Follow-up to July post about system changes and hearing loss
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| Posted on August 31, 2015 at 06:08:35 | ||
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Posts: 611
Location: Southeast Joined: November 25, 2004 |
Greetings! So I've been wearing a hearing aid for more than a month now. Those who posted messages earlier about the need for repeated visits to tweak the thing were spot-on. Such fine tuning is definitely part of the menu. All told, I'd say the experience has been more positive than negative. It makes everyday life more comfortable. As for focused music listening on a two-channel system, well...I'm afraid my experience is not so encouraging. Maybe the effect is psychological, but the idea of taking SACD, vacuum tubes, and a pair of high-resolution floor-standing speakers and funneling all of that through a tiny capsule, a length of tubing, and a plastic dome stuck in my ear canal just does not make for satisfying listening. The audiologist loaded a music program onto the unit that brought about marginal improvements, but I have to face the fact that my main rig doesn't sound satisfying. And when I remove the HA, the buzzing inside my ear becomes too readily apparent, to the point that it distracts from my listening enjoyment. (An aside: if you suffer hearing loss and are experiencing tinnitus as a result, one of the primary benefits of wearing a HA is the amelioration of this effect.) I can assure you that this was not a snap judgment--rather, it is the result of many long (and frustrating) hours of listening and experimentation. Long story short, I've decided to pursue a multi-channel system for my main rig. I plan to incorporate home theater into this. Here's why: in a spare bedroom I have a very modest home theater set-up. To my own surprise, when I listen to a decent YouTube video of a classical concert, the combination of video and surround sound makes for an engaging listening/viewing experience. Dare I say it? Yes--it has become more satisfying than music alone on my main rig. Thus my decision to move into a multi-channel system. The choices before me are bewildering, and the selection process is made more challenging by the puzzling fact that reviews focus on movies and two-channel music listening, but very few seem to address listening to two-channel music in surround modes. (A notable exception: Kal Rubinson's "Music in the Round" column.) I've accumulated quite a library of multichannel SACDs over the years, but the vast majority of my music is two channel, and I'm very much interested in experimenting with using a judicious application of DSP modes or whatever options are available to expand the soundfield. Here's my short list of options based on my research so far: a Marantz receiver supplemented by an outboard amp to power the main L/R speakers, or an NAD T-787 receiver. The NAD appeals because of their proprietary music surround mode, which they claim avoids the artificial artifacts of other DSP surround technologies. Believe me, I've been the victim of such artifacts, and I'd like to avoid them. The Marantz seems to lack an emphasis on music surround modes (which strikes me as a bit surprising), with options limited to the usual line-up of Dolby and Neo. And, of course, enhanced stereo, which a cynic might label the Bose setting. I have music-loving friends who put great stock in Yamaha's proprietary DSP music modes (Hall C in Amsterdam, jazz club, and such like), but I've never found them particularly convincing. BTW, my selection process is influenced by my preference for dealing with local brick-and-mortar shops. Sorry to be so long-winded, but this is a complex and multifaceted problem. And I suffer from a low threshold of "choice stress," so any advice from fellow inmates would be a great help. Feedback from those of you who have experience with surround music listening would be particularly appreciated, but I value all your opinions. Thanks!
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| RE: How about this..., posted on September 1, 2015 at 06:53:11 | |
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"I am not hearing impaired" And, you're stickin' by your story. :)
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