Preserving original exports beside listening copies

[HarryPalp]

The same saved music export sounds noticeably rougher on one pair of headphones. On the desk speakers I barely notice the passage, although the room is not particularly quiet. I am hesitant to process the track immediately. The file is identical in both cases; I have not made a second encode or downloaded another version. A search brought me to ai audio artifact removal but I would like to rule out the playback chain before treating this as a repair problem. My first check will be any enabled equalizer. Next I can listen again at comparable volumes. Would borrowing another pair of headphones tell me more than inspecting a picture of the sound? I can also try a different player. The aim is to locate the cause first. Which check would you put next in this sequence?