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Can headphones ever be as good as high end stereo?

I am absolutely satisfied with the sounds of my current setup but I feel like I'm unable to listen at the volumes I prefer on a regular basis due to the ole spouse. I've been considering switching over to headphones. By selling my current speakers and amps I could easily finance stax 009 phones and a suitable amp, which seem to be regarded as the pinnacle of headphones.

My question is, what would I be losing or gaining in the switch? Right now my setup emits a beautiful wall of sound and I would hate to give that up. Understand that I have never owned a pair of headphones worth more than 80 bucks so I have no idea what good ones sounds like. Almost all source material would come from a pyon ultima table. Thanks
bfin3

Showing 2 responses by tonykay

tonykay
1,311 posts
 
Bfin3,

So that this thread doesn't end on a negative note, just try a few high quality phones and you'll learn what many of us already know, i.e. that headphones can give you state of the art sound at a fraction of the price of speakers. A pair of Stax 009s (with driver unit) will cost in the $4-5K range but sound like the best speakers you have ever heard. Remind me again, how much are those high end Wilsons or Magicos?
tonykay
1,311 posts
 
Bfin3, your problem with your spouse is not unique. For that reason I have been listening to Stax phones for more than twenty years, starting with Lambda Pros driven by an SRM1/Mk2, and now the Lambda Signatures/SRMT1S tube driver. At a recent audio show, I had the opportunity to hear both the Stax 007 and 009 models. Both of my previous phones have sounded great but the higher Stax models were a revelation. I was struck by how comfortable both models were, how refined the sound and they have a more conventional look than my Lambdas. I have no doubt that I'll be listening to either the 007 or 009s in the future, driven by my SRMT1S.
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