How good is your hearing?

[Wavelength]

Greetings SOS'ers

Long time reader but first time poster on these forums.

I'm asking forum members for some help.

I am seeking verification of the speech in 4 short wav samples.

As the speech is very low-level and somewhat buried in the noise floor, the "challenge" of being able to discern it also doubles as a "hearing test" of sorts... Nb. You will need to listen on headphones at high volume.

For the first 3 samples, the "suggested speech" is the filename. As an "added difficulty" for the final sample (Test.wav) I am not providing any clues to its contents.

To create the samples, the original recordings have been processed as follows:

Keepyourvoicedown1.wav - Amplification, Open VINO Ai Noise Suppression, EQ and micro edits to remove thumps/clunks

Keepyourvoicedown6.wav, Thisisaridiculoussituation.wav, Test.wav - Amplification, EQ, Izotope Spectral De-Noise/Voice De-Noise (and Spectral repair for clunks/thumps in the first file)

Here is the Google Drive link to the four files: Link Deleted
I would really appreciate verification (or otherwise) of the speech including your "best guess" for the "Test" sample.

Thank you in advance for your time.

[Nazard]

Influenced by Gene Hackman in 'The Conversation'?

[James Perrett]

We really need the original unprocessed files. The test could be skewed by the processing.

[OneWorld]

They won't play, what we supposed too do? download them, I don't want too employ cloud apps etc

[Kwackman]

I am seeking verification of the speech in 4 short wav samples.

Why? What's this for?

[James Perrett]

They won't play, what we supposed too do? download them, I don't want too employ cloud apps etc

Right click and choose preview (with the eye logo).

[OneWorld]

I am seeking verification of the speech in 4 short wav samples.

Why? What's this for?

I think it is too ascertain what is being said in the clips and from that an indication of how good hearing is. For what it's worth all I could hear is a mumble. Though I believe hearing is selective, for example I could hear someone whisper "free beer at the bar" in a crowded room from 50 paces, but if the missus says "Washup" or "hoover the carpet" it seems as if she is speaking in tongues

[Wavelength]

Thank you for the responses and to OneWorld for having a listen.

As I can't attach the samples to the post, I assumed that having them on Google Drive would be a reasonable way for Forum Members to access them.

To properly assess the contents would certainly mean downloading them as the speech is very low-level and would require "looped listening" (and potentially using pitch-shift/tempo change or other additional processing to assist)

I have personally verified the speech in the samples. At this stage I am simply attempting to verify if the speech can be heard by others with appropriate training/skills/experience and hearing acuity.

I'm happy to provide the original samples for verification, as well a more detailed analysis including timestamps, but for now I'm only interested if others can hear what I hear.

[Tim Gillett]

In the last file, I hear in the right stereo sound stage possibly a voice, possibly a woman's but not clearly enough to discern much.

There are people who have above average skills in understanding extremely marginal speech in such recordings but there's a limit to what even they can do. A minimum wanted signal to unwanted noise ratio is required.

[ef37a]

My hearing is pretty poor. I am registered deaf but am lucky that I can still enjoy music without my aids (which are new moulds and tubes and sound even worse than the old ones. More on that later)

However, I am hearing things on my new monitors, KH-150 that I have not for years. Hi hats and other "mid HF" sounds, even a touch of sibilance with some voices (another future moan is the variability of speech quality even on BBC R3!)

But I must get on! Have to clear up. I have daughter and son in law here at 12 for a cuppa then off to a pub for lunch. Daughter has impaired hearing* but AFAIK husband Gary is normal. He is lead singer for The Griswalds and I have their CD here so it will be interesting to hear how my speakers compare with what he heard in the studio?

*Daughter claims not to hear bass? I bet she will from the 150s! I have toc &fug in Dm lined up for her.

Dave.

[Bob Bickerton]

I think there would be more uptake if the OP said what he is trying to assess.

I have annual hearing tests and whilst I'm loosing higher frequencies I fair reasonably well in the identifying speech at thresholds of hearing test. But that's threshold of hearing not samples that can be boosted and frequency manipulated.

This test seems a waste of time, unless the science behind it is explained.

Bob

[Wavelength]

Thanks for your response Bob.

I have already verified the speech within the samples, however as it is very low-level and difficult to discern I am seeking "third party" verification.

Being able to pick up the speech qualifies you for a "5* in Hearing Acuity Award" and assists me as far as proving to others (non-muso's) who haven't been able to hear it, that it is indeed there (and therefore that it is their hearing/listening skill that is lacking).

Just in regard to the "Test.wav" file, it is a male voice, however the EQ to help lower the background noise may well give the impression that it is a female voice.

I am happy to reveal more details about these recordings, however I am asking for verification before I reveal additional information so as not to introduce any "bias".

[Folderol]

*Daughter claims not to hear bass? I bet she will from the 150s! I have toc &fug in Dm lined up for her.

Dave.

You got that bit wrong... It's really:
Tomato and fudge in a diner.

I was told this be a professional organist.

[Wavelength]

Hi again.

