2. misc-audio
  3. 162112-129692

Easily the best and most significant sonic tweak one could ever make!

Well hearing aids of course (if you need them and many don’t realize they do). I was diagnosed with asymmetrical hearing loss in my right ear over a year ago at only age 52. Entirely in the upper frequency. (As hearing loss per my ENT is almost always symmetrical, the protocol for this unusual diagnosis is a MRI brain scan to rule out a tumor; thank God everything was normal there).

Anyway, while expensive (partially covered by Insurance in most plans in the States), the different listening to music is in absolute terms startling. The proverbial veil is wayyyyy lifted particularly on lyrics but really the whole presentation is improved from the midrange thru to the top registers.

Keep this in mind before upgrading your electronics or speakers and perhaps instead upgrade the most critical precision instrument....your ears! I share this and if it helps one member on here, well that would be really great.
aj523

Showing 10 responses by aj523

aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@noromance 
Yes the technology today is amazing. No longer the need to feel embarrassed as many of the current models (and being an audiophile I got the rolls Royce version) are basically invisible to others and blue tooth controlled by your mobile.   Too many Iron Maiden and Rush concerts did me in. 
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@ml8764ag
Sure I’ll pm you. It was my Primary care physician that had a hunch and sent me to an ENT for more extensive testing. I wouldn’t go to those hearing centers cause it really comes down to a medical doctor diagnosis and then the skill of the audiologist since it’s really like EQ’ing your aids different curves etc. —that’s just me.
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@stebut
Yes ! The doctor said it was more common than you think.  Anyway what an upgrade (if you need it)!
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@asvjerry

Amazing huh the technology for hearing loss improves every day since they are basically EQ’ing the sounds picked up and amplified in your ear by the device. I’m due for a tuning /upgraded software. I remember there were 3 frequency curves - pre-hearing aid, normal for my age, and then the gap filled in by the HA. Doesn’t get you quite to where you should be, but very close in my case and as a bonus my left ear which has mild hearing loss got one too to balance out both sides which is critical.
When I’m listening to music and I take them out, its like a big heavy blanket was thrown over the speakers. Remarkable
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@ericsch

Hey dude. Zero feedback or distortion. No echoing or anything like that just great hearing again. The most significant tweak/upgrade to any system if needed to live a healthy and normal life otherwise.

I wear them regularly and have gone to some bars with live music before the pandemic with no issues. For real concerts, I don’t use them although I could, but instead I wear ear plugs which kinda sucks.
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@wyoboy

Yes, at least in my case, I needed to wear one for the left and they adjust it to match your right. I think it’s an equilibrium thing and will also help preserve your left ear longer if it’s a genetic trait. I have hearing loss in my left ear too but it wasn’t as severe and I could have survived without one had it been symmetrical (meaning the right matched the better hearing in the left). My left hearing for a 51-52 year old male was slightly below the curve.  My right was no bueno! Like over 30 percent loss though they don’t like to use a metric like that to describe it.  that helps.  
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@johnmohr

thanks that’s right on point, and what I was trying to say earlier. 
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@agosto.  The answer is no. I forget how it was explained to me by the audiologist and doctor, but basically the HA needs to be programmed /calibrated/EQ’d whatever the right technical term is to fill in or raise the volume at the frequencies that are no longer audible.  Like having a volume control at those specific frequencies, for me entirely at the high frequencies where I couldn’t hear anything to begin with. And it’s very simple to do an a/b with or without test to see and the results for me at least were startling - it fills in the missing information you aren’t hearing to begin with so it’s not altering the sound and if it was you wouldn’t know cause you can’t hear it to begin with lol.  
Someone else may be able to explain better or talk to your ENT. 
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
@sokogear. Agree not a tweak, that was a creative way in doing my part to get a majority of the members to click on the post!
aj523 OP
360 posts
 
The simplest way to describe the impact (in audiophile “speak” using jargon from the typical review or marketing materials) is that “the veil over the music has been lifted”. This might just be the only legitimate example of that effect. 
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