My hearing deficits are becoming clear...


Gents,
I am a life-long audiophile with a nice system which I enjoy immensely.  For years I have had problems comprehending conversations in lively rooms with lots of folks speaking at once, but it has not diminished one iota my enjoyment of my audio system.  However, today, in a room with 5 guys talking over a football game on the TV, I was just flummoxed trying to understand what the heck anyone was saying.  The aural dissonance just drove me nuts so I departed, realizing that I need to address his deficit.

I reach out to my friends on this forum for recommendations for hearing aids for an audiophile like myself.  I prefer tube amplification in my system, but I don't suppose that is possible with hearing aids.  I'd look silly walking down the street with a 12AX7 tube sticking out of each ear, right?  Any input would be much appreciated.   Mark in Sacramento
whitestix
I was trained by my father, retired USAF master mechanic. His hearing was very good. He taught me HOW to protect my ears. Use to hunt as a kid.. Plugs in or no hunting..

I had great teachers, but first and foremost, protect your hearing.
No loud music in my house..LOL

Time to feed the chickens, I can hear them cluckin'
Reading this, with my peanuts butter jar in hand, i meditate about this life lesson....

Thanks....
   I have responded to the topic of hearing loss more than once so here's another.....
   Years ago I sold and fitted hearing aids. Learned a lot about hearing loss and what causes it. Most common is the factor of aging. Happens to almost everyone. This is accelerated by exposure to LOUD noises. Of course, we all know that. To regain close to optimal hearing, hearing aids are the most practical approach.
   The anatomy of the ear....The ear and hearing is basically divided into 3 regions...The outer ear (ear canal and ear drum), the middle ear (about the size of an aspirin containing 3 bone-like structures called ossicles and the oval window, kinda like a second eardrum) and the inner ear (where the cochlea is located)
  When sound happens the eardrum picks up those vibrations. Connected to the eardrum the ossicles (middle ear) convert those vibrations into mechanical motion which are transmitted (via the oval window) to the inner ear where the cochlea is located. Movement of fluid on tiny hairlike nerve endings (cilia) generates signals to the brain to determine the characteristic of sound heard.
   If hearing loss is caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear there are "not too drastic" medical treatments. However, loss in the inner ear (cochlea) is caused by those nerve endings not being able to do their job (most commonly called nerve damage). This damage is not reversible unless a cochlear transplant is performed. A complex and difficult path to pursue. I strongly disagree with the post by jdane that a hearing aid can "retrain your hearing" if it's an inner ear problem.

   The most common complaint by those with hearing loss is the inability to understand normal conversation in a noisy environment. And, in a majority of cases, the higher frequencies are the ones affected most often.
   An audiologist can determine which frequencies need amplification and a hearing aid can be fitted to boost those. Those over the counter aids (Costco,etc) boost all frequencies and make matters worse. Along with the hearing aid itself, the mold (part that goes into the ear) is also important since it works with the aid to enhance the result.
   Hearing loss is a heartbreak. Often, vanity is a reason that many refuse to wear a hearing aid but the longer help is delayed the less will be benefits of a hearing aid.
   Oh Yeah.....Tinnitus is an enormous problem for those suffering from it. Has many causes and can be a major obstacle to obtain the best results. My best of luck who have a hearing loss especially when it comes to listening to the music you love and being able to effectively communicate with others.
206dino....Spot on with your input.
To drop a mfr. name, I'm really happy with my Phonak  Audéo  M-RT pair.

The Bluetooth works well with my Samsung droid cell as long as I keep it on me and don't stray too far from it.  That's the biggest complaint users lodge against them, but for all the versatility they have I can't bitch too much.

My tinnitus has largely been overcome (a mild hiss, somewhat like tape hiss), back only when out of my ears.  My mid-range loss is nicely compensated for, and my insurance knocked roughly a third off the price.

Molded ear pieces are nicely comfy, they charge quickly, and one learns to remove a N95 mask off towards the back of one's head rather than just pulling it off (since I wear glasses as well)...

Had the same issues with speech recognition, but have learned how to excuse not paying attention to spouse....

"Pardon, listening to Spotify....Say what?" ;)  It almost works...*G*
Like many, when I was a teen I went to concerts and liked my music LOUD.  But over the years I found that I enjoyed the music much more when it was at a low-to-medium sound level.  I can listen much better for each instrument and find that relaxing.  When I got my current hifi set-up last year, everyone assumed I would be blasting the volume, which was not the case.  I have the power I do for clarity of the music and not for blasting sound pressure levels.  Sorry, but I have no recommendations for OP’s question.
Thanks to all for your helpful suggestion.  I will see my ENT and his audiologist for the next steps.  Whitestix