# Sound Anomaly Puzzle



## chappi4u (Mar 9, 2013)

Hello from eastern NC. This is my first post and I'd like to begin by saying how happy I am I found this forum. 

I've just turned 70 and up until three years ago I thoroughly enjoyed all things AV; music, TV, DVD, Internet streaming. I lost hearing in my right ear due to radiation for an Acoustic Neuroma in March of 2010. The damage to my vestibular nerve also cost me my balance. No big deal; however, I'm now unable to enjoy listening to any media that incorporates certain sounds, such as high pitched voices, or instruments, such as cymbals and trumpets. What I hear in the case of cymbals is rhythmical bursts sounding much like a system with a broken speaker or a stylus scratching at the end of a record. The high-pitched voices sound tinny and flat, like an AM radio not quite tuned to station. Doesn't matter if listening from my 5.1 system or my computer. No one hears it but me so it most likely isn't a component of the system so much as a compensation I need to make for the system, i.e. equalizer adjustments.

I was recently fitted with a CROS hearing device at UNC Memorial Hospital to help with awareness of sound emanating on my deaf side. I asked the audiologist if he had any ideas. He wasn't able to help. Hearing in good ear is pretty near 100% normal

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Welcome to the forum. 
Hopefully someone will offer some insights.

Cheers,
Bill


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

I doubt that there is a good solution, unfortunately. However, you might benefit from a system with a decent graphic or parametric EQ that will let you adjust the FR to what you find more pleasing (or less disturbing) but whatever you do for the defective ear will also be heard by the good ear. 

Another approach is to get headphones and use the EQ only for the defective ear.

That said, do you have a decent and recent audiogram with the new hearing device?


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## chappi4u (Mar 9, 2013)

Thank you. It was thought the bad ear might be the culprit, however, when taken out of the equation by plugging, there was no change. The good ear seems to be the problem. There is no change with the CROS device active. Headphones do eliminate the problem. I'm extremely frustrated:hissyfit:but determined to find a solution before I drive others near and dear to me crazy!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Hello Larry, Welcome aboard!

This is a puzzling problem that I am surprised that the Dr's had no answer to. I wonder if the issue is that the good ear is now over compensating for what you lost. Have you tried to partially plug your good ear to see if the problem is reduced any?


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## chappi4u (Mar 9, 2013)

Thank, Tony. Yes, partially plugging the good ear does in fact reduce/eliminate the problem. Also, cupping my hand to effectively raise sound approx. 6db will eliminate the problem. Audiologist is puzzled as to why this works. Surely there must be a better way?????


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

I don't have the same problem but I do have a very loud high freq tinnitus 24/7. In my HT have a fiddles with the EQ for my center bringing up freq between 10-14khz and I hear dialog better (I also increased the volume a notch or two. Surrounds sound I have to crank us alot or I don't hear it much. However, if I tweak it to my liking, nobody else likes it...

If the tinnitus is decidedly bad I use a set of headphones. Unfortunately with my current system I cannot do surround (5.1+) in headphones


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

chappi4u said:


> Thank you. It was thought the bad ear might be the culprit, however, when taken out of the equation by plugging, there was no change. The good ear seems to be the problem. There is no change with the CROS device active. Headphones do eliminate the problem. I'm extremely frustrated:hissyfit:but determined to find a solution before I drive others near and dear to me crazy!


Well, I had assumed that the "good ear is pretty near 100% normal." If this anomaly is in that ear, it may be low level tinnitus or a conduction issue but, either way, should be an otological issue identifiable by the otologist or audiologist.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

My daughter has a similar problem with high frequencies in both ears..It was painful for her to listen to those higher frequencies, so the audiologist prescribed special ear plugs that filter out high frequencies only..
She hears perfectly well with them in and blocks out those painful sounds..
It might be something to look into..


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## chappi4u (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks, I'll mention the ear plug to my audiologist when I see him next month. I reran Audyssey speaker setup yesterday, since I have repositioned surrounds and returned new center speaker that didn't help. Thought I was actually understanding dialogue better with some improvement in the anomaly. Not so, just had to wait for the right music, instrument, voice, and it was still there. Tried on the CROS hearing device and was shocked to find that it amplified the anomaly!!! Now, I am confused. How can this be?????? Nothing I could do improved this, except removing the CROS aid. There has to be an answer for this. This is like trying to listen over white noise!

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'll be installing and setting up my sisters new system soon and had hoped to find a solution. Can't rely on my ears, thankful for REW and my Mac!!!

Larry


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## Sevenfeet (Feb 2, 2009)

Most of us here aren't physicians here (I'm not)...but I would have to think that a brain that has been wired and conditioned for a life long of using its auditory processing instruments (ears) in a certain way is now trying to figure out life in the new realm. And this is more than just a loss of hearing...it's a disruption of how sound is being recorded, which is screwing up the processing method of your brain.

I'm sure there is technology that can help...I would find a forum specific to people with hearing issues and ask around. But one thing that may help is just time and brain retraining. The brain is fairly malleable, even later in life. It's possible that 6 months to a year from now, the issue may be lessoned or diminished entirely.


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## chappi4u (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks, 7', sounds logical to me. I'll investigate audiology forums to see if I can gain more insight.


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