Do you prefer headphones or speakers?

Speakers. Headphones while working on the computer, though. And earbuds while outdoors & taking a long(er) ride or walk. Pop I listen almost exclusively with headphones/earbuds, especially outdoors; with speakers almost exclusively acoustic music (classical & some jazz), except when more pop/rock-oriented friend(s) are visiting.

 

Speakers for sure. I've never experienced that same sense of wonder with headphones.

 

Since she was born hard of hearing, she also never learned how to ignore sound so any background noise distracts hear.

 

I have the opposite problem. I have hypersensitive hearing due to a neurological condition. I am not sure if it is related, but in my left ear when I listen to music with headphones I hear a crackling sound, almost like there is fluid in my ears, but there's not. I don't know if that's related to my sensory processing or not, but it can be annoying. In those cases, I guess I actually would prefer loudspeakers. It's always in my left ear though, and happens with any headphones, and sometimes even if in loud places like a concert. Last time I had my hearing tested though, I was able to hear up to about 20-21 Khz in both ears. I'm sure it has gone down since then though.

 

Oh. Sorry to hear about that. Sincerely. I thought you were relaying another sad sack story about having a wife you wouldn't "allow" you to do your audio stuff.

I find it pretty sad how many here have to have wife "approval" or "permission" to do even the smallest things.

Obviously, your situation is much different. Headphones do seem to be the best answer for your particular scenario though.

Getting back to the poll, I see that speakers are overwhelmingly the choice here on the SHF!

 

Well she did nag me to get rid of the old floor standing speakers because she thought they were ugly. I would have been able to keep them though but since they were $75/pair speakers from the high school in the 70s, and I could only listen to them occasionally, I did get rid of them.

I posted about the sub because I thought it was funny that she was objecting to the only thing she would be able to hear from the system. After I played it for her, she was fine with having it as long as she didn't have to look at it.

Marriage really is about compromise and for me headphones are a great compromise. I have a very good headphone setup and I never had a good speaker set up. I also don't have a room that would be good for a speaker setup in my small house even if I was single.

 

Headphones hands down. Hence the tinnitus. Oh, and being down in front for some shows I probably shouldn't have.

 

Think my wife may just be glad to get my out to the garage and take over the TV remote. I think.

 

I don't mind digital music or a *mint* record through headphones, but for most vinyl I don't like all the extreme detail provided by headphones. To me, headphones make quieter sounds more audible than loudspeakers, and that includes noise, of course. I suppose I would think in theory that a well-treated, quiet acoustic space with loudspeakers would provide as much detail when it comes to quieter sounds, but I've been in recording studios and for some reason I've always felt you can get more of that detail from headphones...?

(Sorry if this has already been discussed here, gonna go back and read now )

 

I know from going to Head-fi meets that a really high end headphone rig can make a lot of music unlistenable, especially something that is brick-walled. It made me realize I don't want a highly revealing rig. My headphone rig is all high end stuff from the 70s and 80s. IMO, it beats most headphone rigs I've heard with modern gear, but is still forgiving enough that I can listen to compressed music and restored historical classical performances that are noisy.

I assume a high end speaker rig does the same although my experience of high end speakers is very limited and all predates the loudness wars.