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Why do my ears ring with my new amplifier?


I just changed integrated amplifiers on January 2, 2015. I went from an Audio Research DSi200 to a Simaudio 600i. I'm running a Lumin A1 Network Streamer and Dynaudio C1 speakers. Those haven't changed. I'm also in the same 10' x 12' room.

My setup sounds great when I'm outside of my room. When I walk in and sit down, my ears start ringing.

I don't think that the high frequencies are the problem. Is this too much bass energy in the room, too much sound pressure, or what do you think?

Does anyone have a suggestion on what's needed to correct this problem?

Thanks,
Chuck
illuminator
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,854 posts
 
The spl meter idea is a good one. If things are going well you might not realize how loud things are.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,233 posts
 
+1 Jafreeman,
Your listening levels are likely too high.
bigtee
803 posts
 
What Jafreeman says is absolutely true. I had a similiar situation a year or so back with my left ear only. When I sat in the room with music playing, my ear would begin a low buzzing sound. It sounded kind of like FM interstation noise.
I would leave the room and it immediately disappeared. Slowly but surely over the next month or so, it became a friend that didn't stop. Tinnitus had set in. BTW, tinnitus is a funny thing, you don't have to have hearing loss to develop it. Most times you do however. My left ear has a roll off (very sharp) above 8500hz. It doesn't really affect my hearing that much because my right ear is good on out to 15K or so.
I don't know how old you are but I would heed Jafreeman's advice. We all probably listen too loud and it doesn't affect you until one day you have a new best friend. Mine, as the ENT told me, would not be a real factor once I lived with it a while and quit listening for it. Sure enough, I only notice it when I listen for it.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I think I may have figured out what your problem is. Your room is very small. Because of this, you probably have your listening chair very close to the rear wall, or maybe even right up against it. When you are too close to the rear wall, its like cupping your hands when you're having trouble hearing something. I don't think you have tinnitus because it looks like you're only having a problem with your system, and nothing else. If you do have tinnitus, you should hear the ringing under other circumstances as well.
plasmatech
77 posts
 
One end of your room needs to be dead. You may trying covering the wall behind your listening chair with some sound absorbing material after adjusting the rake angle of the speaker. One position is not ideal for all amp/speaker combinations. Try raising the front up a bit and see if the music changes.....better or worse....dial close, then room treat. PT
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