headphones are annoying me, help!

[markot86]

For a while I thought that headphones would be the perfect solution for listening, but recently, I've been nothing but annoyed by wearing them. Wearing my ms-1's and my sony's for longer than maybe 30min to an hour has recently been giving me a headache, and listening to music for more than maybe 5 minutes through ANY pair of headphones makes me want to just take them off and stop using them. Is there any reason why this is happening? I just placed an order for the hf-1's and I would hate to force myself to return or sell them because I can't stand listening to headphones.

 

[ipumuk]

i got headaches and didn't feel well when i listened to akgs and ultrasones unamped. it must have been something subconscious...
i mean this verbatim/litteraly. (english is teh suck

)

 

[Lsportline43]

Where are you using the headphones? Meaning are you sitting or are you doing something liking walking or jogging.

How about the sound level? Do you listen to the headphones too loud and for too long?

I have had this feeling before, but haven't felt this for many years. Only when I was younger and never used headphones before did I ever feel pain from using them. It was probably because I turned the headphones up too loud.

 

[Jahn]

what kinda pain? like physical "my head is being squeezed" pain? then bend the headband out, it's a solid bar of metal, it won't break!

pain as in "the piercing highs are giving me a sonic assault and my head is filled with angry beez?" well...um, when the HF-1 comes flip the bowls, the closer your ears are to the driver the less harsh the highs get.

 

[kramer5150]

how loud are you listening to them?... try turning them down.

Garrett

 

[markot86]

It's not a physical pain, and I really don't think it's a grado sonic pain because it happens with my sony's as well, and I can't say that I listen to them at really loud levels because it happens at low levels too, but I just get flat out annoyed with them and I can't really describe it. I'm usually just sitting down listening to music, so that can't be the issue.

It's just that something about headphones makes me want to take them off after 5-10 minutes of listening, and I can't pin down what this something is.

 

[discord]

Go to an audiologist?

 

[TheSloth]

Try some crossfeed...

Maybe your brain just can't cope with the seperation of left and right channels in the headphone way. Certain headphones with particular frequency responses have given me headaches in the past, so it could be that. Do you ever get this listening to speakers?

 

[CookieFactory]

Try darker headphones

 

[markot86]

come to think of it, I've never gotten this listening to speakers. Is there any way to get crossfeed on a mac?

 

[will75]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markot86 ANY pair of headphones makes me want to just take them off and stop using them.

Poor guy!

But seriously, grab your wallet and run. I'll distract your future headphone purchases. (Excuse me Senns, Grados, Beyers, if I could have your attention please...) Ok, run now!



















Are you running yet?

 

[kwitel]

Its possible you just dont like headphones! Period.
Ive got a friend of mine who cant stand em, no matter how incredible sounding they may be to the rest of us.
He says that his head "feels claustrophobic" and he complains of the same things that you are.
If you "want" to like headphones again, id do a combo of what everyone else here is saying:
1)maybe take a headphone break for a couple of weeks; you could have an ear infection or something health related that you are not yet aware of.
2)def. stay away from Grados for a while...get warmer, more comfortable cans (for the time being).
3)go for maximum soundstage and "airyness"; id stick with open cans only-no IEMS or isolators.
4)listen at the lowest possible volume.
The whole thing could just be in ur head (no pun intended) and may go away as quickly as it started.