I'm listening to the MBP-->Duet-->RS2e chain, and yes, I definitely played around with the EQ last night to see if I could help things or figure out what was going on. I could take away the bands that were exacerbating things, but then I felt like the sound suffered. I wanted that material in there, despite the fact that it added to my fatigue.
That was yet another clue that it wasn't the RS2e's, it was (is) me. As Greenbow surmised, it is in fact a sinus issue--infection or perhaps alergies--and it definitely really sucks. I hate it when this happens, and it definitely screws with my hearing. Taking Zyrtec controls the symptoms to a degree, but my hearing is still off, just not as much. Last time this happened was not too long after I got my iPhone 5S.
Anyway . . . enough said. At this point I actually don't know if the RS2e's sound better out of the Duet or out of the iPhone 5S, since the harshness I associated with the 5S audio codec was probably due to this issue. I won't know for days or even a week or two.
And, in the meantime, no music for me. Which sucks. Ah well, my RS2e's sure do look pertty.
It's you and the RS2e to some degree. Sometimes you just really sensitive to the upper mids and lower treble. And you begin noticing it more and more and it gets unnerving. To get a better balance in the RS2e sound, try putting some tape over the bowls. It will soften and tame the upper mid and treble and also add some warmth in the mids by adding some upper and mid bass. If the tape mod works, go to a shoe repair shop and have them make some leather strip to go over the bowls. It looks better than tape. Good luck.
sling5s,
Thanks for the advice! And that goes for previous posts you (and others) have made in response to me. I'll definitely try out some of the Grado mods, and I'll definitely create a leather strip of proper length and size to use instead of tape, if I like the tape mod. I'll also think about TTVJ Flats.
But first, this fatigue situation definitely is all me. No question. I know the signs and symptoms of this, and that's what's going on. I can't trust my hearing at all right now. My eustachian tubes have fluid in them and there is fluid behind the eardrum. It really screws up a person's hearing! I'll need to wait until it clears up before I think about modding my RS2e's. I really really liked them just as they were for the first couple days, so I simply may not need to or want to mod them.
But for now, no listening to music. So, instead of bringing headphones to work, I'm bringing my 30dB Peltor earmufs. I put them on for 5-10 minutes at a time to give my ears a break from the noise here. I also have the Ety ER20 high fidelity ear plugs. I appreciate the even sound reduction across the spectrum, but I really find them to be uncomfortable, some days more than others. The small triple flange's for the ER4's are just small enough and soft enough that they're comfortable for me even for long periods. But the ER20's are made of harder material--or maybe they're larger--but in any case, they are not so comfortable. But I still carry them with me all the time, especially to movies. I'm fairly proactive--or maybe paranoid is the right word--about my hearing. I do
not want to lose or damage it!
Has anyone else noticed how freaking loud movie theaters play movies these days? Or at least some theaters with some movies. When I saw "Gravity" in the theater the previews were so loud that even other people were uncomfortable with it and someone went out to complain to the management. I just put in my ER20's right away and left them in for the rest of the previews and movie, but if I hadn't had them, I would have just walked out. It was that loud.
I'm going to get some of the MusicSafe Classic earplugs by Alpine Hearing Protection next since one reviewer specifically mentioned that they were more comfortable than the Ety's for people with small ear canals. Or hell, for people with just normal ear canals. I don't know what the deal is with Etymotic Research, but everyone there must have HUGE ears or something. Their "large" size ER20's would only fit a Ferengi's ears.
It's also about tinnitus, too. When I have fluid in my eustachian tubes, I get mild tinnitus and it's really just no fun. I can easily imagine that having to live with tinnitus all the time would be less than enjoyable! So again, I'd like to avoid developing that condition!
Grado's are actually nice, in a way, for this, since they are quite enjoyable to listen to at low to moderate volume levels. You don't need to turn up your music to get that feeling of clarity and impact, and so it combines nicely with taking steps to prevent hearing loss and developing tinnitus in later life. Of course, if you already have tinnitus, I can imagine that the treble emphasis of (at least some of) the Grado's could exacerbate it!
. I am sensitive to sibilance and hope that the 'e' series are more neutral than what my experience was with the GS1000i or RS1i. My source is as follows: Mac Mini>Audirvana+>Schiit Wyrd>Peachtree Dac-It-x>Schiit Asgard 2 or the CypherLabs Algorythm Picollo>Grado GS1000e (I'm also considering the AKG K812 or JH Audio Siren Series Angie). Any advice or direction will be most helpful. Thank you my fellow Headfiers! Cheers!
