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Hearing loss and headphones

AnilS

AnilS

pfm Member
Guys, I need some help. I have chatted to PFM over the phone about hearing loss and aids. I hope they found it useful.

Sadly, my hearing has worsened. My left ear is classed as a "dead ear" and because my right does most of the work, it is struggling. Let's not even mention tinnitus :D

I am waiting on another MRI scan but there is an NHS backlog.

So I use a nice graphic equaliser (Technics SH-8055) and can listen to my system. I sometimes listen (with an extension cable) with my headphones (AKG K430). I like them but they are on-ear so I thought I'd invest in AKG and bought some over-ear ones (AKG K92).

These are studio monitors, and really don't suit my ears. Even after 24 hours of "running in", I find the sound to very neutral, but nicely spacious. My son listened to them and he said the sounded much better than his wireless JBLs ;) So after a day or two listening, I'll sell them.
Question is, I'm not sure what to get? I listened to my son's JBLs and they had nice bass but seemed not to have a nice midrange or as sweet treble as the K92. Maybe studio monitors don't suit me :(

The K92 are closed back so I'm looking for the same. His JBLs can be wired to my amp but are designed to be wireless which interests me so I can use them when washing my cars (Bluetooth).

Does anyone have any headphone suggestions. Prefer over-ear and minimal sound leakage.

Sadly, my budget is limited to around £100 (prefer less), and am happy to look at well cared for used ones.
 
My son bought the soundcore q30 active noise cancelling which he likes a lot. He got them a few weeks ago for £59 but I’ve noticed they’re £79 now. They are well reviewed.
 
Mongeddavid said:
Try out SENNHEISER offerings or Grado at that price sound leakage may be an issue from the Grados but with the bigger ear cups added they sound pretty good
Click to expand...
Appreciated but never been a fan of Grado. Open back is not a consideration. Do Grado do closed back?

What Sennheisers do you suggest?
 
Bone conducting headphones? I have quite bad tinnitus in my left ear and find normal headphones unbearable..my Bone conducting headphones were ok..
 
My right ear is dead, too. I have a Schwannoma blocking my right auditory nerve . Having another MRI on Saturday but no hope of improvement so basically to check it is no worse. I got my Beyer Dt531s wired for mono. Not too bad - the sound is very inside my head but not all left only I have the impression of right as far as the side of my head but not the ear area. Weird but better than nowt. The human brain is incredible at fooling us.
 
@Chris sorry to hear of your condition. :(

Mine is an Acoustic Neuroma. Radiotherapy didn't suit me I'm afraid so it's being monitored.

My equaliser is setup to balance the sound in my head by shifting frequencies. It's ok.

@linnfomaniac83 that's really thoughtful of you Simon, but I'm at work :(
How does a MiniDSP work?
 
roach said:
My son bought the soundcore q30 active noise cancelling which he likes a lot. He got them a few weeks ago for £59 but I’ve noticed they’re £79 now. They are well reviewed.
Click to expand...

Their website has them at £61 with a voucher code :)

Let me have a think.
 
I think a neuroma is the same as a schwannoma. Here in Spain, I’ve been told that if it doesn’t grow during the first 2 years then it probably never will and is left as is. If it grows, then radiosurgery can obliterate it but there’s no free lunch. Your hearing will not come back. Fingers crossed I have no tinnitus problems as yet so am not complaining. I sometimes sit at right angles to my speakers and can get a central image sensation but , liberated ofworrying about spatial info like left,right, height and depth am finding myself much more appreciative of tonal considerations that used to pass me by: left hand notes and decay of notes on piano etc. etc. so it’s not all negative. Probably more relaxed now and not thinking about what I’ve lost, quite the opposite. Chin-up.
 
@Chris yup. It sounds (no pun intended) the same.

Sadly, my tinnitus is constant to the point my brain has learnt to get used to it and "tune" it out a little.

Yes, radiotherapy shrinks it and cuts off the blood supply but hearing isn't restored.

Exploring the soundcore route but may well decide to do nothing.
 
My audiologist advised going down the headphone route, due to my hearing loss and tinnitus. It has been a long standing issue and sadly self infected due to many years of being a musician, now retired and not using proper hearing protection
Interstingly I went for a check up 6 months ago and my audiologist reckoned that there has been no further hearing loss, since my previous check up over 3 years ago.
I have used mindfulness as an approach to addressing my tinnitus and as a result, I have tinnitus but no longer suffer from it.
Many thanks to the OP, who I have been in touch with via PM in the past and he has been very kind with information on his experience of various hearing aids that are suitable when listening to HIFI
 
AnilS said:
Guys, I need some help. I have chatted to PFM over the phone about hearing loss and aids. I hope they found it useful.

