I am a veterinarian, not a physician, but I deal with more ear wax and otitis in dogs and cats on a daily basis than you could believe. I also like carbamide peroxide solutions and water rinse (Murine home earwax removal system.) It is gentle, safe, and effective. Ditto on the Q tip thing...remember, nothing smaller than your elbow should go down in your ear canal! Wax build up is insipid and your loss of high end appreciation is very real. Also, the eustachian tubes (leading from the ear to the throat) are often clogged during allergy season and will affect your listening pleasure. Pseudophedrine is probably best for this. See your physician if you have any doubts about your hearing....although you could save a lot of money listening in mono...
Clean Ears: Cheap Tweak?
"It was like a veil was lifted..." Well, not exactly, but I am curious about how many audiophiles clean their ears on a regular basis. Not the exterior, but deep inside using a solution like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide followed by a warm water rinse to remove wax. It's something I do once a year (two treatments a day for several days) and the amount of crud that comes out is surprising. It does seem to make a difference, especially with regard to clarity. Anyone else use this "cheap tweak?"