Major Problem with Professional Monitor Speakers!

[deadwood83]

Do you suffer from tinnitus?

Tinnitus sufferer here. Luckily it hasn't handicapped me below 18k (17k limit right ear). But the feeling is very different from what OP describes. It;s more like one ear basically stops and just goes high pitched and the physical sensation is like somebody cupping their hand and slapping straight over your ear, but without the pain. Just a slightly dizzying imbalance and lack of auditory response in one ear which gradually returns (unless you are unlucky and have a multi-hour episode).

BP fluctuations can make it worse. Low BP triggers mine. Neck muscle flexing (sort of like when you yawn and it clamps the sinus drainage) in the AM produces a faint ring in right ear which disappears after I have a coffee.

Tinnitus is weird. I would not wish it upon anybody.

 

[DEF]

One person mentioned several alternative setups that sound about the same at $1000.

I missed that. Can you show me?

Haha you’re making me want one.

Theres one big flaw. The cable. Its far too heavy and awful to use. Also, cannot possibly use it when moving the head cause it doesnt clamp enough.

 

[srrxr71]

I missed that. Can you show me?


Theres one big flaw. The cable. It’s far too heavy and awful to use. Also, cannot possibly use it when moving the head cause it doesnt clamp enough.

Good thing I had it up on the Amazon app:

Keep in mind it’s just his opinion.

 

[DEF]

Good thing I had it up on the Amazon app:

Keep in mind it’s just his opinion.

Alright. I will try the Beyerdynamic T1. Also that... A new RME DAC+Amp got announced https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/rme-adi-2-4-pro-se-dac-announced.33926/
I can make the upgrade by selling my RME ADI 2 DAC FS once released.

 

[srrxr71]

Alright. I will try the Beyerdynamic T1. Also that... A new RME DAC+Amp got announced https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/rme-adi-2-4-pro-se-dac-announced.33926/
I can make the upgrade by selling my RME ADI 2 DAC FS once released.

Honestly I don’t know much about headphones anymore. That just came from a guy on Amazon. I bet if you go through the reviews you will find dozens of opinions from people whose qualification is that that they dropped $4000 on headphones.

That’s a far higher qualification than mine.


I mentioned this above somewhere but I hate to post it lest I be accused of being a Genelec shill. I have no affiliation with them.

The software is expensive but one month to try it might be worth it.

Aural ID - Genelec.com

The ultimate in tailor-made headphone monitoring. Create your profile, download the plug-in, and enjoy a headphone listening experience you can finally trust.

www.genelec.com

That correction of your upper body profile is what would standardize what you hear on a headphone to what someone else hears.

I used to think just the pinnae. Until I learned the shape of your nose will change what enters your ear. That is unique to you and you hear everything with that filter. Headphones have that disconnect where they bypass that and fudge in some curve to satisfy people.

 

[DEF]

Honestly I don’t know much about headphones anymore. That just came from a guy on Amazon. I bet if you go through the reviews you will find dozens of opinions from people whose qualification is that that they dropped $4000 on headphones.

That’s a far higher qualification than mine.


I mentioned this above somewhere but I hate to post it lest I be accused of being a Genelec shill. I have no affiliation with them.

The software is expensive but one month to try it might be worth it.

Aural ID - Genelec.com

The ultimate in tailor-made headphone monitoring. Create your profile, download the plug-in, and enjoy a headphone listening experience you can finally trust.

www.genelec.com

That correction of your upper body profile is what would standardize what you hear on a headphone to what someone else hears.

I used to think just the pinnae. Until I learned the shape of your nose will change what enters your ear. That is unique to you and you hear everything with that filter. Headphones have that disconnect where they bypass that and fudge in some curve to satisfy people.

Seems like it is meant to make headphones sound more like speakers. Nothing I'd want at the moment.
Does Aural ID work with Linux? Before I go ahead... Cause I'm a Linux guy.

