TheOldFart
Active Member
As far as I know, you are not the one who decides when a discussion ends. You can keep your mouth shut if you like, but you don't tell me or anyone else when we have to stop.
From your comments, it is obvious that you know little about audio. I have a pretty decent home stereo, not the best, but much better than most. It is a NAD CD player, a HeadAmp GS-1 class A headphone amp/preamp, a Parasound A-23 power amp and Role Audio Windjammer speakers and a M&K sub. I also have Bayerdynamic DT-880 headphones and Etymotic HF-5 earphones. I also have a bunch of other headphones, earbuds and earphones, including 2 pair of Sony that are the crappiest of the lot.
When it comes to soundstage, nothing can beat the stereo speaker setup. The depth and width of the soundstage are great. The smallest soundstage is with my HF-5 IEMs. The DT-880 are in the middle. When it comes to pure clarity of sound and hearing all that is in a complex recording, then the HF-5 win over the headphones and speakers. It is a tradeoff. I can hear detail with the IEMs that I don't notice with the speakers. They also isolate most of the sounds that are going around in the house, like my wife doing something or watching TV. I can use them while I work or move around the house or outdoors. I could also do the same with the Sonys that I have, but they sound like crap in comparison and don't have the sound isolation. By the way, I listen to mostly classical and jazz, with a little bit of rock, female vocals and new age thrown in.
Which would I rather listen too. Well, if it is quiet in the house and I want to do nothing except listen to music then it is the stereo system. They sound the most realistic, like a concert hall. However, that setup cost me over $4000. My iAudio 7 MP3 player and HF-5 IEMs cost me less than $200. There is no set of speakers and audio equipment for even $600 or $800 that can come close to the sound quality that I get out of that player and the IEMs. Even my CD player, headphone amp and DT-880 headphones cost over $1000. The total sound beats the $200 setup, but not by as much as one would think. My music is ripped to simple MP3-256 for the MP3 player.
By the way, bigger speakers don't mean better sound. They might result in louder sound, but I have heard some total garbage huge speakers. In general, smaller speakers and drivers result in better placement of the individual instruments on the soundstage.
erformance:value ratio, it didn't seem financially sound for me. And the sound difference was beyond neglible. Very pleased.