Technology
This test reveals your true hearing age – and it only takes a few seconds
EVER wondered how good your hearing abilities are?
Several videos on YouTube provide a simple version of a hearing test which can give you a rough idea of your hearing range.
The higher the Hz number is when you start hearing the sound, the better[/caption]
The average human is capable of hearing frequencies somewhere between 20Hz to 20,000Hz.
The higher you can hear the better your hearing abilities are.
As we age, our ability to hear high frequencies tends to decline.
So, a younger person is more likely to be able to hear closer to 20,000Hz than an older person whose hearing has declined with age.
A good example of a YouTube hearing test video is one from Bright Side.
The test starts at around two minutes in.
You’ll need headphones and to be in a quiet environment to get a fair result.
The test starts playing a sound at a frequency of 20,000Hz and goes backwards so you can stop the video at the exact moment you start hearing a noise.
This will tell you the highest frequency you can hear.
The caption of the video explains: “An average human is capable of hearing frequencies from 20hz to 20000hz.
“Are you a superhuman or worse than average? Check it out!
“The older we get, the harder it becomes for us to hear high-frequency sounds.
“The worse it gets, the fewer chances you have of hearing the birds sing, the beeping of your microwave, and even consonants like s,h or f.”
Bright Side claims the test is 100% accurate but lots of factors can come into play such as the quality of the device you’re listening to the YouTube video on or any background noise.
Another YouTube account called the Human Test Box provides a video that starts at the low sound of 20Hz, which lots of us can hear, and slowly goes up until we lose the ability to notice the sound.
What does the test say about my hearing?
Note down the highest frequency you hear during the YouTube video and then compare it to the figures below…
Around 17,000Hz is usually the upper limit of hearing for young adults so if you hear noise at that frequency then you have amazing hearing.
15,000Hz is impressive.
14,000Hz is considered about right for middle-aged ears.
13,000Hz or more still suggests good hearing.
12,000Hz is pretty standard for a mature adult.
If your maximum is at 11,000Hz or less you might struggle to hear certain things and need people to talk louder.
If you can’t hear at 10,000Hz you may need to go for an official hearing test.
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Did you try out the hearing test? Let us know in the comments…
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