Anyone with tinnitus or hearing loss who is into "high-end" audio?

I've just started looking at various forum comments about tinitus, and I am surprised at how little content I see on a topic for which I expected to see tons of attention: What sources and equipment do the most to irritate vs sooth the situation.  For my tinitus, it is usually forgotten and in the background unless I am in a quiet environment or something "sets it off."  Harsh sounds can set it off.  And "less good" audio systems can set it off.  I have assembled a good system and a better system, and I am often reminded that I have tinitus when listening to the "good."  The better (tube) system gets closer to a "liquid" sound, which totally affects how much tinitus trigger I experience.  I am not a very technical audiophile, so I hardly have this figured, but I would have expected that more advanced members would have reported a lot of opinions on how to minimize tinitus trigger throughout the audio chain (e.g., start with vinyl front end (or certain exotic $$$$ digital), then run through this or that tube systems, and end in warmer (Spendor or Graham) speakers, etc.).  Perhaps my experience is somewhat uncommon, where relatively modest advances in smoothing the edges of the sound can have a BIG impact on my tinitus level.  

Hi all, returning to the subject: has anyone had experience with the use of hearing aids to try and manage the tinnitus as well as the hearing loss (6-8k in my case)?

My best advice for working with tinnitus is watch your mental response to it and just let it be, get on with your life. Certainly, take precautions in loud environments, but don't let the new sound effect(s) push you around. Learn to let go of the idea that something big is happening. Make it a small thing. My symptoms began to appear within the last year, and you will find that there is evidence indicating that some of the tinnitus symptoms are impacted by the degree to which we keep checking in on it, worry about it, trying to get past it, etc. I go for hours and days without any awareness of my tinnitus. My music listening is barely impacted because I'm not attuning myself to my tinnitus. I'm attuned to the music.

@scott22
In layman’s terms, the reason it seems louder when you are playing music is because the tinnitus is "competing" with the music. Sadly, there is no cure, but sound enrichment (maskers) can help with coping. Also, benzodiazepines can help with tinnitus induced anxiety.

So I'm 74 during the day I am not aware of the tinnitus (white noise)sort of a low grade hum sounds almost electrical in nature. However, when I listen to music at any level that humm becomes a bit louder so much so I thought it was coming from my gear ( my system is dead silent at all listening levels just music is audible), that is until I turn my gear off and the buzz remains. Getting old sucks. I am doing nothing about it sadly I have bigger fish to fry.  

I have tinnitus. I went to see a loud Japanese band (Acid Mother's Temple) and afterwards the ringing didn't go away. I have been seeing bands since the late 70's and saw an awful lot of punk, industrial and free jazz concerts in small clubs. Worked in the basement of a hospital for years under the ventilation system. I took a hearing test and it was awful when was in the booth where I could hear how loud it was. I nearly cried. However I could hear into the noise fine and they said that my hearing was consistent with my age. I am sensitive to sounds like ambulances and such. I know this can get worse so I quit going to live music. I only go to the opera. I quit audio for a long time. This year I set my system back up but after I listen for awhile my tinnitus kicks up and gets louder.  I've been looking into equalizer or tone control possibilities. I hadn't though too much about ibuprofen or caffeine but should look into changing some of those habits. The hospital didn't offer much in the way of guidance, but I probably should go to a specialist.

Got tinnitus some 5-6 years ago, like someone walking over gravel, fluctuating with my heart beat...up to the level that I had sometimes problems falling asleep...however that never kept me away from enjoying music, in fact I continued to invest a considerable amount of money to get the equipment I deemed necessary to achieve the level of reproduction I was aiming for. Strange enough, one day in the early morning when going to work I realized that my tinnitus was gone, I mean totally gone, scary silent... no particular reasons, no medication. I was so happy with that little miracle... however, unfortunately, last year it started to come back again, but this time just a high whistle, although luckily not as bad as before, can live with this very well. Have serious hearing loss in my left ear as well. Yet I'm very well able to identify slight differences in sound like using different cables, like amplifier upgrades and so on. All I'm saying is don't let tinnitus spoil your listening experience too much (if at all). You may play a little louder, or let your brain do the job by focussing on an all other sounds except for the tinnitus generated frequencies. Currently being 63 years young, left ear limited to 11K Hz, right ear 14K Hz. Yet, I'm very well able to hear if a tweeter works properly or not. I hope that basically I get another 7-8 years or so to be able to enjoy the music, after that I will certainly scale down, simplify everything, so that when I'm gone, my children don't have to deal with moving some 1500 - 2000 kg of equipment around. :) On a different note, my tinnitus is more profound in my left ear, and after having read the above, it seems that a lot of people seem to experience the same. 

