(not so golden) Ears

[Julf]

A small warning example...

 

A week ago I drove down to France in an open-topped Morgan (can't call it a "convertible" as that would imply it can be converted to something). A lot of highway and motorway driving at spirited speeds, in something with classic 1930's aerodynamics (low, straight windscreen, no side screens/windows), so no point in trying to listen to music.

 

On the way back, I got stuck in traffic on the Antwerp ring road, so turned on the stereo (pretty decent system with 450 W class D amp and Focal 3-way speaker system), and noticed a funny resonance/ringing from the left channel - when the music hit a certain frequency, it was as if somebody had turned on a buzzer at that frequency for a second or two, but only on the left channel. Only happened a couple of times, so mentally filed it away under "oh well, if it occurs again, I guess I have to check out the amp".

 

Got home, and the next day, sitting at my computer, I turn on the music (Genelec monitors fed by V-dac) - and had the same thing happen! And again on the left channel!

 

OK, at this point some of you might be able to guess where this is going. For quite a while I have been having a very low level tinnitus (the results of not just a misspent youth in discos, band training sheds and concert venues, but a life of motorcycles, open cars, airplanes and very noisy military trucks). My hearing is still "quite good for a 51-year-old", but there is that very low-level tinnitus, always present but never bothersome. Except... This time, listening really carefully, I noticed that the tinnitus in the left ear was a bit louder - and precisely at the frequency of the occasional noise I thought was coming from the speakers! Somewhat scary.

 

Fortunately my ears seems now to have recovered - the low-level tinnitus is back to "only barely audible when listening for it", and there is no "triggering" of loud ringing, but it has been somewhat of a wake-up experience. I will try to get better at using the hearing protectors and ear plugs!

It is easy to fix the technical issues with my sound system, much harder to fix my ears.

[AlainGr]

I am always thinking about this... Now I use ear protects for anything that is noisy (lawnmower, snowblower, when my nice breaks the sound barrier ;-) ... I'd like to think it may be of some help, but I was "invincible" too many times before :-(

 

That makes me wonder. What would be worse - to be blind or deaf ?

[crisnee]

That makes me wonder. What would be worse - to be blind or deaf ?

 

I thought about that too, never came up with a druther though. I used to see music sometimes; it may have had something to do with ingestation though.

 

I've heard (or should I say been made aware of) that aspirin can cause or worsen tinnitus, at least temporarily. Perhaps you've been sucking down the aspirin Julf?

 

-Chris

[esldude]

No worries Julf. Try downsampling all your music to 22.05 khz. If you don't hear a difference think of all the storage space you are saving.

 

Hey, the designer of my speakers, Soundlabs, has been deaf for a generation. So it doesn't have the extensive hand tuning and tweaking from listening sessions. On the other hand, I can struggle through with the very low distortion, frequency extension to 28 khz, and just generally good sound.

 

Of course I am a year older than you. Haven't a Morgan to use (though I would like to). I have to struggle on with a Miata for top down motoring. I am envious of your Morgan. Have seen them and thought they were neat.

[Julf]

I've heard (or should I say been made aware of) that aspirin can cause or worsen tinnitus, at least temporarily. Perhaps you've been sucking down the aspirin Julf?

 

I've heard the same, but no, haven't been using any aspirin (despite the fair quantities of wine I consumed in France).

[Julf]

No worries Julf. Try downsampling all your music to 22.05 khz. If you don't hear a difference think of all the storage space you are saving.

 

That's a point...

 

Of course I am a year older than you. Haven't a Morgan to use (though I would like to). I have to struggle on with a Miata for top down motoring. I am envious of your Morgan. Have seen them and thought they were neat.

 

Ah, yes, the Miata is a great car - all the benefits of sporty handling and proper open-top motoring, but with the benefit of modern aerodynamics and technology. The Morgan looks great, but requires you to realize it is a 1930's design, updated to some extent in the 50's. It is living proof that automobile engineering has actually advanced since then

[The Computer Audiophile]

Very interesting post Julf.

 

While mowing the lawn a few days ago with my Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro customs in for protection I thought about people who spend significant amounts of time on airplanes. This has got to be terrible for long term ear health. I always use my UEs in planes as well. I wonder if there is a standard dB level large commercial planes must be under. If I remember correctly I measured the noise hovering at about 90dB on my last flight.

[Julf]

While mowing the lawn a few days ago with my Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro customs in for protection I thought about people who spend significant amounts of time on airplanes. This has got to be terrible for long term ear health. I always use my UEs in planes as well. I wonder if there is a standard dB level large commercial planes must be under. If I remember correctly I measured the noise hovering at about 90dB on my last flight.