 

[majingotan]

I remember the Utopia as making sound everything exciting.
Well. Given that I tried... DT 990, DT 880, HD650, LCD-XC, Audeze LCD-2, Dan Clark Audio ETHER 2, AKG K812
... Nothing came yet close to the Utopia. Is that surprising?

My subjective preference says no. Dan Clark Aeon X Open at 1/12 the Newtopia's (Utopia 2022) SRP is equal or better than the Newtopia and Utopia. It also left every other Focal headphones to sounding mediocre after A/Bing with my Aeon X Open. Measurements also backed my subjective claims as well

Hmm... Thomann doesnt sell the Dan Clark Aeon Open X. And that means I cannot really test it since I live in Germany and imports are annoying to deal with.
Are there other Dan Clark Models which you would deem 'better' for your preference?

It's the only one I recommend within a budget constraint. It has incredible staging quality that is holographic and out-of-the-head sensation. Also, tonality is perfect out of the box, and detail retrieval is on par with Focal Utopia. If I put this in one sentence, think a 100% copy of Focal Utopia's technicalities at 1/10 of the cost

 

[DEF]

My subjective preference says no. Dan Clark Aeon X Open at 1/12 the Newtopia's (Utopia 2022) SRP is equal or better than the Newtopia and Utopia. It also left every other Focal headphones to sounding mediocre after A/Bing with my Aeon X Open. Measurements also backed my subjective claims as well

Hmm... Thomann doesnt sell the Dan Clark Aeon Open X. And that means I cannot really test it since I live in Germany and imports are annoying to deal with.
Are there other Dan Clark Models which you would deem 'better' for your preference?

 

[DEF]

Update: I found out something intriguing! When using the Bluetooth mode of the Tannoy Live Mini it creates the same clogged ear phenomena as the Genelec 8010 (much), the Neumann KH120 (less) and the Creative Katana V2 (extreme, in all modes) tested. What does that mode have in common? It is noisy! Can hear / feel hiss.
Yea. So it is probably exactly >that< reason. So should I choose a new speaker, I need to follow the hiss list / require something 'special'.

This is the thread I was referring to https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hiss-list-s-r.18050/

 

[Yuhasz01]

Have you tested different frequencies via headphones?

This might narrow it down to a certain range/volume level that causes the pain you experience.

Check your hearing with an audiologist.

 

[DEF]

Check your hearing with an audiologist.

I actually did that, and everything was great. It is just that as somebody with Autism, everything appears much more unfiltered to me. That means, I'm much more aware of those details.

 

[DEF]

Update: Received my second Tannoy live mini.
In Stereo. However, I have to say listening in true Stereo is more fatiguing.
Perhaps I can get more used to it. But I certainly prefer it over the other experiences.

 

[Thelo80]

Hi, I have the same ear issues with the Genelecs I have tried: 8020 and 8040. Clogged left ear.
I started a thread, but it would be good to consolidate a list of prone to clogging speakers. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/powered-speakers-for-living-room.40093/
I think the issue is connected to the tweeter material. As the hiss is usually high frequency, this sound with a metalic tweeter could trigger the ear clogged.

I have tested:
Audioengine A5+. No issues. I have them since 2013. Textile dome tweeter
Adam T7V: No problem. I only tested for 3 weeks. AMT Tweeter
Behringer B2031A: No problem. I only tested for 4 weeks. Titanium with ferrofluid damper tweeter
Genelec 8020: Ear clogged. Aluminum tweeter
Genelec 8040: Ear clogged. Aluminum tweeter

I was thinking on trying the KH120 (aluminum tweeter) buy you said you had problems with them. How was it?

 

[fineMen]

I will try them in Stereo.

Very good! But the other way round: try in mono. Same sensitivity? If not, the razor sharp stereo effect, as is wanted by sound engineers might bother you. Phase problems i/e defects are an other source for creeping discomfort. You use digital input, is it proven correct? I once had my signal doubled with a delay of a few milliseconds ...

 

[Berwhale]

Update: Received my second Tannoy live mini.
In Stereo. However, I have to say listening in true Stereo is more fatiguing.
Perhaps I can get more used to it. But I certainly prefer it over the other experiences.

