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Music Hurts My Ears

Myvinyl333

Myvinyl333

Active Member
I've been experiencing discomfort in my ears after a few minutes of listening at level 3 (going right) on my NAD 356 CBEE integrated amp paired with Triad Gold LCR speakers. The Triads are rated to handle 450 watts 4 ohms while the NAD provides 60 watts at 8 ohms. I've had various upgrades done by a technician to optimize performance at lower volumes, but I'm now considering upgrading the power source to address the issue.

Background: I've damaged my ears from playing drums without proper protection, and I'm exploring solutions to enhance my listening experience without causing further discomfort. I've also tried using V-Moda 100 Master headphones with the NAD, but I'm not completely satisfied with the results.

I'm open to any suggestions or advice regarding my setup or alternative audio solutions, as I suspect my hearing may have been compromised, affecting the imaging I prefer. If you have any insights or recommendations, I'd greatly appreciate your input.

Thank you!
 
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Have you tried newer audiophile hearing aids? Or will they not help your situation.

I am sure you can find something smoother than the NAD depending on budget. I am getting mixed hits on your speakers. Are yours horn or dome tweeters? If horn, maybe that could be what you don't tolerate. Silk I find most forgiving and non fatiguing. You may want to try a small tube amp?
 
Consult an audiologist if you can, especially if you know your ears are damaged.

That being said, I find many speakers to be fatiguing. In particular metal dome tweeters always hurt. Horns I love, but phenolic diaphragms are a must. I love my kg4.2s, but they're are relegated to theater duty (where they excel for me) else I get an hour of excellent music before they bother my ears. For extended sessions I'll often pick something with a decidedly filtered upper end, like some old fishers or the Santanas sans tweeters. Obviously this is where my speaker hoarding pays off...

And don't be afraid to eq. If you're really sensitive to a particular frequency just a few db down can really help. I don't know how the NAD handles the lower load, if it was me I might try another amp. If you're suspecting it's a bit harsh, you might not be wrong. But to really change the sound change the speakers IMHO.
 
Maybe try a pair of used 1970s AlNiCo magneted speakers and see how they sound to you. '70s AlNiCo bookshelf speakers go for dirt cheap.

If you know someone with a pair -- go for a listen. You my be surprised. It may be the 'solution' your looking for. You get the idea.

To me... AlNiCo(s) just sound 'warmer', mellower, more real, 'life-like'. It may all be in my head but they even seem to 'mellow out' CDs, not a lot, but 'just enough'! I do know one thing >> no 'ear ringing' or tiredness/listening fatigue here <<. It's got to be the AlNiCos. Play music all night long, no problem. Works for me.

Just food for thought. Good Luck!
 
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loudnoises said:
Consult an audiologist if you can, especially if you know your ears are damaged.

That being said, I find many speakers to be fatiguing. In particular metal dome tweeters always hurt. Horns I love, but phenolic diaphragms are a must. I love my kg4.2s, but they're are relegated to theater duty (where they excel for me) else I get an hour of excellent music before they bother my ears. For extended sessions I'll often pick something with a decidedly filtered upper end, like some old fishers or the Santanas sans tweeters. Obviously this is where my speaker hoarding pays off...

And don't be afraid to eq. If you're really sensitive to a particular frequency just a few db down can really help. I don't know how the NAD handles the lower load, if it was me I might try another amp. If you're suspecting it's a bit harsh, you might not be wrong. But to really change the sound change the speakers IMHO.
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This is what I've found also. I've spent years around loud machinery, hammering, etc. Horns, metal dome tweeters, and mylar tweeters give me ear fatigue fast. Soft domes like doped cloth, silk, etc., don't. Some paper cone tweeters can sound good also. Some preamps and amplifiers can sound harsh as well. Specs aren't everything. I have a couple Crown amps with great specs on paper. But they sound very dry and a bit harsh.
 
Getting your ears measured by an audiologist is cheap/free because they want to sell you hearing aides. It's good to have a graph of where your ears don't work so well. I haven't bought an EQ yet but I really should. I have dip around 3,000 Hz.

Getting a USB mike and free REW (https://www.roomeqwizard.com) software might be kind of interesting too to see if there are spikes in some frequencies might be bothering you.
 
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I'll echo what others have said, that seeing an expert and on the audio end, expermenting with EQ (not everyone can benefit from an equalizer, but your issue seems to be a good reason to have one).

I'm a drummer too and well into my 50s I'm still playing a fair bit. I play a bit of jazz, which is low enough volume that I'm not concerned for my ears, but I also play in a rock band and for that I make sure always to wear hearing protection. I've developed a lighter touch but it's the guitars that really push the volume of that group up. Either way, I learned to be smart about it, rather than suffering the consequences. For years, I dealt with way too loud, in bands that I was in and concerts, but I think that I may have gotten into wearing hearing protection at just the right point because I don't think that my hearing has suffered too much thus far. I wish that I could convince the other guys in my band to wear hearing protection as well... either that or turn down to a lot lower volume.
 
