# How old are your ears? (Hearing test inside) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280 "2014-09-22T22:27:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/1 "2014-09-22T22:27:56Z")
[Inspired by the TV high pitch thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17752335#post17752335) [Test here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxcbppCX6Rk) So, where do you rank with regard to your age? Above average? I’m not Me: 44yo between 12,000 Hz and 15,000 Hz. Right were I should be! ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/2 "2014-09-22T22:37:29Z")
I got “under 50” as the highest sound I could hear. I could’t hear the “under 40” sound. And I’m 30 years old. And a musician who needs to hear things to do musical activities. I always thought I took good care of my hearing. Maybe this is not so good then… ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/3 "2014-09-22T22:43:32Z")
Same as **Shakes** and I’m 46. Damn whippersnappers. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/4 "2014-09-22T22:50:09Z")
Well… could not hear the “under 50”, and since there’s no “under 60” I have to assume I’m OK for someone my age. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/5 "2014-09-22T22:56:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well… could not hear the “under 50”, and since there’s no “under 60” I have to assume I’m OK for someone my age. This. They really need to have an “under 60” sound. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/6 "2014-09-22T23:02:00Z")
15,000 Hz - Under 40. Not too bad for 48 I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/7 "2014-09-22T23:04:46Z")
I could hear the Under 40 (and the others at lower frequencies) but none of those higher than that. I’m 41. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/8 "2014-09-22T23:26:00Z")
I could hear the Under 50 - but nothing after that. Guess I’m average for my age. You guys are right though - they need an Under 60 and even an Under 70 category. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/9 "2014-09-22T23:31:58Z")
Over 50 and I couldn’t hear the 12,000. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/10 "2014-09-22T23:36:30Z")
I guess I’m alive. I could only hear the first sound; the one for old people. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/11 "2014-09-22T23:37:03Z")
I could hear the under 40 but not the under 30. My wife had the same result. We’re both early to mid 30s. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/12 "2014-09-22T23:39:58Z")
I heard the under 50 sound loud and clear and I’m 47. My hubby, sitting next to me couldn’t hear it all. He’s only 51. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/13 "2014-09-22T23:44:59Z")
I heard the under 30 and I’m 45. I’m pretty sure I heard sounds below that age level, but I definitely heard under 30. My ears make up for my decorative, but not functional, eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/14 "2014-09-22T23:56:35Z")
With headphones, I could hear the “under 50”. Without headphones, no. So, I guess that’s OK for over 50. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/15 "2014-09-23T00:02:08Z")
I could hear “Under 50”, which I am. I could not hear “Under 40”, which I am not so I’m feeling pretty average about the whole business. I’m 46, and stood close to a lot of speakers before I knew anything about being careful regarding my hearing. I watch most TV with captions on because that’s more comfortable for me than turning the volume up. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/16 "2014-09-23T00:43:03Z")
I’m alive. I could only hear the first one. I am 56. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/17 "2014-09-23T00:48:45Z")
I could barely hear 15,000Hz, everything above that I just heard a click when the sound started and ended. Do we use hearing in that sound range of 12-20khz? What sounds occur in that range that a person would run into? ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/18 "2014-09-23T01:08:07Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I got “under 50” as the highest sound I could hear. I could’t hear the “under 40” sound. And I’m 30 years old. And a musician who needs to hear things to do musical activities. I always thought I took good care of my hearing. Maybe this is not so good then… I’m over 30 but under 40 and I couldn’t hear that range either. I didn’t have my headphones in, being too lazy to dig them out because I had JUST put them away. I’m hoping it’s because of user failure than hearing failure. The last time I took a similar test I scored very well. ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/19 "2014-09-23T01:22:33Z")
I took it with and without headphones and got the under 50 result with both. I’ve always thought I took fairly good care of my ears by avoiding loud noises, but I guess not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280/20 "2014-09-23T01:47:04Z")
I don’t have any trouble hearing conversation or music, but I couldn’t hear ANYTHING on that hearing test. Have good earphones, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-are-your-ears-hearing-test-inside/699280.md?page=2)