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The John Westlake/Lakewest MDAC/FDAC, VFET and Detox

Have you Gents tried that link (back a few posts) to see where the frequency tapers off, or other tests?

15khz at 51 is impressive, my Wife is 13khz at 52
 
…tried this the other day and was quite shocked that I can only hear just past 13khz :


Before Covid lockdown, it was around 16khz

…not sure a SuperDAC is worth me hunting for anymore

Hi guys, do you test the whole range using the same volume? Or you will turn up the volume when over 13KHz etc? :D

Over 13KHz to 14KHz it seems like I do not hear it but "feel" it.
 
Lol …don’t kid yourself, this cheap equipment probably clips after 18khz - iPhone 11 I’ve got and that test works fine all the way up as my daughter and her friend said they heard it all (but was iffy after 18khz)!

…not all doom and gloom, allegedly Scientists are looking into something that allows the single cell fine hair follicles in the inner ear reproduce; thus retaining some hearing ability!
 
Lol …don’t kid yourself, this cheap equipment probably clips after 18khz - iPhone 11 I’ve got and that test works fine all the way up as my daughter and her friend said they heard it all (but was iffy after 18khz)!

…not all doom and gloom, allegedly Scientists are looking into something that allows the single cell fine hair follicles in the inner ear reproduce; thus retaining some hearing ability!
My inner ear follicles have been reproducing overtime. You should see what’s sprouting from my ears these days. It’s an age thing. After I have a trim, the top end sounds so much better.

Edit : sorry, I shouldn’t be on this thread as I have no dog in the MDAC race.
 
I'm 4db down at 15k, 51 years young.
I found the top end depended more on the headphones I tried than anything else. -e.g. with the Senn 599SE s I picked up to play with some months ago (which are a bit flabby in the low end but mid- top on music is rather clean) - to 16K in right ear as a clear, discernable, distinct tone , to 12.5k in my left after which it was a vague but unpleasant sensation. I am 51. I have no idea if it is me, or ..artifacts of the particular choices or devices I tried.

wider view:

And - of course - a simplistic test like this is pretty useless - there's several essential issues:

(1) that this is any kind of 'testing' - it isn't testing, it is old blokes dicking about with uncalibrated level and a source file of unknown provenance, and vol control of their choosing - and a whole bunch of how we go about it, is NOT vaguely comparable etc
(2) That the upper end of such things has anything to do with perception of timbre - it doesn't, the ear is essentially deaf to pitch above c. 8 Khz for simple reasons.*
(3) that in consequence - that this kind of thing has '=SQRT[f.a]' relationship to do with enjoying music, or pleasure from listening, or acuity of perception of what your enjoy - the stuff that actually matters!

* Do try re-running the test again and rather than listening for whistling tone - note where your ability to differentiate the changing pitch stops.
That is far, far more illuminating - and maybe a better assessment of how your perception of music might be. It'll be much less affected by the single-tone top-end approach than you think.
 
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With respect, I’m not so sure about that …tested this with several people on the same device - the kids heard it all the way up, us adults lost it between 8.5khz, 12khz and me & Wife 13khz

it is what is, we lose hearing ability as we age due to the hair follicles dying …men go bald more often than woman, which is why woman tend to be less deaf than men (and it’s not just because we try to ignore the general complaints) ;-)
 
lol maybe we can have the DAC with an extra cable with sticky electro pads, stick to each temple, that starts gently shocking us in stereo after the personalised frequency cut-outs - so we still experience something… I might have to put a Copyrite on that
 
I found the top end depended more on the headphones I tried than anything else. -e.g. with the Senn 599SE s I picked up to play with some months ago (which are a bit flabby in the low end but mid- top on music is rather clean) - to 16K in right ear as a clear, discernable, distinct tone , to 12.5k in my left after which it was a vague but unpleasant sensation. I am 51. I have no idea if it is me, or ..artifacts of the particular choices or devices I tried.

wider view:

And - of course - a simplistic test like this is pretty useless - there's several essential issues:

(1) that this is any kind of 'testing' - it isn't testing, it is old blokes dicking about with uncalibrated level and a source file of unknown provenance, and vol control of their choosing - and a whole bunch of how we go about it, is NOT vaguely comparable etc
(2) That the upper end of such things has anything to do with perception of timbre - it doesn't, the ear is essentially deaf to pitch above c. 8 Khz for simple reasons.*
(3) that in consequence - that this kind of thing has '=SQRT[f.a]' relationship to do with enjoying music, or pleasure from listening, or acuity of perception of what your enjoy - the stuff that actually matters!

* Do try re-running the test again and rather than listening for whistling tone - note where your ability to differentiate the changing pitch stops.
That is far, far more illuminating - and maybe a better assessment of how your perception of music might be. It'll be much less affected by the single-tone top-end approach than you think.
Agreed -the loss of 12-18 kHz probably isn’t of itself going to affect your enjoyment. But chances are if you are losing that range you are probably also having trouble hearing in the range which really does matter. A quick scan of the various age-related hearing range charts shows - 1) gets worse at all frequencies.
2) Seems to widen out from say 1 kHz.
Of course varies between individuals. But it’s not like a brick wall filter at gradually reducing cut off frequency.
Are young people really beginning to mumble?
lol maybe we can have the DAC with an extra cable with sticky electro pads, stick to each temple, that starts gently shocking us in stereo after the personalised frequency cut-outs - so we still experience something… I might have to put a Copyrite on that
audiophile cochlear implants?
 
Has anyone had their ears waxed? “This won’t hurt sir”. Bloody hell!
I presume you mean de-waxed?

For which there are several technique from ear drops, manual removal, syringing, irrigation, micro-suction (with loupes or microscope), endoscopic micro-suction.. and 'ear candling' - which is a very bad idea.

Yes indeed. Most anglo saxons, probably 90% shouldn't ever need it (ethnicity plays a role). I however have very unusual, ultra tight and upward facing ear canals which collect wax, have to have it removed every couple of years.

Funny to stumble into this discussion, as I'm shortly going to post about my literal trauma of the past two/three weeks and some tips and recommendations.. I'll do that soon.

However usually non of these techniques should hurt at all. In fact they are most pleasant when a good chunk of wax occluding the ear drum is released.. the sense of release and fullness is gone, and instant improvement in hearing

* micro-suction can get loud with a bad practitioner
 


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