Let’s Talk About Balance and EQ (Because "Flat" is Garbage)

 

Let’s Talk About Balance and EQ (Because "Flat" is Garbage)

When you talk about asymmetric hearing loss, you quickly realize it isn’t just a simple volume problem.

In my case, it wasn't just a basic drop in decibels courtesy of a rock and roll accident involving a fiery guitar solo and a Marshall stack. It’s also a significant loss in very specific frequencies.

What this actually means is that no piece of audio equipment out of the box will ever work for me as intended. A "flat, natural" sound profile—the holy grail of pretentious audiophile forums everywhere—is, when interpreted by my ears, complete garbage and totally unlistenable.

"Exhibit A: The exact moment 4kHz waved goodbye forever."

Step One: Simple Balance Adjustment

Altering the balance between your left and right channels is the logical starting point. Nudging the pan slider slightly toward your weaker side can pull the soundstage back into the center of your head so the lead singer doesn't sound like they're standing in the hallway on your left.

But volume panning only gets you halfway there. Shoving more gain into a dead frequency range just creates a louder, mudder mix on one side without bringing back the detail you're actually missing.

Step Two: The Common EQ Map

That’s where equalization comes in. You can go much further by EQing for your specific situation.

Now, in an ideal world, you’d run separate EQ curves for the left ear and right ear. But let’s face it: no singular EQ map will work perfectly for both ears, and come on—I’m 60. What do I really expect at this point in my life?

Instead of overcomplicating things with impossible dual-channel software setups everywhere I go, I always end up creating a common EQ map—a single curve that takes both ears into account and finds a functional middle ground that works for the pair.

Does this result in a pristine, studio-reference frequency response? Absolutely not. But does it make listening to music enjoyable again? 100%.

A Quick Word on Getting Tested

Of course, my exact setup may not work for everyone because everyone’s situation is completely unique.

I strongly advocate visiting an audiologist to get a proper hearing test and understand your specific frequency drops. Even if you have zero intention of buying a multi-thousand-dollar prescription hearing aid from the clinic, knowing your audiogram curve is pure gold for setting up your own gear.

Besides, in many ways, Over-The-Counter (OTC) hearing aids are more than fine these days, and they can cost 1/20th to 1/40th the price of a medical device.

We’ll dive much deeper into specific equipment, devices, and phone/computer setup tricks in future posts. Until then, stop chasing "flat" sound and start EQing for the ears you actually have.