I've been searching for accurate sound reproduction since 1975. I've been fortunate to work in high end audio stores and had friends whose multi-thousand dollar gear I could borrow any time. Somehow, no gear combination, no matter how expensive, brought me full satisfaction.
Two years ago I got a hearing test. The results finally explained why all the gear acquisitions I made in my audio journey always fell short of full satisfaction. I still feel cheated of all the time lost where I could have enjoyed music so much more. Granted, hearing loss happens gradually and in my younger years I enjoyed music to a greater extent. Still, my hearing ability was not optimal and it could have been.
Well, better late than never. I can finally hear what reviewers say when they universally agree that a particular audio device excels in its performance. I no longer wonder why music lovers often disagree on the merits of a piece of audio gear. The reason is simple. We don't all hear the same thing. There are plenty of ways to assess hearing ability. Yet, most people are not aware of their hearing deficiencies. So much discussion, so many arguments that fail to enlighten because we simply do not hear the same thing.
My hearing loss was significant. In my right ear, it started at 250 Hz with 10db of loss. I kept losing hearing ability up to 30db at 1 kHz. It then improved linearly to a 10db loss at 4.5 kHz and stayed steady from there. My left ear was truly problematic. From a 10db loss at 250 Hz, it went down almost linearly to a 70db loss at 8 kHz. If you are one of the few individuals with normal hearing, EQ your music to those parameters and get an idea of what I was hearing before taking remedial action.
Am I unique? My ear doctor tells me that 2 out of 3 children are born with detectable hearing loss. About 1/3 of adults report hearing loss, mostly because they have difficulty with speech. Men lose hearing more than women. Consider that a lot of hearing loss goes unreported because we often hear good enough to understand speech. Music, well, that's another story.
The truly sad part is that hearing loss can be easily treated. High-end hearing devices have been available for years, the newer models can be finely tuned by frequencies. There are some models that are specially tailored to musicians. Glasses help me to see. Hearing aids allow me to have normal sensory perception and enjoy music like I never have before. I think of hearing aids as ear EQ.
I now realize that even a mild hearing loss can significantly impact how we all hear music. I'll never ever again doubt what somebody hears musically. Is there enough bass? Is the high-end overly harsh? Reviewers give their takes on so much audio reproduction gear. Yet, they fail to disclose how well they can hear. How can we trust their impressions? That is but one reason why objective measurements of audio gear are important. We should take seriously the most important measurement of all, how well we can hear the music that can bring us so much joy if our sensory equipment is functioning well.
Two years ago I got a hearing test. The results finally explained why all the gear acquisitions I made in my audio journey always fell short of full satisfaction. I still feel cheated of all the time lost where I could have enjoyed music so much more. Granted, hearing loss happens gradually and in my younger years I enjoyed music to a greater extent. Still, my hearing ability was not optimal and it could have been.
Well, better late than never. I can finally hear what reviewers say when they universally agree that a particular audio device excels in its performance. I no longer wonder why music lovers often disagree on the merits of a piece of audio gear. The reason is simple. We don't all hear the same thing. There are plenty of ways to assess hearing ability. Yet, most people are not aware of their hearing deficiencies. So much discussion, so many arguments that fail to enlighten because we simply do not hear the same thing.
My hearing loss was significant. In my right ear, it started at 250 Hz with 10db of loss. I kept losing hearing ability up to 30db at 1 kHz. It then improved linearly to a 10db loss at 4.5 kHz and stayed steady from there. My left ear was truly problematic. From a 10db loss at 250 Hz, it went down almost linearly to a 70db loss at 8 kHz. If you are one of the few individuals with normal hearing, EQ your music to those parameters and get an idea of what I was hearing before taking remedial action.
Am I unique? My ear doctor tells me that 2 out of 3 children are born with detectable hearing loss. About 1/3 of adults report hearing loss, mostly because they have difficulty with speech. Men lose hearing more than women. Consider that a lot of hearing loss goes unreported because we often hear good enough to understand speech. Music, well, that's another story.
The truly sad part is that hearing loss can be easily treated. High-end hearing devices have been available for years, the newer models can be finely tuned by frequencies. There are some models that are specially tailored to musicians. Glasses help me to see. Hearing aids allow me to have normal sensory perception and enjoy music like I never have before. I think of hearing aids as ear EQ.
I now realize that even a mild hearing loss can significantly impact how we all hear music. I'll never ever again doubt what somebody hears musically. Is there enough bass? Is the high-end overly harsh? Reviewers give their takes on so much audio reproduction gear. Yet, they fail to disclose how well they can hear. How can we trust their impressions? That is but one reason why objective measurements of audio gear are important. We should take seriously the most important measurement of all, how well we can hear the music that can bring us so much joy if our sensory equipment is functioning well.
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