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Ask HN: Anyone prefer listening to music with a stereo vs. headphones?

10 points by samh748 ↗ HN
Headphones are all the rage nowadays, but how does it compare to a roughly equally good set of stereo?

I can see that headphones are more popular due to practical reasons, like portability and not disturbing your neighbors. But if those didn't matter, what would you actually choose?

Personally, headphones tend to numb (ie damage) my ears, even if just a tad bit, unless I have it at minimum volume. And I'm definitely not the kinda person who cranks up the volume at all (that's how I can even detect the slight damage to my ears).

Stereo, on the other hand, I can have it much louder without any detectable damage. Plus, my favorite thing about playing music via the stereo is that it actually moves/shakes the physical space around me, which makes it even more enjoyable to rock out/party with.

I much prefer having the beat in the environment rather than just my ears/head.

What are your thoughts about this?

13 comments

[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 46.0 ms ] thread
ge96
I use both. Headphones at night (neighbors) or to focus (get in the zone).

I screwed around with headphones (to find the right ones) I prefer the v-profile ones.

If I really need to focus, silence.

muzani
I would use stereo if everyone around me had the same taste in music. Maybe I should get a cabin in the woods to do work some day.
nobody9999
If I'm in my own space, I much prefer ambient music.

If I'm out amongst the hoi polloi, I will (but only if I'm in a secure space like an Amtrak train -- not the subway, and homey don't ride no bus -- or a commercial airliner) use headphones, but never ear buds.

Ear buds are uncomfortable and annoying.

MonkeyMalarky
My exact opposite! In my own space I prefer over ear headphones because they do a better job of muting any ambient outside noise. And for commuting on public transit I much prefer earbuds they are much more discreet and lightweight. Headphones just feel bulky and awkward when walking around.
nobody9999
>And for commuting on public transit

I grew up in NYC in the 1970s and 1980s. That taught me an important lesson:

   If there are lots of people around an unsecured space,
   it's important to be aware of your surroundings, or bad 
   things can (and will) happen.
And on a number of occasions, I've been saved from bad/dangerous situations because I'm paying attention to my surroundings[0].

That doesn't just apply to subways either. Walking on the street is also another (unsecured) place I never limit my perceptual capacity.

I'm not suggesting you (or anyone else) do anything differently, just sharing my own experience and outlook.

[0] I'd note that bad things happen very rarely (at least to me). Perhaps 0.01% of the time. How much of that is me being an imposing male figure, dumb luck or paying attention is open to debate, but paying attention to what's going on around you is a good idea, IMNSHO.

MonkeyMalarky
My strategy has always been to be selective of what I'm doing and where I am relative to others. The person ignoring their surroundings while scrolling through instagram and standing by the door on the train is the one who gets their phone snatched. I'll be the one across the aisle listening to music but with my back to the wall and watching it happen.
wrycoder
I’m close to profound hearing loss, and I much prefer a good sound system with speakers.

“Hearing” the music with my body makes a big difference, and I can adjust the bass/treble effectively, which I can’t do with most headphone/earbud systems.

News-Dog
>close to profound hearing loss<

Your best option is to have a custom stereo-equalizer, low-frequency crossover (xover) built to to correct,

(as much as possible) for your hearing ability, and to use ear-buds or headphones for the high-frequencies,

and a sub-woofer for the body-feel.

tkgally
I’m lucky to have a home office that is nearly soundproof, and when there I listen to music only through a stereo. When I want to listen to music while out, I use earbuds while walking and noise-cancelling headphones on public transportation.

I like clear music reproduction, but I’m not an audiophile. In my office, I listen through some compact Bose speakers that I bought more than thirty years ago. I’m sure better speakers are available, but I’ve never felt the need to upgrade.

News-Dog
I use ear-buds, enclosed headphones, open-back headphones, 2.1 stereo and 5.1 surround-sound.

It all depends on the source audio and what I'm doing.

You may like to check out this thread;

>Ask HN: Life-like audio setup for spoken-word content?< : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31291037

duped
I prefer loudspeakers but with caveats. For background I have worked professionally in audio both on the production and product side. Take that as bias, not credentials.

My home audio system(s) are like project cars or using Linux for general purpose computing. I think it's better than headphones but I also recognize most folks don't have the budget, time, or expertise to do it well. I enjoy getting compliments when people come over for a game or movie night and my system sounds excellent, but that's because I've been trained how to do it and spent money and time to get it down for the rooms. For most people, headphones are way better than anything they could buy and plug in.

I still use headphones or earbuds for video calls because AEC is really bad in 2022. I encourage everyone to use them on their calls too.

Before my audiophile card is revoked, bass should be felt and heard as an extension of the track and rattle is not desirable. Isolate your speakers and tune the rig so it doesn't boom and you'll thank me. My tuning track is Return To Forever's "No Mystery" to nail balance and sound stage, always great to use one that you know when changing rooms or gear.

retrocryptid
when i'm camping in the desert, i'll sometimes bring a couple studio monitors and crank up some ambient music (eno, budd, fripp, etc.) sorta loud. then walk about 50 feet away. it's a different experience. some of the high end disappears. wind sometimes masks parts of the music.

i slurp down some ayahuasca and listen to the music with animal spirit guides.

you can't do this with ear buds.

this drains my car battery, so i can't do it too long.