What frequencies can you hear?

[RickTN]

Hearing isn't a black or white, yes or no, type of deal. There is a specific threshold for each ear, at each frequency tested. For example, someone might be able to hear 2000 Hz at a threshold of 20 dB, but then with a somewhat common sloping high frequency loss, they may need a level of 40 dB at 4000 Hz, and maybe 60 dB at 8000 Hz for a given ear. I'm not really sure how some of you are getting these "hearing limits" though, because as someone with a doctorate in Audiology I do plenty of hearing tests and we don't test inter-octave values such as 13,5000 Hz, much less routinely even test above 8000 Hz. In some cases of tinnitus or concerns over ototoxic drugs (such as chemo meds) we do high frequency but its not part of the complete hearing evaluation (IDC billing code 92557) and we don't ever tell someone that can or can't hear a specific frequency. The results are just conveyed with regards to shape and severity of the hearing loss.

Yes....my graph is down to about 15db at 8000Hz. I know that equates to hearing almost nothing there. Never hear cymbals or whistles at sporting events.

 

[haffner1]

Yes....my graph is down to about 15db at 8000Hz. I know that equates to hearing almost nothing there. Never hear cymbals or whistles at sporting events.

15? That's nothing! I have 55 and 60 on some frequencies. This owes much to the U.S. Army and bad drummers.

 

[RickTN]

15? That's nothing! I have 55 and 60 on some frequencies. This owes much to the U.S. Army and bad drummers.

The way mine is graphed it means I hear an 8000Hz sound at 15db compared to the normal level of about 90db. I hear low frequencies at about 85 or 90db.

 

[lqdsnddist]

the cutoff for "normal" hearing is 25 dB HL. 0 dB however isn't the absence of sound as some folks can hear a pure tone at -5 or even -10 dB. A 70-90dB loss falls into the "severe" range and greater than 90 dB is "profound".

Keep in mind though, that listening to a beep, verse listening to complex stimuli such as low redundancy speech can be two very different things. Some folks can do well listening to the beeps, aka pure tones, but have horrible speech discrimination ability. Audiograms really are only a guide.

 

[RickTN]

the cutoff for "normal" hearing is 25 dB HL. 0 dB however isn't the absence of sound as some folks can hear a pure tone at -5 or even -10 dB. A 70-90dB loss falls into the "severe" range and greater than 90 dB is "profound".

Keep in mind though, that listening to a beep, verse listening to complex stimuli such as low redundancy speech can be two very different things. Some folks can do well listening to the beeps, aka pure tones, but have horrible speech discrimination ability. Audiograms really are only a guide.

If I could get these hearing aids to do one thing it would be to filter out all background noise and talking in a restaurant or crowded room so I could hear clearly what someone speaking directly to me is saying. In most cases it's just garbked noise where I can maybe distinquish a few words and make a guess at what was just said. It's better with these things...but certainly not clear.

I often said that when younger and out in bars I probably passed up on some nice looking women who came over and asked me to leave with them. However I heard "dance" with them....and just said "no thanks"......lol

 

[lqdsnddist]

Many newer models of HA's do feature some decent directional mic's in noise, but, a lot of folks have their best hearing in the low frequencies, which is where noise usually falls, so even with the best noise reduction, directional microphones etc, noisy restaurants and such are still challenged, as the noise in the one sound your able to hear better than anything else.

There are some options like small wireless mics you can clip onto a person speaking, or pass around the room etc, which really do improve the signal to noise ratio, but most people don't find them too appealing. They do work though in cases where a certain family member just can't even communicate otherwise.

Listening is noise is for sure a challenge though for most folks with hearing loss

 

[RickTN]

Imagine trying to play music and trying to hear intervals from recordings and you have the hearing loss I have. It is VERY tough.

 

[JJunkie]

There is this house nearby that has some kind of device that emits a very high frequency noise. I think it's to keep deer away. I can hear it and every time I walk by it gives me a splitting headache. My girlfriend can't hear it at all. I've heard that as people get older, they can no longer hear high frequencies. I'm curious how much that affects audio engineers. There are a lot of threads about fizziness and harshness. I'm wondering if something that sounds harsh to someone (lets say a younger person), might sound smoother to someone else?

When I first started mixing stuff, I always took people's advice which was "just trust your ears" as opposed to eq-ing something based on how the curve looks, for example. After revisiting those mixes and comparing them to what I wanted them to sound like, they are way too bass heavy and have way too little top end. So I think that advice is total BS. In my opinion, mixing is more of a science than an art.

One day I isolated the highest frequencies I could. Man, it was painful to listen to. Anyone else ever do that?

Uh oh. has somebody been fibbing about their age?

 

[paulmapp8306]

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Hearing isn't a black or white, yes or no, type of deal. There is a specific threshold for each ear, at each frequency tested. For example, someone might be able to hear 2000 Hz at a threshold of 20 dB, but then with a somewhat common sloping high frequency loss, they may need a level of 40 dB at 4000 Hz, and maybe 60 dB at 8000 Hz for a given ear. I'm not really sure how some of you are getting these "hearing limits" though, because as someone with a doctorate in Audiology I do plenty of hearing tests and we don't test inter-octave values such as 13,5000 Hz, much less routinely even test above 8000 Hz. In some cases of tinnitus or concerns over ototoxic drugs (such as chemo meds) we do high frequency but its not part of the complete hearing evaluation (IDC billing code 92557) and we don't ever tell someone that can or can't hear a specific frequency. The results are just conveyed with regards to shape and severity of the hearing loss.

