I would like to do some listening tests to determine my ATH and quality of some codecs. Can you help me with some software? Also, any ideeas of measurmens that I can make with a soundcard and a pair of headphones are welcomed.


edit: sorry for putting it in the wrong place.

Such testing is done in a 'soundproof' enclosure with laboratory calibrated equipment.

Since it is a very low sound level (unless your hearing is seriously sub-normal) tests must be done where other noises can't interfere. The necessary conditions don't exist very many places in the 'real' world. The environment must be very controlled for the measurements to mean anything.

Although you can control the digital level in software, that will tell you little about the level reaching your ears. The electronics and the headphones are major variables. Actual levels must be measured with expensive equipment to establish all results from doing particular things with the software.

I know that, and I am not trying to redraw the curves since there are well done professional tests done and standardized, I just want to play around with this kind of results, test myself and the elders in my family, to see how accurate their hearing still is. I have just noticed, accidentally, that my father can't hear frequencies over 10k, with some exceptions around 12-13k, and I want to make some tests.

For ABX tests I got abchr-java, is it good? What is the most common used tool in the tests at hydrogenaudio?

Have you done an internet search? I remember running across some discussion, a year or so ago, of an internet site that purported to do hearing tests online. It seemed a little doubtful to me. How could any tests be meaningful without controlling the external conitions of the person being tested? Anyway, I did not pay much attention, but the site may still exist.

For ABX testing, I like WinABX best. PCABX is also a good tool. Its website has a lot of reference material.

Meanwhile I found this http://ff123.net/audiogram.html , I don't like their method too much since they are using CoolEdit to generate the tones, same program I was using when I found out my father can't hear over 10 kHz. Anyway, as I sad, this is just for fun, I'm not seeking any meaningful results.

Thank you for ABX programs I will try them.

In Lame we have a ATH testing program (for linux). It's unmainted since a long time, but it's using it that the ATH curve used in Lame was built several years ago.

edit: the method used is the following:
You have a sine sweep slowly increasing in frequency. At the same time, you can control volume using keyboard: + increases it, - reduces it.
At first, you increase it untill you are able to hear something. Then you decrease it untill you stop hearing anything, and so on.

Great, since I am using Linux, I hope I will not have problems installing it. Can you give me a link?

I also tested my ears this way

I think the best method to generate tones at 44KHz SR -6dB, some soundcards aren't secure anymore above -6dB
First generate a 1K tone and listen it and sett your volume on your amp take a average level you like to listen to.
Oke now generate some other tones for example 15K 16K 16.5k 17k etc etc and see which ones you hear, don't touch your volume knob
I can hear up to 16.8KHz this way and 17.4KHz at 6dB increase i'm 21 years old.

I use Sennheiser HD-595 headphones

Maybe hoertest-en_2005.swf. Very basic.

Correction -- I used the Digital Recording's Audio CD to generate my hearing curve and my friend's, not CoolEdit tones. The method doesn't involve using ABX. If I wanted to be a little more accurate, I would have used the same headphones that was used by the group of people who tested the Digital Recording's CD (AKG 270's), and I would have bought the headphone coupler they sell and an SPL meter from Radio Shack to try to calibrate the volume level. But, just as you indicated, it was just for fun.

ff123