Speakers, On Board, External or headphones.

[Denn]

Hello, I have been in discussion about this and I would like the opinions of members.
When I record on my T4 or my SX700 I use the onboard speakers. I can vary the volumes and using the panpot I can put the instruments where I want them for the stereo effect. To me, playing back a wav or mp3 it sounds just as I recorded it. Often I have my Pa300 speakers plugged in anyway.
The opinion of others is that I should use headphones so that I can hear what is here or there. It seems that those who use headphone have them plugged into their phone or laptop.
When I download music from the net I usually put it onto a USB stick and plug that into my T4, sit back about 2 1/2 meters away and listen. When I play my own music I want to hear what my audience is hearing. My opinion, playing at the dance you can't give everyone headphones! If you go to a keyboard recital you just can't go up to the person and ask if you can plug in your headphones to hear exactly what he/she is playing.
So, the question is, should I use headphones or continue with my Stage Pa300 speaker system?
Kind regards, Denn.

[Graham UK]

The main benefit of headphones for initially balancing a mix is that you can hear your recording directly without added room acoustics. This gives you a starting point from which to make sound adjustments as required for the speakers you will be listening to and relating to different room acoustics.

[BogdanH]

...
So, the question is, should I use headphones or continue with my Stage Pa300 speaker system?

It depends. Here's my opinion...
Headphones are to be used for sound quality analysis. By having sound source practically in our ears, we can hear every so subtle detail of each instrument. Not because headphones have better quality sound, but because sound is totally isolated from environment disturbances (noise, echo, sound phase shifting, etc). In short, with headphones we can judge about instruments quality (simplified: $50 vs $1000 guitar).

But if we want to know how the ensemble (band) will sound on stage, external speakers should be used. Let me explain... headphones have a big drawback: with headphone, stereo "stage" is flat. All sounds are only between left and right ear -there's no "in front" (no depth). Our hearing is made in the way, so we can determine direction of sound source (because of ear shell). With headphones, ear shell has no function and stage depth is lost.

The second reason why using speakers is low frequencies. Yes, many headphones can play sounds all the way down to 20Hz, while we can be happy if our speakers can go below 50Hz. But, in real world, we don't only hear low frequencies (i.e. bass guitar).. our body also feels vibrations -and that doesn't happen with headphones.

That is also the reason (among others) why every studio also uses near field monitor speakers. But at the end, everyone should do what works better for him.

Bogdan

[Denn]

Thank you for your replies. I will probably continue using my external speakers as with headphones the music sounds flat. I only hear the sound from the headphones, one in each ear. Thank again
Regards, Denn.

[Graham UK]

headphones have a big drawback: with headphones, stereo "stage" is flat. All sounds are only between left and right ear -there's no "in front" (no depth).

This is not strictly true. A quality pair of headphones with a good stereo mix can give good sound field depth Front to Rear of the sound stage...Also the sound can be wider outside Far Left & Far Right of the headphones depending on one's hearing capabilities.
Most of my working life in sound-Audio can be a disadvantage as my ears became very critical but the advantage side is I can detect sounds differently.

To take this a step further, during my working years I was involved with Ambisonics. A microphone with four capsules was used for live recordings.The BBC used these during Last Night Of The Proms UK. The sound transmissions put you within the concert hall acoustics so sound reflections could be heard from the rear.

[BogdanH]

...A quality pair of headphones with a good stereo mix can give good sound field depth Front to Rear of the sound stage...

I think that's only in our imagination after subtle reverb/hall effects are added. There's only a straight line between left and right ear, along which instruments are positioned -no instrument can be outside that line.
Except maybe... I have read somewhere that there are headphones which have two speakers in each shell (unles I misinterpreted the article). In that case, I can imagine such headphones could trick our hearing. I say "trick", because stereo sound doesn't contain front/back sound info.

As always, is only my opinion 
Bogdan

[DerekA]

I think that's only in our imagination after subtle reverb/hall effects are added. There's only a straight line between left and right ear, along which instruments are positioned -no instrument can be outside that line.

There's only a straight line between one ear drum and the other - yet we perceive sound in 3D. I have no idea how it works though !!

[BogdanH]

There's only a straight line between one ear drum and the other - yet we perceive sound in 3D. I have no idea how it works though !!

We listen with two ears and that makes a triangle consisting of two ears and sound source (drum). If drum is slightly out of center (between L and R ear), then there's a delay in one of the ears and our brain calculates (triangulates) direction of the sound -brain does that instantly. However that only tells left and right direction. Back and front is determined with help of outer ear shell.
Of course, if sound source is out of center, then the sound is also slightly louder in ear that's closer to sound source. But the difference in loudness is too small for determining direction (our ears aren't sensitive enough).
If one ear is covered, then we have a problem to determine exact sound direction. And that's why we rotate our head, to findout where the sound is loudest. In this case we are usually constantly "targeting" the loudest direction (because our hearing isn't sensitive enough for very small loudness changes).
Maybe there's more, but that's the basic principle.

Bogdan

[mikf]

Sound reaches both of our ears but there is a time difference in the arrival of the sound wave depending on where the sound originates. Our brain is phenomenal and can perceive this minute time difference allowing us to fairly accurately distinguish the direction of the sound source, a kind of instant triangulation. Stereo sound does something similar which gives a 3D effect to the sound, not a simple left right.
Mike

[mikf]

We posted simultaneously
There is actually a name for this time difference perception, I think it's called Interaural time difference or something like that.
Mike

[mikf]

Been reading about this and seems both Bogdan and I have part of the story. It's a fascinating natural ability we all have. The brain uses both the time difference and the sound level difference to judge direction. It seems that low frequency sound direction is best judged by the time difference while higher frequency sound direction is best judged from level (volume) difference.
Apparently the shape of our ear also allows us to sense the overall direction the sound wave comes from, ie if it comes  front or back. And our brain is able to instantly and simultaneously detect and analyze all this info to let us sense sound direction with reasonable accuracy. Amazing.
Mike