 

I know there is an ISO standard for measuring the noise (5129:2001), but I am not aware of any strict noise limit regulation for in-cockpit noise. In fact, airplane manufacturers seems mostly to be concerned with "Speech Interference Levels", or SIL - a measure of how much the noise interferes with a conversation.

Back in my days in the front end of (smaller) planes, I always wore proper 24 dB attenuating headsets, but they do make conversation a bit hard unless you use an intercom. Fortunately I don't spend so much time in airplanes any more, but active noise attenuating (lightweight) headsets still seem like a good idea.

 

And for lawn mowing etc. I definitely recommend proper heavy duty professional ear protectors.

 

By the way, how did you measure the sound level? An iphone app?

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Julf - I used Decibel on my iPhone.

 

Decibel

[Julf]

Hi Julf - I used Decibel on my iPhone.

 

Thanks for the pointer, Chris! Very handy!

 

I am actually such a dyed-in-the wool linux guy that I am using the Nokia N9, with a similar app, but I checked it's calibration with a trusty Iso-Tech SPL meter.

[mav52]

Chris give 'Decibel Meter Pro' a try.....I like it a lot better Decibel

 

Chris

 

Performance Audio App Store | iPhone Apps | iPad Apps | iPod Touch Apps

 

Man a lot of Chris' on here.

[mav52]

Also forgot about this iPhone app

 

SPL Meter | Studio Six Digital

 

Not to mention this interesting article about the iPhones frequency response limitations. iPhone 4 Audio and Frequency Response Limitations « Faber Acoustical Blog

 

But nothing beats a good SPL meter

[Julf]

But nothing beats a good SPL meter

 

Absolutely - the only issue is those slightly embarrassing "is that a SPL meter, or are you just glad to see me?" questions.

[xyz]

Julf,

 

If you don't mind me asking, what distro are you using, and why?

[Julf]

If you don't mind me asking, what distro are you using, and why?

 

MeeGo on the N9, just because that is the most stable environment on the N9. Lubuntu and kubuntu on desktops and laptops, basic ubuntu on servers.

[esldude]

MeeGo on the N9, just because that is the most stable environment on the N9. Lubuntu and kubuntu on desktops and laptops, basic ubuntu on servers.

 

Do you not get on with the Unity interface?

 

I think it has improved some, hated it in the initial version. I find it pretty good on my netbook. Still prefer Lubuntu however.

 

Tried Gnome 3. I could use it, it was quite stable without problems. But after three month I would liken it to trying to install screws or thread nuts onto bolts while wearing thick gloves. I could use it, but just seemed like too much in between me and getting things done.

[AudGuy]

Julf, hearing issues would seem to be gaining grounds among those that ... listen to things.

 

I also cope with Tinnitus and have done so for going on 20 years now. And NO it hasn't ruined my listening experience.

 

Some things I have learned; for me any source of noise (even a listening session) can aggravate my Tinnitus. I plan my listening sessions to occur early in the day because my ears will respond better then. If I engage in any activity that can be associated with noise, such as power tools, driving, riding my motorcycles, air-travel ... well you get the idea, then I use various protection mechanisms, depending on the level of the noise. Peltor hearing protectors, inserted foam ear plugs, and active noise cancellation headphones and in roughly that order of use. My Peltor hearing protectors really are my first line of defense.

 

For me, the revelation was that ANY/ALL sources of noise can elevate the aggravation level I typically associate with daily living with Tinnitus. Your tale of increased perception of ringing after a journey in the Morgan tends to suggest that perhaps some noise cancelling technology might go a long way towards taming the top-down wind roar. I would be wearing the Peltors.

 

Strict attention to reduction to noise exposure is the only consistent salvation that I have found. And Ginko helps some also.

[Julf]

Do you not get on with the Unity interface?/

 

I didn't with the early versions. Should probably give it a try again.

 

Tried Gnome 3. I could use it, it was quite stable without problems. But after three month I would liken it to trying to install screws or thread nuts onto bolts while wearing thick gloves. I could use it, but just seemed like too much in between me and getting things done.

 

Know the feeling

[Julf]

Julf, hearing issues would seem to be gaining grounds among those that ... listen to things.

 

I wonder if it is just because we are better at noticing it?

 

Some things I have learned; for me any source of noise (even a listening session) can aggravate my Tinnitus. I plan my listening sessions to occur early in the day because my ears will respond better then.

 

That is a good suggestion - most of my listening is not professional critical listening, but just to relax and enjoy some music in the evening - when my ears are at their most tired.

 

Your tale of increased perception of ringing after a journey in the Morgan tends to suggest that perhaps some noise cancelling technology might go a long way towards taming the top-down wind roar. I would be wearing the Peltors.