In the military it was just charted. So test each tone at different vol levels. I believe in order chart you had to head the tone at min volume level as well.

The graph is joined, and the roll off at a certain vol level. So the test might be not be at 13.5k but the graph Line joining tested freqs cross the vol threshold at that point.

No idea if this is normal or not, but it's how they plot it in the british military. highest tested freq Is/was 16k.

 

[jakel]

I had a test at my local Sam's Club and it showed tinnitus in both ears, but at different frequencies. What I don't understand is this: the tinnitus means my detection of the affected frequency range is reduced because the ringing masks the sound. But, once the sound amplitude is above the ringing level, do I hear linearly? Or, do I hear the affected frequency range at a lower level, even at high volumes?

Edit for clarification: My question pertains to whether or not I correctly perceive tones at higher volumes for live mixing purposes, or for creating guitar tones. For example, if I know I hear 6-8k 6db less than normal, I can maybe avoid the tendency to push those up for the sake of those I'm mixing for.

 

[vinnieRice]

Complex subject. I'm late 50's and of course have serious roll-off over about 11.5 kHz - however I can still mix perfectly well. Music, voice etc never feature isolated high frequencies - they are always associated with fundamentals lower down. Decades of listening experience means your brain can still 'hear' the full range of music even though the ears have a limited response. Plus an analyser just in case...

 

[Rinkleton]

I hear the bats too... I can also tell if a CRT tv is on in the other room by the squeal it makes. I've been to a few shows which hurt my ears so I've start wearing ear plugs. I really want to get those ear plugs that have more of a linear response.

I just saw this video on Youtube that said it was a sound that only dogs can hear at 67k Hz. Nobody makes a speaker that can produce that! At least not commercially.

Complex subject. I'm late 50's and of course have serious roll-off over about 11.5 kHz - however I can still mix perfectly well. Music, voice etc never feature isolated high frequencies - they are always associated with fundamentals lower down. Decades of listening experience means your brain can still 'hear' the full range of music even though the ears have a limited response. Plus an analyser just in case...

Not that I doubt you, but what is your reference point that you can still mix fine? I guess the reason I ask is because every now and then I'll hear a professionally mixed song and it will have some really bad stray frequencies. The worst offender is probably "cute without the e" by taking back sunday. the vocal mic has a bad squeal that I notice in the quiet parts.

 

[jimfist]

 

[RickTN]

Many newer models of HA's do feature some decent directional mic's in noise, but, a lot of folks have their best hearing in the low frequencies, which is where noise usually falls, so even with the best noise reduction, directional microphones etc, noisy restaurants and such are still challenged, as the noise in the one sound your able to hear better than anything else.

There are some options like small wireless mics you can clip onto a person speaking, or pass around the room etc, which really do improve the signal to noise ratio, but most people don't find them too appealing. They do work though in cases where a certain family member just can't even communicate otherwise.

Listening is noise is for sure a challenge though for most folks with hearing loss

I was incorrect in stating how my hearing evaluation graph looked. I was doing it from memory (that's about gone too). The test tones were given at 70db. It shows my hearing threshold is at about 10db from 250-1,000. Then it drops like a rock. Once it gets above 3,000 Hz it's down to the 90-95db range. I have always understood this to mean for me to hear the test one at a normal level it would have to be at 90db compared to the low frequencies at 10db. Is this correct?

 

[Jason Scott]

Here's an online tone generator to test your recognition. I can differentiate up to 15KHz at normal listening volume. Beyond that I can distinguish up to 18K, but I have to crank the volume.

 

[RickTN]

Here's an online tone generator to test your recognition. I can differentiate up to 15KHz at normal listening volume. Beyond that I can distinguish up to 18K, but I have to crank the volume.

Listening through headphones.....once I take it above 4000 Hz I can't hear a thing

 

[strat714]

I can hear up to about 13.5k. The top end has been going away for years. I wear ear plugs now, but for too many years did not.

 

[RickTN]

It's amazing to me anyone can hear sounds in this high of a range (not doubting). I have no idea what it is like to hear things normally or anything close to what most people can hear. I'm sure if I all of sudden COULD hear these things it would be as annoying as it would be fascinating.

 

[aziz]

I heard 16k until last week.

Had a little "accident", and now my right ear is -20db compared to left from 7000hz and cuts off totally at 11khz. Sad emoticon here.

I think I originally ruined my right ear when I was 17, playing drums too loud. It's been waiting additional damage ever since, and now it's dead.

 

[∞Fractals]

I heard 16k until last week.

Had a little "accident", and now my right ear is -20db compared to left from 7000hz and cuts off totally at 11khz. Sad emoticon here.

I think I originally ruined my right ear when I was 17, playing drums too loud. It's been waiting additional damage ever since, and now it's dead.

That stinks bro ... I had Eric Johnson ruin my right ear (not sure how much but enough to where it's permanent and I know it.) Crap if he doesn't play loud. That was in the mid 1990s in a small venue and the PA was on my right side - shoulda coulda woulda brought ear plugs (or simply left the concert).