My right ear has been bugging me ever since purchasing my M22Ti's. After about an hour of listening at moderate levels, my right ear is noticeably sore, or at least it doesn't feel normal. I originally wrote this off to a chronic ear infection but with that gone, I am not so sure. So for the last three nights, I have swapped my M22Ti's in favor of my Atlantic Technology 250.1 front speakers. They have polypropolyne woofers and dome tweeters and I got to thinking, is it possible my ears don't like the way a titanium speaker reproduces sound?

I know this sounds ludicrous but I just spent half an hour with my M22's and my right ear is bugging me again. Can something like a titanium tweeter possibly bother my ear more than a poly or soft dome tweeter?

Greg

Maybe have a doc check on your ears... a buddy of mine had ripped one timpanic membrane (while diving off a 10m diving board) and he reports some pain when listening... in his case, it's usually to heavy bass, however.

We're talking acceptable sound pressure levels, right?

Listening shouldn't hurt.

Bren R.

Good advice! Let the doctor check it out. You never know what it may be?

Sometimes the body reacts in STRANGE ways!!!

I have been to my ENT five times in the last few months. Everything always looks okay except the ear drum. It is heavily dimpled and looks like a mattress more than a smoot membrane. I'll try to get back in today or Monday but I doubt I'll get anything new.

I only suggest a metallic drivers being an issue as that is the biggest difference I can see between my new speakers and my old. Also, this discomfort really started about when I first received the new speakers. I can't believe it is speaker related buy maybe I'll go back to my old ones for two weeks straight and see what gives.

Thanks for the replies. I'll go find an ear forum now.

Greg

Bren,

I would say I am at very reasonable levels. My HK AVR240 is set to about -15 to -20db. -15 for quieter recordings and -20 for louder. When friends come over, they always want it louder than me so I don't think overall listening level is too high.

Greg

I suggest you check the calibration of your system. The use of a SPL meter might just fix this problem right up.

If the Axioms are the culpret, it isnt because of their tweeter material, it would because the Axioms reproduce a frequency that your ears dont like.
As any tweeter material could.
Maybe your older speakers arent reproducing a certain frequency at high enough SPLs to effect your ears.

Hey! Bray has a new eye!

I sometimes get pain in my left ear caused by my sinuses. When they get bad the Doc (ENT) said it is from the Eustachian tube being inflamed. If you are prone to ear infections and or sinus problems this could be a problem. Although listening to my Axioms does not further aggravate the problem.

One other thing that has caused me problems is the left ear canal has a tendency to get dry. When this happens I have to use a hydrocortisone and acid otic solution for about a week and it clears up.

Yep.
Are we gonna have Santa Mark all year?

If it only affects one of your ears, you must have what is called a "Tin ear"! That could explain the distortion.....the tin is vibrating at higher frequencies(nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!)

In reply to:

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Are we gonna have Santa Mark all year?

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Only until I have time to change it!

Sorry for leading things astray, Greg!

It's more likely to be related to frequency response than tweeter material. Axioms are very flat in the upper midrange while many speakers dip down several dB for a smoother sound. This is where the claim that "Axioms are bright" comes from.

A good first test might be to turn the volume down perhaps 4 dB from what you are used to and see if that makes a difference. If so, it is likely that you are sensitive to that "few khz" frequency range and might have to either EQ down or go for a less flat speaker.

There are claims from one guy in New Mexico that the titanium tweeters ring at specific frequencies, but (a) that would normally show up as both a coincident frequency response spike and distortion spike (which I don't see in the graphs), and (b) his motives are a bit suspect since he sells a competing brand and slimes pretty much every competitor in some way or another