My ears feel funny

[Fleshbits]

I've got some $300 headphones I use often while producing (i live in an apartment). Lately, I've noticed that on certain sounds the headphones do a strange thing. It is hard to describe, but it is as if the hairs in my ear are tickled and a sound is audible like the needle on an old vinyl record. Those sounds don't seem to be especially loud, high or low pitched. I cannot really determine a factor on what makes it happen.

So, question #1 - Does anyone have any idea WTH I am taking about there?

Secondly, I worry about damaging my ears all the time. I set my output level on the phones through my MOTU Microbook II, set to -24db. I don't know if that is a good or correct setting. I also don't know if that is an accurate measurement, but no amplification occurs after my audio interface that I am aware of.

So, question #2 - How can I tell if my headphone output level is safe and what should it be?

[jestermgee]

Firstly, the cost of the headphones is no gauging on their quality or suitability for close ear monitoring. Beats headphones are rather costly but they would be some of the last cans i'd put on my ears for sound work. I had a pair of "SuperLux" $30 cans which were a knockoff AKG style and they sounded pretty damn close to my AKGs at 1/8 the cost.

1 - Possibly. It is probably to do with a resonant frequency hitting your inner ear and causing a certain vibration. I get a similar thing happen with very high frequencies that actually make me feel slightly ill and very uncomfortable. The high-pitch screach of car breaks, 2 balloons rubbing together, a fork scraping on a dinner plate. The headphones themselves may have something that reacts to certain frequencies and causes issues too so it may not even be your ear.

The other thing may be that though some sounds are not loud, others could be causing distortion.

2 - Im no expert in the best volume level but with headphones especially on longer stretches I like to think as low as you can go and still hear the content. I will typically set the slider for my headphone volume as low as possible and only creep it up if am struggling to hear what I need to.

[fishmonkey]

Secondly, I worry about damaging my ears all the time. I set my output level on the phones through my MOTU Microbook II, set to -24db. I don't know if that is a good or correct setting. I also don't know if that is an accurate measurement, but no amplification occurs after my audio interface that I am aware of.

the level that the Microbook is showing doesn't tell you how loud your headphones will be. the actual loudness depends largely on the efficiency and impedance of the headphones...

[kevtronic88]

I have also had this problem with using headphones. I thought it may have been due to unrestricted audio signals in live but I have no idea really. you are not alone though.