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

Interesting thread.  For the first time ever, I started listening to freq sweeps about a month ago.  I was pretty shocked by the results.  I have sensitivity to frequencies around 2400, 4800, 10000 and no hearing above about 15000.  My right ear drops out for the most part between 5800-7000.  I wonder if that dropout is due to my dj’ing years since my right ear was always used to cue the next track.

I have slight tinnitus which has oddly increased over the past two weeks (maybe not so odd after reading other posts in this thread).  I’ve been on prescribed oxy, aspirin, Tylenol, vitamin c and vitamin d the past 2 weeks due to a broken leg.

So I guess I would have to say that my hearing isn’t quite as good as I thought it was but I have learned how to be a better listener over the years through my audiophile experiences.

None of this detracts from the enjoyment that I get out of music.

Put on some good headphones and google frequency sweep or tone generators.  You might be surprised by how bad your hearing is.  On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t...

I have had tinnitus for years which manifests as a high pitched constant tone. It actually sounds more like white noise. Like others have stated it varies in intensity. I won't allow it to impact my musical enjoyment however. I often wondered, if you could just generate a signal 180 degrees out of phase with the tinnitus frequency, would that cancel it out? 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. I simply asked my wife the PhD for that description.

I'm glad you made this post, and feel enlightened as to how many listeners are experiencing this.  I have had significant tinnitus and hearing loss in one ear for over twenty years (the other ear is going strong).  It was a radical paradigm shift: My initial response was increased anxiety and agitation at having a constant array of noises, swooshes, clicks, etc.  That goes away as you become accustomed to it.  Do what your doctor says, in order to minimize future changes in your hearing.   Unless they tell you to give up alcohol and caffeine.  In that case, nod your head and ignore them.

The biggest impact on my life has to do with human speech.  I avoid certain loud environments, because background noise interferes with my ability to decipher speech. 

A much rarer issue is bouts of vertigo which come every 5 years or so.  Those are debilitating, but only last for 24 hours.

As an audiophile, I would say the pros/cons are that I can't hear the noise floor of my system.  That saves a lot of money right there.  I can get by with $15,000 instead of $50,000.  I still perceive imaging, but it is noticeably weighted to one side; still there and beautiful, but different.  However, one ear functions perfectly, and I still have no tolerance for crappy equipment.  I really, really enjoy full range speakers, regardless of one side of my head being wonky.

 Coffee-jerk:  I too had bouts of vertigo at the time that I lost a good deal of hearing in my left ear.  That is a symptom of Meniere's disease, I believe.  Had I caught it in time, my audiologist said I might have been able to stop some of the hearing loss.  

The good news for our OP, from these posts and my experience, is that you can still enjoy music and an excellent system even with some hearing problems.  

@b_limo  If you can safely do so try a week without the aspirin. My ENT told me aspirin can make in worse in some people.