Is it me or new audio gear is too perfect and give ear fatigue?

Also as a footnote if modern gear is producing degrading high order harmonics IT IS NOT TOO PERFECT…..in fact it is flawed. There will always be winners and loser in any product category. Again it’s all in the execution and the choices provided by modern technology. Those choices always continue to do nothing but improve. So choose wisely! 🦉

The Holy Grail in this crazy hobby is an alchemy mix looking for a system synergy regardless of system price point strata. ( yes..it is far more acute as you ascend up into the component higher price points)

Achieving that ethereal system synergy (or not …) is a binary choice result …. It’s either “yay” or “nay”. It is very difficult to define it and anything but easy to get to it, but you intuitively know when you find it.(… or not …) 

Ear fatigue / listening fatigue is a litmus test of a clear miss … full stop. Make adjustments as required by a hands-on bespoke trial and error experimentation.

- a simple example of rolling up your sleeves in that trial and error process:

we all live in a world of budgets and resulting compromises, that is further confused by widely differing personal tastes and resulting biases. One thing remains a general constant in speaker selection in my experiences that is is also supported in many of the reviews :

The philosophy is clear. An affordable speaker with decent source and amplification makes more sense than an expensive speaker with a cheap amp and source.

I would ask yourself a few things before spending any money. And also think about what you want to do. These would be the steps I would ask myself.

1. Is your system bright sound set up or too analytical? 

2. How is your health condition? Tired body or low immune condition can also cause fatigue in hearing. Have some rest and try again, if this is the case. 

3. If you are already happy with your components, you need to think about which component you are willing to change. 

 - speakers? too bright? too analytical? 

 - if you are streaming, Tube output DACs are easier on your ears. 

 - Power amps, try warm tone tube amps, if you are using class D amps. 

Many recordings are very bright. A system flat to 20 kHz will (IME) result in fatigue. That will be accentuated by bad room acoustics (slap echo, early reflections).

Depending on one’s hearing, one might need to roll off the response to make many (but not all) recordings enjoyable. That usually means adjusting toe-in or using an equalizer. The advantage of the latter is that it can be adjusted to suit the recording.

Other sources of fatigue have been mentioned: ill health, impending hearing loss, HF distortion, or speakers with peaky or rising HF response.