Sadly, my hearing has worsened. My left ear is classed as a "dead ear" and because my right does most of the work, it is struggling. Let's not even mention tinnitus :D
Click to expand...

AnilS said:
Sadly, my hearing has worsened. My left ear is classed as a "dead ear" and because my right does most of the work, it is struggling. Let's not even mention tinnitus :D

I am waiting on another MRI scan but there is an NHS backlog.

So I use a nice graphic equaliser (Technics SH-8055) and can listen to my system. I sometimes listen (with an extension cable) with my headphones (AKG K430). I like them but they are on-ear so I thought I'd invest in AKG and bought some over-ear ones (AKG K92).

These are studio monitors, and really don't suit my ears. Even after 24 hours of "running in", I find the sound to very neutral, but nicely spacious. My son listened to them and he said the sounded much better than his wireless JBLs ;) So after a day or two listening, I'll sell them.
Question is, I'm not sure what to get? I listened to my son's JBLs and they had nice bass but seemed not to have a nice midrange or as sweet treble as the K92. Maybe studio monitors don't suit me :(
Click to expand...

You say that your right ear does 'most' of the work. Does that mean that some sound is getting through to your left ear, in which case it can't be a dead ear, or at least, not a completely dead ear!
Hopefully the scan will reveal the problem. If it is a 'conduction' problem, then as mentioned above, bone conduction headphones can be useful, though don't match ordinary headphones for fidelity. Having smashed my stapes bone (innermost, and smallest bone in the body) in a walking accident, I now, after failed stapedectomies, rely on a bone anchored hearing aid, to adequate effect, so there are a number of innovations to keep us audiophiles enjoying our hobby!
 
Ron Ellis said:
You say that your right ear does 'most' of the work. Does that mean that some sound is getting through to your left ear, in which case it can't be a dead ear, or at least, not a completely dead ear!
Hopefully the scan will reveal the problem. If it is a 'conduction' problem, then as mentioned above, bone conduction headphones can be useful, though don't match ordinary headphones for fidelity. Having smashed my stapes bone (innermost, and smallest bone in the body) in a walking accident, I now, after failed stapedectomies, rely on a bone anchored hearing aid, to adequate effect, so there are a number of innovations to keep us audiophiles enjoying our hobby!
Click to expand...

@Ron Ellis Thanks Ron.

My consultant said once hearing is below 5%, the ear is classed as dead. Mine is 4%.

I can only hear a faint noise in it. No clarity or definition.

My tumour has grown into my sound tube. There's nothing that can be done.

The consultant did mention bone conduction but for my particular case, hearing aids would suffice and be the best option.

My right has been doing a lot of work over several years and is "tired".

We gave the example of car tyres.

The nearside tyres are worn (left ear) but the offside (right ear) are fine.

As you drive, although the nearside tyres are doing something, it's the offside that generate the grip and keep you where you should be but as a result, they'll wear down at an increased rate as a result.

My right ear is at 48%.
 
By sheer chance, our lad left his other pair of wireless headphones at home today (Sony WH-CH700N) and took his JBLs instead.

I plugged the Sony's into my amp and goodness me! It's the sound I'm after :eek:

He's had them a couple of years so we'll run in and I could hear bits of my favourite album that I haven't heard in years. :):)
There's great punch, subtle midrange and gorgeous detail I genuinely wasn't expecting.
In comparison, my AKG K430 sound very forward and vocally harsh BUT sound louder. I guess they need less juice to drive them.

These are discontinued but it seems the newer 710N aren't as good.

I'm not sure what the equivalents are but I'm tempted to have off him and fund his replacements.

I have a horrible feeling he's going to say no.
 
I'm really sorry to hear about everyone's hearing problems. To the OP I think it would be worth trying out Beyer DT770 80Ohm

https://www.andertons.co.uk/beyerdynamic-dt770-pro-headphones-(80-ohms)-dt770pro80

They have good bass, slightly recessed mids and good treble that's not harsh. They seem (to me) to give a broad, spacious soundstage, and don't sound like closed back headphones, and they are extremely comfortable (though a bit hot in warm weather - but I'm talking US east coast warm weather). They give reasonable isolation and don't leak sound. They are also very well built with many replaceable parts.

I compared them to Sennheiser 280 (my old closed cans), 380 and Shure 940 and 840 and I preferred the Beyers by some margin.
 
Not a fan of noise-cancelling/wireless headphones but, hey, if they float your boat go for it. The WH-CH700N are still available new if your son really wants to keep them.
 
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