I did some quick research, and ~15 kHz is typical for your age. It usually declines to ~12 kHz by age 50. The good news is there's very little energy above those frequencies in the vast majority of recordings. I'd guess that listening too loudly is more likely to lead to tinnitus than to accelerated decline in high frequency perception, but I'm no expert in audiology.
You're making some pretty strong correlations here that probably are not related. Hearing loss in the upper frequencies is often genetic similar to eyesight. It takes a long amount of exposure over typically decades to get to a point where this is an external issue. Blockbuster films are 85db+, concerts 100db+. I clocked most of Oppenheimer at 95db when I was in Imax. Given how new to the market the TC and Shang Sr are it's hard to believe that you just did this to yourself.
A more appropriate representation of your hearing would be to see how close your baseline at each different frequency in the standard range is. Meaningful hearing loss would mean a scenario where you hear 85db the way someone with normal hearing hears 65db for example. It's possible that your ability to hear 14k is better than my ability to hear 14k. If you have even hearing loss across the spectrum, then it's as easy as just making the music louder - but most people do not have that and start to hear some parts of the spectrum stronger (which then requires hearing aids to eq it). With headphones you could use software eq.
While I can hear up to 20k, my left ear seems to be a little bit harder of hearing in lower-frequencies (it's about a 5db difference to my right ear). Both test in the normal range, but I suspect as I get into my 50s+ I will find slight issue with hearing on the left. Hopefully not.
It probably explains why I don't like brighter headphones and strong prefer the darker 007 - although most FR graphs don't tract that high so who knows.
In my case it is the opposite. The "intimate" character of headphone make me listen songs with lower volume. With speaker on low volume, sometimes I feel the "hollowness" (not literally hollow, but just not as intimate as headphone), thus, I tend to crank more volume.
Honestly, it's probably the metal I listen to that has caused this hearing loss above 14K. I listen to those loud, because it's metal and you're supposed to. I thought 85db was safe, but apparently it's not. I'd hate to go to 80 for metal, but I will in the future. Metal is abrasive to the ears, with loud sounds everywhere. It's tied with hip-hop as my favorite genre. If I only listened to classical or jazz, this probably wouldn't have become a problem.
Honestly? I've been missing high notes for years and years. Blame drumming or paintball, whatever. Doesn't bother me too much. The best parts of music for me are between 200 and 6k anyway.
If you guys were going to get a high-end DAC for streaming Tidal (yes, I know.) What would you get? DAC only, I have a nice amp, but I feel like I'm not using the Qutest to its fullest potential through Tidal since it tops out at 96. Cheers.
If you guys were going to get a high-end DAC for streaming Tidal (yes, I know.) What would you get? DAC only, I have a nice amp, but I feel like I'm not using the Qutest to its fullest potential through Tidal since it tops out at 96. Cheers.
I don't really understand the quetion. Qutest does great job as DAC (if you like the sound character). No need to change anything. Just because your DAC capable 24bit or DSD, doesn't mean you have to run that type of files to enjoy the goodness of your DAC. Btw, most cheap DAC nowadays able to play 24bit and DSD anyway.
I strongly suggest use third party "engine" to upgrade the experience of your Tidal. For instance Audirvana give a noticeable boost in sound quality for Tidal rather played song directly from Tidal.
My headphone cabinent is looking mighty empty now that I sold off a bunch of stuff (including my whole estat collection). I guess it's time to buy some new headphones
Honestly, it's probably the metal I listen to that has caused this hearing loss above 14K. I listen to those loud, because it's metal and you're supposed to. I thought 85db was safe, but apparently it's not. I'd hate to go to 80 for metal, but I will in the future. Metal is abrasive to the ears, with loud sounds everywhere. It's tied with hip-hop as my favorite genre. If I only listened to classical or jazz, this probably wouldn't have become a problem.
85 dB is the OSHA max recommendation, and I've read that long exposure (think like 8 hours a day at that level) can lead to hearing issues, but that wouldn't show up in the high frequencies (which aren't as important for life/music) but as I understand, it would manifest in issues generally in the far more important upper mids frequencies.
But yeah, as others have pointed out, it's just natural high frequency hearing loss that everyone gets, when I started getting into this stuff in like 2018ish, I could 18kHz easily, now in my mid 30s, only 15kHz (and I used to listen real loud with in ears and stuff in my early 20s when I could hear the fullband range up till 20kHz and have taken much better care of how loud I listen since then, but you can't really stop this).
At your age your upper limit seems pretty normal, and don't worry that it is taking too much away from your enjoyment of stuff or whatever, tons of the stuff we listen to is mastered by old guys with more high frequency hearing loss than us, it simply doesn't much matter (at the most you may miss a bit of the brilliance range which would very minorly add to perceptions of clarity and "sparkle" and some spatial effects). "Brightness" perception is well below that in the upper mids/lower treble anyway, and even as I've grown older and lost the super high frequencies, I am more annoyed by "bright" sounding crap now than I was when I was younger.
There simply just isn't that much in the 14kHz to 20kHz range worth listening to anyway lol
My headphone cabinent is looking mighty empty now that I sold off a bunch of stuff (including my whole estat collection). I guess it's time to buy some new headphones
I got the ModHouse coming hopefully this month (I ordered Nov 3rd), the new Raal 3 Ribbon, and maybe the Valkyria. I just gotta free up some funds. My wallet has been hit hard recently with upgrading my pc (I'm going full custom water cooled loop, 4090 & 14900k), and then I drunk bought the Apple Vision Pro and the new Macbook to connect to it.
It'll probably be until early summer before I buy the Valkyria, if I do at all. I wanted to go to Can Jam NYC again this year, but my work schedule won't allow it. I was hoping to hear them again off a different amp (preferably the WA33). A few people have recommended me the D8000 Pro, which is now on my radar too.
I got the ModHouse coming hopefully this month (I ordered Nov 3rd), the new Raal 3 Ribbon, and maybe the Valkyria. I just gotta free up some funds. My wallet has been hit hard recently with upgrading my pc (I'm going full custom water cooled loop, 4090 & 14900k), and then I drunk bought the Apple Vision Pro and the new Macbook to connect to it.
It'll probably be until early summer before I buy the Valkyria, if I do at all. I wanted to go to Can Jam NYC again this year, but my work schedule won't allow it. I was hoping to hear them again off a different amp (preferably the WA33). A few people have recommended me the D8000 Pro, which is now on my radar too.
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