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Thread: Ears, amps and Speakers.

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, England

    Posts: 150
    I'm Rob.

    Default Ears, amps and Speakers.

    Hello All,

    I'm suffering a touch of tinnitus lately and with my setup KEF 103.2s, Sony 770ES amp and a Caiman SEG dac there's a decent amount of detailed highs. The amp plays at a fairly fast pace and when combined with the KEFs which are for the most part neutral (to my ears), but can go high, sometimes sound a bit fatiguing. I'm just not sure about the tonal balance of the SEG?

    I really like these KEFs and don't want to blame them too much, It's probably a synergy thing, but speakers having the greatest effect on a system, I'm thinking about trying another pair.

    Has anyone heard Monitor Audio R852 speakers, there's a pair I can have if I want them? I'm particularly interested in the mids and treble.

    Or Celestion Ditton 15's?

    The KEFs are awesome performers, but I'm am willing to make a compromise.

    Cheers,
    Rob

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Ids there an established link between listening to high frequencies (at normal levels) and the exacerbation of tinnitus?
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Wakefield west yorkshire

    Posts: 1,930
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by meBob View Post
    Hello All,

    I'm suffering a touch of tinnitus lately and with my setup KEF 103.2s, Sony 770ES amp and a Caiman SEG dac there's a decent amount of detailed highs. The amp plays at a fairly fast pace and when combined with the KEFs which are for the most part neutral (to my ears), but can go high, sometimes sound a bit fatiguing. I'm just not sure about the tonal balance of the SEG?

    I really like these KEFs and don't want to blame them too much, It's probably a synergy thing, but speakers having the greatest effect on a system, I'm thinking about trying another pair.

    Has anyone heard Monitor Audio R852 speakers, there's a pair I can have if I want them? I'm particularly interested in the mids and treble.

    Or Celestion Ditton 15's?

    The KEFs are awesome performers, but I'm am willing to make a compromise.

    Cheers,
    Rob
    Is your tinnitus temporary or permanent Rob.?according to my ENT consultant ,tinnitus is basically the brain trying to fill in the gaps of hearing loss.it might be worth having a hearing test.i have some hearing loss in my right ear,high frequency, and now use an nhs hearing aid just for tv and music and found it helps reduce the tinnitus. It's not perfect but has definitely increased my listening pleasure. So, I probably wouldn't go changing anything until I'd had a hearing test, Jim
    novafidelity x40 music server/pre/dac, Arcam A39, roksan k3 power amp,Monitor Audio Monitor 50, Dali spektor 1, van damme interconnects and speaker cable, roskan k3 CD player

  4. #4
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,268
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bumpy View Post
    Ids there an established link between listening to high frequencies (at normal levels) and the exacerbation of tinnitus?
    i did know of a chap who had to sell his harbeths becuase of Hyperacusis . there are many other speakers you could try such as sonus faber , spendor perhaps .

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hyperacusis/
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, England

    Posts: 150
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Hello Bumpy,

    Thanks for the reply.

    I'm clueless if there is any research on the subject out there, I'm just going by what I feel at the end of a listening session. I wouldn't want to trawl through arcane medical documents to eventually find the answer that I suspect I already know (see my answer to Pieoftheday).

  6. #6
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, England

    Posts: 150
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Hello Pieoftheday,

    Thanks for the reply.

    Yes It's permanent (sadly), I've been to the doctor and tested and as anyone who has gone to a doctor with this complaint will know from experience, it is that all they can really offer is professional concern and commiserations.

    Sometimes it flares up and the recedes, it's flared up for quite a while now.

    Bumpy has rasised the question above, he might be right?

    It might not be tinnitus at all, it may well just be my system. Although I feel I have not a lot to lose by trying new speakers.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, England

    Posts: 150
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Hello hifinut,

    Thanks for the reply.

    It looks like a whole new tin of worms and just like tinnitus there's no cure.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,771
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    A cheaper option would be a graphic equaliser, that would let you adjust frequency bands until you find a balance that does not aggravate your condition. I know it isn't exactly purist but you can get high quality units from Klark Teknik if you are especially picky about such things. Although I'd start by buying a cheapo used one to experiment with first.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,268
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    always good to try other speakers , i just sold a beautiful pair of speakers that made my feet tap but i noticed they made my ears ache after a while . can`t quite explain it . sadly they had to go , it might have been the lively room that exacerbated it . they did not do it in my lounge full of sofa`s and curtains etc

    now got a pair of speakers that you can play as loud as you like for hours with out any problem . get round to some friends and see what theirs sounds like and what you can cope with
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

  10. #10
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Wakefield west yorkshire

    Posts: 1,930
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by meBob View Post
    Hello Pieoftheday,

    Thanks for the reply.

    Yes It's permanent (sadly), I've been to the doctor and tested and as anyone who has gone to a doctor with this complaint will know from experience, it is that all they can really offer is professional concern and commiserations.

    Sometimes it flares up and the recedes, it's flared up for quite a while now.

    Bumpy has rasised the question above, he might be right?

    It might not be tinnitus at all, it may well just be my system. Although I feel I have not a lot to lose by trying new speakers.
    The British Tinnitus Association may be of help,Jim
    novafidelity x40 music server/pre/dac, Arcam A39, roksan k3 power amp,Monitor Audio Monitor 50, Dali spektor 1, van damme interconnects and speaker cable, roskan k3 CD player

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