Aging ears and Nuances

Dear Mashif, being a medical specialist in ENT, You are so right! We have a "musical memory". You need to have listened for several years to for example acusic music to learn to rember the special spectrum of frequences that identify each instrument. When you get older and start to loose the upper frequences, your brain only need to hear the caracteristics of a part of the full spectrum of a special instrument to recognise it and fill in the missing frequences. This is natures way of letting us enjoy our music up through our age. Electronic music however can vary in so many ways making it much more difficult to find a special spectrum of freqwuences for the "instrument"to remember.

You also need to deal with these facts when judging the HiFi reviews from eldery experienced HiFi experts. Are they really hearing all frequences or is the brain adding more or less...?

This is all very interesting and encouraging for a 70 year old with high-frequency hearing loss who wears hearing aids and who just invested in new speakers to be delivered soon. I debated for quite a while while auditioning speakers, wondering if my ears were worth the investment. I decided to they are because I listen a lot and this is great reinforcement. Thanks!

As a 73 year old with hearing aids, I thankfully continue to be able to hear nuances in sound and changes in my system. I recently made 2 seemingly minor changes (moved my router, upgraded my USB cable). Each provided improved clarity, soundstage & micro dynamics. My personal opinion is that many of us can improve our musical enjoyment by investing in high quality hearing aids. 

Well ,I'm 73xand yes my hearing isn't great anymore.But these people who are listening to the music with head phones on are NUTS....I went to alot of concerts when I was younger back when you ,bought your tickets for show at stores that had tickets master...I would get middle center or front row...alot...Get my ears,blasted out.There take the NYC transit Subways...whi h are at times freaking loud.Then go home and put your headphones on and blast your hearing out again...these young people of today will really loose there hearing early...they always have head phones or ear plugs in...I say hello when I pass as I go walking .Alot if the time. .they don't hear you...come on....if you have headphones...Don't use them. People don't use them,thats really killing your hearing.

I have a great headphone system so I guess I'm nuts, and very happy to be that way.

But my amps are the kind with volume control and I do not have to play them at max volume.

I stick between 60 and 70 dB for speakers and for my headphones. 

Excellent quality hearing aids need not be extremely expensive, either. The ones they sell at Costco are the top-of-the-range models from the previous year, and are about $1500/pair. I used to get ones that cost $6000/pair, but my Jabra ones from Costco are at least as good as those.