A Headphone Setup for Listening To TV and Music

For most of us, our tinnitus is due to hearing loss. I have read that 27.4% of people over the age of 64 have some tinnitus. Although my own hearing is normal, I have loss at 4KHz and 10KHz. My tinnitus was initially a pure tone of 4KHz in my right ear.

Many audiologists say that by using hearing aids to restore volume at diminished frequencies, a person will find tinnitus more tolerable. Trouble is, hearing aids can be expensive.

My tinnitus becomes bad whenever I watch TV. I don't know what causes this, but watching TV guarantess that my tinnitus will get worse.

I decided to do something about this. (I will call this Tinnitus Experiment No. 372. I've come a long way from Experiment No. 1, which was ear drops). Some of you who have the same problem listening to TV can try this.

1. If your TV is connected to a Home Theater System, there should be a head phone plug. I ran a 20' long stereo audio cable from by TV, under my crawl space, to "my" chair.

2. I purchased a decent pair of over the ear head phones at Guitar Center:

3. I also purchased what is called an "equalizer". The one I purchased was only $64 at Guitar Center:

This equalizer is fairly small. I'd say about 4" x 8".
4. In the above image, you will see there are 9 slider buttons for this particular equalizer. Each button represents a frequency that can be amplified. In my case, since I have tinnitus at 4KHZ, I've increased the volume of the 4KHZ frequency.

Although I've just begun using this setup, I can tell you that it seems much better watching TV. There are no longer outside distracting noises.

I've also tried another setup: Turning 4KHZ to zero - sort of "notched TV". There may be some logic to using a setup like this. Researchers have determined that by amplifying "sideband frequencies", above and below the tinnitus frequency, the overexcited neurons at the tinnitus frequency will be inhibited.

Anyway, I wanted to post this for others who may have the same issue watching TV. An equalizer such as this can also be used for listening to music, of course. It's almost a "Poor Man's Hearing Aid".

 

What a fabulous post.

 

Thank you, Dez. You probably also have gear like this, since you play guitar in a band.

This equalizer will allow me to mix sounds, too. There are two inputs in the back, which will allow me to mix the TV audio and another sound source, I think.

I may try plugging in white noise, or "Jim's tinnitus tracks". In effect, I can watch TV with an additional tinnitus track mixed in.

Seems to me that Neuromonics (the $5000 IPod) is basically only music mixed with a tinnitus white noise track. In principle, this may achieve the same net effect.

 

It may be a little more than mixed, perhaps notched as well.

 

Wow...

I must say, it is a brilliant idea Karl Be careful not to listen to it too loud though. Even if the sound is notched, it can still cause more damage if used too loud!

I have one question - the idea with an equalizer is truly great, but shouldn't the notches just above and below the T frequency be very precise (much more than a standard equalizer)? For example when I had the tone of my T measured, they wanted me to compare different tones in 100Hz increments I think.

 

Excellent idea Karl especially if you know your T frequency. Unfortunately, I can't peg my T to an exact frequency. Tried with 2 diff audiologists with no luck, just a bunch of hissing and buzzing here.....

 

Fish -
That's a good point, and I don't know the answer. There are equalizers that have many more bands than the one I bought for $64. The really good ones may be about $150. (If I buy more of this stuff, our family room will begin looking like a recording studio.)

Keep in mind too that a band on an equalizer that is labeled 2KHz, is probably amplifying a bell-shaped distribution of frequencies that is centered on 2KHz. I'm understanding "sidebands" as bell-shaped distribution curves of frequencies above and below the target frequency.

Dr. Leslie Dalton of West Texas A&M recently delivered a paper at an audiology convention. He said:"Sidebands have been demonstrated to be a part of the neuronal inhibition in both presynaptic and postsynaptic activity (Schaett & Kempter, 2006 and Kopp-Scheinpflug, Dehmel, Dorrcheidt & Rubasmen, 2002). Further, Sheatte & Kempter (2009) found suppression and inhibition in sidebands adjacent to the excitatory response area."