I’m 65 and have tinnitus in both ears, a higher pitched tone all of the time. I have a vintage stereo system and listen almost daily. I refuse to let it interfere with my enjoyment of music. 
If it can be of use I found one exercise that I use before listening and usually before bed as the tinnitus will prevent me from falling asleep. I have no affiliation with this YouTube video or the Dr. but it worked for me. I do the exercise before listening and it will quiet the tinnitus for awhile ( varies in length ). Looking at the video comments and with most things YMMV.
Search a YouTube for “Stop Tinnitus: Quiet Your Brain With Your Hands - (Discovered by Dr. Alan Mandell, DC)

Good luck, enjoy your music.

I am one of the lucky ones I guess. I have stereo tinny. And mine is a high pitched whine, like walking into a forest full of insects.  Some serious hearing loss in the left eat due to a bad flu. But, I still enjoy music. It gets a wee bit uncomfy when the music hits the tinny frequency though. 

Yes, I have tinnitus and some hearing loss in left ear which has gotten worse because of tension neck problems. The more I sit on a couch, the worse it gets. 
Because of it my left ear is extremely sensitive to any problems in the rig. I have found out that ribbon tweeters and DACs with very clean highs are mandatory. 

Well, same here but thankfully I also can still hear quite well to about 11kHz.
And I am quite aware if some mostly CD recordings are unpleasantly 'ear-flossing'. 
Though it's helpful to hear of the existence of more folks in audio persuits saddled with this rather unpleasant debility.
Not that I wish this on ANYONE, to be quite clear about it, please 😌
Michélle 

I have tinnitus but no loss of hearing compared to average people’s hearing, a test revealed that a have much greater sensitivity and range. It’s a bit of a curse, as every noise is more intense to me than to others around me. The shrieking and squealing of children and babies is particularly unpleasant to me. On the positive side, ambient background noises drown out the tinnitus, and very fortunately, music at moderate levels completely masks it. It’s only in the very quiet moments (such as when trying to fall asleep at night) that I most notice it. 

My cousin has been a carpenter for 40 years, the skil-saws past 35 years is hard on his hearing.Me also, operating engineer for almost 30 years now, screaming Diesel engines for 25+ years is damaging.
 Even with earplugs, the 130DB DETROIT DIESEL, 3 feet from me for years, has taken its toll.
 I wear plugs at concerts,p for which I’m ridiculed, for, I don’t cares, trying to save what I have left.
my Father, local 150, as well, hearing loss young, high freq were gone. Cancer, and dead by age 74 (WAY TO DAMN YOUNG!!!!)

im in the same ship, chemicals, dust, haz-mat jobs, loud machines, etc etc.

 I can hear a difference , certain speakers, recordings, etc.

 take care of your hearing brothers/sisters., you only have a short time to protect your hearing.

 I still hit as many metal shows as I can, and OF COURSE EARPLUGS!!
 
THEY ACTUALLY MAKE THE MUSIC SOUND BETTER TO ME.

Interesting about the vitamin D. I just started taking it for this COVID stuff. Maybe it will help my tinnitus.

Most Americans are Vitamin D "insufficient" I've been told. My doctor said I was "dangerously low" following my annual blood panel. It made sense because I was receiving little sun exposure due to spending most hours indoors studying for my masters. It had gotten so bad that I was having blurry vision spells and speech issues. Taking D supplements changed my life. Thinking back, I suspect I was probably deficient for years, but it wasn't until I switched PC physicians that they noticed. 

Even if it doesn't cure anyone's tinnitus, probably a good idea to take it anyway. Apparently it's needed for maintaining normal hormone levels.

