Real Natural Sounds vs. Artificial Sound Generators — I Bought Crickets and Keep Them in My House

I cannot find much information about people using real sounds to mask or help tinnitus. All I come across is talk about hearing aids, sound generators, mobile phone apps with sounds etc.

I have had tinnitus for a year and only today - yes, that long it took - I realized that the real sound of water running in the bathroom, when I stand next to it, which is about 60 dB - on par with normal people talking to you - not only perfectly masks my tinnitus, no matter if it is desireble or not, but also does not irritate me at all.

I tried to play a nature sound of brooks and rivers using myNoise.net and my pocket Bluetooth JBL speaker, then from my iPhone, then from my high end speakers, only to realize none of these match the real running water. Even if I play sounds from Deezer or Spotify, using my high end speaker, there is clearly something missing and irritating my ears, it sounds more like frying eggs than water.

I was thinking of buying one of those sound generators, but I can imagine they sound nothing like the real thing.

One day at summer I was sitting in the woods at night, all crickets beautifully singing to my ears, not only didn't I hear my tinnitus at all, but I felt like I was in heaven at last. I decided I would buy real crickets and keep them in my house and listen to them, just enjoy their real beautiful and masking sound every evening.

I wonder if there is something that would replace real sounds of water or crickets? As of now, I haven't heard anything close and the difference is that I hear something artificial and irritating.

What is your experience?

I am sure audiophile @Michael Leigh will know a lot about this problem.

 

Far from perfect but this is the only digital recording of crickets I can stand listening to for long.

Fireflies & Crickets - Calming Nature...

 

This may just be the single greatest post ever. Real crickets in the house. I can't wait to find out how you solve the running brook challenge.

Nice work, really creative.

George

 

Thank you. They sell small indoor or garden fountains, but I am afraid they are too quiet.

 

OK, it seems not many people are interested in natural sound enrichment.

Why are you all so obsessed with sound generators and YouTube videos when you can have real sounds at home?

I have the crickets at home the second night. Out of about 30 of them, only one is singing. It is because except that one all are too young or female. One little fellow managed to squeeze through the ventilation and ran away. I saw him rush to the cables behind my desktop computer. I hope he will enjoy his freedom, but unlike his fellow crickets in jail, he has little to eat or drink. And no pals.

 

I'm glad you find something that works for you. I choose YouTube videos because I can find the ones I like and play them in various places around the house and also through my pillow speaker all night, and through my hearing aids if I'm out and about.

 

I do the same most of the time but I noticed many times that the sounds of nature played through speakers is often not realistic enough and I cannot find the reason why it is so. When I heard real crickets in the woods last summer, I was like wow, that is so much better than YouTube videos or apps. But it is probably also because of the surround sound in nature.

 

My friend says I should move to the jungle. Always crickets and animal sounds.

 

Finally a severely affected person like me, who has such bizarre approaches with live crickets.

What does your girlfriend say about that?

I was in Greece for the first time last year, the crickets were so numerous, loud and persistent for 24 hours that they even drowned out my high tinnitus. I was there for a week, relaxed 23/7 at least.

They were my best friends there. They ensure my survival. If I really can't take it anymore, I'll emigrate to Greece with my savings.

 

I wouldn't say that my tinnitus is severe, I can easily mask it with medium volume sounds like running water, a couple of crickets or cicadas, and whenever I am busy doing something, I usually forget the thing. Anyway, I am surprised that so few people on Tinnitus Talk work with real, natural options like crickets, running water etc. There must be indoor water fountains, birds chirping kept in cages at home, or in my case, crickets in a box.

The problem with my crickets seems to be that there is only one guy doing the sound (word in English?) so I either have to wait until a few more teenagers grow to become mature and join the Alpha male or buy many more crickets in boxes placed in different corners of my flat so I get a few crickets helping me with masking.

I cannot image that living in the middle of natural sound would worsen anyone's condition. Maybe not very helpful with habituation though.