Listening sessions make me really tired...any idea why?

IronLion · « **on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:14 am »

Setup Info:

My current speaker setup is a pair of Ohm 100 MKIII's on Skylan stands driven by a Bel Canto S300iu with Zu Libtec speaker cables (the S300iu is connected to my laptop and does DAC duties and integrated duties as well). My room is treated with Eighth Nerve Response series products and I also have 3 GIK acoustics 242 panels that I recently added which took care of some mid-upper frequency echoes that were going on. The S300iu is plugged into a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet.

The Problem:

I don't know why, but when I listen to music through my setup, after about 30-45 minutes of continuous listening I find myself tired, sometimes very tired. Its not that the sound is bright or edgy and begins to grate on my ears after a while, it sounds great to me, but inevitably I become tired over time. When I turn the music off, I feel ok and regain my energy after an hour or so. This has been the case since since I got my S300iu, and also when I used a Unico integrated before. I don't know what it is, I guess its listening fatigue or something but after listening for about 30 minutes tonight I literally wanted to go to bed I was so tired. I thought that the GIK panels would take care of this as I attributed it to slap echoes, which were noticeable before I put them in, but now that they're installed and I still get tired despite the lack of echo in the room I don't know what to do. Could it be my speakers? Or my room? Any ideas or information on what it could be would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

TIC · « **Reply #1 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:26 am »

I have a competing theory! Maybe it is not fatigue, but genuine relaxation. Maybe you are really enjoying the music and it is taking away some of the stress from your daily life, thus allowing you to relax.

I'm only suggesting this because it happens to me on regular occasion. I simply enjoy the music, relax and get very tired.......

Enjoy,

TIC

John Casler · « **Reply #2 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:49 am »

Yes,

Music "soothes" the Savage Beast

Alpha, Beta, Gamma,....I sometimes make it all the way.

bacobits1 · « **Reply #3 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:52 am »

I agree with that. It happens to me too.

Maybe BP meds?

D

woodsyi · « **Reply #4 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:52 am »

I guess first thing I would try is a different source and see if your PC DAC is the culprit.

IronLion · « **Reply #5 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 02:03 am »

The Bel Canto S300iu is serving as the DAC, so I don't think my laptop is the problem. Maybe it is genuine relaxation, but sometimes I get a light headache which makes me think otherwise. I tend to doubt that its my power cord (Virtual Dynamics Power One), but I am considering changing it to either a Zu Mother or JPS Power AC+ to see if that changes anything...

SET Man · « **Reply #6 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 02:05 am »

Hey!

Hmmmm.... interesting

I usaully have the opposite affect after

My listening session usaully last about 3 hours and sometime more. And this mean really sitting and in my listening chair do nothing else except reading magazine or surfing the web... you know hanging out here at the AC

But yes sometime I do get tried after listening session... not from the music or the sound of my system. But from getting up so many times to change LPs on my turntable!

You know when I have my all analog night

Anyway, it is your system? I don't know. Do you have a good pair of headphone? If you do, how do you feel about listening to the music through them? Same? Or you might want to try to find someone near by with a stereo system and give it a listen and see if it having a differnt affect for you... you know keep you on the music, enjoying it and feel it.

Take care,
Buddy

woodsyi · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 02:27 am »

Quote from: IronLion on 31 Aug 2006, 02:03 am

The Bel Canto S300iu is serving as the DAC, so I don't think my laptop is the problem. Maybe it is genuine relaxation, but sometimes I get a light headache which makes me think otherwise. I tend to doubt that its my power cord (Virtual Dynamics Power One), but I am considering changing it to either a Zu Mother or JPS Power AC+ to see if that changes anything...

My bad. I know nothing that I don't know.

It doesn't sound like relaxation to me. I may get sleepy but not tired the way you describe it. I think you have to try different combination of gears more so than cables. I don't believe swapping out cables would change the nature of sound -- only degree of performance. I don't understand the interface your BC unit uses with your PC. Wasn't there some kind of USB to SPDIF conversion talk about it? Try a different DAC with your Unico and see what you get. Try a headphone to see if your Ohms don't mate with your upstream gear. Try tube amps. Good luck.

nathanm · « **Reply #8 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:22 am »

Gee, I can't imagine why sitting in a chair doing nothing would make someone tired!

But seriously, you could always play something with a good beat that you could dance to! How about some Patricia Barber? I hear she's heavy as hell.

chadh · « **Reply #9 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:43 am »

Another theory - perhaps you are overtired. This might be ordinary fatigue, rather than listening fatigue.

The same sort of thing happens to me, but usually in slightly different circumstances. At times I find it impossible to sit down to read because I just fall asleep. I think that, when overtired, we depend on a whole array of stimuli to keep us awake - especially visual ones: computer screens and TV sets for example. But when you immerse yourself in stimuli that engage you in a less beligerent way, your body just wants to shut down. It's not so much that the music or reading is relaxing (in fact, reading for work is rarely relaxing, and "critical" listening can be hard work), but that the music or the book doesn't keep you awake the same way that watching TV, or reading AC threads online, or "keeping busy" might.