I am a long time audiophile with a moderately hi end system. I have had mild tinnitus and significant hearing loss for some time. My hearing drops about 35db from 2k to 3k. I went to a good audiologist 4 years ago, which I would highly recommend. Based on my audio interest, he was very interested in how I would perceive the benefits in music listening with latest hearing aids. I was able to try a few brands and technology levels before settling on a Phonak mid -level model. It was helpful for Speech intelligibility and TV but I didn't like the electronic sound when listening to music and the audiologist couldn't suggest anything better. I recently went back to see what new technology was available and found Widex 2020 hi end models interesting. They have very fast chips and many points of control. They also allow different levels of direct sound to mix in so the hearing aid boost is primarily in the area of hearing loss (this mix effectiveness is obviously a function of processor speed). Based on this decided to purchase the expensive hi-end model (with 90 day return). The high end model has a Music mode which sounded appealing but I find it to be too much. The level I like is PureSound which I can adjust to just enhance hi frequencies a bit with the convenient app on my iPhone. Some recordings benefit a lot and some I just take them out. Overall, I am happy to have them.

My latest, compensation attempt is using the Roon Parametric Equalizer to boost based on my hearing loss. It actually works pretty well but I keep it at only10db boost. Anything more starts to sound weird.

Also Widex is a leader in Tinnitus treatment which the Audiologist can set up in most of their models. Apparently, it can play relaxing tones in the background to minimize Tinnitus discomfort.

Once again consulting my PhD wife, Dirk De Ridder is a Belgian Neurosurgeon who is arguably the preeminent authority on tinnitus. I guess he is just crazy smart.  My wife has met him. I suggest anyone who wants more information should research his findings.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_De_Ridder_(neurosurgeon)

Absolutely great thread!  A big Thank You to Pfeiffer for starting it, and a Big Thank You to everyone else sharing the experiences of what works to try to combat this.  We spend so much time discussing equipment here but rarely discuss topics like this, which are equally, if not more, important.  Thank You 👍

I find headphones, especially Stax electrostatic phones a great help. 

I don't have tinnitus  but have had hearing loss for many years and tried a lot of different hearing aids and frankly the only ones that worked for me were Widex brand hearing aids.  I am also a professional classical musician (viola) and again, the only aids that worked for me while playing were Widex.  There may be others our there but I could only test so many so went with Widex.  I am very happy with them and they are recommended for musicians. 

I am 71 and have had tinnitus for a long time.  I was the crew chief for am M60 machine gun as a Sergeant in the Army, then loud rock from the late 69s and early 70s did me no good.  That said I will forever remember seeing Duane Allman, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison to name a few.

I recently have gone to hearing aids and the help a good bit.  I accept my limitations, and now embrace the music my system provides.  My desire to critique and analyze is gone and I just fall into the music I love (which is very esoteric).

I know I haven't been able to hear above 14k for many years and accept that getting old is Not for the weak, LOL

I’m not trying to brag, in fact I might be a freak of nature, but I can hear up to 19kHz. I’m 62, my last hearing test was about five years ago and I only had some hearing loss in the low frequencies.
When I was younger, the high pitched whine of a tube TV was intolerable. I could also hear the pilot tone of a department store’s alarm system.

Having such sensitive hearing isn’t always a blessing, it’s been difficult to tune my audio system just right and early digital and CD players were torture.
Now I have mild tinnitus and severe hyperacusis. I really enjoy listening to my system but there are some albums I’ll never be able to listen to. With hyperacusis comes pain from high frequencies, and as one member mentioned, the sound of kitchen cabinets and pots banging hits me in the brain.

Going to the symphony is such a pleasure, taking in the full spectrum of sound. Meanwhile, playing recorded music isn’t always enjoyable.

@zm 
Good advice. The initial phase can be crushing, but habituation is possible.

For those in the US, consider joining the American Tinnitus Association (ATA). They raise money through contributions from many sources to fund research. For about $40 you can join and get their quarterly magazine which describes the latest research and coping strategies. The UK has a similar organization, the BTA.   

I’ve had tinnitus, worse in my left ear, for the past two years. Mine sounds like a constant hiss; a sink on full blast. It’s not super loud but as others have mentioned, stress, caffeine, lack of sleep all make it worse. I notice that I listen to music “through” the tinnitus; I always hear the tinnitus on top of the music, but when I am engaged in the music I am able to tune the tinnitus out.