 

Unfortunately most European countries take the view that full-ear headsets are inhibiting your ability to observe other traffic, and are thus forbidden while driving. Pretty sure I can't hear any better when wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet, but...

[xyz]

For me, I don't like Unity/Gnome 3 either. Like others, I just stuck with the older version of Gnome. Wasn't a fan of KDE either. It looks great but I just never felt comfortable with it. I've changed my mind, though. I started using Kubuntu and started to warm up to it but it wasn't the most stable OS. Now I have Mint KDE and while not perfect, I really like it. So much so, that I prefer it over everything else. (Understand, though, that my preference for KDE is not based on any solid, objective measurements, but pure subjective choice.)

[Brian A]

Hi Julf

 

Thanks for working to build awareness about hearing damage. Your thread, which I read several days ago, motivated me to finally spend the money for custom ear molds for my Etymotic HP5 earphones. 30dB noise blocking is expected. Thanks again for the kick in the butt.

 

I have an old cabriolet too (see avatar) although not quite a 1930s Morgan. Unsquished, it's a 1987 BMW 325i convertible. Wearing hearing protection while driving is illegal in California, but I do it frequently.

[Pedal]

Two important rules to follow in Hi-fi life:

 

1.” Warm up” your ears with normal sound levels at the beginning of a listening session. Increase the volume gradually. Do not play at “max levels” until after 30 minutes, letting your ears adapt first.

 

2. Never expose your ears to loud sound levels 2 days in a row. According to the doctors, our hearing needs (at least) 48 hours to recover.

[Julf]

Hi, Brian,

 

Your thread, which I read several days ago, motivated me to finally spend the money for custom ear molds for my Etymotic HP5 earphones. 30dB noise blocking is expected.

 

Several people have recommended those, so interested in hearing about your experiences with them!

 

I have an old cabriolet too (see avatar) although not quite a 1930s Morgan. Unsquished, it's a 1987 BMW 325i convertible.

 

1987? That's positively modern!

 

Whereas the aerodynamics probably are much better in the BMW, so that you get less noise at equivalent speed, it is probably also capable of much higher speeds than my Morgan, so you probably reach similar noise levels. But I bet you do less driving in rain in California than I do here in The Netherlands...

[Julf]

Now I have Mint KDE and while not perfect, I really like it. So much so, that I prefer it over everything else. (Understand, though, that my preference for KDE is not based on any solid, objective measurements, but pure subjective choice.)

 

Actually, I have some of the Mint enhancements on my desktop. And yes, it is a subjective choice - and I guess even the most ardent objectivists among us are OK with that. I guess it would only be an issue if you claimed that the harmonic match of background colours affects pressure points in our brains and help cure back pain, or that Plasma is faster than any other interface.

[JonP]

Julf, hearing issues would seem to be gaining grounds among those that ... listen to things.

 

I also cope with Tinnitus and have done so for going on 20 years now. And NO it hasn't ruined my listening experience.

 

Some things I have learned; for me any source of noise (even a listening session) can aggravate my Tinnitus. I plan my listening sessions to occur early in the day because my ears will respond better then. If I engage in any activity that can be associated with noise, such as power tools, driving, riding my motorcycles, air-travel ... well you get the idea, then I use various protection mechanisms, depending on the level of the noise. Peltor hearing protectors, inserted foam ear plugs, and active noise cancellation headphones and in roughly that order of use. My Peltor hearing protectors really are my first line of defense.

 

For me, the revelation was that ANY/ALL sources of noise can elevate the aggravation level I typically associate with daily living with Tinnitus. Your tale of increased perception of ringing after a journey in the Morgan tends to suggest that perhaps some noise cancelling technology might go a long way towards taming the top-down wind roar. I would be wearing the Peltors.

 

Strict attention to reduction to noise exposure is the only consistent salvation that I have found. And Ginko helps some also.

 

Whilst it is good these solutions work well for you, the tinnitus experience can vary dramatically from person to person. Some things that work well for some patients can actually make others far worse. You mention Ginko, for example, however my audiologist has a number of cases, including my own, where Ginko severely aggravates their tinnitus.

 

As regards hearing protection, one also needs to be aware of the dangers of the occlusion effect. This is caused by sounds being trapped inside the ear canal which acts as an echo chamber instead of an open ended tube. This can result in sounds actually being louder and more damaging. As an example, in an open topped car, wearing ear protection will result in very loud SPLs due to the wind noise being heavily amplified due to occlusion. I would rather take my chances with no protection at all, but the much better solution is to simply have a quiet, closed cabin car.