Is your hearing the Same as 25 years ago

[spotlightkid]

Is your hearing the same as 25 years ago?.i am in my 40's and spent many years in the music business went to hundreds of concerts for free,sat up close most of the time and loved rock n roll.now that i am getting up there in age i have made a habit of not playing the music as loud as i used to except for one artist-jimi hendrix for some reason i can only appreciate his music at maximum volume.how about you that listens to classic rock any problems with your hearing?

[Kevin Korom]

I'm 37, and I cannot listen at very high volumes anymore. Too many rock concerts, and those years playing bass in garage bands.

My left ear in particular is very sensitive. I went to an audiologist for a checkup about 2 years ago. After his assistant gave me the hearing test, the doctor did a double-take at my results. He said I have extraordinary hearing, some of the best he's ever seen. He then asked what I thought could be wrong with my hearing. I responded that I was an audiophile, and his response was "Ah-hah!":D

So I can still hear very well, but I can't crank it anymore!

[Holy Zoo]

I went to one too many concert as well, and unfortunatly I walked away with tinnitus: I have a permanent 10khz ring in both ears. Not super loud, but it's always there.

I no longer listen to music at concert levels - I'm way too paranoid about making things worse.

Luckily, I don't seem to have destroyed any part of my hearing response though - I can still hear all the way up to 18khz with no problems.

[Grant]

Well, i'm 39 and I can still hear up to 17,000kHz.

I wear hearing protection at concerts, rarely use headphones, and don't turn music up very loud anymore. I can still hear hissing of computers and babies screaming still bother me. I used to be a loud drummer.

[Dave B]

I believe I have a slight loss in the upper mid-range area. I was a mainframe tech for many years and I think working on a raised floor may be the cause. I haven't had my hearing professionally tested in many years so I'm not sure how extensive the damage is. Maybe the next time I go for a physical I'll see if my Doctor can recommend me for a test so my insurance will cover it.

[Dave]

I'm 42 and a victim of my own demise, sort of. Like HZ I have the constant 10k ringing, not always noticiable, thank goodness.

I can hear between 16-17hz to 17khz fortunately as the ol' vision ain't what she used to be, but that's another story.;)

[Steve w]

What was that? Can you speak louder? :)

[Uncle Al]

My wife says it isn't, but the doctor says it is. I guess like Paul Simon said: We all hear what we want to hear and disregard the rest". (LMAO).

Despite glowing reports from my physician, I noticed that I cannot stand listening to music that is mixed "hot" in the 10K to 14K range. Doesn't matter if it's on the big rig, the car stereo, a boom box - or one of the dream systems I KNOW some of you own. Is it me?, I don't know. It seems these frequecies are very often boosted on digital remasters, and I just find the resultant sound grating to my 45 year old ears. To many concerts maybe - onstage, in the audience, and 2 years doing live sound, I guess.

[Steve Hoffman]

Uncle Al,

I think you are just aware of that top end boost thing now. Probably from hanging around here too long.

You are like me; once I detect some goofball thing I just focus on that. I remember when I was a kid and I would sit in the movie theatre and wait for the "change over" marks to come at the end of every reel up at the top right of the screen. Then I would crank my head around and watch the light from the projector change from one machine to the next.

My friends never once saw anything on the screen besides the picture. That ALL I could see (especially if the movie stunk!:) ).

So, I think we all can relate.

[Andy]

I have a ringing that I don't notice unless there is total silence. Been there since I was a kid.

[count.d]

All humans have a "ringing" in their ears. It's normal.

There is no such thing as silence.

Just don't think about it. It bothers some people more than others.

Dr. count.d

[Grant]

Yes. Ringing in the ears can also be a result of high blood pressure.

Overweight people, diabetics, smokers, allergy sufferers, and people wo live in cold climates are also more prone to hearing loss.

[Andy]

Yes. Ringing in the ears can also be a result of high blood pressure. Overweight people, diabetics, smokers, allergy sufferers, and people wo live in cold climates are also more prone to hearing loss.


Wowza. I’m surprised I can hear anything at all.

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by count.d
All humans have a "ringing" in their ears. It's normal.

There is no such thing as silence.

Just don't think about it. It bothers some people more than others.



Hiya count.d

I'm not sure if you were addressing my comments or Andy's, so I'll say a few about both.

Yep, I too heard a very faint ringing when I was very little... I remember lying in bed listening to it.

This stayed the same until a fateful night in 1994 at age 28 when I went to a Sheryl Crow concert (before she was popular, imagine that). Unfortunatly, the opening act was Blues Traveler, and they were loud. Exceuse me... I mean LOUD!

When I left the concert, my head was ringing like it never had before after a concert. I was alarmed when it was still there the next morning...

Over the next few days/weeks/months it got a little better, but the loud ring never went away fully. I'd say that it's about as loud as the sound that a refrigerator makes, except that it's a super high pitch, which "rides" right over the top of everything - people talking, music, you name it. Sometimes I don't notice it, most of the time I do.

Anyways, moral of the story: always wear earplugs to concerts. Period.

HZ

[Andy]

Did I miss something is Sheryl Crow popular? Guess the head has been in the sand too long.:D

[Mart]

At 15 years of age security alarms were at LOT louder to me. It was unmitagated torture. Now, they're about as loud as CRT's EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[JohnT]

I've never really liked loud stuff. Cranking a good song once in a while is fine, but listening to moderate levels on good gear is very pleasurable.

I'm in my forties and have been blown away at concerts a couple of times (Dicky Betts played LOUD) but fortunately the ringing went away after a couple of days. I should have a hearing test just to make sure.

I've got a 17 year old son who is shooting video for a DJ company on weekends now. I picked up some cheap plugs for him during the week and when he came in tonight he said they worked great. Glad he used them.

[Rob LoVerde]

Hi all,

Pleasantly surprised about the HONESTY in your responses to a question such as this. It's usually HERESY to say that you have hearing loss if you are calling yourself an audiophile at the same time, but let's face it...WE LISTEN TO MUSIC. We're all at risk.

I like you all more every day...

:p

[Andy]

I'm an audiophile? HHHHHHMMMMMMM Maybe I'll start smoking a pipe, and grow a pencil line mustache. :D

[Rob LoVerde]

Ya mean, ya don't have a 'stache already? Didn't you get the audiophile handbook? Sigh...

:D

[TimB]

I knew sumeone would notice I could only hear from 800-1200 Hz! Actaully, my hearing is worse, My high freq is all but gone down to about 12K, plus I have a touch of tinitus.:(

[mcow1]

I've found, since having kids, my selective hearing is better. Having gone to hundreds of concerts from teens to forties I don't really notice any loss or problems listening at any volume but sometimes if I am doing something that needs concentration I find the stereo more distracting than I used to. Sigh.

[JohnnyK]

I'm 52 and I can hear my ears ringing when it's quiet. In fact, if I pay attention, I can hear them ring all the time. I haven't had them checked for many years, I guess I should have that done again.

I guess too many years playing my drums and too many loud concerts may have screwed up my ears. I should have listened to my mother when she said over and over, "Turn that thing down before you damage your ears".

[Jeffrey]

Hi,

Went out and got a perfectly good case of tinnitus about 4 wks. ago. Constant ringing but most noticeable at silent times. My understanding is that it is a culmination of loud sounds since birth. Been to hundreds (maybe a thousand) concerts and never used earplugs. Played lotsa loud tunes over the yrs. But the most recent event was jammin' my headphones way to loud. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Oh well...........

The Music Never Stops,
Jeffrey

[lucifer-chops]

Hi

Can anyone suggest a simple test I could perform to find out what the limits of my high frequency hearing are?

Thanks!