I will say this: tinnitus can be extremely distressing at first, but I advise those in this initial phase of experiencing it to take heart that the brain is an amazing organ, and you too can adapt to it. I know it’s there, and it can bother me at times, but in the grand scheme of things it is quite tolerable. I remember a time when it felt like it never would be, and I wish someone had told me what it was like to reach the other side.

I am 66 years old, I have no tinnitus issues but after a lifetime of noise exposure in industrial work environments my hearing tests indicate very significant hearing loss above 4k in both ears.

I have habitually used tone bypass in the past but I now crank up the treble. It helps a great deal. I have been told that hearing aids do not boost missing frequencies but instead indiscriminately simply making everything a lot louder.

 In the past when using firearms or near heavy (loud) equipment I always used both ear plugs and ear muffs at the same time. Evidently those precautions were not sufficient.

had Tinnitus  long ago,,,not sure causes,,Stress? Loud radio listening?  Age? (I am 64, had it when i was like in my 50's for a  few months*),,,there is a chinese herb that seemed to work. But yeah, no car radio,,quiet time  in park, things like that. But like 4 yrs ago, when i worked as a  scaffold helper valero gave a surprise hearing test,,like i flunked the super high range,,,which all my coworkes laughed when i showed them by graph test results,,that i was *deaf*,,anyway,, no big deal..just the upper range of violins a  bit soft,,,
hope some of that helps ya
paul
Snakeoil buster all things\
Stereo
audiophile since 1970's
new orleans

Thanks to everyone for this informative and, frankly, somewhat reassuring thread.

Last summer, on a flight back to CA from Prague, I sat in front of a family with a continuously shrieking infant. The child must have been sick; a week after getting home, my wife and I came down with severe fevers and, in my case, an ear ache. Long story short: I suddenly lost almost all the hearing in my left ear.

My GP sent me to an ENT who "diagnosed" the condition as "sudden idiopathic hearing loss" (more a description than a diagnosis, in my opinion). Apparently, this strikes about 1 in 10,000 people annually, and--as "idiopathic" indicates--it has no known cause nor any known reliable treatment. There's high-dose steroids (e.g., prednisone) injected directly into the ear canal (no thanks!), and the experimental "hyperbaric oxygen" (risk, besides cost: bursting into flames; again, no thanks!), but otherwise, I was told not to expect any improvement.

However, my own impression was that there was congestion in my Eustachian tubes; sometimes, swallowing hard would partially clear the problem temporarily. Besides, I'd just had a severe congestive illness. Sorry, the ENT said; a hearing test through the bone showed the same results as through the ear canal, indicating cochlear nerve damage.

I'm happy to say that he was mostly wrong. After some months, the ear began to clear more frequently, and now, it's almost--not quite--back to normal. I don't think I'm deceiving myself because, when this was in crisis, I was adjusting the balance on my audio system far to the left to compensate; now, the balance is set almost back at center.

As for tinnitus, yes, there's some of that, too. I think most of us past 60 have some problem with tinnitus. It varies in intensity, as several here have noted, and one gets used to it.

What interests me primarily about all this, though, is something few have remarked on and that may in fact be sort of taboo among audiophiles: the importance of subjectivity in the experience of audio bliss. After all, if you want to convince someone else of the superiority of your system, or of this or that component or tweak, you have to appeal to "objective" facts. Your friend can't have a pain in your tooth, nor can he have your experience that grounds your enthusiasm (he...or she--but face it, the vast majority of us are hes, another subjective factor surely).

Age related hearing loss should wake us all up to this fundamental feature of human experience. We may want to validate our enthusiasms as objectively justified, but they rarely are. Objectively, few of us can hear, coming from our many thousands of dollars of audio equipment, what our children can hear from their iPods playing MP3s through earbuds.

I know this is depressing, and kind of heretical. But... 

Mine is like the old fly back transformer whine in tube TVs. 

That's just what mine sounds like.   And having sensitive hearing I've always been able to hear that high pitch from a CRT TV immediately if one is in the vicinity.  Like, as soon as I'd walk in to someone's house, or in to a store, even if the sound was off that transformer whine was blazingly obvious to me.


BTW, there was a good thread we did when another member complained of hearing sensitivity, likely hyperacusis.


