Easily the best and most significant sonic tweak one could ever make!

AJ, one of the best posts I have seen on here.   It has always seemed to me likely that given the cost of our shared hobby that it is likely many of us are, shall we say, mature!   Much the same in my other dalliance, motor racing.  given that demographic, it is inevitable that a large proportion of us suffer age related hearing loss. I do. But worse is my tinnitus = and for that single line 3khz whine I use special HAs that teach my brain to ignore that frequency.  It works for me.  Thank you for relating your experience.  I may try using some and see just what I have been missing.

I need them too.  But I only use them in particular situations--never when listening to live music (bec. in a sense, am I not then listening to miked music through a bad stereo system?)

Was a wondering exactly what the last poster referred to - with all the concern about every aspect of our systems I would think the sound quality coming from even the best hearing aid would be a compromise- it’s another microphone, amplifier and transducer in the chain...
Agree we don’t have many options but should makes us appreciate and protect our hearing while we have it.  

I don't mind some mild hearing loss...typically high frequency...then I'm less irritated by anything that may sound shrill to someone with perfect hearing, lol. 

   I believe I can offer some constructive input as pertains to hearing loss. Years ago in one of my sales positions I sold hearing aids for Beltone. I learned a lot. Some hearing loss is a natural condition that comes with aging. This condition is more severe in people that have been subjected to loud sounds during their lifetime. Whether it's on the job, firing guns, listening to loud music, or whatever. The loss can appear much before one reaches their "Golden Years" depending on how much noise one was subjected to early in life. In olden times most businesses didn't put much emphasis on hearing protection.

   The ear is basically divided into three sections....the outer, middle, and inner ear. If a hearing loss is confined to the outer or middle ear there are medical/surgical procedures to help. But, most hearing loss occurs in the inner ear. That's where nerves (cochlea) transmit sounds to the brain. There is no surgical treatment for that. Most commonly called "nerve damage".

   Most people experience hearing loss in the upper frequencies but it can occur in some of the lower ones depending on the type of sound that caused the loss in the first place. The first hint of a hearing loss is the inability to hear normal conversation in a noisy environment such at a bar or party.

   This is IMPORTANT!! Do not go to Costco, Walmart, or anywhere else that offers over the counter hearing aids. All they will do is make everything louder. What is really important is to find out what frequencies are affected. That's where an audiogram of one's hearing will map out exactly which frequencies need boosting. An audiologist or certified hearing center can provide this information. As important as a hearing aid is the other part is the mold (the part that actually is placed in the ear). That mold is constructed to work in concert with the hearing aid itself to optimize the best hearing possible.

   Please listen to my advice. Don't go for a "one size fits all" approach.