I like the sound-inside-my-head feeling. Also headphones maintain directionality when you move your head around. Speakers dont move to keep that stereo feeling. I still use speakers, but for parties etc where idc about the sound that much.

Many people can't play music at a decent level at all times of day, perhaps due to close neighbours or spouses & children. When I started getting noise complaints from a new neighbour I decided to get some adequate headphones (no >£1k yet.) I found that good headphones aren't necessarily "better" than speakers, just different. Clearly the faithfullness of the sound reproduction is closer with speakers but some days I prefer the headphone experience.

I don't have space. I wish I had, because I like building speakers.

But if you want the best sound, then maybe speakers simulated on a headphone would be it, I think.

Besides speakers aren't really better than headphones until you get to really big stuff, like 10" and at that point, luxurious headphones are way cheaper.

Personal preference and or have more money than you. Everyone is not the same

What headphones do you use?

What genre are you listening to?

As I said for another commenter people in my area can't stand my open backs (because they can hear what I am listening to) so I can't use open backs even at home.

Also, I am listening to deathcore so that is the other problem I think. Not as many people listen to this extreme genre so they can't stand it. I think they wouldn't mind if I was listening to pop or hip-hop.

Not everyone has the time to do all what is necessary to make speakers sound their best in their space because:

1. They may not have said space

2. Convenience and ease of use of over ears

3. Don't have time for speaker placement, room correction, filters, crossovers and all that

Speakers need a good sounding room to sound really good. An acoustical bad room will make the most expensive speakers sound bad. Headphones do their job everywhere.

Some people live in apartments with thin walls....

Some people have wives that complain about "the noise"....

etc....

I'm not into closed backs, so haven't tried many. But the DT 770 sounded pretty good to me. And man, those pads! Stock top of the head makes my head hurt though, but easily bought top pad from Sennheiser glued on top and it's fixed. It might nokk look til great, but I've used this on several headphones.

That's reasonable. But eg. I can't use open backs at school or while I am studying (at home), because it bothers my mother or schoolmates.

For me it is limited space and time. I have time for headphones during work but other than that i hardly listen to music. If i had time and space i would totally use speakers.

as to not bother others.

Cheap - AKG K361/371 or Rode NTH-100 (if you get a good one)

Medium - DCA Aeon Closed X

High End - LCD-XC

Premium - DCA Stealth

From those I’ve heard - Fostex TH900

I really love my Denon AH-D9200

The SE215 has stayed with me for 6 years. I don't care what anyone says about the sound, but it's a survivor. It's only starting to fail recently, which prompted me to buy a couple of upgrades and a 3rd that came very quickly (in case the SE215 fails forever).

DCA Stealth by a mile

I think "burn-in" is mostly brain burn-in, where our ears/brain are adjusting to the headphones.

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You do you is all I have to say on that one. If graphs say one thing and my ears tell me another, it is what it is. I can only relay the findings as a matter of opinion vs fact. If it happens that my opinions align with others findings whether this be reviews, other owners, graph data or whatever gets your nipples erect then so be it but with all opinions professional or otherwise they should all still be taken with a grain of salt until you can get your hands on the gear for yourself.

Half the fun of coming onto these reddits is to share personal findings and opinions, nothing scientific about that.

> Preference: I like neutral tuning with good imaging and soundstage. I am FPS tryhard(sometimes singleplayer)

HD800s and it's not even a question IMO. Since you're on the fence about whether they'd be worth the upgrade or not (I can't say, I've never heard the XS), I'd buy them new from somewhere with a no question return policy, or pre-owned and sell them if you don't like them. There's plenty of demand for a used HD800s.

Focal Stellia

Lcd-xc. They are like a white canvas. They can be whatever you want them to be. They simple dont have distortion and you can eq the hell out of them. Yes. I have them, so my opinion is biased.

Nice! They have quickly become one of my "top" IEMs!

Best $8 ever spent