High Frequencies - Speaker Output & My Hearing

[ClassikFan]

For a while I have been wondering if my speakers or my hearing are lacking in the higher frequencies. I just did a little test and found when playing test tones find through my headphone set up I can hear 9000Hz but in my listening seat only 8000Hz is audible. What is normal for 60 year old hearing and do I need new speakers?

 

[joleyami]

When I was 52, I could only hear up to 11khz with headphones and I expect reduced a bit since then. (I'm now 56).
Your room could be sucking up some of your high frequencies from your speakers.
It might be worth getting your ears cleaned out, as wax build up can sneak up and affect your HF hearing without you realising it.
Then I would see if things improve. Meanwhile, try and hear other systems to see if the Treble seems better than yours.

 

[Nopiano]

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as ‘normal’ hearing, as by the time we reach 60 (and I’m nearer 70) life’s unexpected noises, rock concerts, and other rackets like Underground trains, have taken a toll.

Listening on speakers isn’t a great guide ime as the room has an effect, so try headphones too. But be very careful with the volume control with pure HF tones, both for ears and transducers.

Best to visit an audiologist, to check ears for wax etc, and to test with random tones. I’m well down at about 2kHz in left ear, but back up by 8kHz. And for a check on the Hifi, try the Hifi News show at Ascot in a fortnight.

 

[britishcomposers]

I must warn you about something on the subject of what is now the default procedure for clearing wax, as syringing is now seen for the risky process it can be with too much leading toward advanced hearing loss issues. Micro-suction, as it stands, works, but recently I have had something go wrong on a procedure carried out local to me at my new address here and am seeking legal counsel against a practitioner using cheap rubbish for micro-suction that has permanently lost my RH HF above 3KHz, where previously I could hear to around 15KHz, and I am 58. This will be the subject of a thread if the ball gets rolling to a successful end, - which I wholeheartedly intend it to. Be warned, cheap, plastic portable machines from visiting audiologists, (probably not even CE marked at that) are lethal with shrill resonances emanating via the crappy plastic tube they insert down the ear canal during the procedure; unlike the precision-engineered laboratory standard instruments used on permanently installed full-sized apparatus, as previously facilitated by a London-based specialist operation of note at London Bridge that I'd attended.

 

[toms wait]

Careful guys there is a chap on here who takes offence at people with less than perfect hearing using hifi! See my hate treble post!

My hearing steps down by 4-5 db at 3khz then is normal, so it just needs a push up.
Go to your Audiology Dept in the NHS and they will sort you out.

 

[britishcomposers]

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as ‘normal’ hearing, as by the time we reach 60 (and I’m nearer 70) life’s unexpected noises, rock concerts, and other rackets like Underground trains, have taken a toll.

Listening on speakers isn’t a great guide ime as the room has an effect, so try headphones too. But be very careful with the volume control with pure HF tones, both for ears and transducers.

Best to visit an audiologist, to check ears for wax etc, and to test with random tones. I’m well down at about 2kHz in left ear, but back up by 8kHz. And for a check on the Hifi, try the Hifi News show at Ascot in a fortnight.

Or the Hi-fi Audio Show in Northampton in October to those up-country.

 

[toms wait]

For a while I have been wondering if my speakers or my hearing are lacking in the higher frequencies. I just did a little test and found when playing test tones find through my headphone set up I can hear 9000Hz but in my listening seat only 8000Hz is audible. What is normal for 60 year old hearing and do I need new speakers?

There is no normal only a perfect curve or whatever the curve is that is yours. Go to Audiology.

 

[Gizza]

I must warn you about something on the subject of what is now the default procedure for clearing wax, as syringing is now seen for the risky process it can be with too much leading toward advanced hearing loss issues. Micro-suction, as it stands, works, but recently I have had something go wrong on a procedure carried out local to me at my new address here and am seeking legal counsel against a practitioner using cheap rubbish for micro-suction that has permanently lost my RH HF above 3KHz, where previously I could hear to around 15KHz, and I am 58. This will be the subject of a thread if the ball gets rolling to a successful end, - which I wholeheartedly intend it to. Be warned, cheap, plastic portable machines from visiting audiologists, (probably not even CE marked at that) are lethal with shrill resonances emanating via the crappy plastic tube they insert down the ear canal during the procedure; unlike the precision-engineered laboratory standard instruments used on permanently installed full-sized apparatus, as previously facilitated by a London-based specialist operation of note at London Bridge that I'd attended.

Yikes, it seems that warm olive oil might be the answer for the layman
Affordable and safe(so long as it's not overly hot!). Hope you manage to win your case against that practioner, a stop need to put to that!

 

[britishcomposers]

Yikes, it seems that warm olive oil might be the answer for the layman
Affordable and safe(so long as it's not overly hot!). Hope you manage to win your case against that practioner, a stop need to put to that!

