An older audiophiles new equipment

I wear Widex in-ear hearing aids; the good brands are pretty much all good; I went with what my audiologist recommended - works OK, but I'm not happy with their iPhone app, which seems like somebody's first app programming project.

Tinnitus is also an issue; for me it's a hissing type of sound, and sometimes it's more prominent than others.

I did a whole heap of hi-fi upgrading over the past several years. I might not hear it right, but better gear still sounds better to me than not-as-good gear...

People wear glasses or contacts for vision, might as well wear hearing aids for hearing, when it would be beneficial. 

I was certainly enjoying my system prior to the hearing aids.  Your mind compensates.  You might want to check out a free hearing test.  I am enjoying it more, especially analog since so much of the information is in the midrange.  Sorry if I came off like a curmudgeon, just thought the reference to an old rocker was fun.    The quality of the widex is excellent and to quote Michael fremer cost about the price of audiophile interconnects 

In my younger years I obsessed on reading a million reviews and user feedback on the endless journey of upgrades.   I seemed more focused on the gear versus enjoying the music it produces.   Got burnt out and sold it all years back but recently jumped back in on a lower budget, basic system.   At 56 I can finally say ‘good enough’.   

My decidedly elderly ears are still pretty much okay when it comes to music, but all the mask-wearing out in public has really done a number on my ability to converse. Masks turn voices into mumbles. The inability to watch a person's lips move makes communication more difficult still.

You are lucky, my friend, I lost all my hearing in one ear and I have a 100-thousand-dollar cochlear implant that sounds like a busted transistor radio. My other ear is good and I listen in a near mono stereo setup. Be thankful for the hearing you have.  

I haven't minded all that much growing old.  I see my family grow and flourish, see the result of my career, those I mentored, all the books I read, the music I listen to, the concerts I saw/heard.  All of it makes a full life.  For me, anyway.  I'll be 70 in September.  

I'm with you on this. In spite of my tinnitus and hearing loss, I'm enjoying my system and music more than ever these days, so it makes getting old not so hard to take.

Stay well, enjoy,

Dan