How important is your hearing acuity??

DaveyF · Oct 18, 2018

As a adjunct to the thread about "do we all hear differently", I thought maybe we should discuss how important is out hearing ability ...or acuity, to the enjoyment and participation in this hobby.
I ask this, as I have a good friend, who has been in the hobby perhaps longer than I have ( many years) who now has to wear hearing aids in both ears! While it is obvious that his high frequency hearing ability has completely vanished, it is also interesting to note that he still enjoys the hobby as much as ever, and maybe even more!

Does he hear the nasty ringing of the metal dome tweeters...no, does he hear the purest sounds of the violin, no...but he does hear all of the staging and the bass response pretty well ( according to my friend).
Does he miss any of these artifacts? Apparently not. Many of us have hearing loss to some extent or other, ( all of us, IME, have limited hearing compared to our lady friends). Question is --how important is it to have hearing that allows us to hear from say 20Hz to 20KHz...or even 10KHz??

dbeau · Oct 18, 2018

Not at all as long as you can differentiate good from not.
With all the emphasis on 'tweaks' of subtle change, how many pay any attention to ear wax accumulation

Al M. · Oct 18, 2018

Very important. I wish I hadn't made some mistakes of loudness overexposure in the past (I was smart enough though to wear earplugs in the disco in my younger years); now I have just average hearing for my age (frequency wise; I still can listen to the TV at quite soft level)) or perhaps a bit above that. However, since a few years I follow closely the NIOSH guidelines for sound exposure,

https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/decibel-loudness-comparison-chart/

and have a set of SPL meters ready (cross-control; real meters, no crappy iPhone apps) each time I listen, and I use them especially on new music where I don't know the required volume settings yet. I also usually avoid over-long listening sessions, and take breaks. With these measures, my hearing has declined very little the last 5 years, even though I listen to music rather loudly (yet again, not over-loud).

DaveyF · Oct 18, 2018

Al, volume level does seem to be very different from a’phile to a’phile.I know that to some folks unless the system is blaring, they don’t consider it realistic!
While it is certainly true that most live events are pretty loud, I don’t personally think that excess volume has to be there in order to consider the reproduced as accurate.
My friend with the hearing aids, listens at volumes that are usually not that aggressive.

Al M. · Oct 18, 2018

DaveyF said:
Al, volume level does seem to be very different from a’phile to a’phile.I know that to some folks unless the system is blaring, they don’t consider it realistic!

That may well be, Davey, but while preference for volume may differ greatly, the biology is basically the same for everyone. If someone wants to play macho and always play at blasting volume, just because his system can, he should not be surprised when he hears nothing anymore at age 75 or 80. Basic biology always comes back to bite you in the ass. Our hearing just hasn't evolved for constant very high volume levels.

I go to the Symphony several times a year, and sitting close to the orchestra can be extremely loud at climaxes. If I'd do that every day I'd very likely accrue hearing damage. Many classical musicians suffer from that (as do obviously many rock musicians).

While it is certainly true that most live events are pretty loud, I don’t personally think that excess volume has to be there in order to consider the reproduced as accurate.

I tend to agree. At least if you consider the reproduced to give a certain illusion of accurate. Literally accurate isn't possible from a system anyway.

DaveyF · Oct 19, 2018

Al M. said:
That may well be, Davey, but while preference for volume may differ greatly, the biology is basically the same for everyone. If someone wants to play macho and always play at blasting volume, just because his system can, he should not be surprised when he hears nothing anymore at age 75 or 80. Basic biology always comes back to bite you in the ass. Our hearing just hasn't evolved for constant very high volume levels.

I go to the Symphony several times a year, and sitting close to the orchestra can be extremely loud at climaxes. If I'd do that every day I'd very likely accrue hearing damage. Many classical musicians suffer from that (as do obviously many rock musicians).

I tend to agree. At least if you consider the reproduced to give a certain illusion of accurate. Literally accurate isn't possible from a system anyway.

I agree, there are many great ways to damage your hearing, playing music at extreme levels is a sure example.
However, this thread is also asking for impressions from those who may not actually have very good hearing acuity. Or, from those who know a’philes who, like my friend, are now severely impacted by hearing loss. How much enjoyment is lost by this issue, if any. Other Opinions?

Gregadd · Oct 19, 2018

Just this week I thought I was going deaf. It turns out I just needed a cleaning. Go Figure. Hearing loss is often gradual and can go undetected. Everybody should have their ears cleaned and tested periodically. Especially us old dudes.

thedudeabides · Oct 20, 2018

I have measurable and audible hearing loss in my right ear but it hasn't changed my ability to sit and enjoy listening to music. This is what this hobby should be about.

gilles13 · Oct 20, 2018

I have measurable and audible hearing loss too but I am fond of classical music and often attend concerts of music, mainly with voices. When you concentrate on music you learn to hear some details and I can easely hear different tweaks I make.
My brother in law has a severe hearing problem and a doctor asked him to listen to an old alarm clock(very noisy) and to put it farther and farther till he didn't heard no more to develop acuity and when we listened to music on his system I was astonished at all the details he heard.

Folsom · Oct 20, 2018

Exceptions are not rules.

The brain does a lot of work to help us as the hearing changes some. It was working in our favor from the start. We're all fairly similar in the way most of use see red as red, and green as green.

Gregadd · Oct 20, 2018

I'm elated to report my hearing is fine. I will post the results later. My Dr. says should be cleaned (professionally) every 3-6 months depending
on the amount wax you secrete. Obviously Q-tips are forbidden. They pack wax down into the ear. A fact that is most honored in the breach.

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How important is your hearing acuity??

DaveyF

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dbeau

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Al M.

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DaveyF

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Al M.

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