Hi all,
My father recently suffered from an acoustic neuroma and lost one ear entirely. I wouldn't call him an audiophile but he has always enjoyed listening to music. The loss of half his hearing has been trying for him. Seeing him listening with a single ipod earbud, the other just clipped off, was pretty sad.
I would like to set up a good headphone system for him. I will probably make something based on a single grado driver. Not sure what kind of amp but there are a lot of interesting choices on this and other boards, Ill probably just give one a go. What I need help with is how to best sum the channels. I also wonder if there might be something better than just a simple mono signal. I thought perhaps delaying and reducing the other channel might give a pseudo stereo effect but perhaps that would just sound like an odd echo?
Thoughts, suggestions, circuits all appreciated.
Thanks,
MrKramer
My father recently suffered from an acoustic neuroma and lost one ear entirely. I wouldn't call him an audiophile but he has always enjoyed listening to music. The loss of half his hearing has been trying for him. Seeing him listening with a single ipod earbud, the other just clipped off, was pretty sad.
I would like to set up a good headphone system for him. I will probably make something based on a single grado driver. Not sure what kind of amp but there are a lot of interesting choices on this and other boards, Ill probably just give one a go. What I need help with is how to best sum the channels. I also wonder if there might be something better than just a simple mono signal. I thought perhaps delaying and reducing the other channel might give a pseudo stereo effect but perhaps that would just sound like an odd echo?
Thoughts, suggestions, circuits all appreciated.
Thanks,
MrKramer
I looked into "bone phones" but Im afraid they wont work for me. My father actually lost the entire inner ear structure from the surgery. It is not limited hearing, there is no ear there.
I know I could simply sum the inputs with a couple resistors. Seems pretty basic but I have a feel it has some limitations. Wouldn't this kill some of the signal? Wouldn't one channel drive the other to some degree? Is there an active version that would work better?
No thoughts on any psycho-acoustic tricks that bring a sense of depth/stereo to a mono signal? I dont even know how to begin searching for something like that. Most info out there starts with the assumption of 2 ears!
I know I could simply sum the inputs with a couple resistors. Seems pretty basic but I have a feel it has some limitations. Wouldn't this kill some of the signal? Wouldn't one channel drive the other to some degree? Is there an active version that would work better?
No thoughts on any psycho-acoustic tricks that bring a sense of depth/stereo to a mono signal? I dont even know how to begin searching for something like that. Most info out there starts with the assumption of 2 ears!
Sorry to read of your dad's hearing loss. I truly empathize. You could send the output of the two resistors into an op amp. From there, regaining any "sense of stereo" would be difficult to impossible AFAIK. Some sort of ambiance processing may add a sense of space and/or depth to the playback. It's all I can think of.
Sorry ! In Ear Monitor, IEM or earbuds
I think a custom mold with both drivers in it.....I think there would be lots of room, there are kits for you to make your own molds and stuff.....
here are some pics.custom iem - Google Search The drivers will have to be back further in the housing, a little further away from the ear canal but it should be do-able either DIY or find someone to do it for you. just google custom IEM.
Good luck !
I think a custom mold with both drivers in it.....I think there would be lots of room, there are kits for you to make your own molds and stuff.....
here are some pics.custom iem - Google Search The drivers will have to be back further in the housing, a little further away from the ear canal but it should be do-able either DIY or find someone to do it for you. just google custom IEM.
Good luck !
Hi,
You really can't do anything better than simple mono, certainly not any sort
of pseudo stereo effect, any delay will give comb filtering effects and sound
downright weird.
There is a lack of detail in your plans and what quality / budget is wanted.
rgds, sreten.
Posting on Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles
would no doubt turn up some quality options with one damaged
driver you may get for next to nothing, and some good advice.
You really can't do anything better than simple mono, certainly not any sort
of pseudo stereo effect, any delay will give comb filtering effects and sound
downright weird.
There is a lack of detail in your plans and what quality / budget is wanted.
rgds, sreten.
Posting on Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles
would no doubt turn up some quality options with one damaged
driver you may get for next to nothing, and some good advice.
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I am familiar with head-fi but more familiar with this board. Figured I'd start here.
Lack of detail in my plan is due to my desire for my father to hear normally conflicting with reality.
I looked at the IEM's but they look too much like hearing aids. Its a sensitive subject.
