I would think that no two ears are alike be it from one person to another and with just between the two ears that one has.
It would be impossible to have exactly the same hearing acuity with each of your ears but the differences should be so small as to be inconsequential. All those years of adapting as you age should make it second nature and not readily noticeable.
The older you get, however, will reveal subtle differences that would still go unnoticed until you strain to hear or concentrate hard enough (like with listening to your system not for enjoyment but for discerning purposes).
The only caveat I can think of is some unfortunate and unnatural event or cause that would diminish your hearing in one of your ears. All of this is conjecture on my part and it just may be that one ear is always better than the other but I've heard of that.
As for the soundstaging favoring one channel over the other, this has been a topic for discussion for many a year, going back decades even. When I first started out with this hobby, I noticed it as well, but no longer pay any attention to it but now that you brought this up, it will probably occupy more of my attention than it should.:-)
All the best,
Nonoise |
This used to drive me crazy until I realized the azimuth was off on my cartridge setup. When I got that dialed in the problem went away. |
See an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor), and have him check for wax buildup in your ears, and remove it as necessary.
I once had wax build up in one ear to the point that it was difficult to hear anyone on the telephone with that ear, while the other one was perfect. A visit to the ENT dr. fixed that immediately and completely. He found no wax whatsoever in the good ear. He indicated that it is very common for wax to build up unequally in the two ears, with no predictability or consistency.
I now see him annually. He generally finds and removes some wax at each visit, usually just in one ear or the other, not both.
Regards,
-- Al |
Agree with Almarg a trip to the Otolaryngologist is strongly indicated here. |
Unless you have tinnitus. In which case one ear can be markedly better than the other. Enter myself. My right ear is better than the left due to this hobby for the last 35 years. Or should I say the abuse I've inflicted on them. No fault of the gear. Just irresponsible use of it. "Hey, can you keep it down, please". |
Al,
Thanks for the mention of the ENT as I used to have some pretty bad ear wax when young and the when they removed it, my hearing acuity went through the roof. I can remember how good it felt to hear all the little details.It's been decades since I've had it checked out and now I'm going to make an appt. with my HMO to check them out.
All the best,
Nonoise |
:-) Thank you! I never thought about ear wax accumulating in my ear even though just today I was talking with Mom about how I regularly use q tips to clean my ears and she said when she does that it actually pushes it (wax) into her ear and builds up. Who would have thought that my next upgrade should be to see the ear Doc. You guys are great, thank you! |
You are on to something very important, your ears, the gateway to hearing music. Regular ear cleaning, only by a doctor, is a must. Medicare pays for two cleanings each year. Find a great audiologist, one who has many musicians as clients. Get to know the hearing response curve in each ear by having in-depth hearing tests done, at least every five years as hearing response changes. I've been hearing impaired for sixty five years, yet with the aid of my many fine doctors and audiologists, have enjoyed music for all of the time. |
very possibly one ear is more damaged than the other, like mine. A hearing test is only $100 or so. |
I called around today and the Dr's around here want anywhere between $200-$300 to clean my ears, and $150 for a hearing test. I read online after being told by a friend, that you can pour a cap full of hydrogen peroxide in your ear, let it do it's thing for ten minutes and then drain it out. She said alot of wax comes out. I tried this, heard the peroxide bubbling and fizzing in my ear for ten minutes but no wax came out and my hearing is the same, I believe. I might just bite the bullet and pay the $200 at some time to get them cleaned, and then also do a hearing test. Don't really want to spend the $400-$500 on it, but whatever. |
Most of us are either left handed or right handed. We are also right right eyed or left eyed although most of us don't know it. I found out when I used to shoot trap and had a gun fitting. A right handed shooter who is left eyed needs a crossover stock whose butt rests on the right shoulder but the barrel lines up with the left eye. I've seen these guns and they do look weird.
Is there a possibility that we are also right eared or left eared? I don't know the answer and I've never heard anything about the subject, just asking.
PS: Let's not get into discussions about the nostrils. 8^) |
B-limo, I have an aunt who was a nurse who used to lay my head on her lap on pour in the hydrogen peroxide when I was a kid. It really loosened up the wax in my ears. I do it every couple of months or so and it always 'feels' better but I don't know if it works like it used to.
Rja, You just may have a point with the dominant ear subject that escaped my (our) notice. I can see no reason why it wouldn't follow that same reasoning that already applies to our eyes, arms, and legs. It's been part of us for so long that it could easily be overlooked.
All the best,
Nonoise |
I was just throwing it out there, I have no idea. |
I'm thinking that if we do have a dominant ear, like an eye, we may not know it because we just wouldn't. Take your eyes for example. You do have a dominant eye but you don't realize it when they are both open. A fun trick for your eyes to find out which is dominant: with both eyes open, hold out your hand and make a circle with your thumb and pointer finger. Now pick an object and put that object in the circle. Close one eye, if the the object is still in the circle, that's your dominant eye.
On a side note, I sat my girlfriend down an d played a couple songs that I felt had a soundstage that was shifted a bit to the right and she said she could hear it too. I think she might of been just saying it to appease me, so I'll need a few more guinea pigs before I make a final deceision... |
B Limo, when I tried your trick, I saw two circles and therefore couldn't decide what circle to use! But depending on what circle I did use, the rest of the trick worked.
Perhaps this is due to my being ambi-dextrous!
Salut, Bob P. |
At least you guys can put the object in the circle. I never could. I have a lazy eye and as a result, I always see two of everything. One eye always dominates and the other eventually shuts down and goes its own way.
It's not as bad as when I was young, having a 15 degree vertical displacement (my left eye would almost disappear) but surgery has helped to keep it level. My depth perception is not as bad as you'd think since I've been wearing glasses since the age of 5 and I've learned to adapt. I sucked at sports. When that baseball got within swinging distance, there'd be two to choose from and their locations were both wrong.
Through time and the discipline that comes with it, you'd couldn't tell unless I'm tired and only then you might think something is wrong with my eye.
Sorry about the tangent but it seemed relevant in so far as your ears, like my eyes, with one being dominant, or somewhat impaired, can still be of value and work harmoniously in concert, adapting as best they can. The brain then does its job at collating all the info and filling in the gaps.
All the best,
Nonoise |
B_limo
Just go to a walk in clinic and get an ear cleaning with a flush of warm liquid cleaner, to completely remove all the wax.
A few years ago I had a blocked ear with wax, when I cleaned my ear with a cotton swab, and could not hear out of one ear. A nurse at a nearby walk in clinic cleaned both ears for cheap.
|
The Hydrogen Peroxide 10 minute bubble works just fine to loosen things up, but then you need to use a $5 rubber ear syringe/bulb and some warm water to flush out the wax. Works like a charm. |
Debrox is the commercial ear cleaning product recommended by my doctor. Comes with a bulb for suctioning. |
