The purpose of this thread is to see if I could get some folks to take this test for themselves, and through comparison learn where we are with regard to our hearing abilities. As a member of the Baby Boomer Generation I have concerns about my hearing not being what it once was. I guess there is no crying over it but I thought I would see what I could figure out without going to an audiologist.
I found a site that has an array of frequencies by dB levels. I used this array to construct a graph of my hearing. Although the instructions at the site are for the user to select a dB level of the 1Hz band and then attempt to match that volume level at each of the other frequencies, I chose to alter these instructions.
How I tested
I began at the lowest dB and frequency. I continued up the volume levels or db ratings until I could hear the tone and stopped. I then moved on to the next higher frequency and repeated my test. I continued along this way until I have completed the entire array. http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html
After completing the test I would perform a screen capture and save the image of the array. I would then perform a refresh to clear the array of the previous result.
Equipment
For consistency between the three IEMs I used, they were each plugged into an amplifier/DAC with the volume setting the same for each. Over the IEMs I wore a set of Peltor President high attenuation headset normally used at the pistol range.
At the volume levels I was listening with this setup, my heartbeat and breathing were much louder than the tones.
- Fiio E7 (volume setting 10 / EQ 1)
- Peltor President Headset
- Skull Candy Ink’d
- Sennhiesser CX-300 II
- Denon AH C560R
Conclusions
After completing the testing I columned the results in an excel spreadsheet to produce this report. It serves two purposes.
- It shows the performance of the IEMs used
- My ability to hear these frequencies
Although this graph would make it appear that I am unable to hear tones above 12kHz it is not entirely correct. At a second site I found test frequencies up to 20kHz. I am able to hear tones up to 18kHz, but it requires higher dB levels outside this test capability. For example: If I was allowed to raise the power of the Fiio amp to level 30 I could hear the tones at the 16kHz level. Here is the second signal generator I used to go above the 16kHz level. http://www.hearingfrequencytest.com/
Comparing these tones to those produced by various musical instruments, there may be some sounds that I am missing in the music I am listening to normally, but as I stated at the beginning of this thread I can’t cry about it now. This is analogous of complaining that I can't see infrared. I have never been able to see infrared and can only guess at what it would be like. If at one point in my life I was able to hear these tones, I never tested myself and cannot therefore determine if music sounded any different to me they than it does now. I do know what I can hear and that I can tell what I like and don’t like.
What I can say is that the tones above 16kHz that I did hear when sufficiently amplified were not pleasant to listen to and if these are what I am missing that is fine by me.
