I've been using some consumer Panasonic closed-ear headphones for ages, and
I just picked up a pair of AKG k271s. I'm having a strange experience with
them, I was wondering if anyone could offer any input.

My ear drums are hurting after about 15 minutes of listening at what I
consider normal listening levels. There's a strange sensation I get after a
while, that I never got with the old headphones, and that I can't really
describe in words... perhaps it's due to the superior isolation? Also, my
ears have started ringing more often than usual (I'm 21, and haven't played
in bands much or been exposed to many loud sounds - generally very careful
with my ears). It seems as if the headphones are deceiving my ears as to the
true SPL they're putting out, or something. I've tried to keep the levels
down since I realized this was happening, but I'm obviously sacrificing some
detail in what I'm hearing by doing this.

Anyone able to explain this and/or had similar experiences?

Dave