[Wind Chaser]

Tweeters are so overrated!

[JRace]

As someone who tests hearing (Audiology) I can tell you that this test really has no relavance.

1st, there is no calibrated equipment.
Sure we are all playing the same tones, but unless you are doing it in a calibrated setting and ideally in a sound-proof room then you have no idea if the fault is with your ears or wit hthe playback chain.

2nd, the test tones are not adjusted to our hearing curve. In proper clinical test settings the tones output levels are based on our hearing curve.

3rd, this in no way relates at all to your ability to enjoy or apreciate muicall playback or HiFi (in fact there are no audiological tests that could).

-----
With that said, everone over the age of 50, anyone who has or does work in noise, and anyone with a family histor of heraing problems should seek out a qualified audiologist or hearing instrument pratitioner to have their heaing tested regularly.

And please, no one ever EVER use Qtips or (and I can't belive I have to tell people this...) NEVER USE EAR CANDLES!!!

[poseidonsvoice]

As someone who tests hearing (Audiology) I can tell you that this test really has no relavance.

1st, there is no calibrated equipment.
Sure we are all playing the same tones, but unless you are doing it in a calibrated setting and ideally in a sound-proof room then you have no idea if the fault is with your ears or wit hthe playback chain.

2nd, the test tones are not adjusted to our hearing curve. In proper clinical test settings the tones output levels are based on our hearing curve.

3rd, this in no way relates at all to your ability to enjoy or apreciate muicall playback or HiFi (in fact there are no audiological tests that could).

-----
With that said, everone over the age of 50, anyone who has or does work in noise, and anyone with a family histor of heraing problems should seek out a qualified audiologist or hearing instrument pratitioner to have their heaing tested regularly.

And please, no one ever EVER use Qtips or (and I can't belive I have to tell people this...) NEVER USE EAR CANDLES!!!

Finally! Somebody I agree with! Thanks JRace for setting it straight.

Best,
Anand.

[Ericus Rex]

And please, no one ever EVER use Qtips or (and I can't belive I have to tell people this...) NEVER USE EAR CANDLES!!!

Do any of the other over-the-counter products actually work for cleaning your ears?

[Bob in St. Louis]

- JRace, thank you for setting the record straight. As a professional in the industry, I respect your words.
I certainly didn't want to propagate false or misleading information.

Bob

[stereocilia]

JRace is exactly right.  Most people would be surprised at how much energy is required for ears with normal hearing to detect pure tones at very high frequencies.  The calibrated gear I have at work can test up to 20 KHz (using big-ass Sennheiser phones), but on the dB HL scale, which is a normalized scale so that average normal human hearing threshold response looks flat on a graph, the equipment only goes to about 40 dB HL before it caps out.  I don't know what 40 dB HL at 20 KHz is in dB SPL, but it might be triple digits.  Does anybody here know?

Regarding cleaning, ears are usually self cleaning if you just wash the parts outside your ear canal.  The wax usually migrates out on its own.  You also need to be surprisingly close to occluded to have any easily measurable effect on hearing.  q-tips often just jam your cerumen (earwax) in further.  But, just between us (and you didn't hear this from me), some people can get away with using them safely.  I wouldn't risk it though.  The OTC carbomide peroxide kits like DeBrox are basically safe, but if there is any chance you have a perforated tympanic membrane (eardrum) don't even think about using it.  I'm still waiting to find out from an Otolaryngologist (ear-nose-throat physician) if the wax vacuum you see on infomercials is okay. I really doubt it.  My thought is that if it were powerful enough to pull out earwax it ought to be powerful enough to do damage.  If not, then it would only be able to get soft wax which would probably come out anyway.  I'm not sure though.

Worth repeating:  Ear candling is never safe nor effective.  Ever.  Avoid.

[sebrof]

A funny aside - My son told me that there are ringtones that play a hi freq tone. The kids can hear it, the teachers cannot, so when they get a call (or I guess more likely a text) they don't get their phone taken away.

[Captainhemo]

Same idea as   how some   places are playing these  high frequency  tones  outside their places of  bussiness to prevent loitiering  by groups of kids.  I personally haven't seen this but did see  a   brief blurb  about it on TV some time ago.  My newphew tells me there are  few places  doing this  in  the Vancouver area  now

From above,  what exactly  are  " ear candles" ?  Never heard of  them

--jay

[Bob in St. Louis]

A funny aside - My son told me that there are ringtones that play a hi freq tone. The kids can hear it, the teachers cannot, so when they get a call (or I guess more likely a text) they don't get their phone taken away.

I'm impressed. I applaud the use of intelligence, ingenuity and creativity by todays young people.   

[Sonny]

well, I am 43 and on my SH HD650 I can not hear the 15khz signal..

[*Scotty*]

Sonny do you have any CRT type TVs in the house? The approximately 15kHz noise emitted from them might be a better real world test.
It should be very audible if you have your head anywhere in close proximity to the rear of the set during operation.
Scotty

[sharpsuxx]

I am 27 and went all the way up to 20khz, makes me feel good.  Years of sitting further back at concerts probably paid off.