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Headphones vs loudspeakers

Could you tell why headphones sound better than loudspeakers in general? When listening to music through headphones you hear more details, more ambiance and at the same time the sound is more pure than through loudspeakers. It's also as if you can listen to inferior CD-player without sacrificing much of the sound quality. Even with an excellent audio system the sound has less immediacy and is not so detailed as with headphones. What is the problem with audio systems? Are we dealing with psychoacoustics or...?

Chris
dazzdax

Showing 2 responses by flrnlamb

flrnlamb
508 posts
 
Something not being mentioned here is "efficiency". Headphones are going to be much easier to driver than typical passive speaker systems, through passive crossover networks and such. Also, yes, woofers driving a larger space are not as efficient overall - unless you get more woofers in volved, and likely active woofers at that.
Then, of course, yes, acoustics of the room come into play, associated equipment choices, set up, etc.
You should always consider variables when considering any medium, factor, issue, etc.
flrnlamb
508 posts
 
the same issue goes for car system efficiency vs. most home setup's. The woofers are not only closer to so many boundaries in relation to wave length - that they are reinforcing more of the bass frequencies- but the size of the woofers in relation to the amount of air is a much greater precentage. Again, efficiency for dynamic potential is higher in this "pressure pot" situation. It's likely a simmilar situation with the headphones, I pressume
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