Does alcohol affect your hearing?

[unhalfbricking]

I like to listen to music on my hi-fi with a glass of wine in my hand. I tend to find, though, that after I consume a couple of glasses of wine the 'top-end' of my hearing (i.e. the ability to hear treble) starts to go. Initially, I thought that this was just 'listening fatigue', but I'm more and more convinced that it's the alcohol. If I listen to an album sober it often sounds fine with bass and treble levels on my amp 'flat' (i.e. in the 'twelve o'clock position'); by the time I've had two glasses of wine (same album) I'm invariably running the treble at +1. By the time it's a bottle +2 becomes a distict possibility.

...anybody else find that?

 

[Al ears]

I like to listen to music on my hi-fi with a glass of wine in my hand. I tend to find, though, that after I consume a couple of glasses of wine the 'top-end' of my hearing (i.e. the ability to hear treble) starts to go. Initially, I thought that this was just 'listening fatigue', but I'm more and more convinced that it's the alcohol. If I listen to an album sober it often sound fine with bass and treble levels 'flat' (i.e. in the 'twelve o'clock position'); by the time I've had two glasses of wine (same album) I'm invariably running the treble at +1. By the time it's a bottle +2 becomes a distict possibility.

...anybody else find that?

Did you ever get to +3 and still manage to find the amplifier? ;-)

But to answer your question, no. There may be a certain 'relaxant' effect after a couple of glasses (don't know about a full bottle as long time since I've done that) but this tends to make me listen more intently and therefore frequency rate seems a bit more extensive than when casual listening sober.

That's a class album by the way..... your pseudonym I mean

 

[SemiChronic]

Youre probably experiecing the highly fabled "Intoxication Bias"

 

[Gazzip]

3 pints and the wife is much easier to listen to...

 

[muljao]

3 pints and the wife is much easier to listen to...

*biggrin**biggrin*

 

[Freddy58]

I've had ten pints.....

I'll get me coat....

 

[insider9]

House red is the best upgrade to any system

Any time I want to listen to Spotify in CD quality I pour myself some Tempranillo. I notice more it's like a dac upgrade.

Strangely enough, I found when I played vinyl it was always whisky or bourbon.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Alcohol is best way to upgrade and bake offs best way to downgrage

 

[Leeps]

Yes, it affects all your senses, but it does depend how much of course.

When people consume large quantities of alcohol, their brains concentrate all their resources on keeping them alive, which is why people who are drunk have a tendency to shout and their other abilities like motor function are impaired. They actually can't hear as well. The strength of these affects depends how much alcohol is in their bodies - view it as a sliding scale.

But of course there's much more involved in listening than simply hearing: languages are a classic example of this. Two people can be listening to someone speaking. Their hearing ability may be identical, but if one of them doesn't speak the language, it will sound like an unintelligible babble of noise to them. Whereas a native speaker can not only understand what's being said, they can also discern the shades of accent and pronunciation that a foreigner couldn't.

Music can be the same, which is why through training and experience, your 'hearing' can improve. So dulling your ability to concentrate with alcohol would likely affect your appreciation of finer nuances in the same way it would impair someone's driving ability.

But having said all that, we don't always listen to music with such intensity. Sometimes we just want to appreciate the groove. Cheers.

 

[Al ears]

3 pints and the wife is much easier to listen to...

Is that you having the 3 pints or her??

 

[Al ears]

I've had ten pints.....

I'll get me coat....

Pardon?

 

[Al ears]

Yes, it affects all your senses, but it does depend how much of course.

When people consume large quantities of alcohol, their brains concentrate all their resources on keeping them alive, which is why people who are drunk have a tendency to shout and their other abilities like motor function are impaired. They actually can't hear as well. The strength of these affects depends how much alcohol is in their bodies - view it as a sliding scale.

But of course there's much more involved in listening than simply hearing: languages are a classic example of this. Two people can be listening to someone speaking. Their hearing ability may be identical, but if one of them doesn't speak the language, it will sound like an unintelligible babble of noise to them. Whereas a native speaker can not only understand what's being said, they can also discern the shades of accent and pronunciation that a foreigner couldn't.

Music can be the same, which is why through training and experience, your 'hearing' can improve. So dulling your ability to concentrate with alcohol would likely affect your appreciation of finer nuances in the same way it would impair someone's driving ability.

