hearing test
I found this test for hearing that you all may want to try. It essentially tests your hearing at 24 different frequencies in 1db steps. You will need to have a decent set of headphones plugged into your computer and a quiet room for it to work properly. The online program tests your minimum threshold of ability to hear various tones and then compares those results with a predetermined set of results for “good hearing” or someone who hears “normally”.
I found that my ability to hear was as good or slightly better than all the standard results except at about 14khz. I seem to be nearly stone deaf at that frequency although I hear quite well above and below it. I tried 3 sets of different headphones, so it is probably me and not the test.
I gotta watch out for those crash cymbals… 
Give it a try…
Mike
Should I do it with or without my hearing aids?
After 40 years of loud music I think I’ve lost about 60% over 8k - will be interesting to take the test. Think I could sue Altec Lansing? lol
same here Poppa…
I remember reading that O.S.H.A said no more then 15 minutes a day in front of a 50 watt marshall .
Hell,i spent more time then that just tunin up 
I just was going to try the test but it doesn’t work. It downloaded & installed some Java runtime version but it still doesn’t work (I don’t see what I need to on the page). Perhaps I need to reboot?
Quote: (Mr Soul @ Jan. 11 2008, 8:03 PM)
I just was going to try the test but it doesn't work. It downloaded & installed some Java runtime version but it still doesn't work (I don't see what I need to on the page). Perhaps I need to reboot?
I just tried it again and it worked fine. Do you not have JAVA installed properly? You may need to reboot after you install JAVA...
Mike
It installed Java 2 Runtime Environment, SE v1.4.2_15 when I clicked on it.
I did reboot and still no go.
I just ran some Java updates & it seems to be working now.
I took it and I’ve lost hearing from 11K and above. I couldn’t really hear anything above 14K at all. I’ve also got some slight loss in the 250 - 500 range. It’s slightly worse in my right ear (the one next the drums 
Sorry to hear that Mike. The reason I posted this here is that we all have to master and edit recordings we make. So the question arises, “If our hearing is faulty, then what are our mixes like?”. Also, do you think that our brain compensates for loss of hearing in certain frequencies by learning to think is hears those frequencies like your ears did when you were younger?
Mike
Hi Mike and Guys:
The same thing happened here…
The other day I downloaded Java web start v 1.4.2_15 (build b02) But I haven’t been able to see anything that has to do with the hearing test…
I’m running the Java run time now and it appears to be updating…
or something…
I’d be interested to know what hearing I have left…
I remember that the place I carved out on the stages I played on was within arm’s reach of the edge of the crash cymbal…
Every time the drummer hit his crash cymbal my vision would vibrate…
I wonder if my hearing did the same thing…
?
He did his best to try to keep me awake…
night-after-night…
I was an artist at sleeping on my feet…
Bill…
I’m back Again:
I found a link to a hearing test…
Is this the one?
http://www.onlinehearing.com/
Anyway< I registered and got a passwaod mailed to my address…
I’ll log on and take the test tomorrow…
Bill…
I do not think that is the same test, but it may work out for you. Let us know how it goes.
Mike
Hi DrGuitar:
It’s strange that I’m not able to get to the test you guys are referring to…
How I found that one came from a search…
I entered WWW.Hearing Test and found a page full of them…
It seems as the limit of this one is some 8 khz.
It looks as though the test is for the really “Hearing Impaired”…
By the looks of it it is for the seriously inflicted people…
I had a quick run through…
I’m not doin’ very well at it either…
I think I need to refine my test with this one…
It looks as though I’m deaf in one ear and I am unable to hear in the other one…
AND the right ear is worse than the other one…
AND AND…
I’ve been listening at my music backwards, all my days… Who would’a known that ?
No wonder those audiologists are pretty well off…
I’ll be letting you know how I manage… This is serious stuff…
Bill…
There’s this Canadian one for ya, Bill, but it too only goes up to 8K:
http://www1.freehearingtest.ca/Default.aspx?TargetPage=INTRO&
I still can’t make the original one work.
How do I update Java?
OK, here’s an even better test - try this one, Bill:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html
Back Again:
I logged-on and took the test…
Some of the links that I followed to take this test are…
The Hearing Test link
You may have to register but no problem
You’ll get to this page
after you register
My left ear looks like this…
according to the findings…
My Right ear looks like this…
The short-fall is…
the test only goes to 8 khz.
The test is still in it’s development stage…
This might be something that the developers could expand and design something that might take the application up to the limits of audio hearing…
Who knows ?
