Educate me on hearing aides

[Dixie]

^^^ That there's funny!

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Rtrorkt

Led Zeppelin and the Who 69, ELP and West Bruce and Liang 70, Steve Miller Band 71 among others. Might need hearing aids soon

I think Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Schnitz in downtown Portland was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Painfully loud. I did not respect my hearing throughout my life. Now, the tinnitus is real, fortunately, I mostly don't notice it.

Anecdotally, I've been monkeying around with my stereo for years, trying new CD transports, cables, amps, moving speakers around the room, listening to bluetooth, CD and vinyl versions of the same reference material back to back to back in an effort to get find a repeatable sweet spot.

It finally hit home last night that the issue is in my ears, not my tweeters. (I'm not bright. It takes a while for facts to sink in)

My plan is to seek out an audiologist and see if he or she can bring back some of the magic of listening to a moving piece of music without the need for headphones - to say nothing of being able to hear more of the conversation when I'm out and about.

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Anecdotally, I've been monkeying around with my stereo for years, trying new CD transports, cables, amps, moving speakers around the room, listening to bluetooth, CD and vinyl versions of the same reference material back to back to back in an effort to get find a repeatable sweet spot.

It finally hit home last night that the issue is in my ears, not my tweeters. (I'm not bright. It takes a while for facts to sink in)

I went into a high end stereo store to talk about systems. I mentioned I like the old stuff. They told me that was fine with amps, but you need newer speakers because we all lose our low and high hearing as we age.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

....but you need newer speakers because we all lose our low and high hearing as we age.

That's probably accurate, but before any new equipment, I have got to see what I'm up against.

Here's what happened. I was listening to "You and Your Friend" by Dire Straits, and it sounded terrific. But, Dire Straits has always been fussy about CD quality; that focus started with Brothers in Arms.

I put myself into my listening chair, started experimenting other reference material, and the songs that I know very well didn't sound as good - that includes a fairly recent remastering of DSOTM. I started moving my head into different positions, and was able to pick up new sounds, and that lead me to cupping my ears which was like an epiphany. I put Dire Straits back on and You and Your Friend through cupped ears sounded WAY GOOD; I was picking up fingernails on the string windings, light sweeps of cymbals and other various subtleties of the recording.

A check of google led me down the audiologist rabbit hole, and how cupping ears isn't a substitute for a good hearing aid for people with hearing loss. First, it looks silly, and second, hearing aids have come a long way

[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

That's probably accurate, but before any new equipment, I have got to see what I'm up against.

Here's what happened. I was listening to "You and Your Friend" by Dire Straits, and it sounded terrific. But, Dire Straits has always been fussy about CD quality; that focus started with Brothers in Arms.

I put myself into my listening chair, started experimenting other reference material, and the songs that I know very well didn't sound as good - that includes a fairly recent remastering of DSOTM. I started moving my head into different positions, and was able to pick up new sounds, and that lead me to cupping my ears which was like an epiphany. I put Dire Straits back on and You and Your Friend through cupped ears sounded WAY GOOD; I was picking up fingernails on the string windings, light sweeps of cymbals and other various subtleties of the recording.

A check of google led me down the audiologist rabbit hole, and how cupping ears isn't a substitute for a good hearing aid for people with hearing loss. First, it looks silly, and second, hearing aids have come a long way

Listening with good headphones is great as far as picking up every little detail. I assume when you mean "cupping your ears" you are talking about using your hands to create outer ears (like a cat or mouse) to direct sound to your ears? Now we're all jealous of those folks that have huge ears that stick out!



But listening with headphones is not the same as listening to speakers so you can feel and be immersed in the music.

Maybe we need to hit up some military surplus places...

[herr_oberst]

Yes, cupping my ears like Aunt Edna down to the church social trying to pick up the latest gossip.

I have a couple of pairs of really nice headphones, but no matter how good headphones are, I eventually suffer listening fatigue after a long session.

I know my floor speakers can and do sound great and I want to be able to enjoy the experience.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

no matter how good headphones are, I eventually suffer listening fatigue after a long session.

Interesting!

When I go into the office, they have white noise generators that play white noise EVERYWHERE (except maybe the bathrooms), and to me, it's LOUD. I have some ANC headphones (used to be Plantronics, but changed to Bose) that I wear for calls, zoom, etc... but also wear and play pandora all day when I'm in the office. I've never noticed it being a problem, but I'm probably only in the office 5-6 hours.

I do wear the headphones at home, but don't usually have music playing since that would mean that I couldn't hear if the missus tried to talk to me. At home I probably wear the headphones just for the ANC 9-12hrs per day. I have never been bothered by noise, but after wearing the ANC headphones, I almost want to wear them all of the time. I have noticed that I can sometimes hear faint sounds better because the noise is reduced. And I have never thought that my boxster is that loud inside (with the hardtop installed) but have listened to a few zoom calls on the way home and have been shocked by turning the headphones off or taking them off in the car and hearing how much noise they cut out. I really want a set of the new Bose, but the old Bose that I have any still working too well to replace.