You've Got Some MLs - But How Good Is Your Hearing?

[User211]

OK - I am 45 and have been to much more than my fair share of gigs etc etc. I was at my sisters recently and she had a pest control device. It works by doing a frequency sweep.

After hearing said device, I was initially shocked. I remembered hearing much higher frequencies in a Physics experiment at school. Then I blew on my nose with my fingers in and relaxed a bit. I could definately hear higher than I could initially.

However, I am still curious. When I was sixteen, I could hear up to 16-17 Khz.

So I am going to find some hearing test software and see how high I can hear now. When I find some, I'll post what I can hear up to. It'd be cool if others could try the same s/w, post their age and what they can hear up to. 1st law - be honest. Lying is pathetic on this one.

It's all been done before. But it'd be interesting for members to try I am sure.

So - are you a deaf git? Or not? Watch this space!

 

[Tube60]

I'm 43, and I know that my hearing has changed over the years. Loud music and Italian cars probably accelerated that. However I can still hear a dog whistle, more in my right ear than my left. I'm grateful for what I do have, though. It could be a whole lot worse!

 

[Bernard]

I'm 57. I had my hearing tested at 51 when I had severe tinnitus, The specialist was amazed that I had tinnitus as he said that I had the hearing of a child. I have always jealously guarded my hearing by avoiding loud venues.

I used to work in a medical research facility, and by virtue of that was a default guinea pig when hearing tests were conducted. I used to frustrate the researchers as they would have to recalibrate their equipment when testing me as my hearing was so acute. Caveat: this was when I was 30.

 

[kach22i]

I'm 48, can you speak up a little sonny?

 

[twich54]

I'm 57.

Old fart !!!!!!!

 

[theWB]

Old fart !!!!!!!

If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black.

 

[Bernard]

Old fart !!!!!!!

Just don't stand behind me, Dave !

 

[sleepysurf]

Here are a couple of online hearing tests!

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html
http://www.engr.uky.edu/~donohue/audio/fsear.html (This one looks more thorough)

Looks like my hearing really starts to fall off somewhere north of 12 kHz, though I can still hear the tone at 16kHz.

I need to find my headphones to do the thorough test.

 

[User211]

Thanks sleepy!

The first one has too big a jump from 12 then 16 KHz.

The second is the better of the two. I got a bit of a shock, though. Listened to the 12Khz tone - clear as day. I thought the 14Khz one would be a breeze. So I tried it, expecting to hear it easily. However, I heard nothing! Oh dear... But I am sure I heard higher from the pest control device. Mad.

Swapped headphones. Swapped from laptop to PC. Still nowt. Now I want a 13Khz tone!!!

So it's official - I am a deaf git - too many loud gigs, too many listening sessions etc.

To be honest, after years of listening to systems, I think my hearing is very "fine tuned". OK, so the HF extension isn't what it used to be, but hey. That's just the way it goes. We all wear out eventually! And I had a good time getting here!

 

[User211]

Just tried it on the wife - she hears the 15Khz tone easily.

So come on dudes - don't be shy - no one can be as deaf as me - er...

Oddly, my wife and I agree that in practice, my hearing is better than hers is in the sense of hearing over distances and through walls/next rooms etc.

Also, I have some tinitus today, so I'll try when it goes again... it makes it a bit impossible to do the test properly, really.

Oh BTW: these tests are highly recommended if you are not too technically clued up. You will realise what 30Hz is, what 1Khz is etc. But be careful and even if you can't hear it, do not go to high up the y axis as recommended by the second test.

 

[cstory]

I seem to not hear anything over 10,000. A bit of a shock actually. My wife is always asking me "what did they say" so it's not that I can't hear, I guess I can't hear anything very high.

Chuck

 

[JonFo]

I'm 51, and only get to 14Khz.

Wife, who is 48 goes all the way to 18Khz. But then, she's a ten

I still heard a big difference between old and new panels when I swapped them a few years ago, so you don’t actually need to have bat-hearing to detect improvements in ESL panels.

 

[Len44]

Oh, my! Not much at 12Khz...

Now, why did I think I needed these terrific speakers?

 

[Zero]

At age 22, my personal "-3db point" was in the 23kHz range (according to some half-ass 'online hearing tests' that max at 26kHz).

At age 26, I have no freakin clue, but I suspect it's dropped down to 20 or so, as I don't pick up on the annoying shit that I used to. Honestly, its something of a relief.

 

[sleepysurf]

It figures, by the time we have the $$, and time, to assemble a top-of-the-line system, our hearing starts to go!

 

[MiTT]

Mine looks pretty good up to 22KHz.

I pushed the scale quite a bit and while I couldn't really hear anything up at 40KHz I had an irresistable urge to scratch my neck with my right foot, I peed on the trash can in my office and I'm waiting for a disiplinary meeting with H.R. right now because I apparently tried to sniff a co-workers butt

 

[FISH_MAN]

when I go to loud concerts or clubs I cut a earplug in half and shove it in this works well it cuts the noise way down but you can still hear the music.just be careful they don't get stuck
BTW had my hearing checked last year doc said it was good

 

[amey01]

I'm 32 and can hear up to 18,000......but I start to notice the roll-off around 15k. I certainly feel my hearing has changed in the last 10 years or so.

 

[User211]

Mine looks pretty good up to 22KHz.

I pushed the scale quite a bit and while I couldn't really hear anything up at 40KHz I had an irresistable urge to scratch my neck with my right foot, I peed on the trash can in my office and I'm waiting for a disiplinary meeting with H.R. right now because I apparently tried to sniff a co-workers butt

Man, that's cool - 6KHz higher than the max test frequency in those tests...

Clash quote time: "Back in the garage with my BS detector..." Garageland - 1st album.

I bet there's loads here who daredn't tell the truth for fear of credibility loss! It's all an illusion, though. It's only YOU who thinks you have any!

Were you "feeling Supersonic" at the time you did the tests, Tim?

 

[Stefan]

Well here is my curve, seems reasonable, it corresponds to what I noticed when playing test tones through the speakers before:

Maybe that's why the Puritys sounds so good in spite of the roll of above 8KHz:

btw, the green curve is without the room correction and pls disregard the peak at 50 Hz, it's something from the power supply