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Are you too old to be an audiophile?

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be offensive in anyway, just something I've always been curious about and thought it would make for some interesting responses.

One of the things about audiophiles I've always wondered is how they reconcile their age, and the scientific fact that their hearing isn't what it used to be, with their belief they can can hear all the nuances of high end gear, and even the cables. As we age we lose our ability to hear mainly in the higher frequencies. You know that high pitched sound older CRT televisions and some recessed lighting can make? No? Neither do my parents.
Thoughts?
farjamed

Showing 2 responses by mijs

mijs
9 posts
 
I believe the mark of any music lover leans toward trained hearing, not (necessarily) top hearing performance. Most of us have no better or worse hearing than the average person. However, unlike the average person, our ear-brain connections have become more discriminating, focused, and appreciative over the years.
An analogy: We can SEE everything that a crime scene detective sees, but unlike us, he immediately recognizes clues and valuable information. His vision is no better than ours, just well-trained.
That said, at 56 I can still hear butterflies land in my neighbor's yard. ; )
mijs
9 posts
 
Thanks Farjamed and Frogman...

I like that crime scene analogy, too. I also think our sense of (audible) contrast is more developed than most. Just like a photographers sense of color contrast is better than non-photographers. It's all about the ear-to-brain or eye-to-brain connections.

When my wife asks me to listen to a noise at night, I don't listen for the noise, I listen to the quiet. Better contrast.
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