Headaches may be consistent with this, as a physical reaction to the fact that you are now trying to stay awake, rather than allowing whatever hormonal operations do the job for you. And when you get up and leave the stereo, and "get busy" again, do you really feel refreshed? Or do you just feel awake again? Perhaps you've just managed to find some more effective stimulation to keep you awake.

My suggestion is to turn the stereo off for a couple of nights, and get some serious sleep.

Chad

mca · « **Reply #10 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 04:14 am »

Could it be that you are just getting "bored" sitting there? I find that if a system does not really pull me in to the music and make me want to listen, I get bored very quickly and thus start getting tired from just sitting there.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #11 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 04:27 am »

What type of music do you listen to....and at what time of the day ?

Midnite Mick · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 05:25 am »

If he is getting headaches there must be something in there irritating him that he is not aware of. Maybe, some digital edginess? System too bright? Too high SPL?

I don't know maybe try different genre's of music and see if it changes.

Just my thoughts.

Thanks,
Mike

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #13 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 01:22 pm »

IronLion,

Tired and unfulfilled is exactly how I feel after listening to any extended session of music on CD...I have truly come to the point of acknowledging that no matter how hard one tries to improve it, there is something amiss in the recording process itself. Surely, some discs are relatively better than others...but there is a clear, unmistakeable feeling of tiredness (aka languidness) afterwards.

I neither feel tired nor unfulfilled with either DVD-A or Vinyl on........DVD-A leaves me with neutral, but upbeat, feeling and Vinyl actually thrills me most days/nights. I actually spend time thinking about a listening session on Vinyl afterwards......there is simply nothing overall positive about any CD listening session I've had..either in my home or on the road (at shows, dealers, etc). The inherent downside in Vinyl is it's dang inconvenience....but it's unparalleled in musical charms.

It's not that I haven't tried either...I threw $4500.00 in CD front end gear and mods, and about 15 years to reach this conclusion. Try a shot of DVD-A (SACD wasn't the answer either for me) and/or Vinyl to cure your musical sleepies

nathanm · « **Reply #14 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:03 pm »

Oh sure ChairGuy, use this poor guy dozing off to promote your crass anti-CD, pro-vinyl agenda why doancha! Some people, I tell ya...

But seriously, I think chadh has the right idea. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the audio system. But perhaps not...e.g. my upstairs neighbor, did claim to my landlord that MY stereo system gave her a "headache all day" a claim I find highly suspect. Annoying certainly, but a headache? Please. I assume many parents of teenagers make similar claims. Does music truly shrink cranial capillaries?!

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #15 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:22 pm »

This could fit with the Japanese researchers' notion that you need frequencies above 20 kHz (20-50 kHz) for the blood flow pattern in the brain to resemble what happens when you listen to real music. Some engineers have discredited this research, and I can't find the reference. DVD-A can provide information in this range as can vinyl, albeit attenuated.

I did find this slightly relevent interview with Rupert Neve, England's most respected recording console designer. Read particularly the second rsponse:

http://www.poonshead.com/articles.html#article

PhilNYC · « **Reply #16 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:26 pm »

Quote from: IronLion on 31 Aug 2006, 01:14 am

My current speaker setup is a pair of Ohm 100 MKIII's on Skylan stands driven by a Bel Canto S300iu

Just curious...where did you get the S300iu? I thought it hadn't been released yet...?

IronLion · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:30 pm »

Firstly, thanks to everyone who responded. I'm going to respond more in-depth to some of the questions later when I'm not so busy at work. About the S300iu, I got the 5th one ever made off of Audiogon; apparently Bel Canto did a 10 unit production run with the circuit boards, which they shipped early to some dealers, and the rest are either waiting to be made or already made and not yet on store shelves. In any case, I got a unit from the early run of 10 units, and to me at least, in my setup, it was a noticeable improvement over my Unico.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #18 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:32 pm »

Quote from: IronLion on 31 Aug 2006, 03:30 pm

In any case, I got a unit from the early run of 10 units, and to me at least, in my setup, it was a noticeable improvement over my Unico.

I assume you didn't get so tired with the Unico in your setup? Perhaps the increased detail and resolution is something your brain is still getting used to....

IronLion · « **Reply #19 on:** 31 Aug 2006, 03:35 pm »

Unfortunately, I did still get tired with the Unico. I assumed, though, that it was due to some room reflections which have been treated with GIK panels since I got the S300iu. I don't know if the increased resolution is an issue, and personally I would doubt it is as the Ohm's are not super-detail speakers and the S300iu's detail is very clear but not abrasive in nature.