HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Good afternoon all
This is something of a speculative post really, although I have already paid my £20 fee.
Having moved house two years ago, I only recently managed to get all my kit set up again in the new house. I've been really struggling to replicate the superb, hair raising sound I was getting in my previous house despite spending hours fiddling with speaker positioning and everything else. I just can't get the sound I had.
I have also noticed that the tinnitus I have in my right ear seems more prominent lately so I decided to book myself in for another hearing test, (I had one several years ago when I first noticed the tinnitus but my hearing loss then was only minimal). It would appear that those losses are now far greater with several frequencies down by almost 50%. So feeling pretty pissed off with it all really.
Anyway, long story short, I really don't see much point in having all my top of the line NVA kit sitting here if I've only got one good ear, (and even that one is nearly 60 years old), so I'm seriously considering dramatically down-sizing my system. With that in mind I'll be looking at selling my:
Top & Mid section Cubix Pro speakers - (£10k) - £4.5k
Phono 3, (MC) + 2x BBPSU - (£1800) - £1000
Statement Pre-amp - (£1.2k) - £500

Hopefully some of you guys here will be able to benefit from my loss and cherish this stuff for some years to come.
I'm near Folkestone Kent.
Cheers.

Really sorry to hear that. Back to mono, it's the only answer.

Seriously, I hope you find a solution that will still make listening to music enjoyable for you.

Sorry to hear that. I wish you luck with the sale and finding something more suitable.

Paul's idea about mono isn't a bad one. I pushed my semi omni stereo speakers together so they were side by side and enjoyed it immensely especially when I listened nearfield.

Stu

I know how you feel, I changed all my kit due to hearing problems. I suffer from tinnitus and found a valve amplifier and smooth sounding speakers have helped me. I do feel my left hand side hearing is down a little compared to my right, strangely, even with hearing aids I still sense the same, maybe it's certain recordings. Do hope you can find a solution, Mr Stringer said mono and I remember there were some suggestions on Stu's thread for single speakers.

Ignore.

Thanks for the input guys. I was so looking forward to getting it all set up again but it's just been infuriating. I was prepared to hand over a good proportion of my lounge to this kit when I could hear the rewards but it's madness having it all sat here doing nothing. The only person happy about it will be my Mrs.
Do you think the pricing is about right?
Cheers.

I feel for your situation, it's similar to what I went through 10 year ago when we moved house.

In the previous house I'd got the sound just how I liked but in the new place it just didn't work, anywhere on the ground floor. I put this down to the void under the suspended floors that is sloping away underneath. I guess in the whole relocating us and all the choices/compromises I'd just not put enough weight on ensuring that there would be room for the sound system. I was gutted to say the least.

Add to that I also have tinnitus that's been with me for 20+ years and is not getting any better. I've protected my hearing almost fanatically all my life but regardless, at 60, I have deteriorating hearing. I think mine is due to inner ear blood flow problems and I have been taking Betahistine (histamine tablets) for 20+ years to try to offset it. They do work for me although they're hard on stomach so I take less that the specialist originally prescribed. These might be something your GP/specialist could offer to try out though, in case they work for you too? I am convinced I can tell the difference in sound enjoyment from my system once the betahistine kicks in.

Anyway, back to the sound system, in the end I found that it works great _upstairs_ and so I located it in my home office and listen all day long at low levels as I work.

I hope you can find a compromise and don't lose the joy of listening.

Cheers,
Tony

If I may, stop worrying. Your hearing has been deteriorating since you were 20 and you have adapted to that deterioration, Now that you are in a new house your hearing is no worse than before you moved, if you were happy with your system in the old house the problem isn't your ears. It may well be something you cannot affect by moving speakers etc. around, The system hasn't changed, your ears haven't changed but your environment has.

Keep your kit and think about what is different about the room, obviously the construction but what about the proportions, the wall coverings, curtains, floor/floor covering, furniture. How about your attitude, has that changed, do you feel differently about the music, have you forgotten what the system sounded like, we forget sound or the details of them very quickly.

Hi Geoff, I hear what you're saying but my r/h hearing has deteriorated quite substantially in the last couple of years. My tinnitus is also causing more issues with ringing at certain frequencies. I had this to some degree previously but it's worse now.
Of course the main issue is my new listening room and it would appear that I'm not going to be able to overcome them without major alterations which I'm not prepared to do. If it was just my hearing I would put up with it but the combination of everything has me questioning why I have so much money invested in something that I can't get working to my satisfaction.

The room has a huge influence. When we moved seven years ago I was concerned about how the system would sound as I would be a lot closer to the speakers and the room is rectangular in shape and larger. As it turned out sound quality improved and as the house is detached volume is not an issue. The improvement at low levels was also pronounced. The acquisition of Cubes has been a revelation, but I am not sure if they would have worked in the old house.

Thankfully there are no issues with my hearing, despite being a fan of heavy rock for going on fifty years and going to a lot of gigs. I had a test a few years ago and came out with flying colours.