I've got this problem, but I don't think it is my monitors, I think that it could be me or possibly monitor placement/room treatment or lack thereof. I can hear slight EQ changes throughout a good portion of the frequency range quite easily. I can also detect small changes in level balance quite easily in a mix situation. I can also 'hear' slight differences in compressor settings and how they affect the track. So it's not the monitors.

Here it is right here. Sometimes and for some reason I cannot detect small differences in timbre that I should be detecting, or I have to strain for it. Fine right? So what? The thing is, I can hear them more easily on other systems like an MP3 file through my car stereo or my iPod headphones.

For instance, I did a before and after comparison of a guitar pickup change. Given that the pickups were pretty similar sounding, I had to strain to hear the difference on my monitors, but the file played back on my iPod seemed to highlight the difference more clearly.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8115684
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8115686

More recently I recorded guitar tracks using different mics and again it's the same situation.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8364117
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8364121

Links are for clarity and first hand proof, I'm not looking to advertise myself or anything. What I want to know is, is this a normal thing?