I have a particular sensitivity to frequencies around 2.5kHz, and music with “hits” around that range can set my teeth on edge. It’s not that my room or speakers peak there…it’s actually really one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” situations.
The digital side of my system consists of a Pachanko Constellation Mini SE server running Roon, feeding my dCS Lina DAC. Ethernet cables are M101 Nova. My amp is a Modwright KWH 225i hybrid stereo integrated, with a triode front end and a solid state output section. My speakers are Von Schweikert Endeavor SEs/Model ONEs.
Can those of you with more experience than me recommend a Lina filter combination that might help a bit? Yes, I could drop a Roon notch filter around 2.5kHz, but that wouldn’t be my preferred approach.
Interesting question. 2.5kHz is nowhere near either boundary of the audible frequency band so none of our filters should touch it at all. You might perceive slight differences in that area purely down to their differing impulse responses, but that is completely speculative. A subtle notch filter in Roon might indeed be your best approach.
How do you know? Has an audiologist measured this?
I am afraid that I am sceptical as that frequency is midrange and you will be exposed to it in just about all all situations as well as listening to music. Is it noticeable when shopping or at work etc?
I have never heard of anyone with anything similar. Loss of hearting yes, Loss of high frequencies, yes ( especially due to aging ) and the occasional person who can hear beyond the average limit of 20kHz. But hearing a tranche of midrange frequencies in excess? Not so far. If it is so then it may need treatment and I would suggest advice from an audiologist if you have not explored this route.
It suspect that there may be a problem of some sort with your system. I cannot suggest what this may be at a distance. Thoughts range from the selection of components not suiting you to EMI/RF interference, to system set up such as speaker siting as per @EricR above. I would add speaker toe-in as as a candidate for checking. Several designs are meant to fire straight down the room and can sound too hot if toed-in to form a triangle with the listening seat.
Of course if you really do have an unusual sensitivity around this frequncy then any action of the type suggested outside of a notch filter may be ineffective. So start by having your theory tested. Book in to your local hearing clinic.
For those who may be surprised by this, it’s not that uncommon, especially in the 2.5kHz-5kHz range. https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/26067/why-do-humans-hear-better-between-2khz-and-5khz. In my case, my hearing has diminished a little across the board (I’m 73), but somewhat less so in this range, and yes, an audiologist has confirmed it. This leaves this frequency range sticking out a bit like a sore thumb for me.
Thanks Mike. it seems that your hearing is basically typical for your age.We are all more sensitive to sound in that range. Our hearing is not "flat. Some loss due to age is also common ( presbycusis). As you say, all of is is not uncommon. Your whole sonic world will be subject to this however ,not just your music system. Do you attend unamplified musical concerts ( likley to be classical music)? They too should be excessive in this frequency range for you. As may, say, birdsong or other sounds in the environment.
If there is a genuine issue that is not caused by your system but by your hearing physiology then there is little that can be done aside from filtering .Maybe adding a parametric equaliser? However this may have other audible downsides and the fashion for them seems to have passed.
Otherwise there may be something about your system that needs attention as per the previous posts but exactly what that may be is difficult to suggest remotely.
As an aside, The M101 Nova ethernet cable is not as recommended by dCS. You should be using unshielded properly certified cables e.g. CAT 5e or 6 UTP. The M101s seem to be a proprietary concoction and are not certified so their performance in relation to standards is unknown. This may or may not have any impact on your issue but I thought it worth mentioning. Fortunately appropriate cables are inexpensive.