Well maybe it IS my hearing


Hi everyone,
Lately I've gotten into some lively debates. One thing which I'm afraid we don't take into account enough is our own personal hearing. Truth is there's now way I can hear like I did when I was 20 something. So, quite likely I hear very differently than other A'goners. Just because I personally can't hear a difference in a power cable / tweak doesn't mean you don't. I don't make that claim. 

However I think it is also unfair to accuse me of having an agenda if I can't.


Lastly, if I can't hear a difference, the financial value I place on a more expensive tweak = zero. That's just the way my wallet operates. I'm not buying to impress others. My stereo is not my Mistress whom I must serve with more and more expensive shoes.  I just made her a very pretty red and carbon fiber and aluminum power and she's going to have to be happy with that.


I do take exception to over broad, fact less claims of performance however, or people working very hard to explain to me how wrong a person I must be if I can't hear a difference.


I think this is good for you as well. Buy what your ears tell you have value, and don't be swayed by crowds.


Best,
E
erik_squires
Great thread! I had my hearing checked in 2018 at Costco because I wanted to know more about the process it’s free!
I’m in my late 40s and the Audiologist allowed me to adjust the in-ear “speakers” so they were “at the openings” of my ear canals. A few years ago, an untrained nurse checked my hearing at my yearly physical and placed the “speakers” in my concha bowl—not the openings of my ear canals and told me I was “legally deaf” in my right ear!
The board certified Costco Audiologist laughed at my story and said some unscrupulous Audiologists do the same to sell more Hearing aides.  
The Left/Right beeping tones became fainter and almost unheard. He told me to indicate all sounds, even if I just “thought” I heard something—which is great to know. 
After the first test, he told me he wanted to do another test before he shared my results with me, I was starting to get nervous, and agreed. The Second test was measuring my threshold of hearing and I had to repeat compound words and short phrases back to him. 
I repeated every thing but couldn’t tell, if the last phrase/word was “carport” or “car wash”, the Audiologist told me it was fine and then said in 40+ years of testing, nobody had scored as well as I did—my threshold of hearing was 0dB (weighted) for each ear and I had no perceivable hearing loss up to 8k Hz (as far as he could measure with his equipment)!
I was so happy that I purchased a Benchmark DAC3 HGC and a Modwright Oppo 205 with all the upgrades to celebrate my hearing abilities.
I’ve protected my hearing my whole life and been mocked for wearing double hearing protection while mowing the lawn, attending sports events, concerts, etc. 
I have worked in the audio and hearing protection industry for 25 years and I am amazed at the number of professionals who have not protected their hearing, and/or continue to damage their hearing thru bad habits, or vanity. 
I’d like to post my hearing test results but don’t know how I would do that. 
Erik I'll  be 90 next month and am living, breathing proof of what you say. So, thank you.

I just sent a cartridge off for re-tipping (Denon DL103) and got a new (to me) LP of Gil Evans and Cannonball Adderley yesterday.  Recent purchase was a Marigo Audio Lab "Aida" CD Mat and I'm here to tell you:  It works.  I have hearing aids in both ears (Widex, strongly recommended) and can't hear a thing over 8 kHz.  Probably stretching the truth at that.

It.  Doesn't.  Matter.  I enjoy my system as much as ever. And interestingly enough, I can still discern changes in everything from cables to tubes.  How can this be?  Beats me, but there it is.
I just stay with the crossover settings and interconnects I like music played on.



That should be everyone's goal. :)

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I'm not sure. I mean, that's the point, to enhance the upper treble. A lot of people with hearing loss can absolutely benefit from additional output there.