For many people, hearing loss does not just affect conversations. It can also change the way music sounds. One of our clients, Geoff Clarke, recently shared his personal journey of reconnecting with music after years of frustration.

I am 76 years old and I think I have always had a hearing problem, particularly with low frequencies. I have always had a love for music but was never appreciative of what a bass guitarist, for instance, did as I never properly heard what they were producing.

This didn’t really bother me until about 12 years ago when my general hearing started to deteriorate and I started wearing hearing aids and then I found that music didn’t sound the same anymore and seemed to lose its structure. I was ok listening to music I knew because I think my brain took over, but anything new was just a noise. Eventually I just stopped listening and I missed it greatly.

I still retained an interest in music, although this mainly involved reading about it rather than listening. Over the past few years my interest in hi-fi equipment increased and I spent a great deal of time reading reviews and learning how to properly set up a system — which is far more complicated than simply placing speakers where they look best. I also became a regular viewer of the YouTube series “Ask Paul” by Paul McGowan, founder and CEO of PS Audio, where he answers questions about hi-fi equipment and sound systems.

I had kept my 1990s hi-fi equipment and extensive CD collection, although neither was being used. After much research, I decided the older equipment was no longer of the same standard as modern products, so around 12 months ago I replaced most of it with new PS Audio equipment, including an integrated amplifier, speakers, streamer and power regenerator. After spending many days carefully setting everything up, the improvement was obvious — but it still seemed to lack something.

Around this time I had my annual hearing review with my audiologist, Claire Marshall at the Hearing Centre and I mentioned what I was doing. Claire installed a new music setting on my Resound Nexia hearing aids and this made all the difference. I now sit and properly listen to music for a least an hour a day and enjoy it immensely.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is, if the problem with your hearing has robbed you of your enjoyment of music, then don’t just accept it and think nothing can be done.

If possible, make the investment in some modern equipment, set it up correctly, ask your audiologist to create specific music setting on your hearing aids and I’m sure you will be rewarded.

Geoff hopes his experience encourages others not to give up on music because of hearing loss.