Headphones or speakers at the computer?

[action9000]

I said "75% headphones, 25% speakers" because of a few reasons...
the number one reason being privacy.  My grandfather in particular will tend to come and watch me or see what I'm doing fairly often, when I have music playing upstairs.  I'm not comfortable with always being watched or interrupted by my family, especially since I have been disturbed at rather unopportune times, such as in the middle of a deep MSN conversation or while working on a project and I'm trying to listen to the mix carefully to work on it.

I do all of my music work on headphones and really only use the speakers when I have the house to myself or listening to music or playing games for enjoyment.  I'm not a fan of doing music work and mixing on headphones but I prefer that to having to be answerable to everything I do up here, which really isn't much, but I just don't like being disturbed every 5 minutes for an hour straight because *some people* can't stop talking. :  

Bottom line: it's a privacy issue.  I don't have my own room with a computer in it; the computer is in a common room upstairs.
This house isn't very big.  I need all the privacy I can get. :

[DarkHououmon]

I'm not much of a fan of speakers, and I rarely listen to anything that I don't want anyone else to hear. Plus since people knock at the door to get something, to get on, or talk with me, I have to be sure I can hear the door knocks.

[Manny Cav]

75% headphones for more or less action9000's reasons.

[Littlefoot1616]

I tend to use my speakers moreso than headphones. Not that I have a real preference of one over the other but I've nothing to hide to which I feel the need to seclude my audio ambience within a set of headphones.   Not that I'm saying there's nothing wrong with using headphones moreso than speakers, I just prefer not to use them. Sometimes, if alternative audiences do not appreciate the noise (i.e. parents), then I will happily oblige to using a headset. Otherwise, "LET THE MUSIC PLAY LOUD AND PROUD BABY!"  

[Petrie.]

On the fence: 50% headphones 50% speakers.

I always have a ton of readings and research as a grad student, and I must (read MUST) have some kind of music going while doing it.  I can't do it in silence.  That background ambience is just necessary for me.  However, I can't have it in my head while I'm trying to decode and comprehend readings or articles, so speaker listening almost always happens here, and its of orchestral nature (movie score, instrumental pop, environmental nature, new age), so no, I don't have Bruce Sprinsteen blaring while reading up on special education assessment. :

I use headphones when I want to do critical listening or modify songs.  Whenever Tim and I work on the karaoke projects I'm doing all of the sound tests on headphones because inaccuracy or errors are going to be noticed much more easily on headphones.  (Not that I find any, Tim. )  Sometimes I get up earlier than others in the house or go to bed later...can't exactly have speakers going.  Usually when I just browse forums I'll put on headphones more often than not....just preference I guess.  You want to turn up good music loud and share it with the world. :

[Tails_155]

allow me to explain why speakers: USB Stereo !!!

[Flathead770]

I use speakers, i don't really have a problem with privacy now that i have my own computer, in fact, the only time i've really used headphones on the computer is to do the singing projects.

[f-22 "raptor" ace]

I use headphones all the time when I'm on my computer.

[landbeforetimelover]

Huh.  I only use headphones when I absolutely have to like when I don't want anyone catching me watching LBT or when actually working with real audio files that are important.  Splitting, modifiying, or enhancing sound is the only time I really use them when I'm alone.  In other words, when I'm working on something, I use headphones and when I'm just having a good time, I let my speakers take a rip at it.

[Malte279]

Almost exculusively speakers. Our LBT song recordings are almost the only case in which I use headphones. I don't really like headphones if handled carelessly they can damage the ears which are not made to have sounds produced so close to them.

[DarkHououmon]

Almost exculusively speakers. Our LBT song recordings are almost the only case in which I use headphones. I don't really like headphones if handled carelessly they can damage the ears which are not made to have sounds produced so close to them.

That is why I don't like headphones very much.

[Manny Cav]

On the subject of headphones, I used to use one of those pairs where you put the little pieces into your ears (they came free with a portable DVD player) at the computer. I hate that kind! They were always slipping out or doing something wrong. Eventually, the right ear-piece stopped working for 95% of the time, which meant that I was getting shorted the right channel on my stereo music files. It really detracted from the listening experience. Eventually, the right wire where at the end is the right ear piece ripped off of the main wire before the left and right ones split. That's where I put them down and got a "traditional" head set with the large ear pieces with the leather padding. Really nice to have actual stereo now.

[Petrie.]

^ Ugh, yeah no earbuds here if I can help it.  If they don't sit right, the sound is bad.