I may not have followed the test as closely as I should have…
I have a problem with not following the manual-and-procedures to the Letter… Ain’t that normal
for audio guys…
I should take the test again…
This time I should use a pair of headphones…
as opposed to my computer desktop speakers…
Bill…
[EDIT]
Hi TomS:
What do you think Is this the same test you are referring to? I have yet to go to the link you posted… I’ll do this right away… You know… We as musicians place our ears at the top of the senses… When we loose them we are done… If we had a accurate way to understand what frequencies we don’t hear as we should I think we should be able to apply the losses to a 31 band EQ and consider our hearing restored… well… in the short term…
No wonder my mixes end up sounding like they do… Awful-going-in… AND… Awful’er-going-out… WELL…
What did those Leafs go-and-do to the Wings… last night ? That should’nt have happened…
Hey TomS:
I went to that page link you posted…
I did exactly what they wanted the users of that test to do…
I know them rotten Canucks…
They went and turned down the level of the 4 khz. test tone… to about 30% of the other frequencies…
That test wants you to go into the Ear Doctor so you can make payments on one of them Tin
Hearing Funnels…
I ain’t gettin’ caught up into that…
I owe all my spare change to that Dentist I know…
I’d rather have a full stomach than too much hearing…
Bill…
For those of you with JAVA problems, here is the current online update.
I like the UNSW (University of New South Wales) example. I found that the in the samples used at the extremes of hearing I heard I would hear overtones and sub frequencies rather than the fundamental.
Mike
O.K.
I did all the link’s tests…
I have some deficency of hearing in the 4-6 khz. region of the audio spectrum… Maybe, it’s the desk-top speakers that is what I’m hearing.
That crash cymbal he had must have been a pretty bad piece of brass…
Bill…
p.s.
Hi Mike…
I could hear my speakers doing something…
The paper speaker cone of the bass bin rattled or did something during the length of time that the 250 hz. and below tones were playing.
And, I heard the same sounds coming from the Hi-End cones when I played the frequencies above say 10 khz.
I should go get my AKG 240’s and do that test again…
Who knows…
Maybe, I can get manage/get along without a hearing funnel…
[EDIT 2]
You’re right Mike… That University of New South Wales was a pretty nice looking page…
Gotta be an admin for the Updated Java to install. Gotta be an admin for the Updates to the Jave Update to install. Gotta have the Updates to the Java Update or the test won’t work. Gotta be careful or the Updates to the Java Updates will unstall the Google Toolbar. MAYBE, Additional Language and Media support needs to be installed or the test won’t run (should install at first use unless manually disabled when installing in the first place). That’s a lot of updating and installing. I haven’t tried to see if the test will run after all that when not logged on as an admin.
Anyway, The test confirmed what I already knew, but showed it in a more meaningful way.
I’ve got tinnitus in both ears. The tests confirms it and shows that it’s around 4K, with a dip of 20db. I have a VERY decided roll-off that starts at 3K then nose dives above 8K. There’s nothing above 12K.
The test is VERY dependent on thesignal chain being good. When headphones or amps can’t handle the high frequencies cleanly then there will be obvious ring modulation. Also, the overall frequency response of the playback will skew results.
That said, it’s still a great test to get an idea of how bad your ears are.
I was using CHEAP onboard audio and a CHEAP outboard compter speekers amp, plugged into the headphone jack. There’s no doubt that my high frequency results are skewed. I can’t hear the fundemental past 12K (me headphones are speced to be flat past 20K), but the higher frequencies have very audible lower frequency modulations, making those checks usless on this system. I assume the ring modulations are from the cheap amp. (Doesn’t matter – I’ll try it again on another system)
OH…can’t save results and printing was blocked by the IE popup blocker. When I said to temporarily allow popups the results were gone. (Lesson: do a screen capture to save the results)
As an employee of a hearing aid company (never mind which one) I would offer a word of warning against those do-it-yourself hearing tests. They are only as good as the equipment you have at your disposal at your computer.
I tried the former test with a pair of BeyerDynamic DT-770 headphones, and at my age (45) I can still hear up to about 16 kHz without much trouble - according to the test. If you take the test with an inferior pair of headphones the result will not be anywhere near useful or accurate. At the very least, consult an M. D. specialist in hearing deficiencies if you are the least in doubt about the condition of your hearing.
And remember: take good care of the hearing you’ve got - even the best hearing aid will not restore what you have lost, though they can be of great help in many cases.
regards, Nils