Speaker placement for brightness control.

Thanks for these informative responses. I don't really understand the technical causes but if I can discern a difference, it must be a somewhat significant one.

Steuspeed, I do have two ways (Jamo Concert Eights) and turning them upside down to increase the elevation of the tweeter never crossed my mind. What a good idea. If I had thought of it maybe I could have saved the cost of new pedestals. It wouldn't have raised the speakers high enough, though, to clear two pieces of furniture which was the original goal of raising them. The improvement, then, was accidental on my part.

These responses are very much appreciated and I will attempt to explain further what I have done. To begin with, my present setup consists of a Shanling S100 solid state CD player, California Audio Labs tube DAC, Rogue Audio Shinx hybrid amp, and two pairs of permanently A/B'd speakers. For many years I have used the Martin Logan Odyssey hybrids and, recently, added a pair of Jamo Concert 8's on a permanent A/B switch between the two.

Both pairs of speakers are very good and I recently added the Jamo's because they are more efficient than the Odysseys allowing me to listen at lower volumes while maintaining detail and tight bass. This particular model by Jamo, btw, is incredible in almost every way.

Probably the biggest single improvement came with the addition of the tube DAC but close behind was increasing the speaker elevation. As a matter of fact, of the things I've tried, these two changes were the only ones that I could detect any resultant improvement. Between these two things, I'm enjoying my system more, although I know I'll never get back what I've lost over the years to compromised hearing.

As far as room treatment goes, because my listening room is also our living room, my options are limited. The room is 15' by 21' with the entertainment center placed against one of the short walls. Furnishings include a large area rug over wood floors, 18' of curtains on one long wall and a lot of upholstered furniture. Even when the floors were all wood, before my hearing became so messed up, this treatment, though a compromise, worked well for me.

Lowrider, I'm especially glad to hear from someone also afflicted with hyperacusis because at least someone out there understands the effect that this condition has on critical listening and, to a lesser extent, every day function. Mine is accompanied by very loud ringing at more than one frequency somewhere between 5 and 7,000Hz, according to the audiologist. It seems that tinnitus and hyperacusis often go together. I've found a couple of hyperacusis forums but never one associated with HiFi listening; if you know of anything like that, please let me know.

Thanks again. I'm not seeing anyone for treatment as the two specialists that I saw (an audiologist and an otolaryngologist ) basically said that the treatment for either tinnitus or hyperacusis is learning tricks to deal with the condition. Both seem to agree, which is consistent with what I've found on the Internet, that these conditions are often associated with hearing loss. The audiologist designed a pair of hearing aids for me but I'm afraid the the resultant increase in volume may exacerbate the frequencies that cause problems and I don't want to experiment at a cost of approx $6500 a pair. Ironically, my hearing drop off seems to occur at around 5000Hz, the very frequency that I think is where my sensitivity starts.

One solution that was offered was ear devices that generate white or pink noise to mask the tinnitus; that just seems unacceptable on its face.

Low rider, I think I remember that you responded on another thread to someone with a similar issue but I don't remember the specifics. I think it was in reference to a question regarding the use of equalizers. As a last ditch effort to throw more equipment at the problem, I'm considering trying one and am curious to know whether you've tried or even recommend this approach. One way or the other I'd like to know whether a graphic or parametric equalizer would be best for the purpose. I've never dealt with any kind of equalizer control in 50+ years of listening and know very little about them.