what is wrong with my ears
Oct 14, 2010 at 3:51 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 13

drez

Headphoneus Supremus
Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Posts
2,922
Likes
185
I recently bought some RS1's, and have noticed something very strange.  

Even when down-mixing to mono, even reversing earphones, the hi-hat always sounds like its coming  from the right.  At first I thought it was a channel imbalance.  This can really get annoying...
 
Could this be down to the shape of my ear canal, some effect of sound-stage, or am I just partially deaf...
 
Has anyone encountered something similar?
 
Oct 14, 2010 at 6:39 AM Post #3 of 13
hmm seems to happen on my k272 as well.
 
Its either Im slightly deaf, or most songs have the hi-hat produced to be more to one side.
 
Maybe its also because the RS1 response isn't flat, so it messes with the production?
 
Maybe I need that Meier stageDAC with crossfeed to lessen this effect?
 
Oct 14, 2010 at 10:42 AM Post #5 of 13
Hate to ask the obvious question, but is this on many different recordings? 
 
Oct 14, 2010 at 10:46 AM Post #6 of 13
I don't quite understand what you meant? Did you mean you can only hear the hi-hats with your right ear? Even after you reversed the channels? If that's the case, then there must be something wrong with your left ear. However, if you were saying that the hi-hats seemed to always be louder on the R channel, then what you are hearing is correct, as the hi-hat is usually located on the left hand side of the drummer. 

 
Oct 14, 2010 at 10:40 PM Post #8 of 13
I think its the production.  When swapped the  hi-hat comes from the same speaker.  I guess I'm not used to headphones with good stereo imaging.
 
Thanks Danz!  Makes a lot more sense now, i had things back to front in my head.  Seems quite a few records do this with the production, probably because this imaging makes sense.
 
Even Devin Townsend's ZTO which uses drum machine has this imaging.
 
Owl City seems mostly balanced L/R for cymbals.
 
Oct 15, 2010 at 12:40 AM Post #9 of 13
good to hear your ears are okay
smily_headphones1.gif

have fun listening
biggrin.gif

 
Oct 15, 2010 at 1:00 AM Post #12 of 13


Quote:
Glad your ears are okay. 
 
Going deaf could be one of the worst thing that can happen to an audiophile.


Not to an audiophile but for just about anybody. I don't think anyone can imagine what life is like on mute.
 
Oct 15, 2010 at 11:07 AM Post #13 of 13
You are welcome, I'm glad that your hearing is fine too, it must have been terrifying. I thought I lost the bass response in one of my ears a few years back, scared me to death.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top