Which is wrong? Speakers or headphones?

[AllThingsPure]

I have this 40-year old question which I didn't invest the time to find an answer. But better late than never.

If I sit in a concert hall, the sound, say just from one instrument, arrives at my left and right year at slightly different times. So my left ear hears the sound source at time t1 and my right ear hears it at time t2.

In a stereo recording, I understand there are two microphones, and two recorded channels. So, the left microphone is simulating my left ear (t1) and the right one the right (t2).

Now, if I now play back the recording onto speakers, the left speaker is reproducing what was recorded by the left microphone, and the right one the right.

As I sit in front of the speakers, now my left ear hears the sound from the left speaker AS WELL AS the sound from the right speaker. So the recorded sound arrinving at time t1 is now received by my left ear at time t11 and the recorded sound arriving at time t2 is now received by my left ear at time t12. Similarly, my right ear is picking up sounds from both the left and right speakers.

If instead I listen to the recording via headphones, my left ear hears only what is recorded by the left microphone (and nothing from the right microphone). My right ear hears only what is recorded by the right microphone.

Based on the above analysis, isn't the speaker set up producing "garbage"?

Thanks.

 

[JohnA]

I would say that it is not producing "garbage", it is producing what it should...

A stereo recording is not just recoding the LT side of the sound stage, but included in that is all the reflective sound waves and ambient sounds of both the LT and RT channels...

So the headphones are doing the disservice by isolating the sound to each individual ear and not both at the same time as with speakers

But that is my simple guess...

 

[markw]

Apples to oranges.

For all stereo recordings, the headphones are wrong and the speakers are more correct.

I think you're confusing a normal (stereo) recording, which is made for listening through speakers in a normal room environment, with binural recording, which is made specifically for listening through headphones. As the article says, there are some major differences.

I don't think there's a heckuva lot of these out there. I've never seen one but, in all honesty, I've never looked.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

Headphones have some advantages over speakers because they take the room out of the equation, which is a downfall of many systems.

But if you listen to live music, what you hear is more like what a pair of speakers in a room reproduces. Your left ear gets the on-axis of the left speaker, and some reflected/diffused/off-axis sound from from left as well....and the same goes for the opposite ear. This is more natural to listening to live music (which I do basically weekly or bi-weekly, advantages of my location hehe).

To counteract this, a lot of high end headphone amps have what is called a 'crossfeed' or headphone enthusiasts look for software based solutions.

So, no, headphones are not superior in that respect. They give an 'in your head' presentation, versus speakers that have more of a forward presentation.

Another downfall of headphones is the impact. With live music a kickdrum rattles your chest, with headphones that just isn't possible.

That said, I listen to both daily. I love laying in bed listening to headphones...it's just so personal, so compact, I fall asleep with headphones on my ears all the time. When I fly, my headphones are on at all times except for security and the time they tell you to turn them off during takeoff and landing. So, don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with headphones!

 

[jonnythan]

The microphones in a studio or auditorium are not placed where your ears would be.

 

[agarwalro]

They are both wrong, best is unmiked live .

Speakers, +1 for ability to create soundstage and tactile feel for low frequencies.
Headphones, +1 for accuracy (any good $100 cans will be better than $10000 speakers most people's in-room conditions).

 

[GranteedEV]

They are both wrong

This. More specifically, stereo is naturally wrong. FWIW, a true, well mixed Multichannel Music recording can be less wrong.

 

[AllThingsPure]

The microphones in a studio or auditorium are not placed where your ears would be.

From Wikipedia (sorry my membership level doesn't allow me to include links, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound), it looks like something is done during the mixing process to make speaker reproduction more authentic. It seems that it is not a simple recording from two microphones onto two independent tracks.

 

[highfigh]

From Wikipedia (sorry my membership level doesn't allow me to include links, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound), it looks like something is done during the mixing process to make speaker reproduction more authentic. It seems that it is not a simple recording from two microphones onto two independent tracks.

Recordings are rarely made with only two mics at this point, other than small venue, specialty recordings. Two mics can sound very realistic but engineers want control over every aspect of what they capture. Close-mic placement, separate tracks for each and lots of tweaking is how things are done now. What is done and to what extent depends on the record label, engineer, producer, etc.

Stereo is an attempt to achieve realism, but it's not perfect and it doesn't matter if you're considering headphones or speakers. The listening room can't be the same as where the music was performed, unless by coincidence. The sound of performance is one thing, the sound of reproduced sound is another. Also, the acoustical space in both cases has a lot to do with how it sounds.

 

[highfigh]

For all stereo recordings, the headphones are wrong and the speakers are more correct.

I think you're confusing a normal (stereo) recording, which is made for listening through speakers in a normal room environment, with binural recording, which is made specifically for listening through headphones. As the article says, there are some major differences.

I don't think there's a heckuva lot of these out there. I've never seen one but, in all honesty, I've never looked.

If you're familiar with Lou Reed's Rock & Roll Animal, that was recorded binaurally. IIRC, JVC did a series of recordings in the '70s and sold binaural headphones.

 

[bikemig]

Society of sound, which is a subscription service from B & W, released three binaural recordings. SoS is a pretty good deal; for $60 you get to download 2 CDs a month in alac of flac (including 24/48 flac). One is from the London Symphony Orchestra; the other is picked out by Peter Gabriel. There is no doubt that the binaural recordings just sound better through headphones than ordinary recordings. That said, I agree with MidnightSensi; headphones and stereo systems are both great, just different. If you are on a budget, you can't beat the sound quality you get from headphones.

 

[agarwalro]

a true, well mixed Multichannel Music recording can be less wrong.

I completely agree with this and wanted to say it, but the op wanted to discuss speakers/headphones in context of stereo recordings.

 

[jonnythan]

pretty good deal; for $60 you get to download 2 CDs

.. Wait, what?

 

[bikemig]

.. Wait, what?

LOL, sorry 2 CDs a month. $5 a month for 2 CDs, one of which is classical, the other is something Peter Gabriel picks out. You can download it in ALAC or FLAC and sometime there are bonus CDs such as the binaural recordings I downloaded.

 

[jonnythan]

Oh the $60 is per year? I was thinking it was per month. I was about to say that you and I have very different definitions of the word "deal"

 

[bikemig]

Oh the $60 is per year? I was thinking it was per month. I was about to say that you and I have very different definitions of the word "deal"

Yeah $60 a month would be pretty outrageous. SoS also allows you to download hi res (24/48) flac files; the classical recordings are first rate and if you like world music, the selections that Peter Gabriel makes are very good as well.