Results of Actual Hearing Test and Next Steps


Like probably many on this forum I’m getting into that post 60 age where hearing may not hear as well as it once was. To baseline where I stand today, I arranged a professional assessment. Results:

  • 10dB loss at 2K Hz
  • 20dB loss at 4K Hz
  • 20dB loss at 8K Hz
  • Word recognition 100% at 70dB
  • Sound tolerance to 110dB (that’s loud)

Summary; mild to moderate loss at higher frequencies; muddled conversations in group settings. No urgent need for hearing aids but higher volume may be required for media.

I listen to music mostly at the 70-85 dB range; most theatrical movies and concerts can go as high as 95-100dB which is too loud for me. My McIntosh MA352 has EQ knobs which I rarely use. I prefer direct sound without boosting and play mostly vinyl. Also have EQ in my car.

I tried enhancing EQ settings at 2K and 10K Hz and found it did add more detail; at least it was an agreeable sound. My hope is to avoid hearing aids for as long as possible and still get maximum music enjoyment.

Anybody else encountering this or have some workarounds to suggest?

 

 

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I am 74 and have worn hearing aids for about 15 years. I have very acute tinnitus so a lot of high frequency loss. My current aids have bluetooth and I can adjust them on my iPhone if necessary which I rarely do. They can never replace a good set of ears so protect them when you are younger. 

Widex Moments are audiophile hearing aids designed for music first then speech

 

Research is showing that loss of hearing has a direct connection to dementia. Apparently there are noises that the earth makes a hum I guess along with basic conversations. So as much as we may hate to use hearing aids, the benefits of being senile outweigh the deficits in my opinion. As I am aging out I am going to start saving so that I can get the very best hearing aid, that is available. I lost my mother this Friday, and I will attest that when she had her hearing aids in she was a different person even though he has passed, my father was a really cranky person until he got his hearing aids. 

As a 69 year old man I was tested to have -60Db at 8K. Even though I was used to the loss (very slow over many years) the fact was that music lost it's balance completely. Hearing aids are great and once you have them you will not want to give them up.

I’m in the upper 60’s group and while I can hear conversations very well, like most everyone else, my hearing is gone a bit above 12k. I guess because it happened so slowly, I never noticed.