I had a wicked flair-up of my hyperacusis due to having an air-show - various jets - flying low overhead, and I've been treated for over a year now.  I was given tiny hearing-aid type devices that don't amplify sound but instead push a carefully modulated type of white noise in to my ears all day long to re-orient my auditory system.  Seems to have worked pretty well so far as most of my hyperacusis is gone.  (And of course I take them out to listen to music.  With the devices out my hearing is as good as ever).

I'm an old timer, 75, and the fact that I worked in a steel mill for 36 years, {before hearing protection was popular}. Also I loved shooting, I did do hearing protection while doing that. Anyway doing all this, plus playing guitar and listening to rock and jazz, I've managed to pretty much destroy my hearing. When I went in the service, I was told I had much better than average hearing. Now I have tinnitus, and what I call, tone deafness. I have always had a love of music and the high end equipment to reproduce it.  So in order for me to do this now, I wear hearing aids when I want to relax and listen to The Rippingtons, or Steely Dan. But I have found that this tone deafness thing causes me to hear music actually go out of tune at times. Whether it is recorded, or live, and that's really frustrating because now I can no longer play music, or even tune my guitar. The best advice I can give anyone is wear hearing protection and just don't get old, it's not for sissies....

I have had tinnitus (no hearing loss under 6Khz) for 4 months and hyperacusis for a couple of years.  If you have either of these make sure you avoid high volume environments, or at least wear earplugs if you do.  You can get earplugs moulded to your ears with filters which take off between 10db to 30db yet do not interfere with the frequencies, so they are perfect for gigs.

I have got used to the tinnitus but to start with it sent me into a very low mental state which was very unpleasant.    The hyperacusis is more manageable though sadly I can no longer enjoy listening to my daughter play the piano - anything above middle C is painful.

The only time the tinnitus affects my music listening is in quiet passages where it sounds like a lot of tape hiss is coming through.

The hyperacusis meanwhile does make harsh top-end painful - it means I have moved from a rather brittle sounding Naim system to a velvet-like Vitus set up.

I want to thank all of you for sharing.  Your responses have given me a lot to think about (and some hope) concerning my hearing issues.  It's almost like the floodgates opened up with so many of you sharing your stories on the thread.  After all, I think I can safely say that the very foundation of our audio hobby is listening to good music and loving great sound. The unfortunate issues with our hearing is both frustrating and scary.  This thread has been helpful...and wow, it stayed on point!  Thank you all, Jim

I have had progressively worse tinnitus for 30 years as well as worsening hearing loss. I am 71 now and have worn hearing aids for about 20 years. I now have some pretty good aids but never do what they advertise they can. Music listening certainly suffers in the higher frequencies but it had not stopped me from enjoying the hobby. I think the wife suffers as well since she has seen it get worse the last few years. Or maybe it is an excuse...!!!!

I've  tinnitus.  Still remember the concert in Arnhem, Driving Maria.  Was right behind the sound board for the concert.  At one point I looked down and saw the DB meter and thought that this was going to hurt.  My ears normally ring after a concert, but this has been a gift that keeps giving.  I love music, but I'm not going to chance more unnecessary damage, so I don't do much live music anymore.  That's why I got into this.  Find that with a high quality system that I can listen to music at a safe level and still enjoy the hell out of it.  

Yes this is a great thread to talk about and compare ones experience with another. I first noticed that I had tinnitus probably after I got out of active duty. Being on board the USS D.D. Eisenhower for my first duty station with all the flight ops and such, then transferring and changing rate to an Equipment Operator with NMCB 133 and all that loud machinery. I will always remember my LPOs and job supervisors telling me to "Put your !@#$% issued ear plugs on!" and "You're gonna go deaf!" Well they were right. If hine sight were 20/20 we would all be in much better shape now. My ENT told me that you can't fix the damage but you can prevent any further damage going forward with hearing protection. So now I do just that whenever I am around anything I feel is loud. I have grown I guess use to the constant hissing in both ears. It is always more noticeable when in a quiet room. So as all of you can agree just keep on enjoying the music. 

I have had tinnitus in my left ear as long as I can remember. Actually it was quite a while before I realized that wasn’t normal - I thought everyone must hear that high frequency whine. Most of the time I don’t even notice it, because I have always been used to it. It has never interfered with my enjoyment of high-end audio.

