headphones that sound like speakers

[Xray]

I have to either get headphones or a divorce, and I figure headphones will be cheaper. However, I listen to a lot of live music (classical, jazz, some 60's rock), and I've never heard real music that sounded like it was coming from an ear muff. Can anyone recommend a headphone setup that comes close to the feel of live music? I've heard some high end headphones that sounded really good, but never quite natural.

My current setup isn't great, but it's musical. I have NAD electronics and Mirage speakers. I've spent all of my adult life around machinery, so I'll never hear the nuances many of you search for, but I love music and want to be able to hear from my system what I hear in real life.

If you can't recommend good headphones, do you have any suggestions for a wife who will let me play my music moderately loud at midnight?

Thanks.
Joe

Bush/Cheney 2004: When the truth just isn't good enough.

[Squalish]

Warning: at the high end, headphones are as expensive as mid-end speakers. Headphone amps too.

www.head-fi.org

If you're looking for the closest headphones to small speakers, I suggest the K1000, which is for all intensive purposes(size, looks, price, etc) two small speakers strapped to your head.

If you're looking for good sound, on the other hand, there are varying opinions on that

[protos]

That's a good link for learning about how to go about maximising you headphone listening.However a very good set of cans delivering hi-end details and dynamics rivalling and bettering many speakers would only set you back a few hundred USD.
With a good headphone amp with crossfeed you might find your main set-up may not be as revealing as you thought.
You can build your own head amp from as little as 20 usd or max out with a Gilmore or PPA for 300-400usd.

[Timn8ter]

I read an interesting post about headphone listening and thought I'd paraphrase here. Psychoacostically speaking, the tendancy is to play headphones at ~5 db higher than the same perceived level of loudspeakers. Say you listen to your speakers at 85 db, your perceived level of equivalent loudness will be 90 db on headphones. It doesn't take too much more to hit the infamous 92 db level which can cause long-term damage after prolonged periods. Just a note of caution.

[jake]

Xray,

I have the pair of earphones for you, the new Bose ones. They are only about $300AU and have excellent sound and at high volumes sound the equivalent or better than your hifi speakers.

____
Jake
____

[setmenu]

Originally posted by jake
Xray,

I have the pair of earphones for you, the new Bose ones. They are only about $300AU and have excellent sound and at high volumes sound the equivalent or better than your hifi speakers.

____
Jake
____

I would Highly recomend paying a visit to Head -fi, and researching peoples views on Bose products before parting with
any cash!



Setmenu

[peranders]

Stax is also rather OK, but expensive....

Sennheiser HD545 and above is also quite OK, not so expensive.