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My system's high frequencies hurt my ears

Well, to be perfectly clear it doesn't always hurt my ears but I've been getting a little fatigued at times and I'm trying to diagnose the problem. A few nights ago I was listening to a new 24/96 The Doors first album release and had to stop playback. I switched over to The Eagles Greatest Hits, 16/44, and found some happiness there but I wasn't completely satisfied. Perhaps some of this is psychological, maybe I was feeling a little extra sensitive, but I'm sure I've had some issues with high frequencies in the past.

Here's my setup:

Serving all music, ripped to WAV by Exact Audio Copy or downloaded via high rez sites, via Windows 7 computer running J River set to WASAPI output. Sending signal via USB to Audiophilleo USB/SPDIF converter to PS Audio Digital Link III DAC. From DAC using Nordost Baldur unbalanced RCA interconnects to PS Audio C-100 Control Amp. Speaker wires are Nordost Blue Heaven. Power cables are PS Audio Lab Cable from wall to PS Audio Duet Power Conditioner. From there I use another Lab Cable for the amp and a PS Jewel cable for the DAC. The wall plug is on its own circuit with nothing else connected. Speakers are my old but good Mirage 1090i's.

Aside from perhaps the age of the speakers do you guys see anything that stands out? I spoke to a technician from Mirage and he suggested I'm doing too much signal processing which could be a cause of uncomfortable high frequencies.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
robpriore
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,693 posts
 
Rob,

Before changing anything, it may be easy to at least attempt a different speaker setup where tweets are not direct firing at you. Try aiming tweets just to the outside e of your ears at your main listening position as an experiment and see if that helps.
timlub
2,043 posts
 
If you have had the Mirage's for along time and this has not been bothering you, then you have to look elsewhere...
First, I have no idea how old you are, but it isn't abnormal that as we age, Our high frequency rolls off and we become more sensitive to peaks in the 3k to 8k range.
I disagree with the thought of too much in the chain, unless, ONE of those items is causing the problem. What has changed in your system. Have you always had a problem with peaks or has it come with a few changes? Time to borrow or exchange borrow with a friend and try to find out where the culprit is and it could certainly still be your speakers, IF you have recently added the complete digital front end as a source and have just never heard real detail from your speakers, so if thats the case, it could be your speakers.... Hopefully this isn't confusing....
bojack
673 posts
 
I heard these speakers years ago, and yikes, they were very tipped up and splashy in my opinion. I'd look for smoother, more well-balanced speakers.
shakeydeal
979 posts
 
So did you put all this together at once, or over a period of time? If the sound hasn't always been fatiguing and you have owned the speakers since new, I would rule them out as the culprit. So you can work bacwards from here and maybe decipher at what point something was added that upset the apple cart.

Shakey
davide256's avatar
davide256
400 posts
 
I wouldn't assume its speakers yet. I fixed a like issue with my tube gear by upgrading capacitors at critical points; teflon caps are great for natural sound.
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