Headphones - Do you use them often?

[Christmas]

I'm an audiophile and until an year ago I used usual audio systems, but then I bought a Sony MDR-XD100 headsets and now I only listen to music using it.

I heard there may be some problems over time regarding ears using headphones (at least at a loud volume level), but I'm not sure whether it can do real harm or not.

How about you? Do you find more comfortable to play games and listen to music using headphones or just an audio system, perhaps a 5.1 layout?

[lisati]

I normally use headphones only when listening to my mp3 player.

[TBOL3]

When I don't want to annoy someone, headphones.
Otherwise, it's loudspeakers for me.

[SuperSonic4]

Not at my PC. My 5.1 surround works far better

[Dr Small]

My house is usually quiet. I wear headphones alot of the time.

[OutOfReach]

I rarely use them on my computer.
Unless I'm listening to my iPod...

[zmjjmz]

Not on my comp, but my mobile devices use it.

[Bölvaður]

I use headphones only while playing cod4, but mp3s and other are all in my speakers.

[kostkon]

When using iPod...

[LaRoza]

Yes. Although my monitor has speakers, I prefer headphones.

[cookieofdoom]

I use headphones all the time. I don't even know where my speakers are. I don't bug my family that way, and I think you get better sound quality out of cheap headphones than cheap speakers.

I'd love to get some really good 5.1 speakers sometime, though. I'd still use headphone 50% of the time even if I had them.

[Corfy]

Normally, when I'm on the computer, I keep the sound turned off.

At home, if my wife is watching TV, I use headphones. Otherwise, I go with speakers. That is assuming there is something I want to listen to.

At work, I use headphones... when I want to listen.

[wolfen69]

headphones 100% of the time.

[der_joachim]

At work, I use my headphone (a 17 yr old pair of Sennheiser). I prefer working with music, but my colleagues do not always agree with my musical taste. :)

At home I never use headphones, unless I am playing a computer game.

[darrenn]

headphones 100% of the time.

[Prefix100]

Headphones all the time.

I used to use speakers, but no matter how low I had them my wicked stepmother would always tell me to turn them down, so I just gave up.

[Don S]

Preferably speakers, but it depends on what I want to do. If I want to immerse myself into something; a game, a movie - headphones' the way, but if I want to work on something; hacking/coding, designing or listen to podcasts - the speakers are the choice I make.
Not all family members agree with my decision, though.

[bryncoles]

headphones most of the time, but i try and keep the volume fairly low, as regular exposure to noises over 85 decibels can permanantly damage your hearing:

http://www.malehealth.co.uk/userpage1.cfm?item_id=1982

actually, reading that its scary how quiet 85 decibels actually is!

[markp1989]

Use speakers during the day, then after 10pm i use headphones, or if im out then i use headphones.

I usually listen to music on my PC which is connected to a Rotel amplifier , and some Mission speakers . that my dad gave me about 5 years ago, dont know how long they have been in the house for, but they work

[mp3_freak_721]

With my Cowon D2. But sometimes, I plug it into my computer speakers.

[barbedsaber]

Some nice headphones (well, by my standered) $40-50, nice speakers, $100 I think i'll stick with headphones. (thats inner ear phones for the record)

[ice60]

i use headphones every day when i go out with my ipod. my hearing is very badly damaged, but i think that's more from loud nightclubs because i always keep my ipod as quiet as possible because of the hearing problems i have. i have tinnitus that i can always hear above anything else, it's probably as loud as a very loud tv.

the pitch is close to this clip at about 45 seconds, 24 hours a day lol
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BX7Ar3Z-oTo

[mariuskl]

I have some good headphones for my laptop, I can't hear a thing from exterior when i put them to my ears :D

[grotto]

I prefer headphones, myself. I have 170 pounds of speakers between the 2 next to me - but they haven't been used in years. Headphones are more private, don't bother others, and much more economical. Even a cheap $100 pair of headphones can compete with much more expensive stereo equipment; and they don't cause a hernia moving them around.

[RiceMonster]

I use headphones when I'm listening to my mp3 player, or when I want to listen to loud music late at night.

[init1]

Yeah, I use headphones a lot. I'm using some right now, actually.

[Ub1476]

Both, but if I want to "enojy" the music, I use headphones. If I listen to last.fm it really doesn't matter though.

[bashveank]

I have a nice sound system that I listen too when I can, but most of the time, moving from room to room, I use headphones.

[jomiolto]

I do like headphones -- they drown out all the background noise very well -- but I tend to get headache if I wear them for too long (hours). I also have a 2.1 speaker system and I usually use them when I'm by myself and it's quiet (and the music won't bother anyone else).

[Christmas]

headphones most of the time, but i try and keep the volume fairly low, as regular exposure to noises over 85 decibels can permanantly damage your hearing:

http://www.malehealth.co.uk/userpage1.cfm?item_id=1982

actually, reading that its scary how quiet 85 decibels actually is!
Thanks for the link!

[gn2]

Don't like headphones at all and never use them in the house.
If I'm on the train, very rare less than once a month, I'll use headphones but at a low volume so as not to annoy other passengers.

My PC is conected to a pair of Creative Gigaworks T20 speakers which are surprisingly good.

I have another PC which is a dedicated jukebox connected to a Rotel amp and a pair of Mordaunt Short floorstanders.

[-grubby]

I'd be using headphones all of the time if I had a good pair

[1cewolf]

I've got a beautiful pair of Beyerdynamic DT880's that I reserve exclusively for nighttime listening when I want to relax. They make my music sound truly incredible! :KS

[hessiess]

Any semi decent spekers(not PC spekers), with a semi-decent amp will sound nicer than headphones, at least thats what my limeted expiriance with the isue tells me. personally I can notice so much more detail when music is played over loudspeekers, which makes it obvious how bad most MP3's sound.

[SomeGuyDude]

I always have headphones in. Much as I love my 5.1 speakers, I don't live alone and sometimes I gotta let everyone else take a break from my music.

[david_lynch]

I have to use headphones at work.

[markp1989]

Don't like headphones at all and never use them in the house.
If I'm on the train, very rare less than once a month, I'll use headphones but at a low volume so as not to annoy other passengers.

My PC is conected to a pair of Creative Gigaworks T20 speakers which are surprisingly good.

I have another PC which is a dedicated jukebox connected to a Rotel amp and a pair of Mordaunt Short floorstanders.

I have a Rotel Amp aswell,i love it