I think it might be best to simplify this. Ill make something that looks like a plug adapter that sums mono. This will let him listen comfortably at the office, coffee shop etc from any normal source without looking too odd.
As a separate project Ill introduce him to better headphones. Im a fan of grados and I think he will be too. If he likes and uses them I will look into making a little mono amp. Ive been wanting to get my feet wet with tubes, guess its a good time for that.
Thanks all,
MrKramer
Lack of detail in my plan is due to my desire for my father to hear normally conflicting with reality.
I looked at the IEM's but they look too much like hearing aids. Its a sensitive subject.
I think it might be best to simplify this. Ill make something that looks like a plug adapter that sums mono. This will let him listen comfortably at the office, coffee shop etc from any normal source without looking too odd.
As a separate project Ill introduce him to better headphones. Im a fan of grados and I think he will be too. If he likes and uses them I will look into making a little mono amp. Ive been wanting to get my feet wet with tubes, guess its a good time for that.
Thanks all,
MrKramer
For stereo imaging You need two ears. For viewing in 3D, two eyes need.
Maybe You can think about other senses as well. There are music systems that produce bone conducting (in this case on the good ear) AND a headphone. There are brainwave stimulating machines that uses vision for enhance the effect.
Try combining the senses and not only use one ear but ear and vision or bone conduction.
I do not say it is audiophile, but it can enhance the fun of listening for him. Even I would try one of those combined Hifi Gears ...
Maybe You can think about other senses as well. There are music systems that produce bone conducting (in this case on the good ear) AND a headphone. There are brainwave stimulating machines that uses vision for enhance the effect.
Try combining the senses and not only use one ear but ear and vision or bone conduction.
I do not say it is audiophile, but it can enhance the fun of listening for him. Even I would try one of those combined Hifi Gears ...
Hi,
I have no idea what you are talking about, which usually means you've got
something very wrong. His father only has one working ear, no way round it.
I personally have no idea how annoying that might be, a sensitive issue.
Differences in expected tonal balance still imply some direction with one
ear, the brain and senses are strange things. Perhaps the bad side of
the hearing should be rolled off to mimic head masking before the two
channels are combined to mono, but that is only conjecture on my part.
rgds, sreten.
I would think (read) again before such a post...
I know he lost one ear. I said if You have only one ear, perhaps You can combine your senses.
I never said You can make stereo or spatial sound. Some methods will make you feel "more" than just listening with one ear for some person:
Headphone combined with bone conduction:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Listen with bone conduction technology takes Music-Based Auditory Stimulation™ to the next level.
"It combines the experience of listening to music through specialized headphones adding subtle vibration of the skin and skeletal system, engaging the whole body and brain in the listening process."
Combining sound with visualization:
MindPlace - Supplier of Proteus, Procyon, Sirius and Thoughtstream products
"Our Sirius Mind State Optimizer is simply the best value of any Light and Sound system on the market. The ideal companion to help you relax, improve mental focus, relax before meetings or exams, anytime you would like to enhance your mind-state."
I have Grados in my headphone 'collection' and I don't think that they meet the above criterion. There are lots of other 'good looking and good sounding' phones out there which don't have the 'Nurenberg trial' look...
IMO, of course.
The idea of an adaptor is a good one-it separates the A+B->mono issue from the phone selection.
BTW, my father had the same situation (neuroma removed resulting in one-side deafness) for 40 years. Listening to music is the least of the adaptations required- as I'm sure your family is finding. Learning to re-arrange the seating, etc.... Also, one of the more frustrating features of 'one-side' hearing is the inability to 'pick out' one voice from a noisy background. So turning off the radio/TV when you want to have a conversation is useful.
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Hi,
I don't think so. Your a victim of marketing speak blurb and BS, which you
haven't tried, and none of which are related to losing hearing in one ear.
I worked in telecoms for 20 years, I know my auditory stuff.
"Advanced Brain Technologies" ? can't you spot utter BS.
rgds, sreten.
Sorry to hear your father went through the same thing. Nasty stuff.
2 inter-cranial surgeries. 6 months of facial paralysis. Dangerous lack of balance. Loss of one ear and as you said, the inability to 'pick out' voices in the background. I guess music is low on the list. However, the earliest photo I have of myself is me sitting on his lap, wearing headphones and listening to his reel to reel. He introduced me early on to the joy of just listening to music. I would like to try and repay the favor.