Thank you all for your helpful responses. I've decided to schedule an appointment with an audiologist to address the discomfort I've been experiencing.
On another note, I have a high-quality EQ that I initially bought for vintage bootleg shows but haven't integrated into my system. I'm considering using it for a more hands-on adjustment. Additionally, I've been contemplating whether my Rega phono amp might need some adjustment.
Regarding the Marantz CD player, it doesn't seem to be as harsh on the ears compared to other components in my setup. My Triad speakers, originally part of my home theatre system powered by McIntosh integrated amps, have been a bit of a puzzle. I replaced them in the home theatre with Legacy bookshelf and small center channel speakers, relocating the Triads to my 2-channel system. These speakers are formidable, and I have them in a 10X10 listening room with acoustic tiles. My initial thought was that, with clean power, they would sound fantastic. However, they turn out to be too loud to achieve the desired audio balance.
I'm going to experiment with my EQ and see if it brings about any positive changes. I'll keep you all posted on the results. Thanks again for your insights!

My Triad Gold Speakers Looking at a Schittz Luki Maz 6-Band EQ to possibly reduce headaches

George
 
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RunOutGroove said:
I'll echo what others have said, that seeing an expert and on the audio end, expermenting with EQ (not everyone can benefit from an equalizer, but your issue seems to be a good reason to have one).

I'm a drummer too and well into my 50s I'm still playing a fair bit. I play a bit of jazz, which is low enough volume that I'm not concerned for my ears, but I also play in a rock band and for that I make sure always to wear hearing protection. I've developed a lighter touch but it's the guitars that really push the volume of that group up. Either way, I learned to be smart about it, rather than suffering the consequences. For years, I dealt with way too loud, in bands that I was in and concerts, but I think that I may have gotten into wearing hearing protection at just the right point because I don't think that my hearing has suffered too much thus far. I wish that I could convince the other guys in my band to wear hearing protection as well... either that or turn down to a lot lower volume.
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I'm 70 and played loud rock for years, contributing to hearing issues. Lessons at 55 were a challenge due to undiagnosed ADHD. I now play softer genres with ear protection. After a consultation at 50, I always use custom ear protection. Looking for advice on how to proceed with my musical journey and hearing health at this stage.
 
doctor fuse said:
How is your health in general? Is your diet good? I am a believer in gut biome health being very important for general well-being and take probiotic supplements as well as try to limit refined sugar consumption.
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Dysphasia, pre- Dementia, diet is very good due to eating disorder short of lack of water.
 
Myvinyl333 said:
I'm 70 and played loud rock for years, contributing to hearing issues. Lessons at 55 were a challenge due to undiagnosed ADHD. I now play softer genres with ear protection. After a consultation at 50, I always use custom ear protection. Looking for advice on how to proceed with my musical journey and hearing health at this stage.
Click to expand...
I took lessons for a few years when I was kid first starting out and it helped set me on a path to a basic understanding of the instrument (and I learned how to read rhythmic notation), but I'm a bit ADD myself (not really so much with the "H" part of it) so it seemed like precious little of what I learned stuck. What's really helped me though in the past few years is working out rudiments, sticking patterns and such on a practice pad. I'll watch YouTube videos about various rudiments where they're showing all sorts of different variations that can be done with just one idea. I'll then create my own kind of exercise that goes through the different variations and drill with it. The pad is good because it eliminates the distractions from the rest of the drum kit and once you can play something well on the pad, it's not hard to adapt it to the kit. I also find it kind of meditative to play that thing and maybe best of all, it's not loud like hitting a snare drum so you can save your hearing as you're practicing this stuff over and over again.... and maybe save the sanity of other folks that you might be living with.

I still play some pretty heavy rock stuff, but I feel that even with that kind of thing that you can sound plenty heavy without hitting the drums so loud or making that much noise, though you may find yourself having to tell the rest of the band to turn down a bit. The control that I develop from playing the practice pad all the time has really helped me reign in the volume. All of that helps save not just my ears, but my wrists as well...
 
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Thanks NOrtOn. My audiologist also recommended Widex. Too bad my "upscale" Phonak are only two years old. I seem to get on some bandwagons shortly before significant improvements are made.
 
Damage to your hearing, and mismatched audio components all can lead to listener fatigue. People with the OP's issues that I know have usually started their "treatments" by replacing their speakers, as others have already alluded to. One speaker brand that has helped a lot of people is Sonus Faber, especially with their speaker lines from ten or more years ago. Even their newest offerings tend to be on the tame side in most systems while still being detailed and revealing. I can listen to mine for hours without any fatigue regardless of music genre.
 
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