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hearing loss and speaker selection

So being 75 I've got hearing that ranges between 80hz and 9,000hz. So should I give a rat's patoot about a speaker's ability to reproduce frequencies below and above this range since I can't hear them? Obviously, I'm gonna shoot for those that handle the mids the best. Now I know the proof is in the pudding so that why we listen to speakers and pick the ones that we like best. But for the sake of discussion has there been any double-blind test or any test for that matter that supports the notion that unheard sound affects the sound you can hear through your speakers. Or should speaker manufacturers make a senior version of their speaker for us elderly folks. he says tongue in cheek.

  I understand hearing aids can restore some additional high frequencies, but I wonder if they can be tailored to replicate a tube sound over SS equipment or vis versa. Headphones aside is there some other specialized device(s) a hearing impaired person can use beyond a hearing aid that can maximize or enhance the listening pleasure? I know there are many prior posts on hearing loss but I could find none that addressed increasing the listener's frequency range or for that matter clarity. Some older posts did address clarity say go for speakers with the best clarity.

Have fun you can't take it with you.

scott22
scott22 OP
265 posts
 

MC good for you, 86 articulate, intelligent, opinionated, helping others, and busting chop all the while still pursuing your bliss!

Tomic Thank you for your concern I took a couple of those SIN online and my hearing was fine for my age if not a touch better. Those Snell were fantastic. Outside of music my ears were not exposed to high dB. That is except for the two days I lasted on an assembly line making Mustangs during my college summer break. At the time I was waiting for the lottery to see who gets to go to Vietnam. Let me just say Fredric Taylor's  Schmidt the pig ironworker is alive and well on the auto assembly line. It was a fascinating two days for a kid at the time studying factory organization and management!  Jim congratulations on an impressive career in an ultra stressful job talk about responsibility! Deming's philosophy looms large as each of your products must be perfect as lives depended on it. 

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

64😎. Enjoy what you have for as long as you can. I use a parametric EQ for me and switch it out when I have visitors. Best wishes.

larsman's avatar
larsman
2,024 posts
 

I've worn hearing aids for about 15 years;  they cannot restore frequencies that have been lost. Lost is lost. What they can do is effectively EQ a curve to give the impression of better high frequencies in relation to the others. You can work with an audiologist to get a sound from them that you like (or several, as they offer multiple programs), so perhaps you could come up with something that would sound more SS or tube for music. But really, if you don't have hearing aids yet, I would recommend that you visit an audiologist - you might be amazed at how they improve not just music listening, but quality of life. 

scott22 OP
265 posts
 

larsman good advice and I will take it.  When you mentioned working with the audiologist to program the hearing aid for particular sounds to replicate SS or tubes or perhaps tame a shrill tweeter. I bet there will be an uptick in the sales of hearing aids and appointments with audiologists by audiophiles on this site looking for the next best tweak. it appears that AMT acoustics has a planar hearing aid under development.

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,007 posts
 

Scott - I was blessed to meet Deming early in my career, let’s just say he left a mark. ;-) hope you get this working better for you. Jim

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