Hope you are well and enjoying this Fall season.
Thanks jafant.
But...as it happens...I’m not doing terribly well, in a way pertinent to high end audio and music. And if my post count here starts to drop quite a bit, there’s a reason.
I’ve had pretty bad tinnitus for decades (and I know I’m not alone on the forum with that issue) so have made sure to not overdo sound levels when listening. Despite the ear ringing, fortunately I have really good hearing - tests more like ears 12 years younger than I am. Plus, I’ve mostly habituated to the tinnitus (can sleep through the night, doesn’t bug me listening to music, etc).
However, way back in 2001 I had a terrible bout of what is known as "hyperacusis," which is a collapsed tolerance to sound. It was truly terrible - even turning the pages of a book took on an exaggeratedly loud, irritating, sharp quality...let alone music. Basically, music listening was just gone for me. That kind of stuff really upends your life (especially as I work in sound as well). Aside from the fact everything just hurt my ears, it really tore me up to not be able to enjoy music or audio anymore. It took some years to get over it and mostly habituate, but thankfully that happened and for many years I’ve been able to enjoy high end audio/music.
Well....it’s back.
I had the misfortune of taking my son out downtown near our lakeshore on labour day and didn’t realize the air show was happening. We were essentially right on the strip in the path that the jets took as they made their way, flying very low over us, to the lake where they did their show.
It was just extraordinarily loud! Sometimes four jets in formation would fly right over us and plugging my ears did essentially nothing, every bone vibrating to the sound.
Since then my ears have been shot, and the hyperacusis (not to mention increase in tinnitus) came raging back. It makes everything painful and shrill. I had been enthralled with my new turntable and had been on a record buying binge for months just loving it. Now, the record buying has stopped cold, and I’m mostly staring at walls of useless records, and my nice Thiels sit there mostly unused :-(
I don’t need to tell anyone here how depressing that scenario is. (And of course, apropos of my other speaker auditioning thread, any reason to buy new speakers is gone for now as well. Couldn't attend the Toronto Audiofest because of this condition either, darn it!).
I’m going to start a therapy for the condition, which hopefully will be successful, though can take up to two years. I’m hoping to get better before then.
But I’d imagine I may not have occasion to post as much here for quite a while. (Though I probably won’t be able to help myself...it’s sort of like that "lost limb" phenomenon where you want the keep scratching the limb you lost).
BTW, I don’t mean to be totally woe-is-me. I’m actually starting to feel more optimistic that it will get better. I’ve been through this before and recovered, and I think I can actually perceive a tiny bit of progress already. So hopefully I won’t be out of the game too long.
Anyway, I took the excuse to get it off my chest, as it’s almost the only thing on my mind these days. Thanks. :)
