Day To Day Ear Fatigue

[Blackburn]

I play EL84 amps more often than any other amps I built/own so I'm no stranger to the occasional piercing highs, especially since my favorite one sports a Telefunken in V1 and is wired in parallel for the single stage, single volume and a vox cut control. EL84s are my favorites so I'll always be using them but I've noticed that some days everything is cool and the highs don't register as piercing to me and others I question how I could take it the day prior. Anyone else have this happen to them? It's also the case with a 65 Silvertone 1482 (6V6s) that I play full up with the volume and tone controls. Like I said, some days it's fine, and believe me, if you've played one of these, they're really bright but have amazing grind for inexpensive amps. I think maybe I got one of the ones with the Amperex 12ax7s and that's why I like it so much but anyway, back to the ears. Maybe the wall voltage? I can't imagine it making any audible difference like I've been hearing and the typical here is 123 vac and doesn't move around too much.

David

[Bob S]

Strange - I know what you mean David.
I used to put it down to my lack of skill on guitar.
But when a straight note suddenly has an ice pick edge to it...
I have noticed that it was more pronounced with higher plate voltage.
I built a couple of amps with 350-370 B+ that did this.
At 310 I don't notice it.
Maybe because I don't push 84s so hard now.
Also I use 6p14p's now - another variable.
Hmmm.

[Reeltarded]

Million reasons, one of them is barometric pressure vs humidity even.

That said, hearing highend is perception as much as a physical reality and sometimes other things you do in a day affect what sounds like too much or too little.. and you haven't changed anything since yesterday. I just turn the knobs a little and keep smiling.

[Blackburn]

I don't know about the 6p14p tone so I couldn't give my view on those but the Sylvanias I run tend to be a bit on the harsh side but still great grind. I'll eventually swap with some Euro pair later on like Amperex or Mullards or Brimars but until then I dig these for the price and they last. Good American stuff! A higher plate voltage will definitely be more stringent, but what you said doesn't sound very high at all for octals, just 84s, so I don't know if you were referring to them or not. Do you have any clips of those ruskies of yours? I can't think of any recording where I know that I've heard them. They're cheap and at 14 watts a piece I'd bite!

[Blackburn]

Million reasons, one of them is barometric pressure vs humidity even.

That said, hearing highend is perception as much as a physical reality and sometimes other things you do in a day affect what sounds like too much or too little.. and you haven't changed anything since yesterday. I just turn the knobs a little and keep smiling.

I agree some mornings I have higher pressure in me head so I'm sure this could be a cause. Either way, nothing a little silver mica shunt cap and low pass filter won't help!

[cbass]

I know sometimes when I am trying to voice an amp I will think I have it sounding good and then come back a couple days later and be all like WTF this sounds like poo.

[Reeltarded]

Me too, then a couple days later and it's great..

I have to deal with perception issues in audio on a professional level. I record people I never met playing instruments I have never played more often than not. Cafffiene makes a difference as does everything including recent stress, what is on my mind otherwise, sleep level.. you know, everything.

Imagine it like this: it is better to actually have crabs than it is to think you have crabs because it's easy to get rid of crabs but not so simple to get rid of think you have crabs.



I don't think I have crabs and no crabs were harmed during the writing of this message. If I think it's just me, I roll tape...

[Bob S]

Yes - we're talking EL84's and variants here.
I haven't run 6p14p's up at 14w, but that's what the spec sheet claims.
I do like them in the 8-10w range.
The other variable is my hearing.
Not great at the best of times.
And not improving with age.

[Structo]

I think it is pretty common for a great sounding rig to sound great one day and another day it sounds like shit.

As Miles stated, it's all about perception.

Of course it could work the other way around, on most days it sounds like shit then one day not so bad.

I also think ears play a huge part.
I was chasing what I though was a parasitic in my 100w D amp and for some reason I was always hearing a high brittle sound with the notes.

I had a friend over that has less damaged ears than I.
He plays as well so he knows how good tone sounds.
He said it sounded great and even played while I listened.

