paying $1000 for a surround sound system.

YES! So did I when I was your age. And now I have tinnitus (permanent ringing in my ears). It's forced me to cut way back on playing several instruments and has generally made my life hell at times. Keep the volume down ... please.

I love my bose noise canceling headphones. I would listen to music through speakers, but I'm such an audio snob that I can't find any speakers I like. My psychologist says I depend more on my ears than alot of people, so it makes sense that I'm really picky about my sound quality.

I'm the happy owner of a wonderful HiFi-stereo consisting of a Marantz PM750DC and 2x Beovox 3702 as top and 2x Beovox S45 as bottom (primarily for bass), used in a stereo setup.
That's an extemely good combination, in case anyone is searching for a good system

Well... back to topic.
However, I only use it to listen of about 30% of sound, since I'm, like you, embarresed about some of the music, and otherwise have sound from videos that I don't want my parents to know I'm watching (Autism documentaries, etc.).

I bought some good headphones (Sennheiser HD650), but they still don't stand the quality of my speaker setup.
Also I do have some issues with anything touching my head, but I've learned to manage the headphones, so I can wear them for up to 1½ hour, before I have to take them off.
Does anyone else have that issue?!
It might also just be me that's weird. That wouldn't be the first time

So I vote headphones, since that is what I'm actually using most of the time.

Mostly headphones, so as not to disturb my partner. She doesn't always care for my loud 1960's music. When alone in the house I use the speakers.

I prefer earphones, but only the kind that's built to stay securely on your ears. I never could get regular earphones to stay in my ears.

I don't like headphones because they always mess up my hair.

Headphones. I can enjoy my music without having to turn my music up or the inner ear pain from earphones.

i have always been very sensitive to sound coloration in reproduced [or amplified] music, so i am a bit picky on the transducers i use- i prefer sennheiser hd580 cans due to their relative transparency and neutrality, IOW they don't add or subtract appreciably from the music, so i get a good sonic picture of the sound i am working with, which is generally the material i am restoring. for pleasurable music listening, i prefer using good loudspeakers such as my pair of magnapan [magnaplanars] panels, they are the most transparent [sonically and visually] speaker i could afford, back when i had the duckies to spare for such things. i use them with a subwoofer as they have NO bass below roughly 60 cycles per second. but these babies really throw a big and deep stereo image, one with height as well as breadth and depth, 3D as it were- as long as the listener keeps one's head in a narrow vertical window no wider than about a foot, otherwise the sonic image collapses most discouragingly. i always preview my restoration jobs on the maggies before burning a CD, as they are revealing of flaws in the mix.

I like speakers so the sounds hum my body, but headphones to hear all the slightest details. Some albums sound better through speakers imo though, like any of The Beatles.

I've been using these Ortofon E-Q5s as of yesterday since I stepped on my Shure SE535s and broke them. They're far cheaper and of equivalent sound quality in my opinion.

I am fine with a mid-range price Logitech 5.1 speaker system at my desk and Pandora (the unlimited Version - Pandora One)

I use Headphones to listen on my computer. I don't even have speakers for it. My parents probably would have a problem if I used speakers instead. I think headphones are more comfortable than earphones & they block out other noises more.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaatFgJfB_g[/youtube]

Last edited by nick007 on 02 Apr 2011, 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sounds and music are my life at the moment bring on the best with no distortion I cannot tolerate obvious distortion or poor recordings

Headphones mostly, simply because I don't like to disturb the neighbours.

Sound pushing air around in a room is just more exciting though, I do it now and then, for a treat like.

I don't have much room though, so I might get rid of my speakers.

I was the kid that always had headphones on.


I am happy with my mid range Audio Technicas. I couldn't believe the sh*t I was using. I don't even have to blast them. I would like some decent earbuds for air travel though.