Ears hurt when listening after changing speakers


For years I had multiple models of Maggies and Martin Logan speakers. I could play them very loud with no problems with my ears. A few months ago I purchased the Rockport Aviors and now when I listen at moderate to high levels my ears start to hurt.  Anyone one else experience this when changing speakers and would like thoughts on how to resolve other than turning the volume down.  I do love the Rockport.
128x128lourdes
Nkonor 9-1-2019
Any of you technical guys see any issues with pairing the Spectral pre with the Pass amps ?

First, let me add my sincere best wishes to the thoughts others have expressed about the challenges you are facing.

After looking at the specs and descriptions of the Spectral 30SV, and being familiar with the Pass XA amps, I don’t see any technical concerns that pairing would raise. Also, see the writeup on Spectral near the bottom of this page:

http://www.goodwinshighend.com/amp.htm

As you’ll see, the note therein begins with a statement that:

Whereas other Spectral Audio components (i.e. their preamplifiers and digital source components) may be used with any other brand of equipment, Spectral mandates that their non-Universal amplifiers be driven by a Spectral preamplifier to ensure reliable operation.

(My thanks to member @David_Ten for calling attention to this writeup in another recent thread).

It is possible, of course, that the ultra-wide bandwidth of the 30SV could result in RF energy being introduced into the Pass amp that might adversely affect the amp’s sonics to some degree. That would depend in part on the source components, and perhaps also on the RFI environment at your location. But if the combination sounds good in your particular setup it is good :-)

Lourdes 8-31-2019
I do love the Aviors even with this issue. There are revealing, I can hear each instrument, female vocals are so inviting, and basically the music is more exciting.

The reason I raised the possibility in my earlier post that the issue might be due to the Aviors having greater frequency extension in the ultrasonic region than the previous speakers (which they do) is that you like the sonics the Aviors are providing. Which suggests the possibility that high volume levels are causing your ears to hurt as a result of frequencies that are too high to be directly perceivable. Not sure what to suggest to test that hypothesis, though. As one of the others suggested earlier try pointing them straight ahead if they are presently toed in. Or perhaps as an experiment temporarily point them a bit toward the side-walls, away from the listening position, which at the listening position should result in high frequencies being attenuated more than low and mid-range frequencies.  Although I realize that the weight of the speakers will likely make those experiments problematical. 

Regards,
-- Al



@geoffkait ...No kidding....

Those pesky quantum states again....;)
Psychoacoustics based in a real physical situation; there's been a side note about women preferring listening to ribbons and planars over other driver types.
I've gone to wearing 'roadie' earplugs at concerts.  It's not the music being loud....it's the audience yowling at the end of a set or end of a solo.  The 'not-so-white noise' we create as a crowd screws my hearing up.  It may take a day or 2 to get back to 'normal'...or what's left. *g*
I can appreciate some  claiming symptoms of an audio nature.  It's the 'why & how' that either can be discerned or remain a mystery.
*S*shrug*
Takes a lot of ears to fill the venue. ;)
I liked the suggestion that the different way a panel speaker loads a room vs a conventional box speaker has the owner listening at higher spl.
@asvjerry No kidding. The worst thing an audience member can do for me is that dang whistle. As well as being deafening, there are catelogs of ruined live recordings sometimes all due to one guy who won't shut up.
I am afraid you need to play with speakers positions, if you put them in same place as the others ? Remember every speaker sounds different, I’ll  also try to set them straight not point to you listening position, good luck