I got some new earbuds from biglou. They are awesome, but they got me thinking way too much -
I play them on my Creative Nomad Jukebox 3, which BTW has never sounded worse, now that I can hear the $.25 opamp output stage in exquisite detail. I have a new iPod nano, but haven't tried it yet. I hope it is better. If not, maybe Red Wine iMod? But even with the toy soundblaster mp3 player, the detail of listening with these high end Shure earbuds takes my breath away. The dynamics are a little stunted, tone is terrible, no air below 500Hz but the musical message and feeling is coming through easy and clear. I am connected in the way I have been striving to achieve with the stereo system. That is very unnerving after all the research, work, saving and spending on the stereo.
Hearing music on these headphones gives me a wakeup call. First, I realize now that there is NO amount of acoustic treatment I can do to my 7500 cu ft living room to make it sound as good as this earphone and still stay married. 2nd, how can a $600 portable rig even begin to come close in any parameter to a multi thousand dollar high end audio system? It does this, and in the most important way, listener involvement. I can hear and feel everything on the disc, and focus on whatever I want, or just veg-out and relax.
Now the scary thought: If I got Vinnie's iMod and some of them high falootin' molded in-earphones, with the expected perfect freq response, excellent tone and technically perfect acoustics, how much would I miss the big stereo playing in a 7500 cu ft sheetrock drum? Of course, Felix Hell's organ music and Sunday morning religious music radio show sound perfect in the mini mauseleum of my living room. Other than that, it is tough.
Of course, I would prefer the speakers and tube amps in a well treated room. I wish there was an easier way to preserve the soundstage, imaging and that 'surround you with music' feeling of speakers without giving up the technically great acoustics of heaphones/earbuds.
I would love to hear your thoughts
Thanks
Rich