Frequency Range Hearing Loss

fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
I'm in my 20's and I can hear between 18-19khz. I was just wondering what other guys can hear and approximately what age you are. I used REW and the tone generator with a headphone jack to RCA cable to my receiver.

If you don't have REW or don't want to download it there is always this website.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
Funny how great minds (lesser minds?) think alike. I just tested myself a couple of weeks ago. I heard the 15KHz test tone. Not bad for a male in his middle, er, later fifties. At fifty I could hear 18KHz test tones, I remember, because I tested myself on my birthday.
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
Funny how great minds (lesser minds?) think alike. I just tested myself a couple of weeks ago. I heard the 15KHz test tone. Not bad for a male in his middle, er, later fifties. At fifty I could hear 18KHz test tones, I remember, because I tested myself on my birthday.
Well maybe one great, one lesser :D

Yikes, if I'm down to 18khz now I shudder to think what I'll be down to by the time I'm 50.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
Well maybe one great, one lesser :D

Yikes, if I'm down to 18khz now I shudder to think what I'll be down to by the time I'm 50.
I've always had relatively unusual hearing, and I take very good care of my ears. Most men over 50 can't hear much over 12KHz. Men who play in rock bands, ride motorcycles, or use power tools without ear protection often have trouble above 8KHz.
 
walter duque

walter duque

Audioholic Samurai
Well maybe one great, one lesser :D

Yikes, if I'm down to 18khz now I shudder to think what I'll be down to by the time I'm 50.
By the time you're my age you can buy speakers without tweeters. Safe a few bucks.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
One other comment, one's ability to hear frequencies a tone or two higher than other people can does not, IMO, in any way make someone a "golden ear". Assuming you have reasonably good hearing to 10-12KHz, I think good listening is a learnable skill.

Oh yeah, and my wife is convinced I have a built-in notch filter centered at the midpoint of the frequency range of her voice. :)
 
cpp

cpp

Audioholic Ninja
10Khz is it for me and that is if I turn it up, way up.. 8Khz I can still hear it but it's slowly going away as I age.. As Irv noted.. My hearing loss occurred from playing in a rock band when I was younger and not turning the volume down while listening to music. I also now have tinnitus, all due to my ignorance about the effects of loud music and your hearing. The damage occurred in my younger years late 20's - late 30's. Current age = 60
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
I guess this also begs the question, how much of that high frequency content is in what each of us likes to listen to? Looks like I'm going to have break out the mic and start watching the RTA for everything :D
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
I have sensitive hearing, and therefore don't listen to things loudly, but I'm still down around 14kHz at 40. That might be wax or ear fluid related, but I don't know.
 
T

Time_Stand_Stil

Junior Audioholic
I'm in my mid 40's. I have always tried to be careful with my hearing. About 6 months ago I ran a test on my hearing and found that my left ear can still hear a 20Khz signal, but my right ear can only hear up to 18Khz. Not bad IMO.

Take care of your hearng guys, abuse it when you are young and you may pay dearly for it when you get into your more mature years. That said industrial noise is by far the worst on your ears. If you work in loud industry make use of hearing protection. If you are a concert goer and especially if you see a lot of them get some nice insert ear plugs.
 
T

Time_Stand_Stil

Junior Audioholic
I agree about frequency extension of hearing and how it does not make you a good listener. Not much musical energy above 10Khz anyways. The best listeners are those who have a natural gift or have trained long and hard themselves to really LISTEN and to get into a zone while listening in hearing all the wonder of full frequency and depth recorded music or live music for that matter. Sadly we have a gen or two of a lot of now casual listeners and music is only a background or such with say just an ipod or similar. They have not bothered to really learn how to listen and to really enjoy what great music be it live or recorded can sound like. IMO its a sad loss of pleasure for them.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Oh yeah, and my wife is convinced I have a built-in notch filter centered at the midpoint of the frequency range of her voice. :)
That's not a learning skill Irv.. far from it. That is an instinctual behaviour that all men possess to protect themselves from their spouses or girlfriends :p
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I bet all the people who insist on listening to "THX Reference levels" are at 10kHz. :D
 
its phillip

its phillip

Audioholic Ninja
I can easily hear up to 17khz on that test but on the 18khz test and beyond I get nothing. I'm going to blame the crappy earphones I'm using at work :D
 
roleydre

roleydre

Audioholic
i downloaded a hearing test on my P.O.S droid...and i could hear up to 16khz...im 28,i used earbuds....
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
I'm 69 years old. I can barely hear 15 khz. I don't think I have many recordings with 15khz content so I'm not missing much.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
I bet all the people who insist on listening to "THX Reference levels" are at 10kHz. :D
I think that depends on the movie, to be honest. If the movie is non-stop car crashes, seems like that would be a problem. It's probably worse with music at those SPLs because the sound is sustained. I think one should have as much appreciation for silence and quiet music as for loudness and bombast. Anyone who only likes one or the other is missing out.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
I'm 69 years old. I can barely hear 15 khz. I don't think I have many recordings with 15khz content so I'm not missing much.
That is very good! And very unusual, I hope my hearing holds up that well.
 

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