My ears of tin are over 50

The ironic thing is that by the time you are 50, you know what to listen for, but can you still hear over 50? My answer at over 50 is that I can hear better now than ever. The Green ears are no guarantee of a good interpretation. Really, how much occurs over 12K anyhow. According to the last test I took, I was still alive at 15K plus...not bad for the grey-audiophile ears. I have a 70+ chain smoking friend with enough hair in his ears to form a pillow, and he can still hear with a great deal of accuracy. I have changed tubes and or cables and he readily noticed the difference. He got no clues from me about the change. Let the old ears live on...........

This thread should act as an example of an honest misreading and misinterpretation of a quote/statement of an industry expert. The ensuing confusion and effrontery is also a good reminder to all that we can benefit from fact checking, ask reasonable questions to affirm statements, and be quick to correct ourselves, as the OP has.

I thought the assertion sounded "off". Having read Jim's book and found many insightful things in it I did not think he would be of a mind to make such a statement. In fact the website does indicate the idea that one's ears are no good after 50 to be spurious.

Quick to question, slow to condemn is good policy that I myself break occasionally and need to relearn. The irony here is that Jim questions the worthiness of info gleaned online. Here we see mistakes, objections, counter-information, etc. Just looking at the discussion one would not know what to make of it, who's right and who's wrong.

The nature of the Forum beast, and an authentic example of Jim's very point in his "ACK" article! :)

Most loudspeaker consumers buy for reasons in addition to 'sound' alone.Hi end loudspeakers are also marketed to a sea of aging tin ears, so it all works out.

Sheesh! The OPPOSITE of what I said.

I was trying to make the point that, just because you may be over 50, don't accept the notion that you are somehow disqualified to be able to hear and appreciate higher quality sound and music.

In Get Better Sound, I used a true account of an older man (probably 70) who had been in front of high spls for decades (he was a conductor of a state symphony orchestra). Even thought he obviously couldn't pass an audiologist's test with flying colors, he could stop a rehearsal and tell a musician that he or she was late entering in a section, or even sometimes call for a retuning.

As a free-lance recording engineer, I worked with this group weekly as the recordings were for broadcast on a NPR affiliate. So I saw him in action over and over.

Furthermore, I've recounted setting up and voicing systems for much younger audiophiles than myself. It's not that they couldn't hear. Most often it's just that they don't have a reliable reference for what to listen for.

It's not their fault. They may be basing their reference on systems they've heard that fall short of their true potential - such as at any show and in nearly every dealer showroom.

To punctuate this point, I must say that many of the most sophisticated and discerning listeners that I know are over 50.

Finally, this thread is evidence of what I call ACK on my website.

ACK-Audiophile Common Knowledge

I hope you don't mind Jim I copied this from your website to illustrate your point and people can see the context of the mistake,

(pay special attention to the part that says: myths!).

ACK responsible
In my experience, ACK may be responsible for doing more harm than good. Here – in no particular order – are some ACK favorites – myths that have developed into Audiophile Common Knowledge:

•Rooms with non-parallel walls sound better.
•The “rule of thirds” is a great set-up guide.
•Cathedral ceilings provide great sound.
•A wide sweet spot is best for great sound.
•Bass is non-directional, so exact woofer placement and orientation isn’t critical.
•Bass is non-directional, so only one sub-woofer is required.
•The best speaker drivers must be low-mass.
•A “fast” bass driver is superior to others.
•The best sounding systems are dead quiet.
•Granite makes a great isolation material.
•Cones & spikes provide isolation.
•Wide dispersion is a must for consumer audio loudspeakers.
•An equilateral triangle (speakers and listening seat) set-up yields great sound.
•The best bi-amplification is done with transistors on bass, tubes on top.
•Achieving the tightest bass should be your goal.
•Speaker set-up diagrams/guides from various manufacturers will provide the best sound.
•There are several known “good” listening room sizes/dimensions.
•Building a new listening room from a spread-sheet program will enhance your sound.
•If you’re past 50, you can no longer hear well enough to really care about your sound quality.
•And others, equally as revered, and equally as questionable (once you know the facts).