Ears hurt when listening after changing speakers

FWIW I have found MIT cables good as cables go at taking the edge off the sound if needed, but better to not need to in the first place.

Fro what I've heard at shows, Rockport speakers can be brutally revealing.

Lourdes,

Whatcha hearing with the new (VTL) amps.   BEtter?

Sorry I just kind of zipped through the answers to your post rather quickly, and not sure if this has been mentioned or not. You said you listen at moderate to loud levels? Have you ever checked the dB loudness level that you are listening? I only ask because I have tinnitus from multiple reasons such as loud music, loud tools, hunting, Etc. And I wouldn't wish this condition on anyone. So you might want to check your listening level either with the dB meter, or there are apps you can get for your phone, however I question their accuracy. But it may give you an idea if you're listening at a safe level.

Same deal for different reasons. Decades of salt water immersion whilst surfing has rendered me afflicted with Surfers Ear and Tinnitus, which presents as a high whistle but not that loud just always present. With my hi-fi I have successfully experimented with lower volumes, allowing time for my ears to adjust and pick out the detail. Shame really as I am unrestricted on volume being on a farm in New Zealand.

I’ve had the same issue before . The sound is so good , that you do not notice how actually loud you are using them. After ten minutes you hit mute and you get that split second of soap bubbles in your ears sound. Ear fatigue is a little more like your ears hating the sound enough to end playback. 

Cables ... lol