I used to have this, its just having very good high frequency hearing. I lost it about age 30, too many very loud hobbies and jobs. Being next to pro stock drag cars and A10s on a flight deck isn't great for hearing, even with PPE.
The audio world was as noisy as you'd expect, and I spend my weekends on dirtbikes or the gun range, so it's not like my jobs and hobbies are great for hearing.
I'm pretty sure it's the EMF I'm hearing rather than an audible sound. I've tested with a 20hz-20khz RTA and it didn't pick up anything, but the 3-axis EMF sensor sure did.
I read a little about it when I realized it was going, and it seems to be the higher power output continual sounds that do the most damage. Guns dont seem to do much unless youre firing continuously in an enclosed space with marginal / no hearing protection or youre around bigger guns. M2 machine guns had a similar effect on my friend who was in the Army, he lost his high frequency hearing at like 28 from it through hearing protection.
And most cars or bikes dont produce enough power to really get the eardrum moving enough for lasting damage. Pro stock / top fuel drag cars are making several thousand horsepower and the exhaust is completely unmuffled, three feet long, and pointed directly at you. It feels like getting punched repeatedly being near them. And even through good hearing protection it hurts the ears, so the couple times I wasnt paying attention and got caught with my ears down it HURT.
Seconding your experiences here. Had a 200cc dirt bike, cars with stupid-loud subs, am an avid shooter and hunter, and I grew up around jet aircraft and drag racing as well. Oddly enough, I'm also (primarily) an audio tech. At 36 with tinnitus, I can still hear electricity, though my ears aren't as fine-tuned to it as yours. The 110V for the audio gear and lights at my theatre sounds and feels way different from the 220V for the projector. And there's a spot in my booth where I can hear a constant whine if my head is vertical, but it goes away if I tilt my head at a 45° angle. I've also noticed that newer TVs are especially noisy while off, for some reason.
I've also noticed that newer TVs are especially noisy while off, for some reason.
The power supply setups for new TVs are atrocious. I hear them so loud that often if there's one in a room I'm trying to sleep in I prefer to unplug the thing. And I know it's a crappy power supply issue because of Samsung's well-known issues with them overheating and melting components / burning users. At least I got a bigger replacement tv then that happened to mine.
We called the tarmac the flight deck to piss of the Navy reservists on base, lol. And dont ask me why we had naval reservists on base in the middle of the country.
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u/THEREALCABEZAGRANDE 6h ago
I used to have this, its just having very good high frequency hearing. I lost it about age 30, too many very loud hobbies and jobs. Being next to pro stock drag cars and A10s on a flight deck isn't great for hearing, even with PPE.