Ears hurt when listening after changing speakers

It is all in the crossover, @soundsrealaudio


Any competent speaker designer could make any 2-way speaker sound bright.

Brighness is a matter of balance, so involves the entire system, not just the tweeter.

I haven't heard those speakers, but I am sure I can make speakers with any drivers sound bright. 😀

While auditioning several very good speakers a couple years back, I found that the more dynamic and revealing speakers, although impressive and gratifying at first, after a short time, did not set well with my ears.

This is a pet peeve of mine. There’s lots of ways to tweak or juice a speaker system, in the bass and the treble, which may make you feel like your ears are 20 years younger, but long term are tiring.

In some cases this is fine if you listen at low volume, but several designs rely on peaks and valleys in the tweeters to give this exaggerated treble.

It’s important to evaluate for a long time, and at the actual listening levels you listen at. If you are going to drive your Ferrari to/from the supermarket, that’s really the speed you test drive it at.

I feel some of the smaller Magico's tend to be more cool, but smooth. Dali has a big jump in tweeter level they use, and then I see B&W along with some GE designs use the tweeter peak and valley method.

Hi @nkonor

Sorry about your diagnosis.

Two things which may help you is listening with cans and really good room acousutics. For reasons too long to post, both can reduce mental fatigue a great deal, your brain no longer attempts to spend energy separating out the music from the room, which can be a heavy burden.

Best of luck to you,

Erik

Intensity (in this case sound pressure level) falls off by 6 dB for each doubling of distance from a point source, and by 3 dB for each doubling of distance from a line source.

@audiokinesis

Yep, this is one of the main engineering arguments people have for why hybrid speakers don’t integrate well. An argument I usually find is dispelled with bass traps and proper EQ. :)

I mean, yes, ultimately this makes the speakers 1 distance speakers, but if you are all at a couch, for instance, integration works.


Best,
E

Room acoustics.

The maggies probably had more controlled dispersion. The new speakers have a wider dispersion.

Try throwing some blankets and pillows on the floor, between and behind and to the sides of your new speakers. If this makes things better, it's a good clue where to go next.