I have it. Don't recommend earplugs as they tend to push earwax back into the ear canal. 

Hi all,
I have a strange  story. I’ve had tinnitus from a left ear infection at age 25 which gave me a 4K hertz notch. Not too bad, I can detect soundstage...only noticed it when it’s quiet. Left ear was basically 90%. I’m 53 now and this past December while waiting for my first tube amp, my left ear started picking up a lot of bass for about a week and then all the low tones collapsed...completely disappeared. It was heartbreaking as I could not detect soundstage and had trouble focusing on who said what in a small group conversation. Left ear was at 30%...super depressing.

I live near the Keck/USC hospital and they have a decent otolaryngology department. Got checked out, all sorts of audio/speech/bone test...steroid injection through the ear drum and oral prednisone. Nothing. I was told by the doctor that that was all they could do. Hearing sensitivity would change daily. Sometimes 30%...sometimes 20%. If I plugged my right ear I could hear only tones...mumbling.

My younger brother was staying with my wife and I over a two week period in January and was studying to become a naturopath. He studied theology in seminary school and has a masters in music but decided to follow his new passion. A case study patient of his had dropped out and he needed to fill a spot so I said what the heck.
It required a commitment to not having coffee and certain supplements for 3 years. I asked if this could bring back my hearing. He believed it could. So I agreed to give it a try while not hoping for much. 
Over the next 3 days he asked a lot of questions. Each session lasted about 30+ minutes...questions about my entire physical/medical history going back as far as I could remember. ‘Am I generally a thirsty person...do I prefer ice water vs room temperature’...do I generally feel cold...types of food I seek out etc., etc..

He mentioned that the ‘remedy’ was akin to a silver bullet approach to addressing the root cause and that I would have substantial physical reaction. He said I would definitely know when it happened and that it’s simply the body kick-starting itself to recover.

My remedy was Lycopodium (green moss). Another person with the same symptoms might need a completely different remedy due to their history. The dose was a single teaspoon of a diluted solution in distilled water. 
I got an mild upset stomach that evening but nothing happed for two weeks. More questions. A week later...a bigger dose and another upset stomach but nothing for two weeks. My brother was perplexed and decided to consult with his teacher...but next day (Sunday) I felt extremely tired and took a nap. Woke up with vertigo. Went back to lie down and started feeling ill. I threw up violently and stumbled back to bed. This was at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis so I avoided going to work on Monday as a precaution even though I felt completely fine. I decided to go back to work Tuesday. Got in my truck and it sounded funny. It’s a 2020 Tacoma...should be perfect. Got to work and realized my hearing was at 70%.

And I felt really good...like 15 years younger. No hyperbole. Tinnitus was extremely faint. Also my eczema was gone and I was no longer constantly clearing my throat. This is difficult to explain but I felt unusually well-balanced. I would usually get up from bed in the middle of the night and stumble to the bathroom. Now I could get up as if I was wide awake and perfectly balanced. It almost felt unnatural. So this is was 53 was supposed to feel like.

Unfortunately, this lasted for 3 months. 3 months of holographic soundstage from my stereo...3 months of a left ear that was at 70% was more than I ever imagined. But the tinnitus slowly came back. The hollowness in my left ear grew stronger. Now I’m back at 30%. 
So now I’m back on the Lycopodium. But it gave me hope that there is more to our bodies’ ability to recover than we know.

I feel that listening to music makes me feel better. I still do enjoy it. My ability to lock onto timbre and and nuance is still there. I’m going to remain hopeful for now. I’m going to try everything.

The treatment for tinnitus,I give some explains ,that make you feel better after a while: take vitamines A and B and acetylcysteine. vit.A: gives you better vigilance. Vit.B:awakens the nervous system. Gives better contact from one nervesynapse to another. NAC:drains mucus that is also present in the auditory system. Have a good hi-fi - (high-end) system dat delivers natural sound.:a good balance between hig,mid,and low. Don’t use extra sub-woofer(s). Don’t put your music to loud..Look for silence at certain moments.Tinnitus, you can only soften it , but it can be worth it. Have nice music-moments:enjoy it!

@falconquest
"The current thinking is that tinnitus is a result of hearing loss at a specific frequency and the brain's attempt to restore that frequency manifesting itself as an audible sound."   

Exactly right.

