Did you account for the level-dependent roll-off at both ends that is normal? Take a look at http://stereophile.com/reference/100digital/

Kal

I think all reviewers need to present THEIR hearing tests, MF FIRST, MF FIRST. I want MF to tell me he has range that hears outlets and wires!! But can't hear miswired Zanders.

I suspect that your hearing is normal for your age; the fall off for all of us is sobering. In some ways it's nice not to know.

However, I don't think a hearing test affects our ability to judge the quality of playback equipment unless one has truly poor hearing. Given any reasonable hearing acuity we can all judge whether a given system is more lifelike or less so.

Someone with hearing deficits sure ain't the one to be judging $100,000 TT's that's for sure. Like a One legged race car driver, man this new Audi sure is hard to operate the clutch, i guess I'll give it a poor rating to cripples. If the reviewer has a big rolloff he/she sure ain't gonna hear teh DISTORTION of say a Zander type product. Hmmm, looks like objective meter readings matter most. They can be calibrated and certified to be fully opeartional. Like reviers should be. Every revier should have a hearing test result printed with their review. They make hookers get aids test in Nevada don't they, and have to be certified to F' their customers? Why not audio reviewers? I really wanna see wht kind of hearing can hear demagnetized PLASTICS, wooden blocks etc, really. Perfume is sold as a personal preference.....ain't audio got some kind of tech specs attached. so if it don;'t matter than all teh verbage of hot air like MF and others are merely personal oppions, which are as meaninful as anyone elese here. Basically useless? JA measures, has shown MF can't hear, Chord can't deliver, and the reveiwer didn't hear he wasn't getting what big bucks he was paying for!!! Watts is like pounds of coffee. you pay by the pound (watts) not by how it smells(perceived sound) or tastes, though better tasting usually costs more like better sounding does too. Except you buy either a 1000W amp or 100W big price difference, same as 1 pound or 10 pounds of coffee. Of course MF probably like de caf, made in a perculator heated on a gas stove...cus' it's obsolete and old. Non of them drip electric machines for him.

I agree with Elk, Jim. You're still qualified to judge equipment. It's like physicians, professional pilots, etc; There is a point on the curve where experience meets natural ability. Your ability to hear the frequency extremes may be diminished (which is normal - also, there is a roll-off like Kal described even in individuals with perfect hearing), but your years of experience listening for minute differences gives you an advantage over someone like me, who is only just getting started in the world of auditioning. Don't throw in the towel just yet. Your ears are still valuable. Be thankful that your hearing is not actually damaged, like my father's, after spending years in front of the trumpet section. You don't need to surrender your golden ears for silver hair.

Unless you are not enjoying music as much as you used to because of your hearing loss, I wouldn't worry about it. We'll all get there soon enough. Besides, look on the bright side. With all the bright gear being sold, you don't have to worry about the sizzle being a deal breaker.

You cannot perceive anything, you might be clasified as deaf? Nothing above 5K Hz?!!! Dude, you are limited in any pretense to being able to discern anything, come on. Now apoligize for any thing you ever sai d or recomended!!1 I can hear out to much much much much more than that, maybe my ears are better and I do know what i am hearing hmmm, MF, where do your ears stop, i think maybe just a bad. It's like a one legged dude recomending new boots to wear!!!

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Others who have this disc...I would love to know how you fair in this test, either on headphones or your complete system(s).

Let me reiterate that this is not the right disc for testing hearing. Check out the AudioCD website for more information.

Kal

I have the disc, Jim, but you've scared me out of using it as you did. I'm a little older than you as you know, and am reconciled to hearing less than I did when younger, but I'm also less convinced that measurements confirming my lost abilities and defining them are of value to me - or to you for that matter. Thankfully, God has arranged it so that most of the content of the music we all love lies in the frequency ranges that are the last to go. Another good idea he had. That alone suggests we should forgive him for the size of those avacodo pits.

Lets hear no more talk about you dropping out in any sense of the word. OK?

Oops. I guess you did damage your hearing, Jim. *inserts foot in mouth* You can still take comfort in the fact that you did so in service to your country and not from listening to your iPod too loud! Have you considered a visit to the audiologist? I'm not familiar with the disc, but I think maybe a professional test would be more illuminating, possibly for the better. Even if you stop recommending, I hope you don't let the results influence your personal enjoyment of the music. The brain is a powerful organ.

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I still can perceive a quality recording from a bad one and a good/bad piano recording is easy for me to discern.

Exactly. If you know what something should sound right you can still tell if a system is doing the basics correctly.

Keep enjoying our hobby. We all approach it from different perspectives, talents and abilities.

P.S. I no longer feel silly wearing both ear plugs and a headset when shooting. Thanks for the reminder.

I also do the same.