I was reading a comment by BillShurv and he linked to a HFN/RR (HiFi News & Record Review) article. I used to subscribe to the paper magazine a couple of decades ago (or so) and had lost contact with it and wondered what and who had changed. Turns out, not much, there were some very familiar names reviewing hardware and music.
I got to wondering if that was a good thing or not.
Their hearing must have deteriorated, are their ears still golden well into their 70s?
Does it matter?
If they re-reviewed kit from the 1980's now, would they still give the same review?
If they reviewed modern kit with their 1980's ears would they still give the same reviews?
Still, at least the technical analysis is fairly reliable...
I got to wondering if that was a good thing or not.
Their hearing must have deteriorated, are their ears still golden well into their 70s?
Does it matter?
If they re-reviewed kit from the 1980's now, would they still give the same review?
If they reviewed modern kit with their 1980's ears would they still give the same reviews?
Still, at least the technical analysis is fairly reliable...
Speaking very generally here: If someone is looking for specific issues it is quite common to find ways to compensate for reduced sensory input.
Then again, it is easy to trick yourself.
In sum:
Could be they have found ways to circumvent the issues of deteriorated hearing, then again it could be they are just spouting nonsense.
Then again, it is easy to trick yourself.
In sum:
Could be they have found ways to circumvent the issues of deteriorated hearing, then again it could be they are just spouting nonsense.
I wondered if they'd had their hearing tested at all. It's often hard to spot a gradual change in ones self without the help of an outside observer.
Those frequencies lost through ageing are gone and others degraded. Do they end up liking hardware with a slight h/f emphasis that they'd have rejected 30 years earlier as to bright or hard?
Those frequencies lost through ageing are gone and others degraded. Do they end up liking hardware with a slight h/f emphasis that they'd have rejected 30 years earlier as to bright or hard?
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Well, even if you cannot hear a specific frequency, you most likely can listen for resonances caused by that specific frequency.
The body and/or brain CAN find ways to compensate somewhat, not saying that's the story behind the writers of the magazine, but it does happen.
I know it may seem far fetched, but I've been impressed by some old mechanics that where unable to hear fairly basic things, but when checking for a specific (and to me, hardly discernible) noise in a running engine they catch it real quick.
The body and/or brain CAN find ways to compensate somewhat, not saying that's the story behind the writers of the magazine, but it does happen.
I know it may seem far fetched, but I've been impressed by some old mechanics that where unable to hear fairly basic things, but when checking for a specific (and to me, hardly discernible) noise in a running engine they catch it real quick.
It's an interesting question. I recently attended the European Triode Festival. Lots of 30- en 40 year olds, but many of the participants were over 50 (or even over 70 ;-). But their opinion on the various demo's was pretty consistent, with the older ones able to quickly zoom in on issues, faster than the youngsters.
So maybe the thousands of hours of critical listening are more important.
As someone said above, the brain is very flexible to compensate for changing hearing response.
Jan
So maybe the thousands of hours of critical listening are more important.
As someone said above, the brain is very flexible to compensate for changing hearing response.
Jan
The important skills for a reviewer are vendor relations and language skills. Using the product may be very far down the list.
I certainly don't feel I've lost anything over the years though the hearing tests I've had would say otherwise. Recordings that irked me 30 years ago still do, and for the same reasons.
So what does all this say about where the most important musical information is? Below the higher frequencies that decline as we age?
Or that the brain remembers patterns and is infilling those lost higher frequencies based on what's occurring lower down?
Or a bit of both?
So what does all this say about where the most important musical information is? Below the higher frequencies that decline as we age?
Or that the brain remembers patterns and is infilling those lost higher frequencies based on what's occurring lower down?
Or a bit of both?
Different people hear differing realities, but if, say, ten people hear a violin, all hearing it then a record/playback system, if it is a good system
they will all recognise their own reality.
A speaker designer I knew had to play things very loud to hear in his old age, but if he was happy with the tonal balance my then youthfull ears
were, too.
they will all recognise their own reality.
A speaker designer I knew had to play things very loud to hear in his old age, but if he was happy with the tonal balance my then youthfull ears
were, too.
I now wear hearing aids. Dang. However, I can still hear the separation, depth, and a quiet background. Those are important to me along with clarity. I still enjoy the music in any case. HeyBill
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Some of the best “ears” I’ve known were old fellows. They were aware of the age related losses, and were careful to ask for help from younger ears.
Despite some frequency loss, their hearing skills were still superb. Pitch, tonal balance, distortion, resonances, crossover problems - they were quick to hear them and accurate in their assessments.
Still, it is fun to think about the reviews shifted in time. Not just reviewers, but us too. The same could be said for car and motorcycle reviews. Imagine television reviews!
Despite some frequency loss, their hearing skills were still superb. Pitch, tonal balance, distortion, resonances, crossover problems - they were quick to hear them and accurate in their assessments.
Exactly this. We tend to get stuck on frequency response numbers when talking about hearing. But there is much more to it.
Still, it is fun to think about the reviews shifted in time. Not just reviewers, but us too. The same could be said for car and motorcycle reviews. Imagine television reviews!
Don't forget that the audio band is about 10 octaves wide and 8 of those fall below 6kHz.
Jan
Jan
And as Dolby pointed out we are most sensitive to noise around 6.3kHz
My hearing was tested okay to 14 khz age 58 and I don't notice any difference 24 years later. I can still hear the difference between a Baldwin Acrosonic console piano versus the *****y highs of a U model console. I do have to clean the wax out of the ears more often. I have assiduously used earplugs in high noise situations. My home hifi peaks at about 100 db, and I wear earplugs at most pop/rock concerts.