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tan253's avatar

Why do I hear bass tones louder than others?

Asked by tan253 (2958points) October 31st, 2018

So we’ve moved into a new house, since moving in I’ve heard a low rumbling sound like a car idling in the distance. I started to notice it more and more – until now i hear it 24/7. We are on a hill overlooking the town below and there is a very busy port in the distance so I assumed it was something to do with this. Other people can hear it but I can hear it super loud, today it echoed all through my head and ears and was unbearable yet my flat mate could only just hear it – why is this? I’m so worried now that I have a tumour or something else going on – I did an audiologist test and it came back with a very small amount of high pitched hearing loss and I have tinnitus. My dr said I might have hyperacussis, but I can only hear it in the house, when I leave I hardly hear it….. anyone have any ideas? I’ve been calling neurologists and ENT’s to get an appointment – Dr said I didn’t need an MRI but I’d like one – it’s driving me nuts as i can feel the sound rather than hear it – anyone got any ideas?

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15 Answers

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Bill1939's avatar

It is possible you, as do I, have a loss in high frequency hearing. Your brain may be amplifying all sounds to compensate. Perhaps you should have your hearing professionally tested.

stanleybmanly's avatar

I would suspect that your new house might share your own tendency to do a better job in collecting the lower frequencies. The effect of the 2 of you combined would then be rather pronounced.

kritiper's avatar

During your life you have subjected yourself to more loud high pitch sounds than low, so you’ve lost some of your hearing sensitivity for the higher notes.

rebbel's avatar

There could be two things going on, I think.
One: you could very well be oversensitive for said bass sounds (or are they vibrations/do you experience them as vibrations?).
It’s known that once you hear an annoying sound, that, for instance, keeps you awake, or alerted, it can become increasingly annoying, and sound much louder to you than it does to people around.
The other thing could be that you live in a concrete building, and the noise from the city, or the port, ‘travel’ through the walls and ceilings and floors.
Hence you experience it inside the house, and not (or less so) outside of the house.
Just my two cents; there may very well be different opinions coming.
I know how sounds can influence life; I wish you well.

tan253's avatar

Thanks guys, I actually have high pitch hearing loss according to my audiologist and I have a really good range of low frequency hearing so he said, so is it my ear compensating? What I think happens is that everyone can hear the low pitch sound but there is one pitch that over amplifies in my ear – almost like ‘recruitment’ from hearing loss, I’ve only just read about this term but I’m wondering if this is what it is. It’s almost like the bass frequency gets stuck in my ear and bounces back and forth getting louder and louder!

tan253's avatar

What is Recruitment?

Very simply, recruitment is when we perceive sounds as getting too loud too fast. – THIS = ME!

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Low frequency reinforcement can be caused by a standing wave which can occur where the initial sound and the reflected sound begin to reinforce each other. The size of the room is important, a room about 22 feet long is the same size as the wave pattern of a 50 Hz sound wave.

tan253's avatar

I understand what you’re saying tropical but wouldn’t then, everyone hear it as loud as me? I have to leave my house every morning as it’s unbearable for me whilst my flat mate only just hears it! But yes I have sound sensitivity. A spoon dropping on the floor sends crackles all through my ears, bass noise really affects me… so maybe it is just me? Like to get to the bottom of this!

tan253's avatar

Also how do you know this tropical!!!!

Tropical_Willie's avatar

I was audio man and played bass guitar in a rock group many years ago.

Also own some high end hi-fi stuff.

tan253's avatar

The audiologist said it’s likely my ear canals are the perfect shape for the bass frequency to resonate in – sounds strange but that’s exactky what it feels like!!! He said a tumour would block the sound not increase it. So I feel a bit better!

tan253's avatar

Anyone here know – a brain tumour, can I increases the way you hear sound? I’m assuming if anything it would deafen sound not increase it? I may need to go on antidepressants!

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