I’ve had moderate tinnitus for 20 years due to acoustic trauma (loud machinery and concerts). It came on suddenly and I stopped listening to music for about 3 years. I also have some high frequency hearing loss. Over time I habituated to the tinnitus and most of the time I am not aware of it. I enjoy my system very much and listen almost every day. I have custom molded earplugs that I use in loud environments. I will probably need hearing aids at some point in the future. When the tinnitus is bothersome I use a masking device like this:
https://generalhearing.com/consumer/tinnitus-products/tranquil-i/tranquil-i-ric/

I have mild tinnitus and high-frequency hearing loss in both ears.   Probably from too many concerts too close to the stacks...

I can still hear differences in equipment and music presentation.   I’m sure I’m not hearing everything, but I can hear enough.   So what.   I hear what I hear and that’s good enough for me.   This isn’t a contest.   When I hear differences that I assess as an improvement that’s great.   If I can’t hear any difference it doesn’t matter.

Trust your ears, not other people’s ears.    If you hear a difference and it matters to you, good.   If not, just think of the money you’ll save!

There is a thread over at AVS by a fellow that discovered there are "audiophile" hearing aids. Considerably more expensive and only of the "behind-the-ear" type, but hey, at least there may be help. I have tinnitus and hearing loss and was very bummed by it until I scoured that thread. Ironically, the guy ended up not needing aids at all as his issues were caused by an underlying and correctable medical issue, but while his issues persisted he tried several different models (that he names) with varying success. Since then I’ve been planning to, at some point, get regular in-ear aids for everyday life and some of these high-end aids strictly for listening to music. *EDIT* I just noticed that the post above mine mentions a couple of the same aids that this fellow I'm talking about tried...

I have worn hearing aids since 2007.  I retired from a long career as an audio production engineer in 2016.  I noticed hearing issues around 2004 or so but I was dealing with a much more serious medical issue at that time.  By 2007 it became apparent that I needed to do something.  So I got my first set , they were Phonak.

Today I’m on my 3rd set of hearing aids.  My audiologist fitted me with the topof the line Oticon and these are the most audio and music friendly hearing aids I’ve had.  Though retired I still produce audio for clients and have learned how to compensate for any anomalies the hearing aids may cause.

I put a few dollars into my home studio and that includes vinyl playback.  When I upgraded my TT cartridge to an Ortofon OM Blue I really heard a noticeable difference.  That was a huge surprise.

No, I can’t hear much above 8K with the hearing aids.  But the aids give me the higher frequency support I need.  I hear things with (augmented) clarity.  So Ithey work for me.  My advice is to audition audiologists.  Find one you are comfortable with.  Make sure you tell them that music and audio are important to you.  Ask questions.  Hearing aids are ridiculously overpriced and there’s nothing you can do about it.  But the right set for you will make all the difference n the world.

As a 65 year old with Tinnitus and hyperacusis, hearing to 6k right and 8k left I find any listening above 80db will leave my ears worn and further
listening of any level painful.

I learned this the hard way my first trip to a show. Second and third days were a complete waste as my ears hurt.

Now I always have good earplugs with me.
Extras in the car and my travel kit. 
I wear them at all shows now. If the music is being played at 75db I will take them out. I have the free db phone app. Easy to compare.

I have some pretty good articles on what research is working on now
posted at AZAVCLUB.com under the University tab for anyone who
cares to read them.

Please send me any good articles you may have kept.

Thanks for sharing everyone!

Yes, very timely post.  A few months ago I noticed my soundstage was drifting to the left.  I messed around with speaker placement and the balance control on my preamp.  This seemed to help a bit.  I soon realized I had a pretty constant high pitched hiss in my right ear.  Like a million crickets a mile away.  Went to see my ENT and had a hearing test.  Turns out my hearing is just about the same as it was 10 years ago - in both ears.  A slight dip in the 4kHz region which I am told is very common for men my age. Very surprising as it seems to me my right ear is definitely diminished.  Thinking of getting a second opinion.  

I was taking ibuprofen regularly for a year or so which might have brought it on.  Decided it was a good idea to start playing basketball again at the age of 52.  Back and knees hurting all the time but I was having fun.  The shut-down put an end to the bball, have only taken Ibu twice in the last 2 months.  Unfortunately, it seems to be worsening anyway.  Even some hyperacusis to certain things like dishes clanking and my youngest girl's high pitched screams.  Stopped the loud listening sessions too (covid helped there as well with my girls home 24/7 now) but that hasn't helped either.  

