Subject: [AUDITORY] Ifrasubs ruin hearing protection use cases From: Matt Flax <flatmax@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 13:28:59 +1100Most modern large PA setups now include infrasubs (< 20Hz amplification)=20 by default - and certainly most large venues do too. This it turns out is a conundrum for hearing protection. For example my=20 "flattened" ear plugs give 13 dB or more hearing protection, but they=20 have a lower frequency limit. This means that I am still hearing=20 un-attenuated low frequency music. This may not seem like a problem,=20 however it suppresses the melodic (13 dB dampened)=C2=A0music when strong= sub=20 bass is present - to the point where it sounds like you are listening to=20 gated sub bass with little else on top. At this point I would like to steer this conversation away from a=20 discussion on what "quality music is" and keep it on the track of=20 suppression and if necessary then masking. Sometimes I feel that=20 psychoacoustics is the statistical model (AI) of hearing. As frequency tuning curves typically have lower slope for lower=20 frequencies, the ear's physiology suppresses higher frequency signal=20 power. In the psychoacoustics world the frequency spreading functions of=20 masking models generate the upwards (frequency) spread of masking (as a=20 shameless plug, see Figure 3 here :=20 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Flax/publication/3898361_Hyb= rid_auditory_masking_models/links/61dc0e7e4e4aff4a642f9514/Hybrid-auditor= y-masking-models.pdf) Is this a commonly discussed issue yet ? I can't think of practical ways=20 to improve the sound quality of "flattened hearing protection devices"=20 at live venues with infrasubs, is anyone aware of any ? Matt