Pinpointing sound

[Raghorn_Reaper]

What can I do to increase my sound perception? One thing I think I struggle with is pinpointing where the bugle is coming from. My buddy can point in one direction and I think the sound came from another location. I do think my hearing is not as good in my left ear.

Do you guys struggle with this at all or is it just me?

[mjblowers]

Yeah if you find out let me know. I think the biggest thing that we have found to be helpful is to determine where it isn't coming from. But yeah, we have this debate every single day we are out...

[BRazz]

That made me laugh - pretty classic!

My dad and I will be doing our thing when suddenly a bugle echoes from ... somewhere. We look at each other with big eyes and promptly point in different directions... where did it come from? If the situation allows, move a little bit (maybe 50-100 yards or so) and sit and listen again. Sometimes the way sound echoes through trees and mountains can vary across this shortdistance, so the next time we hear him bugle one of our guesses looks to be the correct one.

[Charina]

One ear worse than the other wreaks havoc on the ability to determine direction. I lost much hearing in my left about 10 years ago, and have been completely unable to determine direction since. Well, not quite completely. I found myself turning my good ear from left to right when a bull bugled to try to get some sort of read which direction it was. But it really sucked. My best method was to bring someone along that had good hearing, and use them to determine direction and distance.

Finally got a hearing aid for my left ear this summer. It is a whole different world than it was before. For the first time in a decade, I can tell which direction sounds are coming from. First time in a long time I can listen to a conversation across the table when there is background noise. It's a whole different world having two functional ears.

If your left ear has worse hearing, consider an aid. It will make a significant difference. Costco gives free hearing tests, and has much better prices on digital aids than any audiologist.

[ishy]

I have a similar issue and have been to an ENT, but he doesn't think it's close to needing a hearing aid. Anyone try any of the little hearing aids you buy at sporting good stores?

[Charina]

Ishy, did the ent do a full hearing test? Only one of the various ent's I have visited gave a real hearing test.

The cool thing about the OTC hearing enhancers is that they magnify everything, so you can hear more. And, if you are a rifle shooter, they cut off the damaging sounds from the rifle.

The bad thing is that they simply amplify all sounds across the board. If you have hearing loss in specific pitches, it doesn't compensate for that. Or if one ear is worse than the other, it is still worse than the good ear, and directional hearing still stinks. It is common to lose hearing in the higher frequencies, and bull bugles are high frequency sounds. It might help, it might not, depending on the type of hearing loss you have.

Are you married/have significant other? If they are frustrated at having to repeat themselves, then the ent's opinion doesn't matter much, does it? Those around you, and how many times you ask "huh?" is the best measure imo.