[mhcarlos]

I love the 225s. But it seems after a few songs with it, I begin to hear a high-pitched sound in a quiet setting. This never happened with the Etys and other phones I've used extensively. Anyone have any advice about this?

Thanks...

 

[OceanEnthusiast]

wow, that can't be good.

be careful

 

[Beach123456]

Is the noise coming from the headphones or is it there even with your headphones off? If it is coming from the headphones, return them and get a pair that works correctly. If it is there with your headphones off, i would stop using them, especially if it only happens with the grados.

 

[dallasstar]

This is what I now call the "Grado magic."

Sure they sound great and involving, but at the price of your hearing and the comfort of your ears. I had success in lowering the tinnitus effect by using the "reverse bowl" style pads. You might give that a try as well.

The high end of the Grado's is made for deaf people or something. It often hurts to listen to it; like real physical pain.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallasstar The high end of the Grado's is made for deaf people or something. It often hurts to listen to it; like real physical pain.

You should send an e-mail to Grado and tell them about it.

 

[Kirosia]

Lower the volume.

 

[PATB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhcarlos I love the 225s. But it seems after a few songs with it, I begin to hear a high-pitched sound in a quiet setting. This never happened with the Etys and other phones I've used extensively. Anyone have any advice about this?

I love my SR-225 but use it sparingly. I used it all of last week (with newly acquired modded Senn pads) and I kept getting headaches. I don't have this problem with any other headphones. I listen to really low volume too.

I am back to the HD650 with stock cable (Zu Mobius is getting too bright for my taste) for now and all is well.

---Pat

 

[mhcarlos]

Thanks for all the replies.

Beach123456 - I hear it with the headphones off in mroe or less total silence. I think I already have tinnitus and somehow listening to the 225s trigger or aggravate it.

Kirosia -- I have it at what I thought was a harmless volume.

My technique for judgin loudness is to usually hold just one of the phones against one ear (like a telephone). If it's too loud, I would feel it. When I wear it properly on both ears, I never notice the harshness because the sound is balanced.

When I switched from the Etys to the 225s, I usually get too low a volume on the 225s. I'm thinking this is because with the Etys, I don't really need to jack up the volume since the drivers are so close to my eardrums. And maybe the Etys are generally louder also? I don't know. What I do know is, raising the volume to a level enjoyable enough (as with the Etys) it's actually too loud and I can't really tell.

I just listen to music off my powerbook or on the iPod. With the Etys, for most songs the volume is turned up halfway or a little less. With the 225s, I need it raise the volume a bit.

I did hear the steady high-pitched sound with the SR-60s...

Thanks for all the replies. I wonder if I should sell my 225 and get something else -- like a circumaural phone (a Senn or a Beyer).

 

[arspy87]

I'm really sorry about what's happening. Take care of those ears! Maybe go without headphones/music for a few of days to give your ears a rest? Of course, if there's a significant link between your tinnitus and usage of particular headphones (or headphones at all), I wouldn't continue to use them. Makes me worry about my ears a bit, too - I have a pair of SR-125's (I believe quite a lot of people think these are the brightest-sounding Grados in the current line?), and I'm a bit too addicted to the treble. :-\

 

[bcbcbc]

I have had tinnitus for many years--a kind of high-pitched incredibly steady tone in my left ear only.

While it is there all the time most of the time I am not conscious of it. For a couple of years my one and only headphones have been Grado SR-60's. I never recall being conscious of the tinnitus tone while listening to the Grado's.

Just today I got a new set of cans. I wanted to try a different sound signature. The new phones are AT A500s.

When I first put them on I quickly became conscious of the tinnitus tone. It also seemed that the A500s had what I would describe as a kind of seashell effect. A vague echo reminiscent of holding a clam shell to your ear as a kid to "hear the ocean."

I don't know diddly about psychoacoustics but it seems to me that introducing a new device that suddenly changes the whole spectrum surrounding the audio experience would shift the whole paradigm about the way we perceive sound. It takes a while then to adjust to the new environment--for things to normalize again.

Maybe it's not just the phones that need to "burn in." Our altered perception may have to "burn in" as well.

Already in a couple of hours listening to the A500s the tinnitus seems to be less pronounced than it was at first.

Of course when one is writing about tinnitus, talking about it, or thinking about it one tends to hear the tone. It comes into focus.

It's like the classic gag when somebody tells you not to think about pink elephants...

 

[Alexhifi]

I'll state that I too have noticed a ringing in my ears since using my SR225s. I don't listen to it even moderately loud - I can clearly hear myself talking and I never feel any "pain".

I don't think the SR225 is bright with my setup (maybe I don't listen to overly bright music). I do have loud computer equipment around though...I've ordered a buttload of parts from endpcnoise.com to correct this at home. I'm hoping it's the constant buzzing of fans that is irritating me. I'll have to not use my setup for a couple days and see what happens.

I have racing ear plugs too, but I'll try them in a few days if the ringing doesn't go away so I don't mess up my little experiment.

-Alex

 

[whiskeyjack]

I also have tinnitus for many years but it was not really noticeable unless I'm in a really quiet room and I look out for it.

Late Jan 05, I got myself a pair of KSC-75, my introduction to the world of head-fi. For the next two weeks, I was using them almost nonstop, they were so fun and engaging.

I then noticed a high pitched sound in both ears even if I'm in a noisy environment, and in a quiet room, it can get really loud.

Since then, I've gotten myself a pair of Panasonic in-ears, the RP-HJE-50 to use outdoors. I'd normally listen at a normal volume using the KSC-75, and using the in-ears, I've lowered the vol even further until I can can just bearly hear the details. I've also cut down on my use of the KSC-75 significantly.

I've just reached my office and removed my Panasonic in-ears about 15mins ago. I still get the loud ringing in my ears even as I'm typing this reply, although the vol seems to have gone down a bit. It's like having a pair a crickets living in my ears.

I think I'll look for an ENT the next few days and have a checkup.

 

[commando]

Yes, you most likely have mild tinnitus already. If you can hear it more easily after wearing your headphones than before then the volume is too loud. Too loud might be any volume at all. If this is a recent thing try taking a couple of weeks/months off anything that involves loud noise. My tinnitus took over a year to settle down after I first got it, damned annoying it is. You miss silence when it's gone.

 

[Kirosia]

I think you may be sensitive to the grado sonics. I sold my rs1 cause the sound was hurting my eardrums. Literally.

 

[fureshi]

funny, the same thing happened me with dt531. i loved the sound but in the end, i couldn't wear them for more than 20 minutes before i got physical pain in my ears.