[ag8908]

I left my Shure 940s on, driven by music from my MP3 player at 80% of volume all night (I normally listen at 25%). In the morning I went to see how they sounded, and some sounds seem to come out distorted (to describe it, it would be something between an insect's wings fluttering and fingernails on a chalkboard) sounds on some high mid or low treble sounds.

 

[Shaffer]

By your description, it sounds like the tiny amp in your MP3 player was clipping over an extended period, and it damaged the drivers.

 

[ag8908]

I think so. It doesn't sound distorted for all sounds, but on some sounds I hear what I can only describe as insect wings fluttering or a scratchy sound. Before the sounds were always very smooth.
 
What's clipping by the way?

 

[Shaffer]

What's clipping by the way?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio)

 

[TMRaven]

I highly doubt the mp3 player damaged your drivers.  I'm calling placebo.  If your drivers were damaged, you would REALLY know.

 

[ag8908]

I hope so. It was a galaxy phone by samsung.

 

[ag8908]

So I noted three songs which I thought sound distorted at certain spots, listened to them carefully using the old SRH940s and then relistened to them with the new SRH940s I just got in exchange at the retailer. They sounded exactly the same and it was just my imagination.

 

[MrRodriguez]

I think a lot of times, the detail that can be brought out with these higher end headphones and earphones can really show how bad a recording is. The terrible things we can sometimes hear in songs we know well, were always there... We just didn't hear them through lesser headphones.

 

[b0000]

make sure your mp3's are 192 kbps minimum, preferably 256 and above.

 

[OJdaJuiceman]

Yep. If you don't have reason to directly assume a problem with the equipment, generally look at the source. Good recordings work wonders.