Even the olive oil has to be a certain type as there are many that aren't, which are all on the shelves of your Superdrug and Boots. Some advised reading-up from accredited audiology bodies on-line being key to learning what's best. I know that the London Bridge operation now don't advise dropping anything down the canal anymore, as I discussed my recent local encounter with one of their consultants.

 

[Gizza]

Even the olive oil has to be a certain type as there are many that aren't, which are all on the shelves of your Superdrug and Boots. Some advised reading-up from accredited audiology bodies on-line being key to learning what's best. I know that the London Bridge operation now don't advise dropping anything down the canal anymore, as I discussed my recent local encounter with one of their consultants.

It's certainly a minefield, then. Thanks for that valuable information, I've never had mine cleared, even though I've thought about it more than once.

 

[Nopiano]

Or the Hi-fi Audio Show in Northampton in October to those up-country.

Yes, I’m going to that too, but the OP lives in Surrey, so Ascot is much nearer.

 

[Alister M]

As a hearing aid user who gets frequent wax build up, I find olive oil doesn't work for me. It may help soften the wax but I think by the time you need it removing it's too late for that.
I have been through the high street clinic route and was not impressed. The appointment was rushed and all they wanted to do was sell me a hearing aid - even though I have NHS ones. Obviously, other peoples experiences may be different to mine.
I now use someone further away which is a bit of a trek but has all the high tech gear - as a one man band and not employed by a company, his reputation is everything. Also, he lists his qualifications on his website which made it easy to check him out.
I recommend that anyone considering ear wax removal to simply book a free hearing test with an audiologist of your choice and quiz them about their qualifications, set up and kit they use. If they don't answer honestly or you don't like what you see (and hear!) then simply make your excuses and walk - they are offering free tests for a reason!

 

[britishcomposers]

Yes, I’m going to that too, but the OP lives in Surrey, so Ascot is much nearer.

Might see you there (no clues where I'll be as you'll know).

 

[JANDL100]

For a while I have been wondering if my speakers or my hearing are lacking in the higher frequencies. I just did a little test and found when playing test tones find through my headphone set up I can hear 9000Hz but in my listening seat only 8000Hz is audible. What is normal for 60 year old hearing and do I need new speakers?

FWIW, I'm 67 and can hear 8khz test tones in one ear, 9khz in the other.
I had my hearing fully tested by a NHS ENT consultant a few years ago after a nasty ear infection, and he thought my hearing somewhat better than average.

I don't understand why you think you might need new speakers.

 

[ClassikFan]

I don't understand why you think you might need new speakers.

Because I hadn't really considered my ears could be the issue until this thread got rolling! Speakers are at least 20 years old and I was more thinking about testing them to see if they were still performing as they should.

 

[ClassikFan]

Your room could be sucking up some of your high frequencies from your speakers.

Any suggestions on how to evaluate/combat this, please?

 

[ChrisS]

Yes, as others have said, get your hearing and ears sorted out first. My hearing aids... https://www.oticon.com/inside-oticon/news/news/2022/jan-5-mymusic-ces

 

[uzzy]

How does your head tell you it sounds? Most of the music is below 10k with harmonics going up above etc.

All I know is for certain is the speakers I did not like because they were lacking in top end clarity and those that drove me mad with the raucus treble nature, still sound the same to me now.

The other thing to remember with music is we feel it (the vibrations in our body) when not using headphones.

So as long as it still sounds great to you stop worrying about how high a frequency you can still hear ..

 

[manicatel]

For a while I have been wondering if my speakers or my hearing are lacking in the higher frequencies. I just did a little test and found when playing test tones find through my headphone set up I can hear 9000Hz but in my listening seat only 8000Hz is audible. What is normal for 60 year old hearing and do I need new speakers?

I would say it’s difficult to generalise as everyone has been exposed to differing levels of noise & damage over the years.
However, at 60yrs old, I felt my hearing range had deteriorated & found out after a hearing test that about 8k in one ear & a bit over that in the other was about it.
A mixture of many noisy environments over the years, including gigging & studio work has taken its toll.
So if pushed, I would say that your findings are not unusual for someone of our age. It’s also quite possible that a fair few people who are of similar vintage think their hearing is better than it really is.
Consolation being that although there is musical info above 8-9k, the majority of the important stuff comes in under that region. Or maybe that’s just me trying to console myself!

 

[sktn77a]

"Hear"/"can't hear" is a pretty coarse measure. At 72 years old, I can hear a 13kHz tone in both ears but they are 20dB down on my 1kHz tone (note that most audiology hearing tests only go to 8kHz)! Any speaker with those specs would be tossed in the bin without a second thought!!!