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How do you all manage mild hearing loss?

I’m 37, and have done a significant amount of concert going, clubbing and loud music listening in my life. As a result, I have what I perceive to be 3-6db of permanent hearing loss in my left ear. I don’t notice it as much when listening to my headphone setup, or home theater, but with 2-channel I end up needing use the balance controls in order to get a perfectly centered image.

I don’t particularly like using the balance control, because I see it like any other tone control, as affecting the output negatively.

So my question is, how do those of you with some hearing loss handle this situation? I’ve noticed that if I take my left finger and push my left ear about 3mm outward, I can center the image that way, without the need for the balance controls. This has led me to start experimenting with pieces of foam, shaped like a C with a graduated wedge that I can fit behind my ear to make it pop out a few mm. I’m wondering if a solution already exists for this problem? If not, I’ll probably keep playing with my design until I have something that works really well, and then have my brother in law 3D print it for me when I arrive at a final design.

Thoughts?
128x128dougeyjones

Showing 2 responses by denverfred

denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Thanks to Goofyfoot for the tip on Ginko.

I went through all the head-tilting and chair-tweaking too. I found that a bit of acoustic absorption on the strong side (left, for me too) and not very much on the weak side had a major effect, especially if your room is really live.
I had my speakers geometrically exact and what could be wrong? Well, when I swallowed my pride and moved my right speaker 1" closer to me, it was balanced the way I always expected.
I think my tinnitus is most obnoxious when the classical and big band music gets really loud. I'm now about 8' from my system. It's almost a "near-field" setup, but I'm able to get great sound by keeping it small, tweaked and well-cabled.
denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
I have hifreq loss and tinnitus. I admit it drove me nuts for awhile, but I learned a long time ago never to worry about things I can't control. My system sounds better than ever and I just KNOW(?) that my ultra-hi frequencies are outstanding! If it has bass like a duck and images like a duck . . . you know the routine.

Don't worry, be freaky!
I'm gonna go listen to my duck.
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