CherylJosie
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- Jan 30, 2021
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I developed my own version of a hearing test that I'd like to share.
My version of hearing test doesn't give some difficult-to-interpret absolute threshold curve. I subtract out the Equal Loudness Contour threshold as graphed on Wikipedia and normalize the result to 0dB to obviate the need for an absolute reference level.
The expected result for 'normal' hearing is a straight line response at 0dB. Deviations in the measured frequency response threshold from the Equal Loudness Contour threshold appear as negative excursions from a straight line ('loss').
What it plots is 'what the world sounds like' before the brain adds its own learned 'perceptual correction' to mask hearing loss. Subtracting out the Equal Loudness Contour threshold gives the deviation from expected normal hearing and directly displays the filtering that is affecting the measured hearing sensitivity.
I'm hoping this hearing test gives a reference plot that multiple people can use to unambiguously compare the acuity of their hearing. It is also easy to administer. All it requires is a device to play the .flac files on, a receiver or other headphone amp with a calibrated volume control in dB, headphones, and a computer that can import a LibreOffice spreadsheet to plot the result. Yes, it's a manual process rather than an app.
I'll add replies in the top of this thread with attached files and a description of how to use them. I'll signify the end of my initial replies when I've completed the descriptions and uploads.
Until then, here's a plot of my own normalized threshold. I've had some osteoarthritic and vascular degeneration from aging, some ototoxic medication, and some SPL abuse over my lifetime, and my hearing shows it. Somehow, my hearing loss is symmetrical too and the curves for both ears are identical. I'm not sure how that happened and I didn't expect it, but that's what I measured. No, even though I used crappy ancient Tascam headphones, that's not the problem. It's definitely my ears. Okay well maybe the low frequencies aren't coming through the headphones well, but I've noticed some tinnitus in the low frequencies near 50Hz that I can turn on and off by clicking my teeth together, so I'm thinking it's a real dip.
My version of hearing test doesn't give some difficult-to-interpret absolute threshold curve. I subtract out the Equal Loudness Contour threshold as graphed on Wikipedia and normalize the result to 0dB to obviate the need for an absolute reference level.
The expected result for 'normal' hearing is a straight line response at 0dB. Deviations in the measured frequency response threshold from the Equal Loudness Contour threshold appear as negative excursions from a straight line ('loss').
What it plots is 'what the world sounds like' before the brain adds its own learned 'perceptual correction' to mask hearing loss. Subtracting out the Equal Loudness Contour threshold gives the deviation from expected normal hearing and directly displays the filtering that is affecting the measured hearing sensitivity.
I'm hoping this hearing test gives a reference plot that multiple people can use to unambiguously compare the acuity of their hearing. It is also easy to administer. All it requires is a device to play the .flac files on, a receiver or other headphone amp with a calibrated volume control in dB, headphones, and a computer that can import a LibreOffice spreadsheet to plot the result. Yes, it's a manual process rather than an app.
I'll add replies in the top of this thread with attached files and a description of how to use them. I'll signify the end of my initial replies when I've completed the descriptions and uploads.
Until then, here's a plot of my own normalized threshold. I've had some osteoarthritic and vascular degeneration from aging, some ototoxic medication, and some SPL abuse over my lifetime, and my hearing shows it. Somehow, my hearing loss is symmetrical too and the curves for both ears are identical. I'm not sure how that happened and I didn't expect it, but that's what I measured. No, even though I used crappy ancient Tascam headphones, that's not the problem. It's definitely my ears. Okay well maybe the low frequencies aren't coming through the headphones well, but I've noticed some tinnitus in the low frequencies near 50Hz that I can turn on and off by clicking my teeth together, so I'm thinking it's a real dip.