Oh yes. I moved them all over the place for 2 months now.
I found pulling them out .6 M from the back wall and pointing them inward (by a lot)
helped, but turning down the volume always helped much more. But then the music
dies and sounds dead at low volume. The B&Ws sound dead at low volume.
I always think of warmer as rolled off highs.
All the warmth comes from the bass and mids to my ears.
Understand. Will you try a different speaker?
The Pearl Acoustics Sibelius? This company is based in Belgium.The speaker is built to order to whatever finish you want and sold via their online shop. What is really interesting is that you can arrange a demo before buying. Go to their website. In the drop down menu select listening room and follow the instructions.BTW they have a very interesting you tube channel.
Hope this could help you.
I have had Heresy IIIs twice. Simply not true. Largely depending on room and placement as with anything else. One of the most balanced, sensible speakers I’ve had. Plus a lot of fun, which is more than can be said of a lot of others.
Nothing wrong with the XS-2, I used to own one of its predecessors. The B&W 804 and its larger siblings are well known (and measured) for their demanding load profile and normally need the level of control that a NAP250, 300 or 500 can offer. The Nait is a super amp but performs at its best with speakers that are a less demanding load. Hence the recommendations that I and others have made.
On the other hand, if you can achieve a sound that you like by adding small capacitors to the back of the speakers, then this will be the cheapest option for you.
Taking a different tack, when was the last time that the XS-2 was serviced? It’s now 15 years old and its main power supply electrolytic capacitors will be getting tired by now. As you tend to listen with the volume in the 9-11 o’clock range, those capacitors may well be working close to their aged limits. When this happens, music can start to sound a bit rough due to increased distortion. This would certainly not help your tinnitus.
Condolences on being inflicted with tinnitus, it’s no fun.
I hope you find the right answer for your situation. I would try both the capacitors and enquire about a service for the XS-2 before looking for new speakers.
Best regards, BF
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So in fact a very large but narrow room in proportionate terms. Certainly nothing to suggest floorstanders inappropriate as you had asked.
No!! It is wired across the terminals (one end to red other to black). In line (series) will remove all bass! Voltage rating will depend on how high a power you might apply, but 100v will be high enough for anything.
With true biwire where bass and treble are separated at the speaker (provided links removed), only one cap required, across the treble feed if at the speaker end. (Why do you biwire?)
For a warm speaker with good bass and handels very good high tones you can not go wrong with Sonus Faber.
@PeakMan i agree. My Spendor A4 along with my SN3 is a superb combination. Cables also make a difference. Changed to Chord EpicX
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Have you heard this speaker personally?
Not yet TBH. They have very good reviews and I’m planning a visit in one of their listening room in London. The reason is that I’m suffering of tinnitus as well and just like you I’m searching for a warmer sounding speaker. I will let you know.
Listen to Innocent Bystander. He always have good answers.
You can also change your system to an active one with Mini DSP, Audiolence or something else. Then you have full control over the frequence response. More difficult compared to a normal hi-fi system, but it will give you better results compared with off the shelf components.
As is the case with every speaker once at least half decent…
The OP of course has to find a speaker whose character he/she likes if changing them indeed proves the way forward.
I’ve already swapped in a Primare Integrated that I have also had for 10+ years.
Same results. I know what both amps sounded like before tinnitus set in. Both were
able to drive the 804 pleasantly for many years. The Naim’s voice is much better. I’ve also
been to the local dealer to hear brand new B&W and KEF on their new equipment. Same results.
Stop trying to blame the amp when this is a medical intolerance for high frequencies.
As clearly stated, I am searching for a solution to vastly reduce high freq output without
rendering the music as total mush. Some have offered good advice in modifying the speaker’s
cross over with caps which had never occurred to me and some have shared experience with
other speakers that have rolled off highs. These are the 2 paths I will be exploring. Changing
my SS gear for tube gear is another possible option but I am not ready to deal with tubes.
Are you wearing hearing aids maybe ? I have also tinnitus since some months and got hearing aids recently. I have a little loss in left ear which causes, for my doctor, the tinnitus.
My tinnitus is reduced with the aids and my listening experience improved too.
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I’ve tried an experimental therapy against tinnitus based upon the use of laser. 7 sessions until now but no great improvement. I will continue this therapy in September after a planned 2 months stop. Hope to solve this annoying problem.
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Definitely let me know in DM how you do while listening to them. Knowing that I can listen
to the stereo in my car (which is rolled off) and at decent volume levels tells me there is a way
to listen to music without the sharp sounds we now hear as a result of tinnitus. I have no idea
at what specific high freq it starts for me so I am just throwing out a general range.
Was your tinnitus very sudden when it happened? My ears just started ringing one day and
progressed louder. I waited a month thinking it would get better as do many other ailments,
but it did not. I went to a hearing doctor and he ran freq tests in a silent chamber and confirmed
I am losing my ability to hear high freqs with age and that the ringing in my ears is tinnitus brought
on by high freq hearing loss. The doctor said it happens to many people with age. I am 55.
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Same experience. It started a couple of years ago and I was thinking that it will disappear in a week or two. I was wrong! Luckily, as I hold a professional pilot license, I have the opportunity to check my hearing on regular basis. I’ve a loss around the 8 KHz region on the left while my tinnitus is on the right ear.
My aeronautical doctor says it’s quite normal at my age ( I’m 62) 
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Appreciate the info but I’m not ready to accept hearing aids. I can listen to my car stereo at good volumes without any painful distorted screeches that tinnitus causes when listening to a full-range home system. I would be happy with that level of boogie and fun volume level in my home so I will research changing the crossover to roll off more but also look into rolled off home speakers. My car’s stereo while not remotely highend allows me to listen to music without any hint that I have tinnitus. I was listing today in fact going out for dinner and it was so fun to hear music without those painful distorted screeches that tinnitus cause. This weekend I will take out the jumpers on my 804s and run just the midrange and bass drivers to see what it sounds like. I never thought to try that as someone suggested. I was thinking I would lose all the vocals but it doesn’t hurt see what it sounds like.
To add on to this. While I always hear the tinnitus buzz in my ears, it is only my home stereo where it becomes a problem. In the car I play music at fun levels of volume and forget I even have tinnitus. The TV no issues. Conversations, phone calls, chatty restaurants no problem.
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My point is the OP is much better served with an inexpensive speaker like the Linton’s and putting the majority of his budget into the source. No speaker will improve the source. Garbage in, garbage out.
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