But having said all that, we don't always listen to music with such intensity. Sometimes we just want to appreciate the groove. Cheers.

Very nicely put Leeps, I particularly liked the 'sliding scale' bit and pictured sliding gracefully to the floor in my mind. Don'y know why

 

[ID.]

Alcohol "makes" me turn up the volume, and also crave more bass. I almost never combine drinking and listening to my stereo these days, for various reasons including the preservation of my ears.

 

[insider9]

I like to listen to music on my hi-fi with a glass of wine in my hand. I tend to find, though, that after I consume a couple of glasses of wine the 'top-end' of my hearing (i.e. the ability to hear treble) starts to go. Initially, I thought that this was just 'listening fatigue', but I'm more and more convinced that it's the alcohol. If I listen to an album sober it often sounds fine with bass and treble levels on my amp 'flat' (i.e. in the 'twelve o'clock position'); by the time I've had two glasses of wine (same album) I'm invariably running the treble at +1. By the time it's a bottle +2 becomes a distict possibility.

...anybody else find that?

 

 

As I've had a bottle of wine throughout the day today I decided to test your theory.

I always turned up volume after alcohol. Thought it was to do with more enjoyment and not because anything was lacking.

Today I turned up treble and wow what a difference. Volume stayed down in fact I could listen at lower volumes than normal and hear everything very clearly.

Thank you very much for pointing this out OP! My ears appreciate it.

 

[CnoEvil]

I got a Beering Aid shortly after I had my Beer Goggles confiscated.

 

[unhalfbricking]

I like to listen to music on my hi-fi with a glass of wine in my hand. I tend to find, though, that after I consume a couple of glasses of wine the 'top-end' of my hearing (i.e. the ability to hear treble) starts to go. Initially, I thought that this was just 'listening fatigue', but I'm more and more convinced that it's the alcohol. If I listen to an album sober it often sounds fine with bass and treble levels on my amp 'flat' (i.e. in the 'twelve o'clock position'); by the time I've had two glasses of wine (same album) I'm invariably running the treble at +1. By the time it's a bottle +2 becomes a distict possibility.

...anybody else find that?

As I've had a bottle of wine throughout the day today I decided to test your theory.

I always turned up volume after alcohol. Thought it was to do with more enjoyment and not because anything was lacking.

Today I turned up treble and wow what a difference. Volume stayed down in fact I could listen at lower volumes than normal and hear everything very clearly.

Thank you very much for pointing this out OP! My ears appreciate it.

Ha! There you go!

Anyway, I woke up this morning with a bit of a 'thick head'. Played the same CD (XTC, 'Skylarking', Steven Wilson stereo remix) on my system and 'presto!'...treble's back.

I tend to enjoy music more when I've had a drink, but after two glasses of wine the 'top end' of my hearing definitely starts to go. Make mine a 'treble'!

 

[tonky]

ub t is dose afffectt mi tyypin.

yontki

 

[unhalfbricking]

Some more scientific data has just come in on this whole alcohol / hearing issue. I sat and listened to 'Black Sea' by XTC (1980 -- 2001 remaster) at 5pm this evening on my hi-fi (system details see below), stone cold sober, with bass and treble levels both flat (i.e. set a '0') and volume set at 34. Perfect. Punchy, eloquent, crisp, dynamic, loud. I love my Arcam A-18.

Two hours later -- and with a nice bottle of Chenin Blanc consumed -- I repeated the procedure under similar conditions (i.e. same house, room, album and hi-fi) but with myself just very slightly pickled...

...totally different outcome! Aha!!

Now 34 is not loud enough...and...I need more treble. If flip the treble setting up to +1 and volume to 35 then it's perfect: punchy, eloquent, crisp, dynamic, loud. And I still love my Arcam A-18.

...and so there goes your proof (as Joe Jackson would say). Alcohol knackers your hearing and takes a layer of treble off. Never be without those tone controls. Always keep a little extra treble up your sleeve for those boozy moments! Seriously.

 

[alchemist 1]

ub t is dose afffectt mi tyypin.

yontki

uyo Caaaaaaaaan **** agin Twanki........Hik !

 

[Mammy Nun]

yo wankuy romko

Drigt and list een.

Aint got FSA to boo wiff it............chairs.

 

[Mammy Nun]

PARDON..........!!!!!!!