It changes day to day, usually worse at night.  Realizing that stress/anxiety and lack of sleep probably exacerbates it.  Very busy stressful time at work right now.  It is at times, like the OP said, consuming/depressing and I catch myself obsessing about it.  Hopefully, some more time off of painkillers and it will diminish. 

Trying to ignore it as much as possible.  Tony Williams Lifetime sounding pretty darn good right now, crickets be damned!

Thanks for listening, be well. 

Interesting about the vitamin D. I just started taking it for this COVID stuff. Maybe it will help my tinnitus.

Mine is like the old fly back transformer whine in tube TVs.  Don’t know if it affects my high end enjoyment. Which is just as well as I am a low end fiend.

I completely lost hearing in the right ear 2 years ago (most likely virus). I went thru different treatments, that did nothing to my hearing but improved greatly my eyesight (not kidding). Life is funny, isn’t it? Loss of hearing brings white noise, since brain is trying to amplify electric signals. After many audio tests (-95dB) doctor concluded that cochlea is damaged and it won’t improve ever. Since then my hearing started to come back. It is now at about 10%. My coworker had similar case and it took 15 years to get back to about 20%. I could buy hearing aid, but I don’t wan’t to do anything now, that might jeopardize recovery, no matter how slow. My doctor (otto-neurology surgeon) said "We can drill, but I strongly advice against it, if you can manage without it". Having choice of drilling or not drilling in my scull, not drilling option sounds better to me.

Amg56, your wife was onto you. Due to a birth injury my late wife could only hear out of her right ear. Whenever she was mad, she would sit on the couch with her non-hearing left ear towards me. It was pretty obvious what was happening, even though she, like you, played it off. Your cute story gave me a fond memory. Thanks.

Mike

This thread subject is one of most fascinating in a long time. Each post respectful and informative.

The last time I had my ears checked was in the 1970’s as a pilot in the RAAF. I suspect that my hearing has deteriorated over the decades, but fortunately gently and not noticeably (in my opinion). My wife bless her does accuse me of selective hearing, but I put it down to concentrating on something else!

My tinnitus is generally a low buzz that I can tune out most of the time. But it can be severely aggregated by loud noises, including the volume of my stereo. 
After a lot of trial and error I've found that if I keep the volume below around 80dB peaks at my listening chair, then no problems. But if it goes over 80dB for any length of time the buzzing worsens considerably, sometimes to the point of being painful.
My solution. I've put together a warm and detailed system that sounds almost as good at lower volumes, and better on some music, as it does rattling the room.
Listening at lower volumes maybe affects the types of music I listen to a bit, but not much. I certainly still enjoy my music and my stereo as much as ever.

This is really a timely post for me and thank you for it. I noticed this past Saturday I was hearing some increasingly loud chirping sounds. I had at first attributed this to the fact it was Springtime, and living in the country it’s a natural sound to be hearing. Except as it seemed to be getting louder, I went into a storeroom with no windows, and the sound continued unabated. A couple days later a louder high frequency tone or his seemed to enter the mix in my left ear which at this point seems to be coming and going.

I’ve been reading about tinnitis for a few days now which I figure this is, and have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon. There doesn’t seem to be much they can do about it medically, but we’ll see. So far the high frequency hiss seems to come and go, and the sound of insects chirping is constant, although annoying, not debilitating. Some of you mention the intensity of your symptoms seems to come and go which is reassuring. Maybe this will go away, but I’m not banking on it.

When listening to the stereo, my auditory system is now providing it’s own tape his sound, which is really aggravating, considering I’ve been enjoying really black backrounds with my new equipment and the addition of a Shunyata power conditioner.

So wish me luck tomorrow and thank you again for this timely post. It’s reassuring knowing some of you audiophiles have learned to survive and exist with this, and still enjoy your stereo system. And I’m a bit preoccupied with this unwelcome and revolting development at this point as pfeiffer indicated newcomers to it often are. Just when I was worried about getting nailed with Covid-19, this snuck in the back door. What next?

Mike