Due to a previously unforseen legal compliance issue, I've had to remove access to "Thisisaridiculoussituation.wav".

To anyone that has downloaded this file, please delete it from your system and if you don't mind, confirm that you have deleted it.

So sorry for the hassle.

[James Perrett]

To anyone that has downloaded this file, please delete it from your system and if you don't mind, confirm that you have deleted it.

Unfortunately the Internet doesn't work like that. There are far more people reading this forum than posting to it. Not to mention crawlers and bots scraping the forum. So copies of your file could be anywhere by now.

[ef37a]

To anyone that has downloaded this file, please delete it from your system and if you don't mind, confirm that you have deleted it.

Unfortunately the Internet doesn't work like that. There are far more people reading this forum than posting to it. Not to mention crawlers and bots scraping the forum. So copies of your file could be anywhere by now.

Yeah, now you've told us you have a LOT of people to kill!

Dave.

[OneWorld]

To anyone that has downloaded this file, please delete it from your system and if you don't mind, confirm that you have deleted it.

Unfortunately the Internet doesn't work like that. There are far more people reading this forum than posting to it. Not to mention crawlers and bots scraping the forum. So copies of your file could be anywhere by now.

Good point well made I always do download stuff with some trepidation anyway, but things like this I 'trust' but anyway, If only we could purge the internet of stuff put there in error or in a fir of pique etc

[Wavelength]

Thank you for your comments.

Yes, I appreciate that the "horse may have bolted", however I'm required to ask for legal reasons.

I guess I'm also assuming/hoping that if anyone has downloaded them and taken the time to listen that they would leave a comment regarding their assessment..??

Anyway, it is apparent that this is a more challenging task than I previously imagined.

To aid listeners, here are the timestamps for the speech:

Keepyourvoicedown1.wav

(Male Voice - however the "low cut" gives the impression of a higher pitched voice)

0.40s "Keep"
1.20s "...your..."
1.60s "...voice..."
2.40s "...down."

Keepyourvoicedown7.wav

(Very faint female voice)

1.00s "Can"
1.60s "...you..."
2.40s "...tell..."
3.00s "...John..."
3.70s "...to..."
4.40s "...keep..."
5.00s "...his..."
5.30s "...voice..."
5.80s "...down."

(Faint Male Voice)

6.20s "Keep"
7.00s "...your..."
7.60s "...voice..."
8.00s "...down."

Imgoingtokillyou.wav (formerly "Test.wav")

(Faint Male Voice - Note: Slow cadence)

0.50s – 1.50s "I'm"
1.50s – 2.60s "going"
2.60s – 2.90s "to"
2.90s – 3.30s "kill"
3.30s – End "you"

Is anyone else willing to attempt to confirm my findings?

[MarkOne]

Does anyone else find this thread just a little creepy?

[James Perrett]

Does anyone else find this thread just a little creepy?

I had a feeling that it might turn into one of those "my neighbours are talking about me - I can hear it through the wall" threads. We seem to attract one or two each year.

[garrettendi]

Does anyone else find this thread just a little creepy?

Very, very creepy. Might be best for a mod to do something?

[Hugh Robjohns]

...another future moan is the variability of speech quality even on BBC R3!

And not just R3... but don't get me started!

This is a thread I had previously ignored as the implied experimental premis was clearly idiotic...

But I dropped in to see if there was any progress and was dismayed to discover a very disingenuous abuse of the forum and its members.

[James Perrett]

I did actually put the test file through my current favourite AI vocal extraction process which is capable of extracting people's conversation in an audience while others are performing. (I was actually quite surprised at this).

It confirmed that there is nothing there.

[Peevy]

But I must get on! Have to clear up. I have daughter and son in law here at 12 for a cuppa then off to a pub for lunch. Daughter has impaired hearing* but AFAIK husband Gary is normal. He is lead singer for The Griswalds and I have their CD here so it will be interesting to hear how my speakers compare with what he heard in the studio?

*Daughter claims not to hear bass? I bet she will from the 150s! I have toc &fug in Dm lined up for her.

Some general information on hearing …

On the ‘not hearing bass’ thing. Last summer I had a bit of a problem with my hearing. I woke up one morning and couldn’t hear low frequencies. Very alarming! I did the email doctor ‘eConsult’ form thingy and was given ear drops. Seemed to help, but after a while the low frequencies disappeared again. I was also having an issue of hearing two notes at the same time in the low mid frequencies. So, e.g. if I played the note middle C, I would also hear the A below it. So you can imagine the chaos when listening to music

Five eConsult emails later and having been prescribed more ear drops and sprays, I eventually saw a doctor. Turned out to be Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) so nothing wrong with my ears at all. Nasal drops and spray were prescribed this time and things cleared up. I also bought an ‘Earpopper’ which I use. Haven’t had any problems since.

[Eddy Deegan]

Is anyone else willing to attempt to confirm my findings?

Like Hugh and James I'm in the 'no' camp. Unless anyone has something concrete to add I think we're done here.

Might be best for a mod to do something?

We're monitoring, and will do so if needed.