Everyone uses headphones these days, and most people have more than one set. They are
basically just miniature speakers that only have to control the small amount of air inside
your ear.
Regular speakers have an incredibly tough job to do because of the amount of air they
have to move so you hear them well, and they have to overcome the weird shapes of our
rooms. Keep that in mind when buying speakers…the room you put them in has a huge
effect on how they sound. A little due diligence will result in you getting speakers well
suited to your space and they’ll sound great.
Headphones only have to move a few square centimeters of air, and the shape of your
inner ear is pretty well known by now. This gives the headphone makers the ability to
control the sound incredibly. In fact, in many rooms the best speakers made won’t sound
better than a good set of headphones.
Don’t short yourself with a pair of $10 headphones unless they’re going to be used in a
rough way and disposed of regularly. A good set of headphones is one of the great values
in audio/video today. Given the number of devices we use requiring phones, and the
relatively low cost of headphones compared to speakers, everyone should have at least
one pair of great ones.