Why do songs sound SO MUCH different though headphones?

[Solarflare]

Sometimes songs sound SOOOOO much different. Sometimes for the worse, rarely for the better. This happens with every song ESPACIALLY et by Katy Perry. the voice sounds different, the music sounds different, the ambience is off the charts different. Is there any reason to thins. I wanna be able to listen to the music the way I like it without disturbing others.

[no-Name]

what headphones are you using? what loud-speakers? how dubious is the quality of the audio files? ipod buds? could be plenty of reasons. the solution probably involves finding better headphones/earbuds.

[Solarflare]

actually, my bro said they broke -.- and yeah, some songs sound nicer but overall, they all sound way different, espacially ET

[Xei]

You need to take them out of your mouth.

[no-Name]

being broken also detracts from the overall sound quality.

[Marvo]

Sounds like you either have some shit speakers or shit headphones. Music is nearly always better through loudspeakers, unless you have really high quality headphones.

[Oneironaut Zero]

"Different" doesn't always mean worse. Most of the time, the music I hear in headphones sounds just as good, if not better than through speakers. But if you just mean 'different' like technically different, then it's probably the same reason that your voice always sounds different when you talk than it does when you hear it back through speakers; because when you speak (and possibly when you have on headphones), the bones in your skull vibrate because of their close proximity to the origin of the sound. So when you hear that same type of sound from a distance, it doesn't sound quite the same.

[Xei]

Naw, he probably just has low-fi headphones. With really poor ones you won't be able to hear various sounds that are otherwise clear, some stuff will come to the forefront that shouldn't, and basically all the timbres will be fucked.

[Arra]

Maybe it is the headphones. I don't find that true. Music will sound a bit different through headphones, but not that much.

[DeletePlease]

I prefer listening to music through headphones, they make it easier to notice each layer of the instrumental. A lot of the music I listen to makes use of heavy synths and bass so the subwoofer I use with my computer speakers drowns out some of the more subtle parts of the music. It probably wouldn't sound so different if I knew how to turn that down.

[Philosopher8659]

Through headphones we get the full acoustic effect of an oval shaped chamber.

[Marvo]

About headphones vs loudspeakers, it is of course personal preference, but it also depends on what music you listen to. Electronic will usually be better through headphones, because you can hear all the subtle details that are often present in electronic, but with rock, metal and similar/sub genres, a good setup of loudspeakers is usually better. Personally I like loudspeakers, because it's more comfortable.

[Artelis]

boys boys boys, it's just acoustics Obvs there is the physical difference of components (different speakers sound different, duh), but the main contributing factor is in speakers you get the sound of the music bouncing off all of the surfaces in your room (think reverb, phase issues, standing waves, diffraction, etc) in headphones --- you don't get that, you just get a direct signal straight to your ears with no reflections. headphones also allow for accurate use of head related transfer functions (Head-related transfer function - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) which allow sound designers/audio engineers to 'mimic' 3d audio (you can use two speakers [read headphones] to trick your brain into thinking a sound is behind you, in front of you, above you, etc), as opposed to just having left and right (1d). Fun experiment - listen to this in headphones and without headphones, notice a huge difference? It's the transfer functions: YouTube - Virtual Barber Shop (Audio...use headphones, close ur eyes) Another fun experiment - put some music on through your speakers and walk around your room, turn your head a lot, notice how the sound changes significantly depending on where you are. This is because of the audio reflections bouncing around the room causing phase issues (constructive and destructive interference). EDIT: Through headphones we get the full acoustic effect of an oval shaped chamber. This is also true - you'll hear the coloration of the headphones resonating... but BARELY, and will most likely be entirely masked by the music (headphones are designed to reduce physical resonance).

[Solarflare]

actually, my bro said they broke -.- and yeah, some songs sound nicer but overall, they all sound way different, espacially et read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Artelis]

read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That still doesn't change any of my post.

[Solarflare]

"Different" doesn't always mean worse. Most of the time, the music I hear in headphones sounds just as good, if not better than through speakers. But if you just mean 'different' like technically different, then it's probably the same reason that your voice always sounds different when you talk than it does when you hear it back through speakers; because when you speak (and possibly when you have on headphones), the bones in your skull vibrate because of their close proximity to the origin of the sound. So when you hear that same type of sound from a distance, it doesn't sound quite the same. Sounds like you either have some shit speakers or shit headphones. Music is nearly always better through loudspeakers, unless you have really high quality headphones. These are the people I was talking to Naw, he probably just has low-fi headphones. With really poor ones you won't be able to hear various sounds that are otherwise clear, some stuff will come to the forefront that shouldn't, and basically all the timbres will be fucked. Maybe it is the headphones. I don't find that true. Music will sound a bit different through headphones, but not that much.

[Artelis]

lol oh ya. DV is lovely for getting 500 of the same response.

[Solarflare]

^ ikr XD

[Philosopher8659]

EDIT: This is also true - you'll hear the coloration of the headphones resonating... but BARELY, and will most likely be entirely masked by the music (headphones are designed to reduce physical resonance). Are you a master at missing a joke? The chamber is between the phones.

[Artelis]

Are you a master at missing a joke? The chamber is between the phones. lol, how clever.

[Luna]

I think the song Rude Boy by Rihanna sounds So different on head phones...

[Solarflare]

ill listen to it with my non-broken headphones.

[Photolysis]

Completely different acoustics basically. A lot more of the sound energy goes into your ear than when listening in a room using loudspeakers, so there'll be less reverberation. Headphones will usually block at least some background and ambient noise, though in a noisy environment the headphone output itself can be masked. Different speakers have different outputs at different frequencies, especially low and high pitches. It's easier to tell differences between the left and right audio channels when listening to headphones. There's probably a bit of bone conduction when listening to headphones at high volume too, which again, alters how the sound is perceived. Incidentally bone conduction is why our voices sound different to ourselves than to others. Short: lots of reasons, though it will vary dramatically depending on the equipment you're using and the quality of the music/sound.

[Artelis]

Completely different acoustics basically. A lot more of the sound energy goes into your ear than when listening in a room using loudspeakers, so there'll be less reverberation. Headphones will usually block at least some background and ambient noise, though in a noisy environment the headphone output itself can be masked. Different speakers have different outputs at different frequencies, especially low and high pitches. It's easier to tell differences between the left and right audio channels when listening to headphones. There's probably a bit of bone conduction when listening to headphones at high volume too, which again, alters how the sound is perceived. Incidentally bone conduction is why our voices sound different to ourselves than to others. Short: lots of reasons, though it will vary dramatically depending on the equipment you're using and the quality of the music/sound. So exactly what's already been said in this thread.

[♥Mark]

So exactly what's already been said in this thread. Someone already commented on repeat responses.