Oh, well...

[Adam]

So, for a while now, I've been pretty sure that the upper end of my hearing was somewhere between 14kHz and 15kHz. Being sad that I'd lost my high frequency hearing, I clung to the idea that maybe...just maybe...it was because my computer speakers/headphones weren't good enough to recreate anything above ~14k. Yeah, it's the hardware, right? After all, I don't listen to loud stuff, and at my age, 15kHz shouldn't be hard to hear. So, I clung to hope...

Until today. When looking for test tones for someone here, I came across some and started playing them. I just got newer speakers and wanted to check it out. 14k? There it is. 15k? Nothing. Huh. Then I look down and see Niki staring at the speakers, ears perked with her head tilted. Hmmm. 16k? Same thing. 20k? Same thing. No tone - she didn't do it.

Dang. There's the proof, I suppose. On the flip side, I don't need to care about those fancy tweeters that you all post about.

 

[jinjuku]

How old are you? I am good to ~17.2 K in one ear and 16.8 in the other. I wear ear protection when working with power tools (wood shop, lawn mower/leaf blower/weed eater etc...)

 

[Adam]

I just turned 39.

 

[MDS]

What was the level of the tone you were trying to hear?

I haven't done any informal testing on myself in a while but the last time I did I could only barely hear 17 kHz if I generated the tone at 0 dB AND cranked up the volume on the speakers.

 

[Adam]

What was the level of the tone you were trying to hear?

I haven't done any informal testing on myself in a while but the last time I did I could only barely hear 17 kHz if I generated the tone at 0 dB AND cranked up the volume on the speakers.

That's a great question - I was just using my computer speakers, and they weren't turned up very loud. A month or so ago, I did a similar test, and I could hear about 16kHz if I turned it up. I'll give it a shot on my main system tonight.

So, I guess I shouldn't have implied that my hearing is nonexistent above ~14kHz, but it's greatly attenuated.

 

[highfigh]

That's a great question - I was just using my computer speakers, and they weren't turned up very loud. A month or so ago, I did a similar test, and I could hear about 16kHz if I turned it up. I'll give it a shot on my main system tonight.

So, I guess I shouldn't have implied that my hearing is nonexistent above ~14kHz, but it's greatly attenuated.

Find a Sony CRT TV. If you can hear a high-pitched whine, you're good past 17KHz. If you have Room EQ Wizard, run the RTA and look for a spike just above a7K- that shows up whenever I use it and have the TV on but it disappears as soon as I turn it off.

 

[markw]

Find a Sony CRT TV. If you can hear a high-pitched whine, you're good past 17KHz. If you have Room EQ Wizard, run the RTA and look for a spike just above a7K- that shows up whenever I use it and have the TV on but it disappears as soon as I turn it off.

Dunno about Sonys, but every CRT based TV I worked on used a horizontal oscillator oscillator with a frequence of around 15,500 khz, give or take a hz or so.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Find a Sony CRT TV. If you can hear a high-pitched whine, you're good past 17KHz....

The horizontal oscillator in a CRT Tv is at 15.75kHz.

 

[mtrycrafts]

That's a great question - I was just using my computer speakers, and they weren't turned up very loud. A month or so ago, I did a similar test, and I could hear about 16kHz if I turned it up. I'll give it a shot on my main system tonight.

So, I guess I shouldn't have implied that my hearing is nonexistent above ~14kHz, but it's greatly attenuated.

You need to be very careful with such a test. I blew a tweeter trying to do the exact same methodology Music level up there is very low power yet is audible and tweeters are not very capable of much power; just be careful.
May want an spl meter out too?

 

[jonnythan]

A speaker can't output just one frequency. If you're cranking the volume to really high levels to barely hear what you think is say an 18 kHz tone, you're probably hearing a lower harmonic.

 

[adwilk]

You need a bigger amplifier.

 

[generalkorrd]

Screw it, just over compensate on the other end and get a few more subs!

 

[Adam]

Thanks for all the responses!

I decided to try and play the tones on my main system. Nothing very scientific, yet (or probably ever on my rig). I think the first one that I tried was 6kHz. I had my volume setting at ~ -50dB and I thought it was excrutiating. At about -70dB it was okay. Same for some higher ones. 15kHz...nadda. I wasn't willing to turn it up past -60dB, though, because I didn't want to freak Niki out. She seemed okay with it, but she also was like "wtf?!" when I turned on that first tone. So, could I hear 15kHz - I think so based on some previous testing, but it is definitely nowhere near as loud to me as 14kHz.

I've always had "sensitive" hearing, but I just think that my high end has packed up and left. I've come to peace with it.

Regarding CRTs, I can hear those. I know the sound that you're describing, as I could always hear that really well as a kid. I just turned on my JVC CRT and can hear a higher pitched whine, but I don't now what frequency that is.

 

[Midwesthonky]

I've always had "sensitive" hearing, but I just think that my high end has packed up and left. I've come to peace with it.

I used to have good hearing too. Then I had children. I almost went for some hearing protection today as they were running around the house screaming at high frequencies. I'm not sure what frequency, but it hurt my ears.

Part of getting old I guess. That or you just have wax buildup in there. Yeah, that's a good theory...

I'm curious about running test tones for myself. Except the oldest dog is border line incontinent. So after I fire up the test tone, I'd be mopping up after the dog. Course, she's mostly deaf now too so maybe not. She could just be acting deaf for all I know. Like my wife, she has probably just learned to ignore me.

 

[Swerd]

Welcome to our world Adam. Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative.

I doubt if I hear much above 15 kHz. And there is little music content there, including the harmonic overtones.

The real benefit of better tweeters is not how well they handle their highest octave (10-20 kHz), but in their lower two octaves, 2.5 to 10 kHz.

 

[Adam]

The real benefit of better tweeters is not how well they handle their highest octave (10-20 kHz), but in their lower two octaves, 2.5 to 10 kHz.

Dangit! Now I have to start paying attention again.

Seriously, though, thanks for that.

 

[highfigh]

Dunno about Sonys, but every CRT based TV I worked on used a horizontal oscillator oscillator with a frequence of around 15,500 khz, give or take a hz or so.

I always heard Sony TVs were at 17,275, although anything is possible. I worked at a video store in '83 and all of the buzzing made me crazy. I can still hear it, although not as well as then but it still bugs me. My Room EQ Wizard RTA is set to 1/48th octave and shows the peak at 15.7KHz right now, so I guess the TV techs were BSing me, wrong or maybe I transposed it- it could be 15,725 Hz.

 

[96cobra10101]

hearing test for fun, not for science

 

[jamie2112]

I think you need bigger ears......

 

[GO-NAD!]

Welcome to our world Adam. Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative.

I doubt if I hear much above 15 kHz. And there is little music content there, including the harmonic overtones.

The real benefit of better tweeters is not how well they handle their highest octave (10-20 kHz), but in their lower two octaves, 2.5 to 10 kHz.

Exactly. Adam, don't know if you've seen this (or anything like it) before, but just in case you haven't...

Interactive Frequency Chart - Independent Recording Network

Do you have a SPL meter? You might not be hearing those upper frequencies, but what's the in-room FR from your listening position? Sure, you might be losing your hearing at the top, but those tones may be attenuated in the room, as well.

Or, it might just be time to buy some Klipsch.