Does Hearing Loss Disqualify Me from Audiophiledom?
For one thing, it makes it really challenging to take advice from the experts with good ears. As a result of loss in the higher register, tinitits and unbalanced hearing, I tend to go for dynamics and soundstage as opposed to accuracy and subtleties. How do others who suffer from hearing issues "offset" their challenges? Can we still be in the club?
Current Rig - Bluesound Node 2i > Danafrips Ares II > Freya + > Krell Duo 300 XD > Forte IVs / SVS PB 4000. In case you have suggestions...
And yes, the Forte's can be a bit bright and fatiguing with certain music.
@gruvjet My speakers are very flat and hearing aids generally try to get your flat. they only go up to 10k hz, alas above 10k hz isn't the realm of people much beyond 50. Hearing aids in my experience have to be programmed by the professional, you can't play with it at home with your stereo. I read a post by someone hear lately that programmed his equalizer to fill in for his hearing issues creating a flat response, thus simulating hearing aids. |
A personal question. If you still enjoy listening that's great. My father who lived to be 102 had an interest in listening that went back to the 1920s, before commercial broadcasting. In later life he became quite deaf and had hearing aids. He wanted to continue listening to his analogue LP rig and so bought state of the art in ear amplifiers. However he said it simply wasn't the same and I don't think he used his system at all during the last five or six years, despite my encouragement. At over 70 my hearing isn't what it was. I certainly still enjoy listening to my fairly high-end system but it is true I don't spend so much time on it. I'm not hearing he frequencies about about 8kHz, so I hear all the notes but lose a lot of the high frequency ambience. Has anyone else found that if you hold your nose and breath out a lot of the highs come back? Short term and uncomfortable but brings back memories. I have wondered it my hearing loss can therefore be remedied by some means, |
Your hearing may be off, but your mind reading abilities are exceptional. I have the exact same response when I pressurize my ears. It’s almost too bright! It makes me wonder if the hearing “loss” we experience is not from the inability to hear those frequencies, but rather like a clogged passage that can be opened up through an invasive procedure? Does everyone else have the same experience? |