Translation: All auditory nerves are "tonotopically" mapped to specific areas of the brain. My tinnitus is exciting an area of the brain associated with 4kHZ. Sideband frequencies are probably brain areas immediately next to the 4kHz region. By listening to sidebands, the sideband brain areas get excited causing the tinnitus area to become inhibited.

That's the way I understand this. I think this is why some people benefit from listening to notched music. I think this is also the principle used by Acoustic Neuromodulation CR and by Dichonics.

Erik -
I've been confused by your tinnitus sounding like white noise, without an associated frequency. Mine started out as a pure tone, then it became hissy, but the tone is still sort of there. A lot of people hear a cicada-like sound. It's interesting how the sound may be able to change like this.

 

Karl, you are right. There is a tone there. I do hear almost always a hissy noise in my right hear. However, if I plug my ears tight I can hear and underlying tone. Maybe I need to concentrate on that. The problem is I cannot really hear the tone unless I plug my ears completely and then it is tough to match with other tones.

 

OFFICIAL FINAL REPORT OF EXPERIMENT NO. 372
DURATION OF EXPERIMENT: NOV. 10, 2012 - NOV. 15, 2012
PLACE OF EXPERIMENT: ROZWELL, NEW MEXICO
DESCRIPTION: AUDIO HEADPHONE CONNECTION TO TV WITH EQUALIZER CIRCUIT
OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENT: TO DETERMINE IF EQUALIZER WILL SUPPRESS TINNITUS

TEST CASE SCENARIO 1:
BASED ON THE THEORY THAT "SIDEBANDS" WILL INHIBIT (SUPPRESS) TINNITUS EXPERIENCE, SUBJECT SET EQUALIZER TO A SO-CALLED "NOTCHED SETTING".
FINDINGS FOR TEST CASE 1: NO IMPROVEMENT

TEST CASE SCENARIO 2:
BASED ON THE THEORY THAT TINNITUS FREQUENCY IS DUE TO HEARING LOSS AT THAT FREQUENCY, SUBJECT SET EQUALIZER TO AMPLIFY TINNITUS FREQUENCY.
FINDINGS FOR TEST CASE 2: PLEASURABLE RESULTS. PERCEPTION OF TV MUCH BETTER. NO APPARENT REDUCTION IN TINNITUS.

STATUS OF EXPERIMENT: SUBJECT WILL CONTINUE TO USE AUDITORY AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM AT SETTING AMPLIFYING TO TINNITUS FREQUENCY.

DISCLAIMER: THIS REPORT CAN BE USED FREELY, AS AN OPEN DOMAIN DOCUMENT, WITH NO WARRANTIES. INDIVIDUALS USING THIS REPORT DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK. NO SPECIFIC CLAIMS OR GUARANTEES ARE INTENDED BY THIS REPORT. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF EAR RINGING INCREASES, DISCONTINUE. IF YOU DEVELOP THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, DISCONTINUE USE. IF IDEATION OF SUICIDE DEVELOP, CONTACT A PROFESSIONAL. IN NO WAY DOES THIS REPORT CONSTITUTE A CURE FOR YOUR CONDITION. DO NOT TAKE BLOOD THINNERS AND DRINK HEAVILY - SIMPLY BECAUSE ITS A BAD IDEA. THIS EXPERIMENT HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY NO ORGANIZATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! (KJH)

 

I hope you were wearing a white lab-coat. And carrying a clipboard. Stethoscope for extra points.

 

I got creative last night. Then I got sick for the first time in years and pucked my guts out. This morning I'm ok.

Dez -
Yes, in fact I have been wearing a white lab coat? Is that unusual?

 

Er..no. If you're a doctor in a hospital or in a science lab in a movie.

Sorry to hear you were sick.

 

Dez -
Thanks.
Kidding about the lab coat!

 

Can wearing hearing aids with specially equipped to hear tv cause t's to spike? I have noticed that my t's seem to be louder the following day after watching my tv. Thanks Jon