Your WiiM is fine - if it is the Pro Plus, with its much better DAC inside, (not the hockey puck one). Several reviewers on YouTube say if you use it to feed an external DAC, they are fine up to the price point of say a $2000 DAC to get as much from it as you can.
The real question is what is exciting your tinnitus? It is not well understood, nor funded from a research perspective compared to say dandruff, and that is a huge problem for the millions of people out here who have it.
You are blaming it on the highs coming from your R7 and maybe so, but if you are EQing those down -3dB to -6dB then why would they continue to cause a problem? Counterintuitive, don't you think?
No, whatever is exciting your tinnitus isn't JUST the highs you are hearing.
Maybe demo some other speakers if you can, especially ones noted for a smooth treble or even "warm" rolled off treble. You may also try other things I'm sorry to say such as cutting out all alcohol and caffeine (boring I know) and lowering your stress level as much as possible.
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.
- ...
- 59 posts total
@j_andrews Thanks for sharing. I have a Lenire provider near me, something I am considering. But it's $5K, inflated for California I suppose. Can you share what caused your tinnitus (I.E., aging, exposure to noise, pharma?) and what does your audiogram look like or can you note you hearing loss ranges? I'm happy to share mine. Mine was caused by getting too close to a massive bank of JBLs at an outdoor rave 30 years ago.
|
According to the docs, my tinnitus is caused by my asymmetrical hearing loss. I was in loud rock punk bands when I was in my late teens, very early 20's. I'm now in my late forties. I've listened to music all my life and seen a lot of shows. I suspect my lack of concern in my youth is what has lead to my hearing loss and symptomatic tinnitus. The hair-like cells in our inner ear die off with age and damage ...as they die, they emit electrical impulses which are interpreted by the brain and cochlear as ringing/tinnitus, etc. My audiogram essentially shows a few dB dip on my left side only between 4k and 6k. I don't really notice the hearing loss at all on a daily basis. Listening to music is 99% fine....not counting the tinnitus which can sometimes disrupt it. That said, the Lenire treatment has improved my daily quality of life no doubt. |
@j_andrews thank you! |
@evanpress Thank God someone else is noticing it! 'It' being the total lack of spelling, punctuation and,,, just writing a coherant sentence in general! Did some of you not go to school? Go back. It seems like many who post regularly on here are illiterate. Or lazy or with sight issues. Some may not have English as their native language, which is understandable, but there's many on here who are American born, and should have been educated to at least be able to write and punctuate a simple sentence. Rant over. |
- 59 posts total