I think the problem is perception. We're so used to coloured sound that without over exaggerated bass and treble, higher quality headphones feel very flat. I will admit myself, that I much prefer my consumer speakers (Cambridge Soundworks Air Minx 200) to my friend's studio monitor speakers (KRK Rokits I think) - despite being well aware that they're no doubt coloured.
There is definitely a habituation effect. I bought a pair of KRK Rokits a few years ago and got used to listening to everything through them - I bought a second pair for my living room, and virtually all music I hear now comes through one of the pairs of monitors or through a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 headphones. It sounds normal and sound played back on a stereo with an unbalanced EQ setup sounds... odd, like it's trying too hard.
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I think the problem is perception. We're so used to coloured sound that without over exaggerated bass and treble, higher quality headphones feel very flat. I will admit myself, that I much prefer my consumer speakers (Cambridge Soundworks Air Minx 200) to my friend's studio monitor speakers (KRK Rokits I think) - despite being well aware that they're no doubt coloured.
There is definitely a habituation effect. I bought a pair of KRK Rokits a few years ago and got used to listening to everything through them - I bought a second pair for my living room, and virtually all music I hear now comes through one of the pairs of monitors or through a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 headphones. It sounds normal and sound played back on a stereo with an unbalanced EQ setup sounds... odd, like it's trying too hard.