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09-07-2023, 02:10 PM
Hi Guys
In my personal experience, I always use "full cup" style headphones, ones that surround the ear rather than insert into the ear. I find this to be a more comfortable arrangement.
Some of the planar speakers use quite large cups and there was a model in the 1980s that angled the driver inward toward the front of the cup to give a feeling more like listening to loudspeakers in free air.
I use some Stax ear-speakers with a custom amplifier. Playing at Human Scale loudness there is no lack of bass or any other part of the experience, and I portend that bass "slam" does not require sheer loudness at all, as others do; rather, that the whole note be reproduced as much as if coming from a point-source as possible - something that a full-range driver can achieve. Ironically, when the sound is very low in distortion, we want to push the loudness higher, but for myself I tend to play it modestly because it just sounds better.
Whether the cup completely blocks outside noise or not can effect the comfort. Complete isolation can be claustrophobic. On the other hand, such isolation can allow the music to be played quieter to save your hearing and allow you to hear it more accurately.
Open-back headphones allow you to still be involved with your living space, which is handy for remaining aware of what is going on around yourself; what your pets or children are doing; if there are emergencies; if aliens have landed on the roof...
It is very easy to play headphones too loud and one has to be a bit determined not to.
In my personal experience, I always use "full cup" style headphones, ones that surround the ear rather than insert into the ear. I find this to be a more comfortable arrangement.
Some of the planar speakers use quite large cups and there was a model in the 1980s that angled the driver inward toward the front of the cup to give a feeling more like listening to loudspeakers in free air.
I use some Stax ear-speakers with a custom amplifier. Playing at Human Scale loudness there is no lack of bass or any other part of the experience, and I portend that bass "slam" does not require sheer loudness at all, as others do; rather, that the whole note be reproduced as much as if coming from a point-source as possible - something that a full-range driver can achieve. Ironically, when the sound is very low in distortion, we want to push the loudness higher, but for myself I tend to play it modestly because it just sounds better.
Whether the cup completely blocks outside noise or not can effect the comfort. Complete isolation can be claustrophobic. On the other hand, such isolation can allow the music to be played quieter to save your hearing and allow you to hear it more accurately.
Open-back headphones allow you to still be involved with your living space, which is handy for remaining aware of what is going on around yourself; what your pets or children are doing; if there are emergencies; if aliens have landed on the roof...
It is very easy to play headphones too loud and one has to be a bit determined not to.
