Aggrivated tinnitus from speakers?
Hi,
I'm new to the forum and was looking for some advice. I recently put together a system comprised of a McIntosh MA6900 + a pair of KEF R7s.
I've always had hearing sensitive to high frequencies, and have a very high frequency tinnitus at 18,000k. That's why I went with the Mac, as everyone talks about how smooth and musical it is. When I was shopping for speakers, I was doing a lot of research but then the KEF R7's went on crazy sale and I was able to pick up a pair for under 2k. It seemed like too much of a deal to pass up, especially with all of the glowing reviews, but maybe that was a mistake on my part...
I'm noticing when I listen to the system, my tinnitus activates at a lower frequency for several hours afterwards. I notice this most on FLAC / MQA - quality tracks on Tidal (via WIIM w/ integrated DAC, at very reasonable volumes - <85db ) It seems to happen less when I listen to vinyl or CD-Quality tracks, but it still happens.
It's driving me crazy and I'm so disappointed as I thought this was going to be my ultimate setup and I dropped a lot of $. The Mac has just been to an auth service center for new lamps and was bench tested and given a perfect bill of health after a small bias adjustment, so I don't think it's the problem.
I decided to use some headphones to see if I experienced the same thing... Senn. HD650's let me listen for long periods without problems. HD660S2s seem to give me maybe a little sensitivity after awhile, but the sensitivity I get from the KEF's is totally different.
I realize I should have demoed the speakers, but I just jumped on the deal - partially on their reputation and also because their narrow, tall size was ideal for the room layout.
Any advice on how to get to the bottom of this? Do I need to test different speakers or do I need to treat the room? I'd hate to give up the Master level recordings because I mentally swim in the detail and love it. I just hate the thought of not being able to enjoy the system properly, but I'm not sure where to start on making it work for me.
@omegaman79 Neither I nor @evanpress were 'speaking' about YOUR grammar, but the appaling writing that exists, in general, by several regular, and some less regular, posters on here. I don't know how you get to hear an 18KHz tone through your PC/Laptop/Tablet/phone speakers, and even less, how you can actually HEAR an 18KHz tone yourself in any situation, let alone differentiate between similar frequencies. You must have the hearing of a Bat! |
@jay15206 That is a very interesting comment. Interesting as I too have Tinnitus which also manifests itself as a hissing, rather than a 'tone'. I also took Gabapentin for about a 9 Month period c10yrs ago, and although not sure, I do seem to remember my Tinnitus began at roughly the same time. This needs looking into further IMO. |
I suffer from long term exposure to firearms , racing and live music. About 10 years ago I rethought my system, and went with low power tubes. Since my price point is pretty modest I run a basic tube pre, SEP tube amp and 97 db speakers. I have the room heavily dampened and avoid the use of silver in all my cables. I did extensive tube rolling and run Telefunken NOS small tubes and dropped my rectifier tube to a lower power and this provides a very smooth but linear response. Last year I rotated in a SS amp at 60wpc, and if I listen too loud I pay for it. Where I really have to be careful is in the car and wearing headphones. I miss loud off axis music that shakes the house , but late night listening at low volume to someone like Diana Krall is absolutely amazing. But I had to give up listening to her husband at 95 db. In retrospect I’ve struggled my whole life understanding the lyrics and now they are crystal clear. Now if I could only spell. Happy Hunting, Mike B. |
I've also had tinnitus for years. Who knows from what. When I was in boot camp way back in the mid 60's, we took a battery of aptitude tests. My highest score was in sonar. So I figure I had pretty good hearing back then. Tinnitus is difficult to measure because It is not an exterior source but your brain filling in perceived blanks. Mine seems to vary in intensity from who knows what. I've had many of the risk factors mentioned so I can't really say if any or all are factors. Firearm exposer, Coca Cola (really!) rock concerts, pantoprazole and (legal) opioids. Some here need to dismount their high horses. My issue predates COVID by a long shot and I am fully vaccinated. Additionally, Think about your specific hardware condemnations or suggestions. Are you really helping or just advocating for your own biases. Dismissing an entire line of products is not productive. |
