Speakers around the whole house

[il78]

Have to agree with kendor.....I myself dont really listen to music any-more, I used to in my boy racer days, spent thousands on car audio until one day I seen a young lad driving down the road with all the windows down, the car bouncing with bass, and I thought n*bhead, then I realised I was the same....sickening.......any-hoos all my money gets spent on home cinema stuff, God knows how much I've spent and how much will be getting spent when I go get my plasma TV, but I'm a film buff so a decent set-up is needed (just need to convince her).........its down to what you enjoy, some people will spend thousands paying for season tickets, new footy shirts etc

The TV set-up does not annoy the neighbours what so ever because the way the surround speakers are set.......but the bike on the other hand sends them insane......

 

[masona]

There are a select number of people that have above average hearing

You will find these people with 100% hearing are between 18 - 20 yrs old and 1 out of 5 lose the ability to hear high frequencies, which occurs up to the age of 55 and don't noticed it.Blind people have the best hearing, believe it or not you can actually hear more by shutting your eyes.

 

[AdamW]

I had a full medical when I started my current job. I was a little worried thinking that there was no way I had full hearing and perfect eye sight. However, turns out that as tests go I was perfect in both areas... what I thought to be tinnitus was just hearing the blood vessels in my ears. And what they say about making you shortsighted just ain't true

In terms of hearing, I was in a band back at Uni playing bass... I always used to wear earplugs as I didn't want to damage my ears. Seems to have paid off, however the drummer from the old band seems to have less-than-perfect hearing now (although his home cinema system cost even more than mine!) Anyway, after hearing what tinnitus is like from a documentary, no way I want to risk it.

At the end of the day, your priorities and what you spend your money on are both up to you. My dad drives a car that very easily does over 150mph and can also do 0-60 in 6 seconds flat. But I bet there are plenty of people on this forum who drive a Ford Transit in the week and a Ford Focus at the weekends. Neither is the best thing in the world to drive, but they both do the jobs for which they are intended. As does a half-decent amplifier driving a 4-way speaker switcher to allow a barbecue-mad engineer to give him (or her) music to grill by.

 

[notsohandyandy]

Can anyone tell me how the sound quality of a music CD played through a good quality stereo system compares with the sound quality of the same music CD played through a home-cinema surround sound system? Which is better?

 

[AdamW]

Now, I am sure people will disagree with me on this one, but both will be good. I do, of course, assume that by good quality stereo system you mean a hi-fi separates system, not an all-in-one mini system. And by home-cinema surround system you mean a hi-fi separates surround system, not an all-in-one system...

I personally would go for the surround system. Whereas older surround systems had a tendency to be a bit boomy for playing music, the latest ones are pretty darn good for music. And a stereo system is no good whatsoever for watching films in their full surround glory.

 

[masona]

Currently waiting for digital to be introduced but my PCT, Stockport is slow on the uptake. Another case of NHS postcode lotteries.......

If you don't mind travelling to London, you can try & ring the 3 or 4 London hospital for the availability for a digital hearing aid,their waiting lists are a lot lower and better funded if you're not prepare to wait, then go to your GP and explains you are struggling and ask for a referral to that hospital.Help the GP with hospital contact number, depending how good your GP is.Not sure if it's still possible this way as I did mine approx 3yrs ago.
I'm was born deaf with very little hearing and wear phonax digital h/aids.I cannot hear at all without h/aids.

 

[kendor]

You will find these people with 100% hearing are between 18 - 20 yrs old and 1 out of 5 lose the ability to hear high frequencies, which occurs up to the age of 55 and don't noticed it.Blind people have the best hearing, believe it or not you can actually hear more by shutting your eyes.

Absolutely true! many an enthusiast when listening to a piece will indeed close their eyes, It's almost a natural response.

 

[Big_Spark]

Absolutely true! many an enthusiast when listening to a piece will indeed close their eyes, It's almost a natural response.

Maybe this explains why a of old people drive with their eyes shut...they're trying to hear the radio!!

 

[masona]

Another reason is when you're having a afternoon nap, you can tell the other half you're not asleep but listening

If they ask why, tell them you're listening to peace

 

[kendor]

Paint eyes onto your eyelids and she'll never tell the difference, just try not to snore too loudly

 

[securespark]

I was born with high frequency loss, rather than losing it since birth.

Although I have been told I can get percussion deafness through inadequate use of ear defenders - TAKE NOTE! The audiologist said that without ear defenders, I would be completely deaf within a year.

The doctors in the 60's gave me the standard test - rattling of a bell behind me, and I didn't do what most babies do - turn around to see where the noise is coming from.

By contrast, I was amazed by the test that was given to my second son at age 3 days. Because our children were born at home, the audiologists came out to us with a laptop, and sent audio signals down each of his ears, and the PC analysed what came back off the tympanic membrane (sorry, eardrum!). Fantastic!

Thanks masona for the info. I do come down to the smoke 6 times a year so could visit a hospital, but I will start by kicking my quack up the a*se to see if Stockport can help first.

 

[securespark]

Also suffer terrible tinnitus, although thankfully the attacks are few and far between.

 

[AdamW]

As Joni Mitchell once sang "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone" (have to love the colonials for their artistic use of English!). Which is relevant to my comment, below.

Out of all of my friends, the one who takes most care of his ears is the one who has total loss in one ear. Reason being, if he loses hearing in his good ear then he will be completely deaf. But then my drummer friend who I mentioned earlier will sit behind his kit playing an hour set with damn loud monitor speakers on top of the percussive sounds from the drums, not wearing earplugs.

Anyway, back to the multi-room wiring. I will probably have deck speakers when I have a place big enough to have a deck. It is less antisocial than other solutions; in my student days barbecues were generally music'ed by someone sticking a pair of speakers by an upstairs window with the window open. So the sound probably annoyed the whole street. Keep it below fence level and a sensible volume and it will be less intrusive than the people at the barbecue talking and laughing.

I think people are generally annoyed by others' music because it is very much a personal thing. It starts at a young age, as a boy I would argue with the girls that Take That were rubbish and Prodigy were great. As a student I once had a very irate girl burst in demanding I never play Greenday again because it was c**p, but whenever I asked her to turn down her Napalm Death or Marilyn Manson I would get a lecture on why they were great and I should be grateful she was playing it. Just a few months ago I had a neighbour come round demanding I turn my music off (bear in mind it was 8pm on a Saturday and the music wasn't loud enough to bother the guy downstairs!). I reckon she just didn't like what I was playing.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Good tip re neighbours, that a friend of mine has used.

When you move in somewhere new, very early on tell the neighbours that if they are ever annoyed at the music volume, they should phone or come and ask for it to be turned down, and it will be. Assure them there will be no arguments, no comebacks, no unpleasantness, just instant compliance.

My friend has found that safe in the knowledge that their new neighbour is a decent sort, people will be less likely to get upset by the music.

 

[AdamW]

It is a good idea to do that, makes life much more pleasant if you are on friendly terms with your neighbours. I wouldn't get half the things I order off the internet if it wasn't for my neighbour downstairs who always takes the packages in.

Something I have found is, when you actually go and say "Hi" and insist they come and tell you if the music is too loud, they usually just say "Oh, I'm sure that won't be a problem!" and providing you don't get silly with it then there usually isn't. The complaint I got was an anomaly seeing as the woman's flat doesn't actually overlap mine at any point (next door and downstairs!). I think she was just in a mood to complain, and I turned my music on before anyone else.