Do your ears need to warm up too?

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We all know your equipment needs to warm up ;) (this is not open to discussion :nownow:) does this include your ears?

It app-ears to be a common phenomenon that we can get used to volume levels, and this can work both ways, turn the volume down and down late at night, and up and up at parties. Also our ears and brain get tired and need a rest.

I want to know whether you think there's more to it than that (and by "you" I mean you, not what some other bloke said in a book somewhere :rolleyes: )
 
Just my opinion, but I did tour as a sound man for a while. Hearing is like any other sense. That shower that feels WAY too hot when you step into it, but feels just fine a few moments later. Or a cold pool of water that feels less cold after you get in. the first sip of whiskey that seems intense. The blindingly bright sunshine when you first emerge from your cave. And so on. I start up the sound system, and it feels "too loud" initially. I need to listen a while - not a long while, but a while anyway - to get my ears used to hearing it.

it does work the other way too, but that comes up less often. After a gig, I am less involved with ambient music. So if it sounds low and thin, for a while, no big.
 
it does work the other way too, but that comes up less often. After a gig, I am less involved with ambient music. So if it sounds low and thin, for a while, no big.
That's a good point. Sometimes I can put some music on and it just doesn't sound right, like you say thin, or muffled even and I start to panic :scared:. What's happened to my fabulous system? It sounded ok the other day..........
 
I say my wife's name before wasting time on a full sentence!

If you listen to orchestral music etc, then live listening gives a reference level. It's much louder than BBC Radio 3 expect you to listen.

Does she extend you the same courtesy? :)

BBC Radio 3 annoys me with its level settings, you've just listened to a wonderful piece live or recorded it doesn't seem to matter that much, there is a slight delay....... Then the announcer starts shouting at you :mad:
 
Does she extend you the same courtesy? :)

BBC Radio 3 annoys me with its level settings, you've just listened to a wonderful piece live or recorded it doesn't seem to matter that much, there is a slight delay....... Then the announcer starts shouting at you :mad:

Even after 46 years she hasn't learned that one.

Agree about BBC R3.

Now off to hear a Harvard Professor of literature talk about Elgar, Longfellow and King Olaf. May just go over my head!

YouTube.
 
Now off to hear a Harvard Professor of literature talk about Elgar, Longfellow and King Olaf.

.... and, fortunately, the music excerpts were played as loud as the room's music system could comfortably do, it was turned down at the first really loud passage. But was that the sound system's comfort level (distortion) or our ears - oh, yes, the brain - after listening to a man talking with no amplification?
 
.... and, fortunately, the music excerpts were played as loud as the room's music system could comfortably do, it was turned down at the first really loud passage. But was that the sound system's comfort level (distortion) or our ears - oh, yes, the brain - after listening to a man talking with no amplification?
I well respected member here told of how he experienced distortion at a concert and when he wore acoustic ear plugs the sound cleared up.
 
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