He didn't hear what I was hearing so chalk up hear damage from 32 years in construction, loud bands and loud stereos.


On a related note, does caffeine affect tinnitus?

[Reeltarded]

Yes, but it follows the effects of the caffiene. On the come down side it can be a mess. I don't have a ping but I do experience a tic. The attack of the pick on the string. Not through the amp though. I can be wailing through 3 100w amps and it's the tic coming off the string, not the amplified version at the amps. It makes my right eye twitch. I need an eye patch.. a caffiene eye patch!

[vibratoking]

My tinnitus can change quite a bit. I don't do caffeine so I don't know about that, but a cold or the flu or allergies can have a big impact. All that being said, I can't say that I have ever noticed the effect that is being described. Maybe I just chalk up any difference to a personal problem because I know that the the amp did not magically change. It is interesting though that some of you guys hear rather large changes from day to day. Not to derail the train, but it makes me wonder how anyone can hear caps breaking in over a 100 hour period. I am not a believer in caps breaking in and now I know that everyone that commented in this thread can't possibly hear cap break-in as you have all admitted that your hearing changes drastically from day to day. Damn, I should have waited for others to chime in.

[NickC]

........... Not to derail the train, but it makes me wonder how anyone can hear caps breaking in over a 100 hour period. I am not a believer in caps breaking in and now I know that everyone that commented in this thread can't possibly hear cap break-in as you have all admitted that your hearing changes drastically from day to day. Damn, I should have waited for others to chime in.

Excellent observation!

Furthermore, caps are not the only components aging during the 100 hour burn in. For that matter, the guitar has aged much more than that 100 hour burn in period (unlikely anyone in our age bracket could play for 100 hours straight anymore ....... not like we used to) and that more likely would account for tonal improvement. Old guitars do sound better than new ones (it's a fact ...... just ask the people selling old ones).

[dartanion]

Don't forget about speakers. Vintage 30s are the worst for ear fatigue in my book. Huge spike in efficiency at about 1.5k, which right where the human ear is most sensitive. Tinnitus just makes this even worse.

[Blackburn]

My tinnitus can change quite a bit. I don't do caffeine so I don't know about that, but a cold or the flu or allergies can have a big impact. All that being said, I can't say that I have ever noticed the effect that is being described. Maybe I just chalk up any difference to a personal problem because I know that the the amp did not magically change. It is interesting though that some of you guys hear rather large changes from day to day. Not to derail the train, but it makes me wonder how anyone can hear caps breaking in over a 100 hour period. I am not a believer in caps breaking in and now I know that everyone that commented in this thread can't possibly hear cap break-in as you have all admitted that your hearing changes drastically from day to day. Damn, I should have waited for others to chime in.

I understand where you're coming from, but what I was really talking about was perceived brightness and not necessarily the texture of the clipping, more of the stridency of notes. I can actually confirm the change in capacitors over a long break in though. I have two amps including the one I first mentioned, the other without a Telefunken. A GE actually, and much darker. The texture of the newer one, built a couple months ago vs the Telefunken one that was done in May of last year and then rebuilt with the same parts a month ago is not nearly as clear. They're both VERY different even though they both have Sylvania power sections and Raytheon inverters. The difference being V1, however I've subbed the tubes in both to see and it persists. What they claim on Sozo's website about break in seems to be what is being exhibited in these two here. Mind you, it's only really noticeable with the volume at 2 or 3 o'clock and distorting. No attenuation, pedals, no nothing but guitar, cable, amp and cabinet. People will still have their own views, but this is just my experience with what I consider break in. As for the brightness thing I mentioned, could just be the weather. This year's been pretty different, a lot cooler this deep into the year, where I live anyway.

[Blackburn]

Don't forget about speakers. Vintage 30s are the worst for ear fatigue in my book. Huge spike in efficiency at about 1.5k, which right where the human ear is most sensitive. Tinnitus just makes this even worse.

I sure know about speaker brightness. Ever since using ASW products I haven't had that issue, except with the KTS70. Too much for me with what I currently use. It's too bad Celestion can't/won't fix that problem with their new stuff.