For All You Headphone Users Check Out This Kickstarter Campaign

dalethorn

Headphone user
Dec 9, 2012
476
7
18
63
Cleveland TN.
dalethorn.com
Maybe I'm missing something. If I enjoy live music as it sounds, then this will sound different just because my live hearing isn't "right"?
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
It would be most interesting to compare people's profiles. I can't help but wonder if they're different at all... Here let me flip the ugly to beauty switch for you but you get to put your name on it.
 
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FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
6,455
29
405
Maybe I'm missing something. If I enjoy live music as it sounds, then this will sound different just because my live hearing isn't "right"?

My thinking exactly!
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
My thinking exactly!

I don't know if that's a correct way to phrase it, but the implied thought is if you correct the output for someone's hearing, they didn't hear it correctly prior to the recording process, brings up the point that they otherwise can only be aiming to correct the output of their headphones based upon how you hear its deficiencies.

So they are making things you'd hear live that sound muddled, sound clear, or correcting cheap drivers?

Tech bloat makes the sales? You know the majority of people contributing to those would have never paid for audiophile headphones because they can't perceive the value since there's no software, multiple drivers, etc etc. And I don't understand comments about gaming from that other company mentioned as well, since the gaming community has long since bought expensive studio headphones to do the exact same thing they're claiming their headphones do? Fact is if the source material in the game isn't better, what are the headphones going to do? BTW I'm referring to 2 channel in gaming being used to locate enemies... we're talking for over 10 years, and through walls, behind, overhead, etc.
 

MadFloyd

Member Sponsor
May 30, 2010
3,076
774
1,700
Mass
I kinda look at it as room correction for the ears.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
I plan to get one when it comes out. The last kickstarter I backed is year and half old and still has not shipped. :( This being slated for 2017, is too far out for me.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Best one I've read today! :D
______

1. Check with your doctor; he/she has a scope for that.
2. Or block one ear with your finger, and listen. Then do the same with the other ear. If you hear better from one ear, make an appointment...as in #1.

* It's not always both ears and eyes that have the same values. In many people they are different, and it can affect your stereo imaging.
No measurement, no instrumentation would help in this case...only your own knowledge and adjustment based on this knowledge and own listening...by centering that image right in the dead center middle, using your preamp's balance control. ...Even for .25dB or more...like 1dB.
 

Keith_W

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,024
95
970
Melbourne, Australia
www.whatsbestforum.com
As anyone who went to medical school would know, there are two types of hearing loss.

1. Conductive hearing loss. Caused by failure of conduction of sound to the inner ear. Might be due to a problem in the external ear (e.g. large glob of earwax) or middle ear (perforated eardrum, infections, arthritis of ossicles).

2. Sensorineural hearing loss. Caused by failure of sound to be converted to nerve impulses / or failure of transmission of impulse / or failure of brain to recognize impulses. May be caused by industrial deafness (prolonged exposure to loud noises), age, or other medical conditions.

This product claims to perform correction by detecting reflections from the ear canal. Therefore, if it worked as claimed, it would detect and correct one type of hearing loss, but not the other. If your hearing is diminished because of prolonged exposure to loud sounds, then you may be out of luck. Also, because earwax build-up varies on a day to day basis, there is the risk it may go out of calibration and present you with an incorrect frequency response.

Still, interesting product.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
How risky is that for encouraging more hearing loss in a range?
 

Keith_W

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,024
95
970
Melbourne, Australia
www.whatsbestforum.com
How risky is that for encouraging more hearing loss in a range?

I would say, zero risk. The headphones can only detect and correct for conductive problems. From the product description, it appears to have no way to detect or correct problems in the cochlea. Meaning, if you have industrial hearing loss, the headphones will neither detect nor correct it. And if it does not attempt to correct it, it won't exacerbate it.

Back when I was in medical school, frequency dependent hearing loss was measured the old-fashioned way. A technician plays you a frequency and gradually increases the volume where you say "yes" when you hear it. The level is then recorded, and the technician moves on to the next frequency. I do not know if they have a more modern way of doing it, e.g. by using electrodes to detect outbound impulses from the 8th cranial nerve (i.e. the nerve that carries signal from your cochlea to your brain). But whatever it is, this system does not appear to take into account its effect. For them to do that, they would have to play you sine wave tones at an increasing frequency and you press a button when it becomes audible to you. Doesn't seem too difficult to implement, probably a few lines of code into their app would do that. But they probably omitted it for reasons of simplicity.

Otherwise, these headphones would be a great substitute for a hearing aid.
 

dalethorn

Headphone user
Dec 9, 2012
476
7
18
63
Cleveland TN.
dalethorn.com
I would say, zero risk. The headphones can only detect and correct for conductive problems. From the product description, it appears to have no way to detect or correct problems in the cochlea. Meaning, if you have industrial hearing loss, the headphones will neither detect nor correct it. And if it does not attempt to correct it, it won't exacerbate it.
Back when I was in medical school, frequency dependent hearing loss was measured the old-fashioned way. A technician plays you a frequency and gradually increases the volume where you say "yes" when you hear it. The level is then recorded, and the technician moves on to the next frequency. I do not know if they have a more modern way of doing it, e.g. by using electrodes to detect outbound impulses from the 8th cranial nerve (i.e. the nerve that carries signal from your cochlea to your brain). But whatever it is, this system does not appear to take into account its effect. For them to do that, they would have to play you sine wave tones at an increasing frequency and you press a button when it becomes audible to you. Doesn't seem too difficult to implement, probably a few lines of code into their app would do that. But they probably omitted it for reasons of simplicity.
Otherwise, these headphones would be a great substitute for a hearing aid.

But hearing aids, if they increase volume, would that not put more pressure on the ears and accelerate hearing damage? There are warnings all across the Web about excess volume and hearing damage. Just because your hearing sensitivity is reduced does not mean that increased volume is safe. What am I missing?
 

jkeny

Industry Expert, Member Sponsor
Feb 9, 2012
3,374
42
383
Ireland
Seems like there is a dearth of information on that kickstarter page.
Does anyone have a problem with graphs that have no axes - those graphs could be minute individual differences, who knows?
 

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