Test your hearing range

[OS]

frequency generator

If the exe has a virus, don't kill me, I didn't check

Anyways, I was wondering how damaged my hearing was from listening to music too loud. Normal human hearing range is from zero to ~20 khz. Supposedly hearing damage tends to affect the high end of the hearing spectrum. For me there is a noticeable drop off after 15 khz in sensitivity but I can hear up to the 17-18 khz range. Anything after it seems like my equipment craps out. I guess my hearing isn't too messed up

BTW, keep the volume control handy, some of the tones are screeching and hurt to listen to. Also, a fair amount of stereo equipment/sound cards can't put out the entire 0-20 khz sound range, especially upwards of 15 khz so YMMV.

Also, in my absent mindedness, I should have added another disclaimer, consider this as a for fun thing. It shouldn't be considered as an absolute test to see if your hearing is shot, only a doctor with the right equipment and lab can tell you this.

And remember, start at around 1 khz or so, that way you don't suddenly get a piercing screech from your speakers.

 

[Jarwa]

So, there's a chance I'm gonna do deaf trying to TEST my hearing? :Q

 

[bleuiko]

Yes, but for the sake of science, how can you refuse?

 

[OS]

<< So, there's a chance I'm gonna do deaf trying to TEST my hearing? >>



Not really unless you decide to set the tone generator to like 15 khz and then play it as loud as possible on your stereo. Remember to start at a low freq like 1 khz and work your way up so you don't get any nasty suprises.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

Pretty cool---I could hear everything at the same volume level until 15khz, then it dropped off. But once I got past about 17khz, I could hear it fine again. Drove my dog CRAZY though.

 

[OS]

<< Drove my dog CRAZY though. >>



LOL, be careful around your dog though, they have much more sensitive hearing than us crudely assembled hunams

 

[AnimeKnight]

Damn.. i can only hear up to 15khz that mean my hearing is messed up???

 

[snakesnfrogs]

AnimeKnight----did you go past 15khz? If not, keep going 'til you get to about 17khz--you'll probably be able to hear it again at the same level. I was actually able to hear something up to 30khz, but it had to be a harmonic or my soundcard actin' funny....

 

[OS]

<< Damn.. i can only hear up to 15khz that mean my hearing is messed up??? >>



Not necessarily. There is actually a fair amount of equipment out there that craps out above 15khz. Nearly all audio equipment has a nonlinear frequency response, which means that one frequency plays at x loudness and another plays at y loudness. Unless you are old (most senses lose their acuity with age) or have a history of subjecting yourself to extremely loud noises (IE to the point of causing prolonged ringing in your ear), you are probably ok.

Consider this as mostly for fun, only a doctor with the right lab/equipment can really say what the state of your hearing is. Sorry if this caused you any distress, I'll edit my original post.





<< I was actually able to hear something up to 30khz, but it had to be a harmonic or my soundcard actin' funny >>



Now that you mention it, I'm getting some buzzing above 20khz, but that shouldn't be possible. It's probably the software or the sound card getting confused.

 

[Vincent]

That's fun to play with.

I couldn't hear anything over 15khz (SBLive + Yamaha 2.1 speakers) or under about 30hz. Oh well.

 

[Jothaxe]

I guess my hearing must be exceptional, because I can hear the white noise at any frequency I want, even above 30kHz! (btw j/k everyone, you dont need to explain to me what white noise is

 

[bacillus]

<< I could hear everything at the same volume level until 15khz, then it dropped off. But once I got past about 17khz, I could hear it fine again >>


suggest you go into your bios &amp; disable hearing hole between 15-17 khz!

 

[skemlawn]

actually the hearing range for humans is commonly from 20hz to 20khz. With females being able to hear upwards of 22 or 23khz. Which kinda explains why women are more suseptible to loud noise.

 

[aftahours]

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SH!T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NEVER HAVE THE VOLUME RIGHT UP AND HAVE HEADFONES ON!!
IM LIKE PARTIALLY DEAF NOW!!!!!!
AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH:Q:|!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VoodooExtreme]

58.992Hz - 16kHz then after 35kHz it started to sound again... must be something wrong with the program