Similar ears here. Mids, low-highs deficit in left, right just some highs lower. So we know how much tech etc goes into the SQ chain and I can't help but think that something so small, from analog input to digital, to a tiny power source to a tiny speaker could be as good. For my 2 cents, I added a Lokius 6 band EQ to each channel on the processor loop and adjusted independently to achieve a flatter (to my ears) response. All via hi-fi devices. I'm ecstatic. Was fighting imaging issues too since my "balance" wasn't even. Does it help with conversations or away from the system? No. But I don't have that scale of issue anyway. Just another view / solution.
The Audiophile Upgrade Easiest to Ignore
Common wisdom when putting together an audio system is to first choose the speakers. It makes sense except speakers are not the last device in the audio hardware chain. Our ears are.
My audiologist tells me about two-thirds of the individuals he tests have a hearing impairment. My left ear significantly dips in the mid-range. My right ear takes a dive at 1kHz. As an avid audiophile, I finally realized that I could never build a truly high fidelity system unless I could properly evaluate audio gear.
I thought that because I could hear voices ok my hearing had to be good for music as well. How wrong I was! Ear infections began to erode my hearing acuity until I had to take hearing tests, treat the problems, and get hearing aids to make up for my deficiencies.
I'll never forget the day when I tried my new pair of hearing aids. I could carry on a conversation without uttering "What did you say?" with great frequency. And I could hear music in its full glory. It's as if I had bought a new piece of audio gear, which in fact I had, and tonality, instrument separation, and the rest of the attributes often used to describe an excellent piece of gear had made an appearance
I regret not having corrected my hearing much sooner. I missed on a great deal of joy for many years. I'm writing this post to urge those of you fellow audiophiles, even if you have no problem hearing normal speech, to get a hearing test. There are good ones in free apps that are a good first step towards a professional test. One called "Hearing Test" is quite exceptional and available on Android phones.
Doing a hearing test takes just a few minutes and is extremely easy to do. Don't cheat yourself of all the subtleties and nuances that music offers when it is so easy to do something about it.
And let the community know. Perhaps then print and video audio reviewers will follow suit and improve the credibility of their reviews. God knows what they often say about gear performance sounds nothing like what I hear, even allowing for differences in equipment synergy and room acoustics.
If would be awesome if reviewers published their own hearing tests and what they have done to correct any deficiencies they have. I don't think it's asking for too much given the influence they have on the audio equipment we spend a great deal of money to acquire.
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An audiologist test doesn't test for what is essentially the benefit of a lifetime of listening to music. Plenty of older individuals (not unlike myself) have developed listening skills and tastes that I feel transcend hearing range particularly...Elliot Scheiner, Bob Ludwig...no spring chickens there, and they work all the time. I never notice tinnitus (my ever lasting friend from years of earball abuse...I'm never alone!) when listening to or playing music. Never. I adjust levels of certain frequencies (Schiit EQ) from time to time but not that often, driven by taste...but still, I hear everything music offers...not as well as a dog or a 10 year old but do I care? No. I keep my ears clean and on track to hear them trains a comin'. |
@psalvet... Another aidoholic here, but they changed my personal eq for most above 6Khz, esp. my right channel...👍😎 Phonak wearer here, and my right aid has decided to not charge itself, so oft to repair hell....if only as a 'back-up'. Been considering the Widex, considering its' appreciation by the players vs us mere admiration/appreciation fans...so it's good to read your comments... +10 First audiologist was great, spent some time 'tweaking' my aid response a tad to my eq prefs....her replacement, not so much... It's worth shopping about for and about them...one was *meh* with his earside manners, whereas the second was happy to pass on just 'pushing product', and just discuss my needs +/vs. desires.... And noted that my hearing requires getting 'fitted' earpieces, instead of the off the shelf plugs...which is why I expect higher $ out of pocket, but UHC picks up 50%... *L* I get to be the 'high maintenance' end of my relationship with spouse.... ;) Going to visit a '4.9' near me that's reviewed great...and young enough to perhaps 'appreciate' the odd edge thrash I like... ...and anything else you'd care to share re your Widex.....consider them a 'very personal form of DAC'...😏 Cheerios, J |
Sooooo, we need get our 'impairement curve' from the audiologist. Then we can tell Audacity (or other equalizer) to compensate what the in-hearing-location microphone measurement found and then we have perfect audio. Its time that somone develops a DBC (digital to brain converter) so we can bypass speakers, room AND EARS (darn things are no good for nothing). |
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