I find that any mix that starts off centred is really quite annoying and forces me to check my monitor setup by switching to mono. This is quite easy to do in MusicBee on Windows...

I know you're a Linux guy, so maybe check your player for a mono setting.

I had to send a pair of JBL 305p MKII's back in early 2020 due to the hiss from the tweeters (even though they sounded fantastic otherwise).

I find that I can sometimes train myself to ignore things that bother me, but noise doesn't seem to be something i'm good at dealing with... The power supply for one of my Nvidia Shields makes a whining noise, it didn't bother me when it was in another room, but now it's in my study i've had to put it on a smart plug so I can turn it off with Alexa without scrambling under the desk

I don't have a medical diagnosis of ASD , however my son was diagnosed in 2020, I have 'passed' several tests (ASQ, RAADS, etc.) and i'm considering getting officially tested.

 

[dshreter]

Isn't listening very subjective as every ear / hearing is different, too?

No, not at all.

Let's say that you had 100 people in a room, and somehow you KNEW that every one of them had slightly different hearing from all the others. (I know, it's arbitrary.) In the room is an ensemble playing. At the same time, that ensemble is being recorded by ten different systems, of which only one is adjusted for accurate recording. Then you play all ten recordings back to the 100 people, and ask them to pick out the one that is deliberately recorded accurately. They can use headphones or speakers, it's up to them.

Some people might think that because different people had different hearing characteristics, they would therefore pick out different recordings as accurate. However, theoretically, each one will pick the accurate recording simply because it sounds to them most similar to the live event, whether they hear bass poorly, or treble poorly, or favor the right ear, or whatever unique quality or spatial acuity they possess. After all, they possessed those qualities for the live event.

The same holds true if you use headphones or speakers that are inaccurate. They will be inaccurate for the other nine recordings in the same manner and to the same degree. In that case, the 100 people will be picking out the least inaccurate speaker or headphone, but that will still amount to the same thing; the most accurate track.

So basically, people who hear something differently have no subjective method for realizing that they hear differently. The way to show them that they do, and how much they do, is objective, not subjective: a hearing test.

Jim Taylor

I agree with most of what you have said, but I'm not sure that the conclusion applies to the OP. When neurodiversity comes into play, there certainly can be differences in processing of sounds and how that impacts an individual. So it's very possible for an individual to find a live performance to be an unbearable experience, and accurately recreating that experience at home would not be desirable. It doesn't mean they have no interest in that music, but adapting it to listen in other ways that may be less accurate are needed to enjoy the music. The most basic example would be listening at a lower SPL which is typical. But as OP has reported, they are also sensitive to certain types of sounds that make them uncomfortable.

So I would say their subjective preference and comfort is especially important, and I'm not sure this would come out of a hearing test.

 

[dshreter]

Update: Received my second Tannoy live mini.
In Stereo. However, I have to say listening in true Stereo is more fatiguing.
Perhaps I can get more used to it. But I certainly prefer it over the other experiences.

It's interesting that stereo listening is an issue. If it turns out that is the root cause, it would be worth demoing a Sonos Five in mono mode (standing vertically), and the original Apple HomePod to see if those options would work and also provide higher fidelity.

If they don't work, then it's worth investigating if there is something in the frequency response that is bothering you. The small speakers have less full range frequency response, so it's possible when you listen to the "better" speakers, there is a range of their response that you react to. For example, maybe deeper bass is an issue. I understand if it's difficult to pinpoint but perhaps you could figure out with some experimentation with tone controls or EQ.

Based on what you're describing though, it seems worth trying out some speakers that are meant to create a more ambient sound than the focused stereo that has been problematic. I would try to listen to a HomePod first, the omnidirectional design creates a more ambient sound vs a focused image.

 

[Thelo80]

Update: Received my second Tannoy live mini.
In Stereo. However, I have to say listening in true Stereo is more fatiguing.
Perhaps I can get more used to it. But I certainly prefer it over the other experiences.

Ear fatiguing = ear clogged?