He complains that all sound seems to be originating in the center of his head.
If we think of stereo as a progression from
extreme left->mostly left->common->mostly right->extreme right
maybe just simplify to
extreme left->common->extreme right
would it be possible to extract this "extreme left" from common and right? My understanding of comb filtering is that it comes from 2 sources playing a common signal. This "extreme left" is not common. Not sure how to do it and maybe not hifi but perhaps a delay/attenuation of just the "extreme" channel before summing to mono might give that sense of space he is missing. Maybe even put some adjustment pots in there so he could find a setting that sounds good.
Am I grasping at straws here?
MrKramer
BTW- You may have a point regarding grados!
2 inter-cranial surgeries. 6 months of facial paralysis. Dangerous lack of balance. Loss of one ear and as you said, the inability to 'pick out' voices in the background. I guess music is low on the list. However, the earliest photo I have of myself is me sitting on his lap, wearing headphones and listening to his reel to reel. He introduced me early on to the joy of just listening to music. I would like to try and repay the favor.
He complains that all sound seems to be originating in the center of his head.
If we think of stereo as a progression from
extreme left->mostly left->common->mostly right->extreme right
maybe just simplify to
extreme left->common->extreme right
would it be possible to extract this "extreme left" from common and right? My understanding of comb filtering is that it comes from 2 sources playing a common signal. This "extreme left" is not common. Not sure how to do it and maybe not hifi but perhaps a delay/attenuation of just the "extreme" channel before summing to mono might give that sense of space he is missing. Maybe even put some adjustment pots in there so he could find a setting that sounds good.
Am I grasping at straws here?
MrKramer
BTW- You may have a point regarding grados!
Kramer-
If you want to play around with reverb and other effects, one (cheap) possibility would be an older/used guitar effects board/box. (Korg or similar). Most of them have misc reverb and 'room effects' available, though the result may be 'too much' for normal 'hifi' listening.
Good luck with your project, and regards to your Dad in this difficult time. The brain is amazingly adaptable (as you know) and a lot of the problems your father is experiencing will probably become less prominent over time.
Nasty stuff, but as my Dad said (from time to time) "It could have been a lot worse...".
If you want to play around with reverb and other effects, one (cheap) possibility would be an older/used guitar effects board/box. (Korg or similar). Most of them have misc reverb and 'room effects' available, though the result may be 'too much' for normal 'hifi' listening.
Good luck with your project, and regards to your Dad in this difficult time. The brain is amazingly adaptable (as you know) and a lot of the problems your father is experiencing will probably become less prominent over time.
Nasty stuff, but as my Dad said (from time to time) "It could have been a lot worse...".
Hi,
The problem with a lot of guitar effects and similarly with "multi-channel"
spatial headphone effects is that they rely on two channel hearing.
I do not pretend to know much about the effects one channel hearing.
I do know about how the two ears works together, and how you can
"fool" them to a certain extent, with delays and spectral changes.
The essential point here being the brain compares the L and R information.
AFAIK nothing developed to utilise the above will work well single channel.
rgds, sreten.
The problem with a lot of guitar effects and similarly with "multi-channel"
spatial headphone effects is that they rely on two channel hearing.
I do not pretend to know much about the effects one channel hearing.
I do know about how the two ears works together, and how you can
"fool" them to a certain extent, with delays and spectral changes.
The essential point here being the brain compares the L and R information.
AFAIK nothing developed to utilise the above will work well single channel.
rgds, sreten.
Hi,
Stereo L and R can be reduced to the mono signal, L plus R, and the
difference signal L minus R. That is how FM radio works, main signal
is mono, the higher carrier is the difference requiring a lot more signal
for low noise in stereo.
There is a variation called the "Shuffler" circuit, used in studios in the UK
in the 60's, that summed and differenced the two channels. By having
separate volume controls for each signal the apparent stereo "width"
could be manipulated from "central" to "very wide".
This might have worked with early pan potted stereo, but with modern
stuff if you set it to "very wide" you lose all the bass, which is essentially
mono on nearly all recordings, I think the "Shuffler" was mainly used to
reduce the effects of pan potted stereo, not the reverse.
Problem is, none of this works with only one channel of hearing.
I do not know how the brain adapts over time to this situation.
rgds, sreten.
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