I can totally understand why you wouldn’t want to get hearing aids. I got one (I only lost hearing in one ear) a few years ago, and I rarely wear it because it distorts the sound so badly. It does help me understand what others are saying, but at the expense of “normal” sound reproduction. I would never wear it to listen to music, although I sometimes wear it if I’m trying to hear others in a noisy room. I would say try to find the best combination of settings with your equalizer, and then decide whether you like it better that way or without any enhancement. Personally, I’m pretty happy with my system with no enhancement, but in the end, it just comes down to what sounds better to you!
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?