Impression of hearing impairment 

Below, there are a number of sound files which you can play to get an impression of what it is like to be suffering from hearing loss or tinnitus.

By clicking the sound files, you can - if you have normal hearing - get an impression of how music sounds to a hearing-impaired person. The first sound is played at 'normal level' and the following sounds have been reduced in relation to the 'normal level'.

The examples show how certain sounds are perceived by a person who suffers from conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. But it may sound differently. The way it sounds to a hearing-impaired person always depends on the type and degree of the hearing loss.

You can also hear some examples of what tinnitus sounds like. But tinnitus can sound in many different ways, and can be more or less intense. So please remember that these sounds are just examples.

The sounds you hear will always depend on the quality of your computer equipment.

You cannot use the sound files to test your own or your patients' hearing. And you cannot test people's hearing on the Internet.

These sound files have been provided by the Danish Information Center for Hearing Impairment and Deafness, Delta Akustik and Vibration.