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tinnitus sucks


Paducah Home Theater

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One thing I noticed as I got more sensitive and aware of the issue is that often times loud sounds actually come through your bones somehow.  I could double up on hearing protection including a $200 set of custom molded plugs and 32 db muffs yet tractors and rifles could still ring my bell.  That's really aggravating.  

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certain medications can also induce a tinnitus-like effect. 

 

I keep four types of hearing protection here at the House of Klipsch:

 

1. gun muffs for weed-eating and chainsaw

2. EAR tapered foam plugs for general shop noise and lawnmower

3. ER20 reusable plugs for gym and other non-critical uses where I want better frequency response

4. custom molded -15 db for concerts and mixing shows where fidelity and comfort are mandatory. (other capsules are available), I got these from local audiologist $200 including in-home hearing test. 

 

 

From the OSHA guidelines, one can generally tolerate 85db for 8 hours without fear of permanent hearing loss. For every 5db increase, reduce the exposure time by half. Therefore I can attend or mix a show at 100db (which is too loud btw) for 2 hours, not quite perfect but a damn sight better than no protection at all or extreme fidelity loss by other methods. 

Edited by colterphoto1
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One thing I noticed as I got more sensitive and aware of the issue is that often times loud sounds actually come through your bones somehow.  I could double up on hearing protection including a $200 set of custom molded plugs and 32 db muffs yet tractors and rifles could still ring my bell.  That's really aggravating.

Yes, that's definitely true.  I assume that those sounds are coming through the skull.  I wear two levels of ear protection:  foam ear plugs, and over-the-ears isolating headphones.  The headphones, which are rated at 30 db decrease seem to be far more effective than the  foam ear plugs that I also use (I use them together).

 

Since air conducts sound very effectively, it's critical for the foam plugs to have a tight seal from outside air.

 

I have a pair of very solid (not foam) ear plugs which have a very tight seal.  However, they are too air-tight, and bother my hearing when they are inserted.  I can't explain it.  The combination of tightly sealed foam plugs and the over-ear 'phone isolation is best for me, and I'd recommend at least trying that combination of barriers.

 

Regarding aggravation by horns I would make two points that I believe:

  • Irritating, peaky sound aggravates my hearing more than very smooth sound.  The combination of tubes and very smooth horns and crossovers works best for me.
  • Very smooth, accurate speakers will sound deceptively quiet and listenable, but may mislead you into playing them louder than you should. 
Edited by LarryC
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Actually as long as I never see another compensator I'll probably be ok for the most part.  Will probably hunt with a plug in my bad ear, might be able to slip one in my better ear if I have enough head's up.  For some reason right handed rifle shooters get hurt in their left ear, which is furthest away from the barrel.  I don't quite understand that.  

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The foods that can aggravate it can be recalled with "CATS" -- caffein, alcohol, tobacco, and salt.  Heavy salt intake can worsen mine, but coffee does not and I don't smoke.  Any alcohol, however, sets me off for days to weeks, so I have to stay far away from even social drinking.  Yuk!

I can confirm that when I drink too much it gets worse. Of course that usually means that I am more likely to watch the entire Metallica concert at high levels as well. ;)

 

Ahh... 'catching a buzz' ..... pun intended ;)

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Ahh... 'catching a buzz' ..... pun intended ;)

 

 

I was really ticked off last night, there was this very loud extended tone that is exactly what I hear on "the edge of tomorrow".  I asked out loud why anybody would pay good money to hear such a thing especially when it did not contribute to the story, it's not like it was an effect immediately after a bomb went off.  No, they just thought the audience ought to experience tinnitus just at a random time I guess.  

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At this point my phone seems to hurt me more than anything. I've been trying to use speakerphone, use my other ear, and put the ear piece purposely low on my ear so it's not firing directly inside of it, talk clients into texting or emailing, etc. Otherwise if I talk for a decent amount of time on it, even with the volume turned down, the tinnitus as well as frequency response and weird sounds like voices sounding like they're in a big room or something all gets worse.

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At this point my phone seems to hurt me more than anything. I've been trying to use speakerphone, use my other ear, and put the ear piece purposely low on my ear so it's not firing directly inside of it, talk clients into texting or emailing, etc. Otherwise if I talk for a decent amount of time on it, even with the volume turned down, the tinnitus as well as frequency response and weird sounds like voices sounding like they're in a big room or something all gets worse.

 

I understand that tinnitus is not thought to be permanently reversable ... but I wonder if there is a Hi-Tech way to minimize it.  You never can tell what some specialist might know that primary care physicians don't.  If your phone is not making an air seal with your ear (good), and is far enough away (either on speaker phone or regular) so that the true SPL is lower than that of sounds that do not present as great a problem, maybe it has to do with the spectral characteristics of the phone itself.  Would some kind of filter on your phone help?  Or something that added a little pink or white noise to the signal?  I wonder if Silicon Valley has responded to this ever increasing number of tinnitus burdened people, especially among the huge market of the Boomers.

 

I know you've seen an audiologist, but try Google under Ear-nose-throat specialists, or perhaps an Otoneurologist.  Try with and without the word "tinnitus" added to the Google box.

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  • 3 weeks later...

About once a week I'll crank up the Metallica movie to -10 db for a few songs. Usually it's ok. Last night though while contemplating an AT screen, I sat in the floor so I was ear level with my RC-64. The center didn't seem to change much but everything including the towers seemed to crank out the cymbals much louder. I experimented with different positions and surround settings for a bit then decided I couldn't handle it and went to bed. It wasn't that long at high volume. Today though, I can't hear worth a damn. Won't be cranking up for awhile.

I need to find an Audessey setting that kills the cymbals somehow. I like how it sounds on movies and it's better than anything I've ever had on music, but I'd still like to boost the midbass and kill the cymbals if possible. Will be experimenting with that this weekend but if anybody has any shortcuts please let me know. :) Might just be a matter of the two treble/bass tone controls but I figure there's an audessey preset somewhere.

To be honest, music seems a little harsher AFTER Audessey was ran. Movies sound great but music blu ray's sound a tad bit less natural.

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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About once a week I'll crank up the Metallica movie to -10 db for a few songs. Usually it's ok. Last night though while contemplating an AT screen, I sat in the floor so I was ear level with my RC-64. The center didn't seem to change much but everything including the towers seemed to crank out the cymbals much louder. I experimented with different positions and surround settings for a bit then decided I couldn't handle it and went to bed. It wasn't that long at high volume. Today though, I can't hear worth a damn. Won't be cranking up for awhile.

I need to find an Audessey setting that kills the cymbals somehow. I like how it sounds on movies and it's better than anything I've ever had on music, but I'd still like to boost the midbass and kill the cymbals if possible. Will be experimenting with that this weekend but if anybody has any shortcuts please let me know. :) Might just be a matter of the two treble/bass tone controls but I figure there's an audessey preset somewhere.

To be honest, music seems a little harsher AFTER Audessey was ran. Movies sound great but music blu ray's sound a tad bit less natural.

 

-10 dB is ONLY 10 dB below Reference IF, and only IF, you are sitting where the Audyssey microphones were during calibration.

 

Try the two separate tone controls (NOT the virtual sliders!) to turn up the bass, relative to the cymbals.  Then turn the Main Volume down a bit to compensate for the increased bass.

 

Metallica's music is just the kind of source material that you have to be careful with  (as opposed to orchestral film music. like that of John Williams)

Edited by Garyrc
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